THE STEVE HARRIS SOLO ALBUM IS NOT GOOD

Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris’ debut solo album, British Lion, is now in streaming in full on Metal Hammer‘s website, and holy poop on a stick, is it ever bad.

For one thing, I don’t know if it’s just the quality of the stream or what, but the thing just sounds like shit. I get demos from terrible bands from Long Island every day that sound more or less just like this, and if I didn’t know that Steve Harris was in this band, I don’t think I would have made it past the first thirty seconds of the first song.

And for another thing — and I’m quite sure this is not just the quality of the stream — the bass is laughably high in the mix, as though either a) Harris’ ego just completely got the better of him, or b) there was some concern on the part of the record label that people might not understand this is a solo album from a bass player. I’m all for being able to hear the bass, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I heard a metal album where the bass was so much louder than everything else.

And for yet another thing, the music is just lame. I wouldn’t expect Harris to write a bunch of Maiden songs because then there’d be no point in doing a solo album, but this is just… lousy. And vocalist Richard Taylor… oy yoy yoy. I know he has it rough having to basically fill the shoes of Bruce Dickinson, but he doesn’t even come close; it’s like Slash following-up working with Axl Rose by working with Eric Dover. Ill-advised at best.

Listen here if you’re still curious. British Lion comes out Tuesday on UMe.

-AR