Editing Virtual XI

{{EngvarB|date=December 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Virtual XI
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Iron Maiden]]
| cover      = Iron Maiden - Vitrual XI.jpg
| border     = yes
| alt        =
| released   = {{start date|1998|03|23|df=yes}}
| recorded   = 1997 – February 1998
| studio     = Barnyard ([[Essex]], England)
| genre      = [[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]]
| length     = 53:22
| label      = [[EMI Records|EMI]]
| producer   =
* [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]]
* Nigel Green
| chronology = Iron Maiden studio albums
| prev_title = [[The X Factor (album)|The X Factor]]
| prev_year  = 1995
| next_title = [[Brave New World (Iron Maiden album)|Brave New World]]
| next_year  = 2000
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Virtual XI
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[The Angel and the Gambler]]
 | single1date = 9 March 1998
 | single2     = [[Futureal]]
 | single2date = 28 July 1998
 }}
}}

'''''Virtual XI''''' (pronounced "Virtual Eleven") is the eleventh studio album by English [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Iron Maiden]], released on 23 March 1998. It is the band's second and final album with [[Blaze Bayley]] on vocals. It also marks the first album to utilise a slightly modified logo, with the letters R, M, and N the same size as the other letters as opposed to them being extended. The band used the updated version of their logo for their next few albums; it was used until ''[[The Final Frontier]]'', released in 2010.

==Background==
[[File:070918--blaze bayley.jpg|thumb|left|175px|''Virtual XI'' is the second and final Iron Maiden album with vocalist Blaze Bayley.]]

''Virtual XI'''s title is tied in with two extra-musical events: the release of the band's computer game, ''[[Ed Hunter]]'', and the fact that the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]] would be taking place in June of that year.<ref name="Wall 320">{{cite book|author=Wall, Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography|edition=3rd|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-86074-542-3|page=320}}</ref> Harris explains, "We figure our fans are pretty much the same as we are, with pretty much the same interests, so we thought, 'It's World Cup year in '98. Let's get the football involved in the new album.' And we were already working on a computer game at that time, so we thought, 'Well, let's bring that element into things, too.'"<ref name="Wall 320"/> Prior to the album's release, the band organised a publicity tour in which they held football matches across Europe with "guest musicians and pro-footballers from the UK."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Paterson|first1=Lawrence|author-link=Lawrence Paterson|title=Blaze Bayley: At the End of the Day|publisher=Blaze Bayley Recordings Ltd.|year=2009|page=72}}</ref>

While most of the artwork in the album's booklet was taken from the ''Ed Hunter'' game,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Reality Check|journal=Metal Hammer Presents: Iron Maiden 30 Years of Metal Mayhem|year=2005|first=Martin|last=Popoff|author-link=Martin Popoff|pages=49}}</ref> the cover was created by [[Melvyn Grant]]. According to Grant, he was asked to design something related to virtual reality, but was later asked to alter the artwork by adding a football game, the band then having decided to link the release with the World Cup.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.melgrant.com/interview3-index01.html|title=Melvyn Grant Interview for the Iron Maiden Italian Fanzine 'Eddie's'.|access-date=27 November 2011|publisher=[[Melvyn Grant]]|archive-date=27 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227192714/http://www.melgrant.com/interview3-index01.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> This was also the first album to feature the band's new alternate logo, with the extended ends of the "R", "M", and both "N's" removed. This variant would be used on all future studio albums, live albums (with the exception of ''[[Flight 666]]'' and ''[[Maiden England|Maiden England '88]]''), and singles up until ''[[The Final Frontier]]''. Starting with ''[[The Book of Souls]]'', the band's 16th studio album, the original logo was reused.

For this album some keyboard parts were performed by band founder/bassist [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]] whereas on previous albums all the keyboard parts had been handled by Harris' bass technician, Michael Kenney.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/virtual-xi-mw0000597969/credits|title=Iron Maiden ''Virtual XI'' credits|access-date=27 September 2011|publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

As with their previous world tour, several US shows on the [[Virtual XI World Tour]] had to be cancelled as Bayley had vocal issues;<ref name="Wall 322">{{cite book|author=Wall, Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography|edition=3rd|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-86074-542-3|page=322}}</ref> however, the official reason given for the cancellation was that he was suffering from a severe allergic reaction to pollen.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Paterson|first1=Lawrence|author-link=Lawrence Paterson|title=Blaze Bayley: At the End of the Day|publisher=Blaze Bayley Recordings Ltd.|year=2009|page=84}}</ref>

