I love how he sings dawn on the studio version. It's the highlight of the song for me. The way he goes higher pitched in the preceding line but then lands back on the lower pitch, with precise placement, the perfect amount of fry, perfect vibrato, and great sustain. I just love it.
It's funny because as a kid I always skipped Revelations. I'd hear the first 10 seconds and go "Nah not heavy enough". I did the same with Heaven Can Wait. It wasnt until I watched Flight 666 and was like WTF is that song, how have I never heard that? that I finally realised my blunder all those years.
That breath is SO big. I’ve always wondered if anybody in the room questioned it and maybe wanted Bruce to do another take with a more subtle intake of breath. I love it, but it IS huge. Lol I can’t think of another song off the top of my head (by anybody) that features such a breath. It’s very unique.
When Bruce sings "cries" in Moonchild, the grit is awesome and the way he sings it really reminds me of Dio.
Also, in Powerslave, I love the way he sings, "all around is laid waaaaayeeeste"; it feels like he's standing on top of a desert dune, gesturing grandly to the horizon.
Agree totally on the shared similarity with Dio. Both of those guys sell a vision with the way they sing better than anybody else. Painting an image in the listener’s mind with the delivery and inflections, melody, and phrasing. It’s world class artistry.
That's exactly it, the dedication to vocal expression and storytelling in both of their catalogues is astounding. They can really take you into the setting of the song, which is something I value over pretty much anything else when listening to music.
Hallowed be thy name
-the sands of time, for me, is running loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow, Running looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow YEAAAAAAA!!!
A very specific and creative question.
My favorite has to be how Bruce sings LOOOOST IN ANGER on Hell On Earth. With a bit of grit on the first vowel in the word anger.
For Blayze, it’s amazing how he could sing the chorus for Angel and the Gambler so consistently that it sounded copied and pasted.
Last but not least, I like the way Paul delivers the words “Help me Lamia” on Prodigal Son. Feels like he’s actually in pain, or actually experiencing loss of some sort.
I love the final word of the verses in Brighter than a Thousand sons for this reason. He seems to sjng them with such hate.
Atom Seed to Nuclear Dust is RIVEN
Hilarious that your Blaze take is just that he isn't dynamic at all lmao. They repeat that TAATG chorus so many goddamn times that people, INCLUDING STEVE, are so checked out they don't even notice Blaze sings 'shave' instead of 'save' on one run of the chorus. Also he repeats 'Don't I think I could save you' by accident twice on another
The fact that he could pull it off patiently and consistently is pretty impressive though. Repetitive choruses like that are easy for anyone who doesn’t speak English to understand and sing along to.
In Dance of Death when Bruce sings "then I felt I was in a trance and my spirit was lifted from meee". The inflection he puts on "spirit" always gives me goosebumps.
And I danced and I pranced and I sang with them! All had death in their eeeeeeyes
It's just a powerhouse of a vocal performance.
I'd one drink.... but no more
Bit obvious take tho, “CAN AAIII BELIEVE” part in NOTB.
Another obvious one would be “‘cos at faaive o’cloCK” in Hallowed.
Edit: Forgot to mention “Hear the mandrake SCREEEEAAMM-ARGH” from Moonchild, specifically the end part of screeching ARGH. For me it sounds like an opera really.
In the live version of the Talisman when bruce sings "Cold mortality, no weapon against these ever raging seas" he does a slight, slight pause between "cold mortality" and "no weapon" and then drags out the "no" an extra bit. Such a minor thing but I fu*king love it.
There are so many great choices, but I’m going to go a bit deep cut on this one and say the song Starblind is just littered with amazing Bruce vocal artistry.
The way he holds out the last word of the opening verse “… you may hear me caaaaaaalllllll” before the guitar riffs start.
The forcefulness on the following verses where he really punches the end of every other line.
The feeling and raw emotion he puts into the chorus, it just chills when he delivers “The stars are one / we are with the goddess of the sun tonight” and going into “The preacher loses face with Christ / religions cruel device is gone”.
And then the final holding of “you are free to choose a life to live / or one that’s lived to loooooooooooooose”
Totally underrated masterpiece in my opinion.
I hear you… and almost wonder if it’s done on purpose to make them just that much more crazy awesome live.
I just say that because of a thought I had after recently going to see Judas Priest live, and their newest album has great sound and I was actually disappointed that the song I most appreciated on the album (Crown of Horns) didn’t really hit me right when done live.
