A Matter of Life and Death (album) - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

The album was met with critical acclaim, with Metal Hammer rating it 10 out of 10 and stating that "Iron Maiden have utterly surpassed themselves," adding that "it makes for a riveting listen." Sputnikmusic also gave it full marks, commenting that "A Matter of Life and Death contains everything fans want to hear; be it exciting, Maiden-style story telling; aggressive riffs; impressive solos; or melodic harmonies." BBC Music praised the band for "their uncanny ability to write great lyrics wrapped around guitar orchestration that rock fans crave," concluding that "In this world of hopeless auto-tuned mediocrity here is a British band that consistently crafts fantastic music that surprises reviewers and fans alike." IGN awarded it 8.3 out of 10, praising the album as "the crew's best release since Piece of Mind." PopMatters rated it 8 out of 10, deeming it "their most focused record since 1988’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, one that eschews crowd-pleasing anthems in favour of massive, sprawling compositions." Classic Rock gave the album a score of 9 out of 10, stating that "it's not only Maiden's best since the 80s but quite possibly their finest release since 1983's Piece of Mind," and awarded it "Album of the Year" at the 2006 Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.

Rolling Stone gave the album 3 stars out of 5, finding the music and lyrics "relevant," although also claiming that "the songs now march where they once galloped," implying that the band is "ageing gracefully." Allmusic were also less positive, rating it 3.5 out of 5 and commenting that it is "a more elaborate and meandering experience than Dance of Death, but a rewarding one for fans willing to indulge the group's occasional excess."