Iron Maiden Brave New World Album Review (2000)
Metal Nerdery Podcast — Episode 374 | Published October 22, 2026 | metalnerdery.com | @metalnerderypodcast
“There can never be too many guitar players…”
“You’ve gotta give them credit: coming out in 2000, it does not sound anything like what came out in 2000…it sounds like Maiden.”
“If you took the Eddie face out, would it look like an Iron Maiden cover?”
“See, THAT’s Maiden…a chase scene with the horses…”
“I’m listening to this differently now than I was in 2000 when I got it…”
About This Episode
Released on May 29, 2000, BRAVE NEW WORLD is the first IRON MAIDEN album to feature the return of Adrian Smith & Bruce Dickinson since their respective exits from the band following No Prayer For The Dying and Fear Of The Dark, and is also the first album to feature the band as a sextet (or sixsome, if you prefer).
While the concept of three guitarists (Janick Gers, Dave Murray, & Adrian Smith) seems like a dream come true for fans obsessed with the legendary dual guitar harmonies of their 80’s output, BRAVE NEW WORLD features a more cinematic & progressive sound that is not so much a departure from their core sound as it is a bold step forward beyond the old school IRON MAIDEN palette into new sonic territory.
Prepare your relaxers of choice, be “brave”, and brace yourself for the most controversial IRON MAIDEN opinion ever uttered on this podcast when you join us as we dive into their twelfth studio album: BRAVE NEW WORLD. Looking for more? Visit the Iron Maiden page for every Maiden episode in the catalog.
Album: Brave New World — Iron Maiden’s 12th studio album
Released: May 29, 2000
Lineup: Bruce Dickinson (vocals) · Dave Murray, Adrian Smith & Janick Gers (guitars) · Steve Harris (bass) · Nicko McBrain (drums)
Of note: Smith & Dickinson return; first album as a sextet with three guitarists
Most recent Maiden album: Senjutsu — September 3, 2021
Brave New World — Track by Track
01
The Wicker Man
“Sounds like old school Maiden…with modern production…” “Coming out in 2000, it does not sound anything like what came out in 2000…it sounds like Maiden.” Plus: how the vocalist determines which venues you can play (Blaze Bayley vs. Bruce Dickinson lineups).
“You’ve gotta give them credit…it sounds like Maiden.”
02
Ghost of the Navigator
“That’s what a lot of Iron Maiden is (triumph metal)…you have to be in the mood for it…” “Very epic-y…this could have been the album after Somewhere In Time…” Also: is the cover fitting? “If you took the Eddie face out, would it look like an Iron Maiden cover?”
“There’s just not enough Eddie in it…”
03
Brave New World
Title track. #NotMyMaiden — “You hear the keyboards back there?” “It’s a lot of melody, dude…” “They could have shortened that beginning part a little bit…”
04
Blood Brothers
“It’s the bass line from Orion…kinda, it’s very close…” A waltz in 3/4 time. “It sounds like it could be on a Disney movie…” #DisneyMaiden
“I just have to be in the mood for Maiden…otherwise, it doesn’t hit right…”
05
The Mercenary
“That could be on the first album…” “I’m kinda noticing a repeating theme…they have the same layout…”
06
Dream of Mirrors
“Definitely a mellower Maiden…” “See, THAT’s Maiden…a chase scene with the horses…that sounds like classic Maiden…” “You could shave 4 minutes of repetition out of all that and tighten it up…”
“In fairness, (Maiden) have always been a progressive metal band…with longer songs…”
07
The Fallen Angel
“That sounds like it could be on the first album…” “That’s a different bass sound for Maiden…I think they’re tuned down a bit…” “Does this sound more like classic (Maiden) than not?”
08
The Nomad
“This has a very middle eastern vibe to it…” “Odd sound for Maiden…that’s weird…” “Their music is definitely cinematic…I kinda hear the Disney thing…” “It does sound symphonic…”
09
Out of the Silent Planet
“Sounds like a noisy planet to me…” “That’s a different flavor of Maiden…” “It’s almost anthem-y…it’s just not the rockin’, metal songs of the early 80’s…”
10
The Thin Line Between Love & Hate
“It’s very Floyd-y…” “Oh shit, that’s Planet Caravan!” “The thin line between Pantera & Black Sabbath…” Listen to the last 30–40 seconds for something funny from Nicko.
“There’s a few riffs and a few moments in these songs that are so old school…”
⚔ The Verdict
“I’m listening to this differently now than I was in 2000 when I got it…”
“There are moments that do (sound like 80’s Maiden) and a lot of moments that don’t…”
Hear the most controversial Maiden opinion ever uttered on this podcast — only in the episode.
