Iron Maiden's 1980 debut album has certainly stood the test of time well. Still earthy and gritty, Iron Maiden is a great offering of NWOBHM class, a touch of streetwise punk and moody side tangents. The variety and skill the band showed at such an early age is quite impressive and as a result, their first album is a classic that still deserves praise and attention.

The band's later inclination towards epic and perhaps slightly pompous arrangements is still in early bloom here, as "Phantom of the Opera" shows. The seven minute song is the band's first epic track and shows a good sense of ambitious arrangement as well as the twin lead guitar attack the band would ultimately be infamous for. But the album also offers a lot of dirtier and harder rocking songs like the opening "Prowler" or "Running Free". And as a very interesting counterpart to the epics and rocking tracks, "Strange World" and "Remember Tomorrow" are both hypnotic and geniunely introspect mellow pieces that prove the band could quiet things down to create a very strong pensive mood. Original lead vocalist Paul Di'anno offers a great, nontraditional gritty voice that, in my opinion, is perfect for the band. His voice is what originally lent Iron Maiden a street level credibility that other, higher octave bands might not have gotten around 1980.

Certainly one of the more remarkable debuts, Iron Maiden is still by far one of my favorite records from this band. The 1995 Castle reissue version offers three b-sides from their early years. The straight forward rocker "Burning Ambition" shows the band had a great penchant back then to simply rock out with no frills. The other two tracks are also good for the hardcore Iron Maiden fan and make the two disc reissue a definite treat.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 07/2000

Back to top 

Piece of Mind was Iron Maiden's fourth album, but the first with their most exciting line-up. While its predecessor, The Number of the Beast, is generally considered to be the classic Iron Maiden's album, a sizeable core of Maiden's fan base favors Piece of Mind as a more cohesive, deeper and more varied album.

The songwriting is, in fact, classic Maiden, with arena anthems ("Where Eagles Dare"), Camaro metal songs ("Die With Your Boots On"), and long epics ("To Tame a Land", "Revelations"). The lyrical themes are also typical metal, covering steel, death, conquest, and boots. The instrumentation is muscular, with Harris' trademark bass gallop, guitar harmonies and alternating leads, and rocking drums. Dickinson is in full metal mode, with oft-excessive vibrato, Halfordish falsettos ("Quest for Fire"), and threatening tones. The production is well above average for the time and genre.

While not as even and exciting as the later Powerslave, Piece of Mind offers a number of excellent metal songs ("To Tame A Land", "The Trooper", "Revelations"), and makes for a very enjoyable listen.

Review by Rog The Frog Billerey-Mosier

Review date: 08/2001

Back to top 

Powerslave is that Iron Maiden album that quietly fulfills the needs without making a fuss or bringing harsh criticism upon itself. While other Maiden albums have either been branded all time classics (Number of the Beast) or complete refuse (anything after Dickinson left the band), Powerslave merely goes about the job of being a good little album, packed with all sorts of Iron Maiden wholesome goodness. You get the fist pumping classics "Aces High" and "2 Minutes to Midnight", the epic based on grand works (Samuel Coleridge Taylor's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"), and dead on metal imagery of blades, steel and heroic deeds. The band had moved lyrically away from the Satanic imagery of previous works and into the 20th century in some areas. "Aces High" recalls the Battle of Britain quite vividly. There are a couple throwaway tracks: the instrumental "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" is clever for title alone and "The Duellists" lacks the spark of the rest of the album.

Naturally, if you dig up the somewhat difficult to find Castle reissue of this album, you'll get the bonus disc that has some b-sides tacked on. There is an amusing recorded argument with Nicko McBrain concerning a problem with a roadie onstage, a live version of "Number of the Beast" and a couple cover songs. I still lean towards the Castle reissues as opposed to the recent set due to the bonus disc.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 03/1999

Back to top 

Possibly one of the most infamous live metal albums, Live After Death stands tall, displaying Iron Maiden at might have been their original creative and live peak. Though CD versions and reissues have robbed listeners of quite a few tracks that appeared on the double length vinyl and cassettes, the document appropriately captures the band at Long Beach Arena tearing things up. The sound and performance doesn't stray too far off from the studio versions but is able to capture a good amount of the energy of the live band. Song selection is quite good (omitted tracks notwithstanding) and covers most of their albums up that point well, excepting perhaps Killers. Bruce Dickinson's voice is confident and solid throughout. Best of all is the inclusion of the individual who yelled, "Motherfucker!" at the end of "Revelations". For some reason that little explosion of crowd profanity is the most endearing thing about the album. As with all the Castle Reissues of 1995, the bonus disc contains some various B-sides, in this case three more live tracks. (Did you really expect something from the studio?) At least they included the rocking "Sanctuary" on the bonus disc with a quite excellent guitar harmony in the middle that was not on the original version.