This would be the second and final studio album to feature Blaze Bayley, as he resigned from Iron Maiden following a February 1999 announcement that [[Bruce Dickinson]] and [[Adrian Smith (musician)|Adrian Smith]], who had left in 1993 and 1990 respectively, would be returning to the line-up.<ref name="Music Legends">{{cite web|publisher=Music Legends|url=http://musiclegends.ca/interviews/blaze-bayley-iron-maiden-interview/|title=Blaze Bayley Interview: Iron Maiden Singer talks Wolfsbane|access-date=24 May 2013|date=30 April 2010|last=Saulnier|first=Jason}}</ref>

==Songs==
Stylistically, Bayley states that ''Virtual XI'' "was a more upbeat album [in comparison to its predecessor], because we'd survived the ''X-Factor''... we were a band and, I felt, we were on our way."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Paterson|first1=Lawrence|author-link=Lawrence Paterson|title=Blaze Bayley: At the End of the Day|publisher=Blaze Bayley Recordings Ltd.|year=2009|page=69}}</ref> According to Harris, "[[Futureal]]", whose lyrics were written by Bayley, is "about being locked up in virtual reality", and describes it as "a quite straightforward rocker but done Maiden style."<ref name="Wall 317">{{cite book|author=Wall, Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography|edition=3rd|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-86074-542-3|page=317}}</ref> Regarding the album's second single, manager [[Rod Smallwood]] claims that he "had a bit of a battle with Steve" over releasing "Futureal" instead of "[[The Angel and the Gambler]]" as the album's lead single, but "Steve put his foot down."<ref name="Wall 317"/> According to Harris, "The Angel and the Gambler" "is the story of these two characters, one guy who's been a bit of a rogue, a fly by night, and an angel who gets sent down to try and put him right – except he isn't having it."<ref name="Wall 317"/>

Of the album's remaining songs, "Lightning Strikes Twice" is, according to Harris, "a never say never-type song&nbsp;... It's a very positive, hopeful song which you can read in lots of different ways."<ref name="Wall 318">{{cite book|author=Wall, Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography|edition=3rd|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-86074-542-3|page=318}}</ref> "The Clansman" was inspired by the film ''[[Braveheart]]''<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Rest of the Beast|journal=Kerrang! Legends|first=Simon|last=Young|issue=2|pages=124–126}}</ref> which Harris states is "about what it's like to belong to a community that you try and build up and then you have to fight to stop having it taken away from you".<ref name="Wall 318"/> Speaking about "When Two Worlds Collide", Harris says, "Lyrically, I think Blaze was trying to write about the different sort of worlds he's lived in and maybe about how his world has had to change and adapt to the world of being Iron Maiden's singer."<ref name="Wall 318"/> "The Educated Fool" is, according to Harris, about "growing older and everyone expecting you to be wiser but how somehow the older you get and the more you know, the less you have the answers for any of it."<ref name="Wall 318"/> "Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger" is inspired by Steve Harris' observation, from a parent's point of view, that "every stranger is a possible threat",<ref name="Wall 319">{{cite book|author=Wall, Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography|edition=3rd|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-86074-542-3|page=319}}</ref> while "Como Estais Amigos" is a tribute to the soldiers on both sides in the [[Falklands War]];<ref>{{cite book|last1=Paterson|first1=Lawrence|author-link=Lawrence Paterson|title=Blaze Bayley: At the End of the Day|publisher=Blaze Bayley Recordings Ltd.|year=2009|page=70}}</ref> its lyrics were written by Bayley and the music by Gers, making this the first Iron Maiden album where Steve Harris did not write or co-write the final song.

After [[Bruce Dickinson]] rejoined the band, Iron Maiden continued to play both "Futureal" and "The Clansman" in concert. While "Futureal" was only performed live in 1999, "The Clansman" appeared in the group's setlists until 2003; it was also used during 2018's [[Legacy of the Beast World Tour|Legacy of the Beast]] tour. Live recordings of both songs with Dickinson on vocals have been released officially: "Futureal" was issued as a B-side to "[[The Wicker Man (song)|The Wicker Man]]" single, while performances of "The Clansman" can be found on the live albums ''[[Rock in Rio (album)|Rock in Rio]]'' and ''[[Nights of the Dead]]''. The ''Rock in Rio'' recording was also included on Iron Maiden's 2011 compilation CD ''[[From Fear to Eternity (album)|From Fear to Eternity]]''.

Four songs that were written during the sessions for ''Virtual XI'' ended up on its follow-up ''[[Brave New World (Iron Maiden album)|Brave New World]]'': "Nomad", "Dream of Mirrors", "Mercenary" and "Blood Brothers".

