"A Matter of Life and Death" is the fourteenth studio album by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 25 August 2006 in Italy and Finland, on 28 August 2006 in most other territories, and on 5 September 2006 in the United States, Canada and Japan. It became the first Iron Maiden album to reach the top ten of the United States Billboard album chart and also achieved strong chart positions in a number of other countries.
Although not a concept album, its lyrics frequently address themes of war and religion, which are also reflected in the album's artwork.
Iron Maiden began writing material for the album in late 2005 following a break after the "Eddie Rips Up the World Tour". After completing the songs, the band recorded the album at Sarm West Studios in London with producer Kevin Shirley between 1 March and 4 May 2006.
To achieve a more live-sounding production, the album was released without the conventional mastering process. According to Shirley, bassist Steve Harris decided against mastering so that listeners would hear the recordings as they sounded in the studio, without additional equalisation, compression or other post-production enhancements.
In interviews following the album's release, vocalist Bruce Dickinson and Harris stated that the recording process progressed smoothly and that several tracks incorporated early takes. Harris described the album as both heavier and more progressive than previous Iron Maiden releases, drawing comparisons to progressive rock influences from the 1970s.
"A Matter of Life and Death" is Iron Maiden's fourth studio album without a title track, following "Piece of Mind", "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI". According to drummer Nicko McBrain and guitarist Janick Gers, possible album titles included "The Pilgrim" and "The Legacy", both taken from songs on the record. The final title emerged from a shortlist of ideas discussed by the band and its associates.
The cover artwork was created by American artist Tim Bradstreet, known for his work on the "Hellblazer" and "Punisher" comic series. The artwork depicts the band's mascot Eddie as a military commander leading an army of skeletons. Bradstreet worked from visual concepts developed by Peacock Designs UK, which directed the overall design of the album booklet. The final artwork was completed with colourist Grant Goleash and further retouching by Peacock.
To promote the album, Iron Maiden embarked on the "A Matter of Life and Death Tour". During the 2006 leg of the tour, the band performed the entire album live, a decision that generated mixed reactions among audiences. Members of the band later defended the approach, citing their confidence in the material and their desire to present new music in a complete live context.
The first single from the album, "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg", was released on 14 August 2006. Shortly before the album's release, "Different World" and "Brighter than a Thousand Suns" were made available for streaming through the band's website. "Different World" was subsequently released as the second single and received airplay on rock radio stations. An animated music video was also produced for the song.
In addition to the standard CD edition, the album was issued in a limited edition package containing a bonus DVD. The DVD included the documentary "The Making of A Matter of Life and Death", directed by Matthew Amos, along with promotional videos, studio footage and photographs recorded during the album's production. The release was also made available as a limited-edition double picture-disc vinyl set and as a digital download.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Publications including "Metal Hammer", "Classic Rock", "Sputnikmusic", "IGN" and "PopMatters" praised its songwriting, ambition and progressive elements. Several reviewers described it as one of Iron Maiden's strongest releases since the 1980s.
More mixed assessments came from publications such as "Rolling Stone" and AllMusic. While both reviews acknowledged the album's musical and lyrical qualities, they also noted its lengthy compositions and more deliberate pacing compared with some of the band's earlier work.
"A Matter of Life and Death" received several accolades following its release. It was named "Album of the Year" at the 2006 Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards, won Best Album in the 2006 Burrn! readers' poll, and received the 2006 Metal Storm Award for Best Heavy Metal Album.
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