Iron Maiden / Bergen 2023 / 2CDR

Iron Maiden / Bergen 2023 / 2CDR / Shades
Koengen, Bergen, Norway 7th June 2023

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The latest tour “THE FUTURE PAST World Tour” is attracting attention with its shocking set list. The latest album, which is being talked about as “the first superb recording!” from collectors all over the world, has arrived. Emergency release decision!
“Performance in Bergen on June 7, 2023” is imbued in this work. It is the best audience recording. Last week, the video work “ALEXANDER IN SLOVENIA 2023 (Shades 1775)”, which was the first report, was very well received, and this work is the second tour report. Let’s immediately check the progress of the tour from the schedule.

●Europe
・May 28 “ALEXANDER IN SLOVENIA 2023”
・ May 30-June 4 (4 performances)
・June 7: Bergen performance ← This work
・June 9th + 11th (2 performances)
>>Now here<<
・June 13-August 5 (25 performances)
●North America
・September 28-October 6 (4 performances)

This is the ongoing “THE FUTURE PAST World Tour”. The other day “ALEXANDER IN SLOVENIA 2023” was the first day of Lee, but as soon as this article is published, 8 performances should have already ended. Under such circumstances, the Bergen performance of this work is the 6th performance. You can understand that it is the fastest report that has not passed one week since the show.
This vacuum-packed version of such a show is the latest recording that collectors around the world are delighted with. Speaking of what is so pleasing, it is a super-super-class sound. As a matter of fact, “THE FUTURE PAST Tour” is more stagnant than originally expected. In today’s world where everyone posts videos, it’s hard to say that audio-only recordings are popular even though filming is popular. Moreover, it seems that the quality is judged strictly because the image is not powerful, and it seems that it is difficult to publish it unless you are very confident. In particular, IRON MAIDEN these days has many huge venues, and recording itself is difficult. As a result of such problems, a satisfactory live album has not come out even though half a month has passed since the start of the tour.
but!
“That was until the other day.” Wiping away that irritability, a majestic “this guy is awesome” class recording has appeared. That is what this work is about. The blunt story is “just like a sound board”. The extremely thick and on-core has no sense of distance, but no sense of space itself, and it adheres to zero distance. Was it an FM broadcast when I first heard it? That’s what I thought (although it’s rare these days to broadcast/distribute only audio).
The reason for that super direct feeling is probably the on-site environment. “Koengen”, which became the site, is an outdoor venue where 23,500 people gather. I do not know the detailed recording position, but it was probably right next to the PA tower for distant seats. Unless otherwise, there is no explanation for the loud cheers that are too far away for the performance sounds and vocals to jump in with zero echo. If you listen carefully with headphones, you can also feel subtle fluctuations in the tone, but this may also be due to the direction of the wind outside (there is no wind noise).
A full show of “THE FUTURE PAST Tour”, which is a rare song and has become a hot topic, is depicted with such an ultra-tight and thick sound. The set is the same as the first report video “ALEXANDER IN SLOVENIA 2023”, but some people may have missed it, so I will repost it.

Somewhere in Time (5 songs)
・Caught Somewhere In Time (★)/Stranger In A Strange Land/Heaven Can Wait/Alexander The Great (★★)/Wasted Years
● Tactics (5 songs)
・The Writing On The Wall／Days Of Future Past（★★）／The Time Machine（★★）／Death Of The Celts（★★）／Hell On Earth（★★）
● Others (5 songs)
・The Prisoner/Can I Play With Madness/Fear Of The Dark/Iron Maiden/The Trooper
* Note: The “★” marks are the songs that were performed for the first time after the formation of 6 members. In particular, the “★★” mark is the complete premiere.