Episode Timestamps
00:01“It’s always good to be here…down here in Bunkerpoon Central…” / “I don’t know if I’d use that as a mickey…” / #markthetime / WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised / WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!! / “We’re on the outer cusps of Hurricane Isaias…” / “Chimpanzees are in the hurricane…”
03:02PATREON US at patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast / “Apparently, it’s called ‘dead name’…we’ll save that for June…” / SOCIAL MEDIA US AT #metalnerderypodcast ON #YouTube #Facebook #Instagram & #TikTok / EMAIL US at metalnerdery@gmail.com & VOICEMAIL US at 980-666-8182!!! / #ZZTop MESCALERO (Mescalero – 2003) / “Didn’t Jack Beard just die?” (NOTE: That’s Frank, not Jack) / “(ZZ Top) were the longest running original band members…” / “There’s a documentary about them…” (The Little Ol’ Band From Texas – 2019) / #markthetime / “I think they pronounce it Connec-ti-cut…”
12:05#TheDocket — METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS: IRON MAIDEN – BRAVE NEW WORLD (Released May 29, 2000) / The Piece of Mind era lineup PLUS the No Prayer For The Dying era lineup / “There can never be too many guitar players…” / NOTE: Technically it’s BOLTH Megadeth & Anthrax supporting Maiden on the latest tour, depending on the show.
15:42The Wicker Man — “Sounds like old school Maiden…with modern production…” / “You’ve gotta give them credit: coming out in 2000, it does not sound anything like what came out in 2000…it sounds like Maiden.” / A different vocalist/singer determines which type of venues you can play… (Re: The Blaze Bayley vs Bruce Dickinson lineups of Iron Maiden)
20:48Ghost of the Navigator — “That’s what a lot of #IronMaiden is (triumph metal)…you have to be in the mood for it…” / “That’s a live sound…that production.” / “Very epic-y…this could have been the album after Somewhere In Time…this would have been perfect even after Seventh Son of a Seventh Son…” / “What do you think about the cover…is it fitting (relative) to the other (Iron Maiden) covers?” / “If you took the Eddie face out, would it look like an Iron Maiden cover?” / #markthetime / “There’s just not enough Eddie in it…”
25:41Brave New World — “You hear the keyboards back there?” / #NotMyMaiden / “I know, it’s a lot of melody, dude…I didn’t know if you’d be able to handle it…” / “The biggest buildup of the song…get on with it…” / “How far in is it?” / “They could have shortened that beginning part a little bit…” / “Are you ON the mic?”
29:54Blood Brothers — “It’s the bass line from Orion…kinda, it’s very close…” / “It’s a waltz (3/4 time)…” / “This is also ‘Not MY Maiden’… (here we go…)” / “I swear, that’s either strings or keyboards in the background…” / “It sounds like it could be on a Disney movie…” #DisneyMaiden / “Have you ever seen the movie Brave?” / “I just have to be in the mood for Maiden…otherwise, it doesn’t hit right…”
32:57The Mercenary — “That could be on the first album…” / “I’m kinda noticing a repeating theme…the way they’ve structured each of the songs…they have the same layout…”
34:27Dream of Mirrors — “Here’s a shorty…” / “Definitely a mellower Maiden…” / “You have to be in the mood for Maiden…” / “Okay, go to 3 ½ …” #LOL / “See, THAT’s Maiden…a chase scene with the horses…that sounds like classic Maiden…” / “I understand the riff…but sometimes, you could shave 4 minutes of repetition out of all that and tighten it up…” / “In fairness, (Maiden) have always been a progressive metal band…with longer songs…”
39:31The Fallen Angel — “That sounds like it could be on the first album…” / “That’s a different bass sound for Maiden…I think they’re tuned down a bit…maybe not…” / “Does this sound more like classic (Maiden) than not?”
41:37The Nomad — “This has a very middle eastern vibe to it…” / “Odd sound for Maiden…that’s weird…” / “He said it (desert) twice…THREE TIMES!” / “I was waiting for this part…” / “That’s not on the boat…” / “Their music is definitely cinematic…I kinda hear the Disney thing…” / “It does sound symphonic…it could be one dude on a keyboard…”
47:04Out of the Silent Planet — “Sounds like a noisy planet to me…” / “It’s keyhorns…” / “That’s a different flavor of Maiden…” / “When did this album come out? Was it May or June?” / “It’s almost anthem-y…it’s just not the rockin’, metal songs of the early 80’s…” / “Let’s see how it ends…”
49:16The Thin Line Between Love & Hate — “Sounds very suspenseful…” / “It’s definitely different than the 80’s Maiden…” / “I think there’s a cool part coming up…right after the solo…” / “It’s very Floyd-y…” / “Oh shit, that’s Planet Caravan!” / “The thin line between Pantera & Black Sabbath…” / NOTE: Listen to the last 30-40 seconds of the song for something funny from Nicko… / “There’s a few riffs and a few moments in these songs that are so old school…” / “I’m listening to this differently now than I was in 2000 when I got it…” / “I wanna know from Bill what it is…is it that it doesn’t sound like 80’s Maiden? There are moments that do and a lot of moments that don’t…” / “The album art looks like a futuristic Disney city…” / NOTE: The most recent Maiden album is Senjutsu, released September 3, 2021 / THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!! #untilthenext #outroreel
- Episode: Metal Nerdery #374 — Iron Maiden: Brave New World Album Review
- Album: Brave New World — 12th studio album — May 29, 2000
- Lineup first: Smith & Dickinson return; first Maiden album as a sextet
- Guitarists: Janick Gers, Dave Murray & Adrian Smith
- Tracks covered: 10
- Intro: ZZ Top Mescalero (2003), The Little Ol’ Band From Texas (2019)
- Most recent Maiden album: Senjutsu — September 3, 2021
- Bonus: Listen for something funny from Nicko in the last 30-40 seconds of the final track
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