It has been four long years since the last Iron Maiden album, almost to the date. And as the day of release of the 15 studio record, The Final Frontier approached, the buzz in the air for diehard fans began resembling that of a Cup Final match. At last, August 16 was upon us, and the long awaited D Day (in Sofia, Bulgaria, anyway) arrived. A swift cup of bitter coffee in the morning and off to the music store before work, but as luck would have it – it was closed. I extended my heartfelt wishes to the family of the store's owner and vowed to be back at 6pm. Several hours later, I ran through the front door, and with a sweaty grin asked the bloke behind the counter:

"Do you have it?"

"Have what?" And almost as soon as he realised the sheer daftness of his question, he pulled a grin and said "Oh, right mate, yes, of course we got it."

Iron Maiden are a band who are unflinchingly British heavy-metal but who, unlike many others around, are not afraid to evolve their music, but do so in a way that preserves their heritage and identity. The Final Frontier (or rather, the New Frontier) has nothing to do with Killers, or Piece of Mind, or Somewhere in Time. It has no relation to Brave New World or The X Factor either, and yet, the unmistakable Maiden signature is evident from top to bottom. It takes only two notes for you to know, that this is, indeed, Maiden. They have evolved over the years but fans should – and we do – take each album as it is. And herein, lies the problem. Although I am supposed to write a critical review for the album, being a die-hard Maiden fan since 1989, it is all rather difficult, because I tend to be more critical and do take it more emotionally than someone neutral who would simply listen to it and just reflect on it.

The Final Frontier begins with Satellite 15, a four-minute introduction to the title song The Final Frontier. This opening is as dark as Maiden gets. To say that this song is bizarre would be a gross understatement. The bass, drums, guitars and the vocals sound like you are in a spaceship drifting somewhere in space. Uncontrollably. Chaotically. The dimension of time, space, madness and chaos all intertwined, blasted through the bass of Steve Harris, and sound of the triple guitar attack. Nicko McBrain's drumming is heavy and atmospheric, and you are instantly submerged in some bizarre world. The fabric of the sound, the sheer chaos of it all is completely un-Maidenish, considering their obsession with immaculate harmonies and melodies. And then suddenly one drifts into the Final Frontier, and a more typical Iron Maiden sound.

To analyse the album - song, by song, would be tedious, it would take ages and it will not do the music any justice, so I will refrain from doing it. There are several reasons for that. The album is very complex, rich in composite harmonies, time changes, elaborate and epic solos and diverse vocal lines. Everyone would hear something that someone else is bound to omit, or not bother reflect on it. What makes the album hard to describe is that it lacks "distinguishable hits", just as there are no "weak links". It is the sort of composite album that takes time to grow on you, it needs to ferment properly, one must listen to it several times, and with each go, new covert harmonies, solos, drum beats, vocal and bass lines, are discovered.

What to expect? Its a conceptual album for the most part, much like the 1988 vintage Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, only the theme is futuristic, although not all songs would fit the mould. And apart from The Alchemist, Coming Home and Mother of Mercy (songs that are roughly five minutes in length), you will be treated to an epic, after epic, after epic, songs which are anywhere from eight to eleven minutes in length.

Heavy riffs on Starblind sounding like a lost spaceship, drifting through a distant galaxy, while that is interspersed with folkish melodies that first appeared on Dance Of Death, and were subsequently perfected on A Matter Of Life And Death and are now featured again. The Alchemist recalls lyrical themes of redemption, of battle-worn philosophy. And just about everywhere, you will encounter Maiden's unmistakable genetic makeup – their trademark 200km/h gallop. Adrian Smith, who is very heavily involved in the song writing process along with Steve Harris, has some mouth-watering solos, and the triple guitar attack with Dave Murray and Janick Gers, is as always, refined, simultaneously melodic, beautiful and brutal. Dave Murray has co-written only one song this time around, The Man Who Would be King, while Bruce Dickinson has co-written four, along with Harris, Smith and Gers.

The verdict? The album is positive, dark, it is heavy and melodic and sad all at the same time. Rich in beautiful vocal lines and guitar harmonies. It is soft and aggressive, heavy and enchanting. Is it better than their vintage? No it isn't, and it isn't worse. It is just different, and progressive but the Final Frontier is unmistakably – Iron Maiden. Make no mistake - there is no selling out here. Real Maiden fans ought to buy it because they will like it – it is as simple as that. It is also bound to attract its new share of fans on board of the Maiden bandwagon. As for those of you out there who never liked Maiden's music in the first place – don't worry – you won't like this one either, and that's just as well, because you are not welcomed in the community anyway.

Over a career chaptered by 15 studio albums spanning about 35 years, Maiden have always experimented with their ideas, but since Dickinson and Smith returned to the fold for Brave New World, the band have enriched their patented gallop with a generous dose of musical exploration. The scary thing is, they are getting older, better and more refined with time.

Considering their age, and the amount of time Maiden has been around, it is shocking just how good, modern and relevant they sound – by doing exactly the opposite – never being fashion conscious, never betraying their roots, and never wanting to be bloody relevant in the first place.

Was it worth the wait? Abso-bloody-lutely.

Up the Irons!

The songs, in full:

01  Satellite 15... The Final Frontier
02. El Dorado
03. Mother Of Mercy
04. Coming Home
05. The Alchemist
06. Isle Of Avalon
07. Starblind
08. The Talisman
09. The Man Who Would Be King
10. When The Wild Wind Blows