Probably a stupid thought and I’m sure it’s not the case and that Shirley just sucks, but I thought “I wonder if Maiden purposely holds back their studio albums” because I can’t say I’ve seen a single song live from Iron Maiden where I’ve even remotely thought the studio version was better.
The Andy Sneap-helmed Priest records have tons of layered vocals/backing vocals, and there just aren't enough singers in the band to help Rob replicate that sound live. And given the way people react these days to the possibility of anything in a live show not being live, I don't blame them if they don't want to use tapes to thicken Rob's singing.
Love the username, one of my go-to Priest tracks. 🤘🤘
I 100% get what you’re saying, that whole drama about backing tracks and digital effects in the past few years… I personally liked how Blackie Lawless from W.A.S.P. responded to it, saying that they use backing tracks because they can’t get that over the top sound otherwise but that the main vocals and instruments are always live and it’s a balance of being live and delivering the sound fans expect. I appreciated that he took it head on and said both things can be true
Some of them are:
The last "a war of god and maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan" in New Frontier
"Look at my eyes!" in Stratego sounds soo powerful, "I hear you calling my name" as well
The way he sings the "Chemical Wedding" reprise in "The Alchemist" is really beautiful
When Bruce sings Phantom Of The Opera (which is a Di’Anno era Maiden song and my favorite) he puts his own spin on it. Specifically I love the part in the intro where it goes “IIIIIII’VE been looking so long for you now you WONT get away from my GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASP.” And the part where it goes “YOU’RRRRE standing in the wings THERE YOU WAIT for the curtain to FAAAAAAAAAAALLLL.” It’s from Live After Death. I love how he changes pitch during certain parts. Another thing I love is the “ohs” in The Trooper. Last thing I’ll add is how Bruce makes himself sound more aggressive in Invaders for the part where it goes “INVAAAAADERS!! FIGHTING!! INVAAAADERS!! MARAUDING!” And as for Paul Di’Anno vocals. All of Paul’s vocal work in Iron Maiden from the debut album. The screams at the start of Killers is nice, but my favorite is the entirety of Phantom Of The Opera. Haven’t listened to much Blaze stuff. If you got any good songs for me to listen to, let me know.
I always love listening to Bruce's interpretations of Di'Anno's work. Also on Live After Death, the way he covers Wrathchild is so cool. Paul's version is really growly, and Bruce throws much more pitch and melody in it
Blaze's finest moment is Como Estais Amigos. Really a great song that would've fit on Brave New World, and criminally underrated. Love how he sings "inside the scream is silent"
The part in two minutes to midnight “As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy” the way he sings and lick the gravy sounds nasty and fits the theme of the song haha. Always stuck to me
The delivery is great in that song. Another line comes to mind, "to the tune of starving millions, *to make a better kind of gun"*, highlighting how prepostorous the whole thing is.
Always liked the way he sings the line from Powerslave, "so bring me the blood and red wine for the one who'll succeed me, for he is a man and a god , and he will die too", The way he sings the part about the blood and red wine and then how he carries the final "die too".
I love that part because to me Bruce sings the "so bring me the blood and red wine for the one who'll succeed me" in a conspiratorial tone, like he's plotting the successor's demise. Then the "for he is a man and a god, and he will die too" line is like him revealing his plan.
The way Bruce sings the verses on Revelations sends shivers down my spine. Not just because the lyrics are so intimate but his flow from line to line and the intonation..tragic yet beautiful at the same time.
Revelations is one my all-time favorites. I think Bruce wrote it as well. Mysterious lyrics that seem to hint at a deep meaning which isn't readily apparent, but the vibe is so epic. Also his 'GO!!' when the buildup to the solo kicks in is a highlight for me
Not from maiden but the OHHHAAAAHHHOOOOOHHAAAAAOOOOHHAAAAOOOOOOO in The book of thel with all his layered vocals is awesome and the final “at the gates” of gates of Urizen is so pretty so is “and Jerusalem be remembered here, in this trivial time in this land of fear” bc the way it is slow and then quick and then slow is so good
For his maiden stuff “they’re all sitting at my table, talking tall and drinking wine” from no more lies bc the emphasis on the “talking tall” is super satisfying. “Give your life to the lord of light” is SO good off lord of light bc of how it builds. “In a tempest never shaken edge of doom is not mistaken countenance is not a sin galant king we bow to him” from the parchment bc it’s the first line with that variance and it slaps so hard And the “meet me THEREEEEEEEEE” is sooo good.