[[Blaze Bayley]] recorded solo versions of "Futureal" and "When Two Worlds Collide" on his live album ''[[As Live as It Gets]]''. He regularly performs the album's closing song "Como Estais Amigos" in concert, a song which never appeared on any Iron Maiden setlist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/blaze-bayley-3bd680d0.html?songid=23d1781b|title=Como estais amigos by Blaze Bayley Concert Statistics &#124; setlist.fm|website=setlist.fm}}</ref>

The track "The Clansman" was sampled by singer [[Brandy Norwood|Brandy]] in her song [[Afrodisiac (Brandy album)|"I Tried"]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/pop-singer-brandy-samples-iron-maiden-audio-available/|title=Pop Singer Brandy Samples Iron Maiden|access-date=28 November 2011|date=29 June 2004|publisher=[[Blabbermouth.net]]}}</ref>

==Critical reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name= "AM">{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r346603|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen|access-date=26 June 2011|title=Iron Maiden – ''Virtual XI''}}</ref>
| rev2 =''[[Martin Popoff|Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal]]''
| rev2Score = 0/10<ref name="martin" >{{cite book|last1=Popoff|first1=Martin|author-link1=Martin Popoff|title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties|publisher=[[Collector's Guide Publishing]]|date=1 August 2007|location=[[Burlington, Ontario]], Canada|page=213|isbn=978-1-894959-62-9}}</ref>
| rev3 = Sputnikmusic
| rev3Score = 3.5/5<ref name= "Sputnikmusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/7532/Iron-Maiden-Virtual-XI/|title=Iron Maiden – ''Virtual XI''|access-date=26 June 2011|date=11 June 2006|last=Stagno|first=Mike|publisher=Sputnikmusic}}</ref>
}}

''Virtual XI'' was met with mixed to negative reviews from critics. [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] of [[AllMusic]] commented that "on the surface, there's nothing terribly wrong with the record, as it delivers all the crunching riffs and demonic horror of their best records. The problem is that there's nothing memorable about the hooks, riffs, or songs, and there's little visceral energy to the music or production. As a result, it sounds lifeless to all but the most devoted fan."<ref name= "AM" /> He also stated that [[Blaze Bayley]] is "a competent but faceless vocalist".<ref name= "AM" />

==Track listing==
<!-- Do NOT change any song lengths. They are listed here as in Iron Maiden's official website, as well as the original UK CD pressing of the album (EMI, 7243 4 93915 2 9). Lengths for the bonus disc are taken from the Japanese limited edition (EMI, TOCP-50440-1) -->
{{Track listing
| headline        = ''Virtual XI'' track listing
| total_length    = 53:22
| title1          = [[Futureal]]
| writer1         = {{hlist|[[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]]|[[Blaze Bayley]]}}
| length1         = 3:00
| title2          = [[The Angel and the Gambler]]
| writer2         = Harris
| length2         = 9:51
| title3          = Lightning Strikes Twice
| writer3         = {{hlist|[[Dave Murray (musician)|Dave Murray]]|Harris}}
| length3         = 4:49
| title4          = The Clansman
| writer4         = Harris
| length4         = 9:06
| title5          = When Two Worlds Collide
| writer5         = {{hlist|Murray|Bayley|Harris}}
| length5         = 6:13
| title6          = The Educated Fool
| writer6         = Harris
| length6         = 6:46
| title7          = Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger
| writer7         = Harris
| length7         = 8:11
| title8          = Como Estais Amigos
| writer8         = {{hlist|[[Janick Gers]]|Bayley}}
| length8         = 5:26
}}
{{Track listing
| headline        = Japanese limited edition bonus disc<ref>{{Cite web|title=Iron Maiden = アイアン・メイデン* – Virtual XI = バーチャル・イレブン|url=https://www.discogs.com/Iron-Maiden-%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%82%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%83%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%87%E3%83%B3-Virtual-XI-%E3%83%90%E3%83%BC%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%AB%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AC%E3%83%96%E3%83%B3/release/599638|access-date=2020-07-15|publisher=[[Discogs]]|date=18 March 1998}}</ref>
| total_length    = 12:48
| title1          = Blood on the World's Hands
| note1           = live
| writer1         = Harris
| length1         = 6:05
| title2          = The Aftermath
| note2           = live
| writer2         = {{hlist|Bayley|Gers|Harris}}
| length2         = 6:43
}}

==Personnel==
Production and performance credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name="liner">{{cite AV media notes|title=Virtual XI|others=[[Iron Maiden]]|date=23 March 1998|publisher=[[EMI]]}}</ref>

