Release date: 14.07.1998
Label: Sanctuary
Production: Roy Z
Rating: 10 / 10
»The Chemical Wedding«, the fifth solo album from longtime Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson, inspired by the life and work of the English poet and painter William Blake, was his greatest achievement and still ranks among the elite metal albums of the second half of the nineties. On it, Dickinson built on and perfected the winning sonic formula of its predecessor »Accident of Birth« (1997), where, with the help of his old Iron Maiden partner in crime, guitar hero Adrian Smith, he had returned to heavy metal and occult lyrics, in other words to what he had always done best.
The winning songwriting-and-arranging partnership between Dickinson and Smith was rounded out by Bruce’s ‘old acquaintance’, the renowned guitarist and producer Roy Z, whose distinctive, dark and mysterious guitar sound and outstanding production played a key role in making »The Chemical Wedding« the defining achievement of Bruce’s solo career. Together with Smith, who, surprisingly, co-wrote only one track, »The Killing Floor«, he was the key architect of the dark guitar harmonies that the album has in abundance.
Most of the lyrics on »The Chemical Wedding«, which was in many ways a concept project, drew on Blake’s mystical-occult poetry and his rapturous visions of hell and heaven, as well as on assorted biblical tales, tarot cards and Freemasonic mysticism. Blake’s paintings were also used for the cover of »The Chemical Wedding« and the contents of the booklet. Blake’s famous painting ‘The Ghost of a Flea’ was inspired by the biblical story of the meeting between Job and the devil, who punished Job with a host of afflictions to test his faith in God. Exactly thirty years ago, it was used for the sleeve of their second record by the obscure British prog outfit Gilgamesh.
The opening bomb »King in Crimson« sets up the dark, mysterious and at times ethereal atmosphere that runs through the whole album, and delivers a triumphant chorus and an epic guitar solo. Dickinson has never hidden his love of progressive rock, and this isn’t just about a Christ draped in a crimson robe or one of the Antichrist’s deceptive guises. It’s a wordplay that is probably also Bruce’s tribute to the legendary prog rock band King Crimson. The title track, with its apocalyptic vibe, epic chorus and distinctive, ultra-obscure guitar sound, is one of the darkest and most mysterious moments on the entire album, where Dickinson once again impresses as a superb vocal storyteller and a creator of incredible drama.
The tarot-inspired »The Tower«, where Bruce takes a vocal stroll through a mysterious alchemical tower (and for which a picturesque video was made), is one of the highlights of »The Chemical Wedding« with its mighty chorus and white-hot drama. The guitar and vocal harmonies in the middle section pull almost shamelessly toward Iron Maiden. The hellishly hot energy catalyst »The Killing Floor«, steeped in (quasi-)Satanist lyrics, featured yet another bravura Smith solo, while the biggest pleasant surprise was an unexpected short detour into a sacred section with baroque arrangements and mighty vocal harmonies.
»Book of Thel«, which also bears the songwriting stamp of bassist Eddie Casillas, was a prog metal experiment with an outstanding atmosphere. An acoustic opening with nostalgic guitar passages is quickly replaced by a metal march with uncompromising drum fills courtesy of David Ingraham, while Bruce is once more in his best vocal ‘element’, which goes especially for the sensational chorus. On three tracks the album also features a special guest, prog rock legend and ‘god of hellfire’ Arthur Brown, reciting selected verses from Blake’s poetry. »Gates of Urizen«, dedicated to Blake’s mysterious deity Urizen, who bore an uncanny resemblance to most Christian depictions of God, featured a slow build-up of mysterious atmosphere and a distinctive Z guitar solo with a hint of Latin flavor, which leans slightly toward some of the work of his band Tribe of Gypsies. On »Jerusalem«, an extremely interesting hybrid of an acoustic power ballad laced with folk elements and a metal catalyst, packed with epic guitar passages and lyrics from Blake’s poem of the same name, one of the unofficial English anthems, which Emerson, Lake & Palmer introduced to the rock world way back in 1973, Bruce once again ‘puffs out his chest’ vocally with everything he’s got and pulls off some outstanding effects.
»The Trumpets of Jericho«, where Bruce reshaped the biblical story of the fall of the first walled city, Jericho, in his own way (in his version the trumpets fail to bring down the mighty wall), was marked by a hellish riff and impatient drum fills, while the transition into the epic chorus came off as downright genius. The gloomy, apocalyptic confession »Machine Men« also wows with a brilliant, epic chorus that stands in complete contrast to the prevailing obscure atmosphere. The album’s peak, though, is the epic revelation »The Alchemist«, where after an ambient, hugely intense and experimentally tinged intro, the triumphant chorus of the title evergreen returns in the closing section and drives everything to a mighty climax. After a two-minute pause, the charismatic ‘uncle’ Brown makes one last appearance with a recital of a mystical Blake vision.
»The Chemical Wedding«, which Dickinson’s devotees jokingly nicknamed ‘the best Iron Maiden album since »Seventh Son of a Seventh Son« (1988)’, was a true metal masterpiece the moment it dropped, and its cult status has only grown over the years. It’s a real shame that Dickinson never again pulled off such an ambitious solo venture in the following twenty years, but then, after returning to Iron Maiden in 1999, he didn’t really have much reason to. When »The Chemical Wedding« came out and completely overshadowed the then-current version of the ‘iron maidens’, who were in considerable crisis after the relatively average album »Virtual XI« (1998), Iron Maiden boss Steve Harris swallowed his pride and called Bruce to ask whether he wanted to come back to the ‘old flock’. Dickinson’s only condition for returning was that Smith come back to the band too. Since then, Bruce has made just one solo album, »Tyranny of Souls« (2005), which by no means reached the quality of »The Chemical Wedding«.
author: Peter Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. King in Crimson (04:43)
2. Chemical Wedding (04:06)
3. The Tower (04:45)
4. Killing Floor (04:30)
5. Book of Thel (08:14)
6. Gates of Urizen (04:25)
7. Jerusalem (06:43)
8. Trumpets of Jericho (05:59)
9. Machine Men (05:41)
10. The Alchemist (05:59)
Musicians:
Bruce Dickinson – vocals
Adrian Smith – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Roy Z – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Eddie Casillas – bass guitar
Dave Ingraham – drums