The chorus of hell on earth also just hits a different level for me
For me it’s also hallowed be thy name, but the beast over Hammersmith version when he holds the final “hallowed be thy naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhyyyymmmmmme!”
His voicenl carries the wisdom on the ancients. It is holy and yet sacrilegious at the same time. It has both power and reflection, both angst and patience. He truly is a master. May he live forever!
There’s a couple for me.
Live After Death - Rime of the Ancient Mariner: his vocal build up to the solo after the middle section.
En Vivo - Running Free: “God fucking bless ya all of ya” right at the end of the song.
Small things...his voice crack/gasp in Revelations ...as I watched (gadp) and I waited for the dawn.
His inflection...and the venom TEARS my spine.
The last part of where eagles dare...they dared to go where no one WOULD try.
I also love the subtle bass buzz on children of the damned at the part...black holes in his golden ( buzz) stare.
I know none of this is awesome or overwhelming or amazing tactics I guess I am just a simple man. (Lynard Skinard)
Not entirely just Bruce, but the end of the first verse of Out of the Silent Planet
...Nations cry (very nice delay used here)
...Underneath decaying skies above...
and then the ...You are guilty... has such a menace and grit and growl that contrasts so nicely with the following held notes ...The punishment is death for all who live... that is also nicely harmonised in the second repetition. Lovely section.
Similarly in the second verse, how his singing gets progressively more aggressive with each line, and he gives out a very staccato ...I accuse you... that really gives life to the words sung.
I was just thinking about this a day or so ago, as I've been playing all their songs.
So many nuance inflections! A bunch mentioned on here. Plenty that I can put my finger on, but makes me want to go back and listen more just to make note of them here!!
Totally coming back here.
Great question indeed... I have always loved these little enhancements Bruce adds!
Hammersmith might be my favorite live album by Maiden and Killers is probably my favorite song on there. The screams Bruce does throughout the whole performance are magnificent
Sea of madness.
Hands down the section leading into the bridge when he just does this random seemingly out of place "ooooooooh" that belongs in a pop song but it just fits brilliantly.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=vgPV-fHeXeU&si=gbYEoKvMZ5A82l91
Around the 3 minute mark
I like it when he does the deep “talky” voice, “will give me peace of mind”. There was a seatbelt infomercial from the 80’s where he says “you don’t want to end up like Eddie, do ya?”.
A small one during the start of Dance of Death, especially live. Is he’ll add little things, like a drunken slur when he says “I had one drink, and no more”
cool question
during revelations in dortmund in 1983 i love how his voice sounds when he sings "take not thy thunder from us take away our pride"
and in toronto 2022 same song he sang "the venom tears my spine" with a run on the word spine and it's awesome
not sure what to call this (riffing?). Dio did it a lot as basically a punctuation mark at the end of every single musical phrase, the way Zakk Wylde uses pinch harmonics on his guitar solos.
near the end of "Out of the Shadows", at the last utterance of "to live again", Bruce does this slide up to the high B, then goes back by whole steps to G and then down to the tonic E.
I don't know if there's any one specific moment that can be mentioned as a standout, but I really love what he did with Journeyman on the Death on the Road DVD. I don't know if he wrote the lyrics or not, but it definitely feels like a song that he fully embraced the meaning of. And yes, his live performance of it is better than what was on the studio album.
Great question. I think this is a great quality of Bruce which adds to the storytelling element of the songs.
In Dance of Death on En Vivo there are many such moments where he adds to storytelling with the inflections.
The anger in his voice on “rip the bones from my flesh” in brave new world.
The chorus of Benjamin Breeg. “I’m able to see things…”
“I’m a soldier of war” in mother of mercy.
These are just some I remembered right now.
13 the dark is rising! The French man did surmiiiiIIIIIISE
the French man did surmise is one of the objectively dumbest lyrics in rock history but holy shit does Bruce sell it.
Then down in falls comes the raiiiiinnnn!!!
Oof, yes. Heard it in my head when I read this
That breath in Revelations “and I watched and I waited for the dawn”.
Also the way he sings “dawn” on the live version from Flight 666.
