Chemical Wedding
Keeping with his career-long pattern of working history and mythology into his lyrics (and adding science to the mix), former Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson collaborates with axeman Roy Z onThe Chemical Wedding. Their union bears some tasty fruit. Former Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith also continues to work with Dickinson on this, the singer's sixth solo album, co-writing two numbers. Chock full of epic arrangements and snarling riffs, this collection towers over recent Maiden catastrophes, serving up traditional metal that's majestic and melodic--proving, along with so many mid-to-late-'90s releases by Judus Priest, Helloween, and others, that good music transcends trends. Dickinson and his bandmates understand the need to diversify their sonic portfolio, as evidenced by the psychedelic coloring of the title track, the electric tranquillity of "Gates of Urizen," and the folksy passages on "Jerusalem." And, as a bonus, rock madman Arthur Brown recites William Blake's poetry on two tracks.--Bryan Reesman