… and it looks like this. As previously announced, it has two axes, “SOMEWHERE IN TIME” & “SENJUTSU”, but when you actually listen to it, it is strangely fresh. “Caught Somewhere In Time”, a big revival since 1987, has a triple guitar and evolved blues vocals that add to the excitement. Strange Land” is even cooler than the original.
and new songs. It is a pity that the masterpiece “Stratego” has fallen, but the tour title “Days Of Future Past” and the epic “Death Of The Celts” are also lively. To be honest, the new song was floating last year, but this time it has a synergistic effect with the catchy “SOMEWHERE IN TIME” number, and the show itself has a dynamic flow. And then the final “Hell On Earth”! It was a highlight of the studio work, but the exhilaration of the heavy yet catchy melody is great even live (the performance of this tour is also fulfilling).
The first report “ALEXANDER IN SLOVENIA 2023” was worth seeing because it combined the best videos of each song, but it was undeniable that the quality and individuality changed accordingly. On the other hand, this work is a live album that allows you to fully experience “THE FUTURE PAST Tour” full of rare songs with superb quality from beginning to end. A new masterpiece that may become the first masterpiece that collectors around the world have been waiting for, and it may become the tour’s masterpiece. Please enjoy it to the fullest!

★ The best audience recording of “Bergen performance on June 7, 2023”. The master of the topic as “THE FUTURE PAST Tour’s first famous recording”, a super tight feeling with zero response unique to outdoor recording. You can enjoy the latest full show that is a hot topic even with the super rare “Caught Somewhere In Time” and “Alexander The Great”, with a direct sound that goes just like a “sound board”.

衝撃のセットリストで話題を呼んでいる最新ツアー“THE FUTURE PAST World Tour”。世界中のコレクターから「最初の極上録音！」と話題の最新アルバムが到着。緊急リリース決定です！
そんな本作に吹き込まれているのは「2023年６月７日ベルゲン公演」。その極上オーディエンス録音です。先週は第一報となる映像作品『ALEXANDER IN SLOVENIA 2023（Shades 1775）』が大好評を博し、本作はツアー・レポートの第二弾。早速、ツアーの進行状況も併せてスケジュールから確認してみましょう。

●欧州
・５月28日『ALEXANDER IN SLOVENIA 2023』
・５月30日ー６月４日（４公演）
・６月７日：ベルゲン公演　←★本作★
・６月９日＋11日（２公演）
>>今ココ<<
・６月13日ー８月５日（25公演）
●北米
・９月28日ー10月６日（４公演）

これが現在進行中の“THE FUTURE PAST World Tour”。先日の『ALEXANDER IN SLOVENIA 2023』はイの一番となる初日でしたが、本稿が公開される現在で早くも８公演が終了しているはずです。そんな中で本作のベルゲン公演は６公演目。ショウ本番から一週間も経っていない最速レポートというのがご理解頂けるでしょう。
そんなショウを真空パックした本作は、全世界のコレクターが歓喜している最新録音。何がそれほど喜ばしいかと言えば、超極上級のサウンドです。実のところ、“THE FUTURE PAST Tour”は当初の想定よりも名録音が停滞気味。現代は誰も彼もが動画投稿する時代だけに、撮影は盛んでも音声だけの録音は流行っているとは言い難い。しかも映像の迫力がない分クオリティが厳しく判定され、よほど自信がないと公開しにくくなってきたようです。特に昨今のIRON MAIDENは巨大会場が多く、録音自体が難しい。そうした諸問題が重なった結果、ツアー開始から半月が経とうという中でも満足なライヴアルバムが出てきていないのです。
しかし！
それは先日までの話。その歯がゆさを払拭し、堂々の「こいつぁスゲェ」級録音が登場した。それが本作なのです。ぶっちゃけた話が「まるでサウンドボード」というヤツ。極太でオンな芯には距離感どころか空間感覚自体がなくゼロ距離ド密着。最初に聴いた時にはFM放送？と思ったほどです（昨今は音声だけの放送／配信など滅多にありませんが）。
その超ダイレクト感の要因は、現場環境でしょう。現場となった“Koengen”は２万3,500人が集う野外会場。詳しい録音ポジションは分かりませんが、恐らくは遠方席用PA塔のすぐ側だったのではないでしょうか。そうでもない限り、演奏音やヴォーカルが反響ゼロで飛び込んでくるのに対してあまりにも遠い大歓声の説明が付かない。ヘッドフォンで耳を澄ますと音色に微妙な揺れを感じ取る事もできますが、これも恐らく野外の風向きなのかも知れません（風音自体はありません）。
そんな超タイトな極太サウンドで画かれるのは、レア曲で話題沸騰の“THE FUTURE PAST Tour”のフルショウ。セットは第一報映像『ALEXANDER IN SLOVENIA 2023』と同一ですが、見逃されている方もいらっしゃるでしょうから再掲致します。