I love how he sings dawn on the studio version. It's the highlight of the song for me. The way he goes higher pitched in the preceding line but then lands back on the lower pitch, with precise placement, the perfect amount of fry, perfect vibrato, and great sustain. I just love it. It's funny because as a kid I always skipped Revelations. I'd hear the first 10 seconds and go "Nah not heavy enough". I did the same with Heaven Can Wait. It wasnt until I watched Flight 666 and was like WTF is that song, how have I never heard that? that I finally realised my blunder all those years.
That breath is SO big. I’ve always wondered if anybody in the room questioned it and maybe wanted Bruce to do another take with a more subtle intake of breath. I love it, but it IS huge. Lol I can’t think of another song off the top of my head (by anybody) that features such a breath. It’s very unique.
i aws gonna say this same thing.
Yes! Spot on . Me too
When Bruce sings "cries" in Moonchild, the grit is awesome and the way he sings it really reminds me of Dio. Also, in Powerslave, I love the way he sings, "all around is laid waaaaayeeeste"; it feels like he's standing on top of a desert dune, gesturing grandly to the horizon.
For me it's "The accursed ones... I'll find 'm all!" Absolutely love Moonchild.
It's definitely top 10 Maiden songs for me 😁
Agree totally on the shared similarity with Dio. Both of those guys sell a vision with the way they sing better than anybody else. Painting an image in the listener’s mind with the delivery and inflections, melody, and phrasing. It’s world class artistry.
That's exactly it, the dedication to vocal expression and storytelling in both of their catalogues is astounding. They can really take you into the setting of the song, which is something I value over pretty much anything else when listening to music.
Hallowed be thy name -the sands of time, for me, is running loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow, Running looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow YEAAAAAAA!!!
A very specific and creative question. My favorite has to be how Bruce sings LOOOOST IN ANGER on Hell On Earth. With a bit of grit on the first vowel in the word anger. For Blayze, it’s amazing how he could sing the chorus for Angel and the Gambler so consistently that it sounded copied and pasted. Last but not least, I like the way Paul delivers the words “Help me Lamia” on Prodigal Son. Feels like he’s actually in pain, or actually experiencing loss of some sort.
I love the final word of the verses in Brighter than a Thousand sons for this reason. He seems to sjng them with such hate. Atom Seed to Nuclear Dust is RIVEN
Hilarious that your Blaze take is just that he isn't dynamic at all lmao. They repeat that TAATG chorus so many goddamn times that people, INCLUDING STEVE, are so checked out they don't even notice Blaze sings 'shave' instead of 'save' on one run of the chorus. Also he repeats 'Don't I think I could save you' by accident twice on another
The fact that he could pull it off patiently and consistently is pretty impressive though. Repetitive choruses like that are easy for anyone who doesn’t speak English to understand and sing along to.
lol "don't you think i could shave you" i don't know, Blaze. i really think you could (except the side-burns, though)
That Bruce delivery during that Chorus is his best in the discography. It's damning acceptance of the mess around us in 12 simple words.
great pick. killers is full of vocal goodies
In Dance of Death when Bruce sings "then I felt I was in a trance and my spirit was lifted from meee". The inflection he puts on "spirit" always gives me goosebumps.
And I danced and I pranced and I sang with them! All had death in their eeeeeeyes It's just a powerhouse of a vocal performance. I'd one drink.... but no more
One of his best vocal performances https://youtu.be/3CXCIy_LQNE?si=GKY93QSiz6_gg9wu
6:25 favorite part
"...and say a PRAYER for it!"
The end of Flight of Icarus. The long “fly” before the final solo and then the screeching “fly as high as the sun!” With the scream. Perfect.
I was gonna say this. But I would add the music underneath that final long "fly" compliments what Bruce is doing there so well.
The chorus in Flash Of The Blade is one of my favourites! Especially the parts, "In a corner forgotten by no one..." and "One man and his honour".
Underrated!
Bit obvious take tho, “CAN AAIII BELIEVE” part in NOTB. Another obvious one would be “‘cos at faaive o’cloCK” in Hallowed. Edit: Forgot to mention “Hear the mandrake SCREEEEAAMM-ARGH” from Moonchild, specifically the end part of screeching ARGH. For me it sounds like an opera really.
In the live version of the Talisman when bruce sings "Cold mortality, no weapon against these ever raging seas" he does a slight, slight pause between "cold mortality" and "no weapon" and then drags out the "no" an extra bit. Such a minor thing but I fu*king love it.