While most live albums are contract fulfillment devices or subpar representations of a band's live performance, Live After Death is one of the rare examples of the live album done correctly. It is nearly, though not quite, as mandatory, as any of the other Maiden records from the 80s. Regardless of which version you get, it is a good one.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 04/2000

Back to top 

I guess you could say Somewhere in Time inducted Iron Maiden into their more modern era as it was a quite different album than any of its predecessors. With the usage of guitar and bass synths as well as the intense melancholia lyrically and musically, Somewhere in Time might have seemed a bit confusing to long time Maiden fans. Regardless, the strength of the songs is impressive. "Wasted Years" and "Heaven Can Wait" are both certified crowd pleasers. "Sea of Madness" is in fact somewhat mentally tense, fitting of the subject matter. "Deja-vu" is a song reminiscient of Judas Priest, but also the most aggressive - and if you ask me - the catchiest. "Alexander the Great" is the epic inclusion here, but it isn't the kind of thing to raise too many fists to. On the bonus second disc that came with the Castle reissues in 1995, the band includes three cover songs and yet another silly b-side, "The Sheriff of Huddersfield". Though main album songs are quite serious, the band's strong British humor has shown up quite a bit in these old b-sides.

While this is one of my favorite Maiden albums, I do admit there are some occasional flaws. The pacing of "The Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner" is a bit too out of sync with the type of rhythm a real marathon uses - simply not smooth enough. "Stranger in a Strange Land" is just a bit underenthusiastic for its own good. But with the truly grand chorus of "Heaven Can Wait" or the driving force of "Deja-vu", there are many reasons why this was my high school buddy's most played album ever and one of the better albums in Maiden history.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 04/1999

Back to top 

Considering the path Maiden has taken in the decade since this album was released (and subsequently re-released a couple times), it's safe to say this was the last truly good Maiden album. Naturally they caught a lot of flack for actually using subtle keyboards throughout the album and supposedly being "too poppy" or "too this'n'that", but that is always the typical metal response to anything outside the expected norm. Maiden up to this point hadn't really been as capable of creating moods as they do here. There is a wonderful flow throughout the album, truly tying the concept album thing together. Besides, "The Clairvoyant", "Moonchild" and "Can I Play With Madness" are some of my all-time favorite Maiden tracks.

If you are looking for the re-issues of this album, be sure to look for the Castle version that was released in '95 as compared to '98's version. While the latest re-issues feature excellent liner notes, era-related photos and such, the Castle 2-CD sets actually feature mucho music by adding on various b-sides, rare tracks and live songs. Songs like "Black Bart Blues" are more of a joking around in the studio type thing, but hearing an updated version of "Prowler" (which is from the first Maiden album) is very interesting. Bruce Dickinson doesn't do justice to Paul Di'Anno's rougher original vocals, but Di'Anno's singing style was what made the first two Maiden albums so much fun. Ah well, I'm splitting hairs now.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 12/1998

Back to top 

Talk about a quick fall from grace. After 1988, Iron Maiden began their freefall from popularity and respect. Guitarist and songwriter Adrian Smith had left to head his own obscure side project (A.S.A.P.) and the remaining members of Iron Maiden recruited Janick Gers, who had played on vocalist Bruce Dickinson's first solo record. But somehow entering the decade of the 90s, Iron Maiden lost all focus and became their own parody, starting with No Prayer for the Dying.

