About the Book
The Dance of Death
The most celebrated work of a 16th-century woodcut master, these 41 illustrations are a stark reminder of a dramatic motif: "Remember, you will die." A meticulous reprint of the unabridged 1538 edition, this book includes a prefatory letter by Jean de Vauzèle plus various quotations, depictions, and meditations on death.
The computer-generated cover art for the album was provided by David Patchett, but he asked to be removed from the credits because he was not satisfied with the result. The version used was actually a prototype provided by Patchett, but the band decided to use it in its incomplete form. Upon close inspection, one can note several anomalies: The character on the far right looking out of the picture appears to have a broken neck. The white dog is standing on the snake underneath it. The baby's foot is cutting into the dog and appears more to be suspended in mid-air than sitting on a wolf. The small child character at the front on the left is standing on the other characters foot. The character doing a back-flip on the left of Eddie has a dislocated shoulder, his left hand is also against his right arm instead of on the floor and the back-flipping character's right leg is dislocated.[1]
About the Author
Hans Holbein, 1497-1543
Dance of Death is Iron Maiden's thirteenth studio album, released first in Japan on September 2 and rest of the world on September 8, 2003.
This album marks the first participation in songwriting by Nicko McBrain, who co-wrote the song "New Frontier" and also is the first (and so far only) time that all members of the band get a songwriting credit. The band's usual message in every album (a variation on the line "Up the Irons!") is absent too.
The Dance of Death World Tour was the tour supporting the album. Dance of Death once again brought costumes to Maiden's stage show. During "Dance of Death," Bruce Dickinson would wear theatrical masks and a cape while moving around the stage; at the end he would dress as the Grim Reaper for the final chorus. During the song "Paschendale", Dickinson would sometimes wear a traditional British Infantryman suit as worn during World War I and act out his death onstage during the song.
The title of the album refers to the late-medieval allegory on the universality of death: no matter one's station in life, the dance of death unites all. This philosophy is more commonly known as Danse Macabre.