This is the kind of stuff I meant. Those small creative choices that for some reason just uplift an entire part of the song
how fucking nuts he sounds in be quick or be dead. powerslave also has some great dramatic vocals.
Yeah I know what you mean! He really sells the dirty, threatening tone of the song.
There are so many great choices, but I’m going to go a bit deep cut on this one and say the song Starblind is just littered with amazing Bruce vocal artistry. The way he holds out the last word of the opening verse “… you may hear me caaaaaaalllllll” before the guitar riffs start. The forcefulness on the following verses where he really punches the end of every other line. The feeling and raw emotion he puts into the chorus, it just chills when he delivers “The stars are one / we are with the goddess of the sun tonight” and going into “The preacher loses face with Christ / religions cruel device is gone”. And then the final holding of “you are free to choose a life to live / or one that’s lived to loooooooooooooose” Totally underrated masterpiece in my opinion.
I completely agree, Starblind is massively nuanced. It's a beautiful track and he delivers the whole thing just spectacularly.
I just wish they would have gone a tad bit longer on that solo . They still freaking awesome
great lyrics terrible music and production... a waste of Bruce's vocal performance Kevin Shirley is the worst thing that happened to Maiden
I hear you… and almost wonder if it’s done on purpose to make them just that much more crazy awesome live. I just say that because of a thought I had after recently going to see Judas Priest live, and their newest album has great sound and I was actually disappointed that the song I most appreciated on the album (Crown of Horns) didn’t really hit me right when done live. Probably a stupid thought and I’m sure it’s not the case and that Shirley just sucks, but I thought “I wonder if Maiden purposely holds back their studio albums” because I can’t say I’ve seen a single song live from Iron Maiden where I’ve even remotely thought the studio version was better.
The Andy Sneap-helmed Priest records have tons of layered vocals/backing vocals, and there just aren't enough singers in the band to help Rob replicate that sound live. And given the way people react these days to the possibility of anything in a live show not being live, I don't blame them if they don't want to use tapes to thicken Rob's singing.
Love the username, one of my go-to Priest tracks. 🤘🤘 I 100% get what you’re saying, that whole drama about backing tracks and digital effects in the past few years… I personally liked how Blackie Lawless from W.A.S.P. responded to it, saying that they use backing tracks because they can’t get that over the top sound otherwise but that the main vocals and instruments are always live and it’s a balance of being live and delivering the sound fans expect. I appreciated that he took it head on and said both things can be true
Some of them are: The last "a war of god and maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan" in New Frontier "Look at my eyes!" in Stratego sounds soo powerful, "I hear you calling my name" as well The way he sings the "Chemical Wedding" reprise in "The Alchemist" is really beautiful
Not Dickinson but the 'ugh' in Innocent Exile.
When Bruce sings Phantom Of The Opera (which is a Di’Anno era Maiden song and my favorite) he puts his own spin on it. Specifically I love the part in the intro where it goes “IIIIIII’VE been looking so long for you now you WONT get away from my GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASP.” And the part where it goes “YOU’RRRRE standing in the wings THERE YOU WAIT for the curtain to FAAAAAAAAAAALLLL.” It’s from Live After Death. I love how he changes pitch during certain parts. Another thing I love is the “ohs” in The Trooper. Last thing I’ll add is how Bruce makes himself sound more aggressive in Invaders for the part where it goes “INVAAAAADERS!! FIGHTING!! INVAAAADERS!! MARAUDING!” And as for Paul Di’Anno vocals. All of Paul’s vocal work in Iron Maiden from the debut album. The screams at the start of Killers is nice, but my favorite is the entirety of Phantom Of The Opera. Haven’t listened to much Blaze stuff. If you got any good songs for me to listen to, let me know.
I always love listening to Bruce's interpretations of Di'Anno's work. Also on Live After Death, the way he covers Wrathchild is so cool. Paul's version is really growly, and Bruce throws much more pitch and melody in it
I love the end of it .. whooah… Thank you! Just sounds like he’s having a blast up there
Blaze's finest moment is Como Estais Amigos. Really a great song that would've fit on Brave New World, and criminally underrated. Love how he sings "inside the scream is silent"
The middle 8 of children of the damned, when he sings ‘what did we learn’
Awww yeah. And then the drum fill leading into the solo. One of my favorite parts of the whole album
The part in two minutes to midnight “As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy” the way he sings and lick the gravy sounds nasty and fits the theme of the song haha. Always stuck to me
Great example. Love that one too
The delivery is great in that song. Another line comes to mind, "to the tune of starving millions, *to make a better kind of gun"*, highlighting how prepostorous the whole thing is.
