BEAST IN THE MAZE

       In the new episode of Beast in the Maze , we are taking on Brave New World , a milestone album in the history of Iron Maiden, featuring the return of vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith.      An album which, despite containing plenty of heavy metal, leans in a progressive and drawn-out direction, Brave New World  was something of a make-or-break album for the band, who succeeded marvelously. The band's new three-guitar lineup allowed for experimentation, and in places thickened the song to an almost orchestral level. Bruce, too, appeared not to have lost a step in terms of range or power, and although there are still plenty of Maiden fans out there for whom the first few albums are the best, Brave New World  is undeniably good, and is a strong statement from a band that had been making albums for twenty years.     Join us as we get into it track by track, discuss the songs, the art, the personnel, whether the ...

  This time on Beast in the Maze , we're taking on Phish's fifth studio album, Hoist . The album is significant for the band not only because it would become their best-selling studio album, but also because it was an album which featured a host of guest musicians, which imparted a unique sound to the record - among those guest-starring are Alison Krauss, Rose Stone, Bela Fleck, and Tower of Power.  The commercial success of the album also lead to Phish's only song with a music video, "Down With Disease," which was directed by band member and bassist Mike Gordon. While some phish fans thought the band was going in too much of a mainstream/alternative direction with the song and perhaps others on the album, time would prove these hopes somewhat unfounded, as Phish would continue to evolve their sound throughout their career. Join us as we go track by track and get into all of the details, including Fishman's nicknames, the relative importance of official live r...