●サムホエア・イン・タイム（５曲）
・Caught Somewhere In Time（★）／Stranger In A Strange Land／Heaven Can Wait／Alexander The Great（★★）／Wasted Years
●戦術（５曲）
・The Writing On The Wall／Days Of Future Past（★★）／The Time Machine（★★）／Death Of The Celts（★★）／Hell On Earth（★★）
●その他（５曲）
・The Prisoner／Can I Play With Madness／Fear Of The Dark／Iron Maiden／The Trooper
※注：「★」印は６人編成になって初めて演奏された曲。特に「★★」印は完全初演。

……と、このようになっています。事前予告通りに『SOMEWHERE IN TIME』＆『SENJUTSU』の２本軸なわけですが、実際に聴いてみると異様なほどに新鮮。1987年以来の大復活となる「Caught Somewhere In Time」はトリプルギターと進化したブルースのヴォーカルで一層高揚感を増し、本邦初公開となった「Alexander The Great 」も24年ぶりの「Stranger In A Strange Land」もオリジナルよりカッコイイくらい。
そして、新曲群。名曲「Stratego」が落ちたのは残念ですが、ツアータイトルでもある「Days Of Future Past」もエピックな「Death Of The Celts」もはライヴ映えしている。正直なところ、去年は新曲が浮いていましたが、今回はキャッチーな『SOMEWHERE IN TIME』ナンバーと上手く相乗効果を生んでおり、ショウ自体にダイナミックな流れがあるのです。そしてそして、最終盤の「Hell On Earth」！　スタジオ作でもハイライトでしたが、重厚でありながらキャッチーなメロディが突き進む爽快感はライヴでも絶大です（今回のツアーは演奏の出来も充実しています）。
第一報『ALEXANDER IN SLOVENIA 2023』は１曲ずつのベスト映像を組合わせているだけに見応えはありましたが、その分クオリティや個性がコロコロ変わるのも否めませんでした。それに対して本作は終始一貫、極上クオリティでレア曲満載の“THE FUTURE PAST Tour”をフル体験できるライヴアルバムなのです。世界中のコレクターが待ちわびた最初の名盤にして、もしかしたらツアー最高傑作になってしまうかも知れない新名盤。どうぞ、存分にお楽しみください！

★「2023年６月７日ベルゲン公演」の極上オーディエンス録音。「THE FUTURE PAST Tour最初の名録音」と話題のマスターで、野外録音ならではの反響ゼロな超タイト感。まさに「まるでサウンドボード」を時で行くダイレクト・サウンドで、激レア「Caught Somewhere In Time」「Alexander The Great 」でも話題騒然な最新のフルショウを楽しめます。

Disc 1(54:29)
1. Caught Somewhere In Time
2. Stranger In A Strange Land
3. The Writing On The Wall
4. Days Of Future Past
5. The Time Machine
6. The Prisoner
7. Death Of The Celts
8. Can I Play With Madness

Disc 2(52:14)
1. Heaven Can Wait
2. Alexander The Great
3. Fear Of The Dark
4. Iron Maiden
5. Hell On Earth
6. The Trooper
7. Wasted Years

Shades 1783