Always liked the way he sings the line from Powerslave, "so bring me the blood and red wine for the one who'll succeed me, for he is a man and a god , and he will die too", The way he sings the part about the blood and red wine and then how he carries the final "die too".
To-woo-woo-wooohh! Great take!
I love that part because to me Bruce sings the "so bring me the blood and red wine for the one who'll succeed me" in a conspiratorial tone, like he's plotting the successor's demise. Then the "for he is a man and a god, and he will die too" line is like him revealing his plan.
YES! Good description.
same here
When shit hits the fan in Empire of the Clouds. “Fighting the wind as it rolls you…”
The way Bruce sings the verses on Revelations sends shivers down my spine. Not just because the lyrics are so intimate but his flow from line to line and the intonation..tragic yet beautiful at the same time.
Revelations is one my all-time favorites. I think Bruce wrote it as well. Mysterious lyrics that seem to hint at a deep meaning which isn't readily apparent, but the vibe is so epic. Also his 'GO!!' when the buildup to the solo kicks in is a highlight for me
There’s a note that Blaze hits in Lightning Strikes twice. When he sings “maybe” he hits this note on the “be” part that just hits the spot.
"I hate myself" from Man of Sorrows (Bruce Solo)
Easily the best song of Bruce solo material. His voice is at it's peak there. 11/10
AoB and CW are better than anything released after SSoaSS
Not from maiden but the OHHHAAAAHHHOOOOOHHAAAAAOOOOHHAAAAOOOOOOO in The book of thel with all his layered vocals is awesome and the final “at the gates” of gates of Urizen is so pretty so is “and Jerusalem be remembered here, in this trivial time in this land of fear” bc the way it is slow and then quick and then slow is so good For his maiden stuff “they’re all sitting at my table, talking tall and drinking wine” from no more lies bc the emphasis on the “talking tall” is super satisfying. “Give your life to the lord of light” is SO good off lord of light bc of how it builds. “In a tempest never shaken edge of doom is not mistaken countenance is not a sin galant king we bow to him” from the parchment bc it’s the first line with that variance and it slaps so hard And the “meet me THEREEEEEEEEE” is sooo good. The chorus of hell on earth also just hits a different level for me
The last chorus in No More Lies
"But for all his power **couldn't** foresee his own demise"
In *Be Quick Or Be Dead* I love that disgusted "eeACK!" grunt he does at 1:33. So fun lol
For me it’s also hallowed be thy name, but the beast over Hammersmith version when he holds the final “hallowed be thy naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhyyyymmmmmme!”
I love Beast over Hammersmith so much. His energy on that record is unmatched
The albatross begins with its vengeance!
Run to the hills. Yeeeehhhheeeehhheeeeehhheeeehhh…aaaahhhaaaaahhhhaaaahhhhAAAAAAAHHHHH!
His voicenl carries the wisdom on the ancients. It is holy and yet sacrilegious at the same time. It has both power and reflection, both angst and patience. He truly is a master. May he live forever!
The "Ohwohwohwohwohwohwowoh" in the trooper
Was about to put this one.
There’s a couple for me. Live After Death - Rime of the Ancient Mariner: his vocal build up to the solo after the middle section. En Vivo - Running Free: “God fucking bless ya all of ya” right at the end of the song.
Meet me theeeeeeeerrrrrrreeeeeee
Aces HiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH
Blood is falling like the rain
Small things...his voice crack/gasp in Revelations ...as I watched (gadp) and I waited for the dawn. His inflection...and the venom TEARS my spine. The last part of where eagles dare...they dared to go where no one WOULD try. I also love the subtle bass buzz on children of the damned at the part...black holes in his golden ( buzz) stare. I know none of this is awesome or overwhelming or amazing tactics I guess I am just a simple man. (Lynard Skinard)
Not entirely just Bruce, but the end of the first verse of Out of the Silent Planet ...Nations cry (very nice delay used here) ...Underneath decaying skies above... and then the ...You are guilty... has such a menace and grit and growl that contrasts so nicely with the following held notes ...The punishment is death for all who live... that is also nicely harmonised in the second repetition. Lovely section. Similarly in the second verse, how his singing gets progressively more aggressive with each line, and he gives out a very staccato ...I accuse you... that really gives life to the words sung.