===Iron Maiden===
* [[Blaze Bayley]]&nbsp;– vocals
* [[Dave Murray (musician)|Dave Murray]]&nbsp;– guitars
* [[Janick Gers]]&nbsp;– guitars
* [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]]&nbsp;– bass, keyboards on "The Clansman", "The Angel and the Gambler" and "Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger", production, mixing
* [[Nicko McBrain]]&nbsp;– drums

===Additional personnel===
* Michael Kenney&nbsp;– keyboards on all tracks except "The Clansman", "The Angel and the Gambler" and "Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger"

===Production===
*Nigel Green&nbsp;– producer, engineer, mixing
*Mick McKenna&nbsp;– assistant engineer
*Simon Heyworth&nbsp;– mastering
*[[Melvyn Grant]]&nbsp;– sleeve illustration
*[[Synthetic Dimensions]]&nbsp;– sleeve design, 3D imagery
*[[Simon Fowler (photographer)|Simon Fowler]]&nbsp;– photography
*George Chin&nbsp;– photography
*[[Ross Halfin]]&nbsp;– photography
*[[Rod Smallwood]]&nbsp;– management
*Merck Mercuriadis&nbsp;– management
*Andy Taylor&nbsp;– management

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (1998)
! Peak<br/>position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref name="ARIA">{{cite Ryan|page=138}}</ref>
| align="center"| 98
|-
{{Album chart|Austria|24|artist=Iron Maiden|album=Virtual XI |rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{Album chart|Flanders|23|artist=Iron Maiden|album= Virtual XI |rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{Album chart|Wallonia|44|artist=Iron Maiden|album= Virtual XI |rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{Album chart|Canada|60|chartid=3535|artist=Iron Maiden|album= Virtual XI|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{Album chart|Netherlands|26|artist=Iron Maiden|album= Virtual XI |rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{Album chart|Finland|6|artist=Iron Maiden|album= Virtual XI |rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
!scope="row"| French Albums ([[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|SNEP]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.infodisc.fr/Album_Y.php|website=Infodisc.fr|language=fr|access-date=9 June 2012|title=Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste – I|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022124902/http://infodisc.fr/Album_I.php|archive-date=22 October 2014}} ''Select ''Iron Maiden'' from the menu, then press ''OK''.''</ref>
| align="center"| 12
|-
{{Album chart|Germany4|16|artist=Iron Maiden|album= Virtual XI |id=2729|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Hungary|10|artist=Iron Maiden|album= Virtual XI  |year=1998|week=15|rowheader=true|access-date=16 June 2024}}
|-
!scope="row"|Italian Albums ([[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|FIMI]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fimi.it/top-of-the-music/history.kl#/history|title=History|language=it|publisher=[[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|FIMI]]|access-date=16 June 2024}} With "Ricerca per" set on "Titolo", search "Virtual XI" and then click "Classifiche".</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums ([[Oricon]])<ref name="JPN">{{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005|publisher=[[Oricon|Oricon Entertainment]]|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9|language=ja}}</ref>
| align="center"| 19
|-
{{Album chart|Norway|28|artist=Iron Maiden|album= Virtual XI |rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|Scotland|25|date=19980329|rowheader=true|access-date=16 June 2024}}
|-
! scope="row"| Spanish Albums ([[Productores de Música de España|AFYVE]])<ref>{{cite book|last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|year=2005|isbn=84-8048-639-2|language=es}}</ref>
| align="center"| 10
|-
{{Album chart|Sweden|16|artist=Iron Maiden|album= Virtual XI |rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{Album chart|Switzerland|39|artist=Iron Maiden|album= Virtual XI |rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{Album chart|UK2|16|date=19980329|refname=UK albums|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{album chart|UKRock|1|date=19980329|rowheader=true|access-date=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{Album chart|Billboard200|124|artist=Iron Maiden|refname=Billboard 200|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (2017)
! Peak<br/>position
|-
{{Album chart|Italy|58|artist=Iron Maiden|album=  Virtual XI|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|-
{{Album chart|Spain|92|artist=Iron Maiden|album=  Virtual XI|rowheader=true|accessdate=16 June 2024}}
|}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Virtual XI|artist=Iron Maiden|award=Silver|type=album|relyear=1998|certyear=2017|id=14334-1438-2}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{IronMaiden}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Virtual Xi}}
[[Category:1998 albums]]
[[Category:Iron Maiden albums]]
[[Category:EMI Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums recorded in a home studio]]