Along with the entire Internet, when I first saw the artwork for Iron Maiden's "Dance of Death" in 2003 I couldn't believe that they were serious. In a rare non-game example of what used to be commonly referred to (by which I mean 'by TV Tropes') as Sonic Syndrome, the wonderfully intricate and detailed painted artwork of their previous albums had been replaced with a polygonal abomination, something which looks like it was thrown together by a drunk Reboot artist at three in the morning. The story goes that it was only meant to be a concept, but the band accepted it as a final piece, and the original artist accepted as long as all references to his name were removed from it.

So it's been a long time since a new album's artwork has made me instantly question whether it was real, but after one of my occasional checks back to their site for news, Heavenly are the ones with the honour of having equalled that reaction. This time, it must be said, it's for entirely new reasons. When I opened the page, I saw that the menacing clawed creature more traditional for the genre that used to be on the front of the site had been replaced with... something quite different.


Yes, it appears they've taken the album cover and turned it into a late night Cadbury Flake advert. I can't quite make out the artist's signature, but I don't think it's a name that I recognize - it goes without saying that the quality of artwork is impressive (I thought it was a photo at first), but its subject means that this is something that's now probably wise to leave off my Amazon Christmas wish list for fear of appearing like I'm asking for lesbian fantasy softcore pornography.

Fortunately, a preview track called "Lost In Your Eyes" has also been released and is as incredible as you would expect, keeping the massive bombastic sound that Heavenly have evolved into, but with a more traditional flavour in places (for example, this song actually gets reasonably close to an ABABCB song structure - usually Ben Sotto gets up to at least J). I think they would narrowly make it to be the band that I would actually name as my favourite - this is certainly the style that I've been trying to emulate the most in my own music recently.

Being familiar with Ben's weird and wonderful approach to pronunciation and syllablry by now and not making any overly optimistic assumptions about words starting on the correct emphasis or vowel, I'd like to have a go at transcribing the lyrics.

Have been waiting so long
Ring the best and turning for worn
Can you hear - me - cal-LING the Oreo
I will love - bring my loneliness
A request - no way to get back
Still brave - I've found her a laaost
Can you hear - me - calleeneeaahhleeoooh
I will lovely deewooaaaeeeey

Ride a, ride a, ride across the beef, oh
Ride a, ride a, ride just pretty loud
Ride a, ride a, ride and shine a Beano
So many things <ear splitting scratch> you have done

Fly - fly so hard, blood in the wind
Somewhere for you and I
Close to you, I'm getting lost in your eyes
Lie - up the stairs into your dreams
Forever gits tonight
Come alive when I am lost in your eyes
Lost in to your - highs

Ride a, ride a, ride across the beef, oh
Ride a, ride a, ride just pretty loud
Ride a, ride a, ride and shine a Beano
So many things to give with you have done

Fly - fly so hard, blood in the wind
Somewhere for you and I
Close to you, I'm getting lost in your eyes
Lie - up the stairs into your dreams
Forever gits tonight
Come alive when I am lost in your eyes

AAAA AAA AAAA AAAA AAA ÄÄÄÄ AAA ∀∀∀∀ AAAA ÅÅÅÅ AAA
Lost in your eyes
Lost in to your - highs

Well, his English is definitely improving.