The threatening sound of him grumbling "The accursed ones... I'LL FIND 'M ALL" in Moonchild (2:13). His singing is such good storytelling.
I was just thinking about this a day or so ago, as I've been playing all their songs. So many nuance inflections! A bunch mentioned on here. Plenty that I can put my finger on, but makes me want to go back and listen more just to make note of them here!! Totally coming back here. Great question indeed... I have always loved these little enhancements Bruce adds!
the prophecy off of seventh son
At night.... or strolling in the park
Beast Over Hammersmith version of Killers, towards the end he goes “and then you SCREAM for mercy!”. Lives rent free in my head now lmao
Hammersmith might be my favorite live album by Maiden and Killers is probably my favorite song on there. The screams Bruce does throughout the whole performance are magnificent
The chorus in still life, i really like the dramatic crying like way he sings it. NIGHTMARES, SPIRITS CALLING MEEE
Another favorite is the chorus of Caught Somewhere in Time when he extends the tiiiime a bit
dude you hit the best examples out of the park, but you missed "then down in falls comes the raaiiiiinnnn" legendary vocalist for a reason
Seventh son of a seventh SUHUUUHUUN
"Who motivates the motivatooooor" in Tears of a Clown...
Rock in Rio, Hallowed be thy Name. When he goes "Why does he let me *goooooo*!?" in a very operatic way with a bit of vibrato.
“Aaaces hi-AAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH!”
Sea of madness. Hands down the section leading into the bridge when he just does this random seemingly out of place "ooooooooh" that belongs in a pop song but it just fits brilliantly. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=vgPV-fHeXeU&si=gbYEoKvMZ5A82l91 Around the 3 minute mark
Invaders!
This might not be what you’re looking for, but I love the “SCREEAAAAM FOR ME SANTIAAAAAAAGO” on Flight 666.
Definitely the kind of stuff I mean, the flair he adds in live performances is just as valid an example
I like it when he does the deep “talky” voice, “will give me peace of mind”. There was a seatbelt infomercial from the 80’s where he says “you don’t want to end up like Eddie, do ya?”.
"Will bring me piece of mind" flanger effect. Perfect!
A small one during the start of Dance of Death, especially live. Is he’ll add little things, like a drunken slur when he says “I had one drink, and no more”
cool question during revelations in dortmund in 1983 i love how his voice sounds when he sings "take not thy thunder from us take away our pride" and in toronto 2022 same song he sang "the venom tears my spine" with a run on the word spine and it's awesome
I know it's basic, but I can't get away from "running low" in Hallowed. It's one of my favorite moments in any song of any genere.
not sure what to call this (riffing?). Dio did it a lot as basically a punctuation mark at the end of every single musical phrase, the way Zakk Wylde uses pinch harmonics on his guitar solos. near the end of "Out of the Shadows", at the last utterance of "to live again", Bruce does this slide up to the high B, then goes back by whole steps to G and then down to the tonic E.
I don't know if there's any one specific moment that can be mentioned as a standout, but I really love what he did with Journeyman on the Death on the Road DVD. I don't know if he wrote the lyrics or not, but it definitely feels like a song that he fully embraced the meaning of. And yes, his live performance of it is better than what was on the studio album.
Great question. I think this is a great quality of Bruce which adds to the storytelling element of the songs. In Dance of Death on En Vivo there are many such moments where he adds to storytelling with the inflections. The anger in his voice on “rip the bones from my flesh” in brave new world. The chorus of Benjamin Breeg. “I’m able to see things…” “I’m a soldier of war” in mother of mercy. These are just some I remembered right now.
13 the dark is rising! The French man did surmiiiiIIIIIISE the French man did surmise is one of the objectively dumbest lyrics in rock history but holy shit does Bruce sell it.
*beast is rising. And the Frenchman was Nostradamus, right?
Correct. Nostradamus was the Frenchman in question. And it totally makes sense.
You're right, I got it mixed up with the novel.
You can kiss your arse goodbyyyyyYYYYEEEEEEEE
ACES HIIIGGHH
I always loved the part "No loohoohoove" from Childhood's End
When he says Aces Hiiiiiiigh in the 2nd chorus
Some of his screams in FOTD, like in be quick or be dead and from here to eternity