The X Factor (album)
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| The X Factor | ||
 |
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| Studio album by Iron Maiden | ||
| Released | October 2, 1995 | |
| Recorded | Barnyard Studios, Essex, England | |
| Genre | Heavy metal | |
| Length | 1:11:02 | |
| Label | EMI (U.K.) CMC International (U.S. original) Sanctuary/Columbia (U.S. reissue) |
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| Producer(s) | Steve Harris and Nigel Green | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Iron Maiden chronology | ||
| Live at Donington (1993) |
The X Factor (1995) |
Best of the Beast (1996) |
The X Factor is a heavy metal album released October 2, 1995 by Iron Maiden. It is called The X Factor because it is the band's 10th studio album. Their future 1998 album would be called Virtual XI due to being their 11th studio album.
It is notable for being the band's first album to include Blaze Bayley, formerly of Wolfsbane, as vocalist, replacing Bruce Dickinson who left the band following their previous tour to pursue a solo career.
The tour for the album, like the tour for their next album, Virtual XI, was cut short after Blaze suffered a violent allergic reaction to certain elements used on the stages where the band performed.
The album cover depicts the operation which left Eddie's head broken (first seen on the Piece of Mind album cover) and was done by Hugh Syme. In some releases, the cover was replaced with a less graphic alternative, with the original artwork on the back of the booklet.
This is the second album after Piece of Mind that was not named after a song on the album. The words The X Factor do not appear in any of song's lyrics.
"The Edge of Darkness" is based on the 1979 movie Apocalypse Now and "Man on the Edge" is based on the 1993 movie Falling Down.
"Man on the Edge" and "Lord of the Flies" were released as singles and, along with "Sign of the Cross", have also been played on some more recent tours. Though not off of "The X Factor", a live version of "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" featuring Blaze Bayley on vocals was also released at the time of the album's release.
[edit] Track listing
- "Sign of the Cross" (Steve Harris) – 11:17
- "Lord of the Flies" (Harris, Janick Gers) – 5:03
- "Man on the Edge" (Blaze Bayley, Gers) – 4:13
- "Fortunes of War" (Harris) – 7:23
- "Look for the Truth" (Bayley, Gers, Harris) – 5:10
- "The Aftermath" (Harris, Bayley, Gers) – 6:20
- "Judgement of Heaven" (Harris) – 5:12
- "Blood on the World's Hands" (Harris) – 5:57
- "The Edge of Darkness" (Harris, Bayley, Gers) – 6:39
- "2 A.M." (Bayley, Gers, Harris) – 5:37
- "The Unbeliever" (Harris, Gers) – 8:10
[edit] Credits
- Blaze Bayley - vocals
- Dave Murray – guitar
- Janick Gers – guitar
- Steve Harris – bass guitar
- Nicko McBrain – drums
with