The album honestly starts out with one of the band's most energetic and enjoyable songs, "Tailgunner" (although you might as well call it "Deuces High"). However, from that point on there is very little to recommend, aside from what not to do when making an Iron Maiden album. At the time of the 1990 release, I was initially excited simply because it was a new Iron Maiden record and probably many other fans were as well. However, the album has not aged well and has a lot to do with a percentage of us grew away from Maiden, only looking at them as a band we "liked as teenagers". Either the songs here sounded like the band mimicking previous albums (the similarity between the title track and "Infinite Dreams" from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son have been noted elsewhere) or attempts at hair metal, which are even more embarrassing than if the band had gotten off their tour bus wearing ballerina outfits. Both "Hooks in You" and the insidiously stoopid "Bring Your Daughter...To the Slaughter" are uncomfortable for any respectable music fan to sit through. "Hooks in You" claims to have hooks in you,me and the ceiling but there certainly aren't any in the song. Other songs, such as "Assassin", "Fates Warning" and "Run Silent, Run Deep" are entirely forgettable affairs that act as filler more than anything else. And the obligatory "epic" song, "Mother Russia", should not be held against the country in question. It's simply not their fault.

From 1990 till the band's reunion gigs in 2000, Iron Maiden floundered and flollopped about like a wet mattress trying to escape a marsh. And it's their own damn fault. Retirement or hibernation till 2000 probably would have been the most advisable route to take, but hindsight is twenty-twenty. Nevertheless, this album is forgettable, not necessary to any respectable Iron Maiden collection and should be henceforth forgotten for the sake of everyone involved.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 01/2003

Back to top 

Probably an album that shouldn't have been made, for all intents and purposes. At a certain point in a career of a band, it becomes painfully evident that their better days are far behind and any new efforts will only serve to tarnish the legend. Don't get me wrong, a couple of the songs here are worthy of the Maiden title (";Be Quick or Be Dead"; comes to mind), but a lot of this album severely sucks (such as the complete pretensiousness of ";Fear is the Key";). Dickinson's voice shows the strain of a dozen years of falsetto and a lot of the stuff just sounds derivative of territory they've already covered. But hey, Castle was kind enough to provide a second bonus CD at no charge, so at least there's one good thing about this miserable album.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 07/1997

Back to top 

When I first heard that Iron Maiden was reforming their classic and most famous 80's lineup (plus one), my immediate response was one of skepticism. Sure, there is a lot of appeal to having Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith return to the fold, especially considering the rather lackluster performance of Maiden after those two were long gone. However, the ensuing reunion tour and the talk of a new studio album made me wonder if the six members of the newly reformed classic Iron Maiden had a bunch of kids due to enter college and fund raising was in order. After all, have you seen tuition rates in the past few years? Moreover, Iron Maiden stumbled through the nineties with some pretty weak albums (their two with "that other singer" have still gone entirely unheard by me) and small club tours rather than the arenas they used to pack in their prime. Bruce Dickison, on the other hand, has had a pretty steady solo jaunt during that same stretch and eventually teamed up again with Adrian Smith. So you'd also have to wonder if the boys in Iron Maiden were looking about that particular aspect with a bit of jealousy and decided the best thing to do would be to entice Smith and Dickinson back into the family.

The initial tour, from all accounts, was a raging success and all that was left for the band to do was release a new studio album that proved the reunion wasn't just for spurring album sales. And by gum, Brave New World is a lot better than cynical ol' me honestly expected.

The strange thing about this album is that it sounds like it would the logical followup to 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. A lot of the songs on Brave New World share a hint of the vibe and sound of that particular release. In essence, it took a dozen years for Iron Maiden to put out anything worthy of their name. Everything here is competent, solid and at the very least, not detrimental to the Iron Maiden name. Everyone in the band contributes a fitting performance, though the three guitar aspect does not seem very prominent or utilized to any degree. This album could have just as easily been recorded with Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, leaving Janick Gers to fetch coffee in the studio. Nevertheless, it is admirable that the band did not expect Gers to quietly toddle off into the dark night since the man has dedicated a decade to Maiden. At least some loyalty was shown.

In the end, Brave New World isn't the mindblowing, career-defining album some might have hoped for, but it is solid and quite good. In fact, there is not a single weak song here, though by contrast, there aren't any devastating classics either. For long suffering Iron Maiden fans, this definitely is worth the time as it hopefully will begin to erase a decade of embarrassment.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 07/2000

Back to top