Alright so next up we’re going back to England for this one. Up next on the chopping block is the legendary Iron Maiden. I’m pretty sure they have the most live albums and greatest hits albums of any band I have reviewed so far and yes I’m even going to listen to those Blaze Bayley albums as well. Also for this album I’m going to do something I haven’t done before and that is to also rate their mascot Eddie since he appears on all of their albums and is just as important as the music. However, for that one, I’ll be scoring him out of 5. So here we go…….
Iron Maiden- so here we are. Right where this all started. It’s been so long since I have heard this album and I forgot how awesome this one is. If you listen to metal you should know that this is the first of two albums with original singer Paul D’Anno and he is very different from Bruce Dickinson. This one almost has a punk meets metal feel to it. I give this a 9.5/10 definitely a great start.
Eddie:I feel like it’s not their best version of him. I mean he is kind of just their with a weird look on his face but I get it, this was their first version of him on an album so, I give this Eddie a 3/5
Standouts- The Prowler, Transylvania, Iron Maiden
Killers- ah yes the album that I would hope most people would know about or at least have heard. This as everyone knows is the last to feature Paul D’Anno. I would also say that while the last one was a metal album with a slight punk sound, this one is more of a punk album with a metal edge. The songs seem tighter on here and the band is definitely tighter. I have no choice but to give it 10/10.
Eddie: well I mean he is so badass on here and this is the first version of Eddie that I remember seeing. I give him a 5/5
Standouts: Innocent Exile, Another Life, Killers
The Number Of The Beast- I mean what can I say that hasn’t been said before? Well this is the first album with Bruce Dickinson and he definitely brings that energy and fits their sound so well plus live he can do the D’Anno stuff too. This is also the first album to feature Adrian Smith on guitar and the last to feature original drummer Clive Burr. The songs on here you can tell that with Bruce they wanted to go in a different direction and Paul probably would not have been able to pull off some of those songs. I mean this is such an iconic album and it gets another 10/10.
Eddie: everyone should know this album cover. It’s him standing over the devil and again it’s another classic so that too gets a 5/5
Standouts: The Prisoner, Gangland, Invaders
Piece of Mind- I guess you could say that this is the second album in a trilogy of classic albums which would be The Number of The Beast, Piece of Mind, and Powerslave. I mean this one isn’t exactly a continuation of the last album and some of the songs have been slowed down but it’s still got that edge to it. Again another classic album that is essential listening and I give this 10/10.
Eddie: he is shown here in a straight jacket and before he had hair but on here he doesn’t. I think he looks awesome here and I give this Eddie another 5/5
Powerslave- another classic album and again this is another one I’d say is an essential Maiden album to have. Production wise, it’s their best and right here they are at the top of their game. This one is also my personal favorite as well. I mean the guitars are awesome as are the vocals and Steve Harris’s bass playing. I will say thought that the song Rime Of The Ancient Mariner is a little long but overall is a great song. Definitely a 10/10
Eddie: I would say that this is one of my favorite depictions of him as he is a sphinx on here. He gets a 5/5 easily.
Standouts: Flash of the Blade, Aces High, Powerslave
Somewhere in Time- I feel like this one they kind of took a more experimental approach. I mean I think it’s a great album but it just is different from the last few albums. I had read that they were physically exhausted from the extensive touring they did from Powerslave so that might’ve had something to do with it. On here they also use guitar synthesizers too. While it’s not quite as strong as the last few albums, this is another great album. I give it 9/10.
Eddie: on here he is a muscular cyborg and what’s cool about the album cover are all the references to other Maiden albums. Eddie on here gets 4.5/5
Standouts: Sea of Madness, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son- I remember first hearing this album and not liking it very much. Of course that could be because I was used to albums like Powerslave of Piece of Mind. Later on, I would grow to appreciate it more. Yes it is slower than some of their other albums but it flows quite well and you can even hear traces of progressive rock. This would also be the last album to feature Adrian Smith on guitar as he didn’t like the direction the band was going. Overall, a great album that is worth your time and I give it 9/10.
Eddie: here it’s almost a variation from the last record. He is floating in like an arctic setting. It’s weird yet cool at the same time and I give it 4/5
Standouts: Moonchild, Only The Good Die Young, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
No Prayer For The Dying- so for this one, they decided to abandon the sound they had on the last two albums and go back to a sound reminiscent of their first couple of albums. I actually really like this record and think that it’s often overlooked. This is also the first album to feature guitarist Janick Gers and I think he does a good job. Definitely a very underrated album and a return to their roots I give it 8/10.
Eddie: here he is shown bursting through a grave and grabbing a grave robber. I think it’s really cool and I give it 5/5.
Standouts: Holy Smoke, Tailgunner, The Assassin
Fear of the Dark- so the first time I even heard anything off this album was when Beavis and Butthead were making fun of them on MTV. That being said, the album is another one of those that is very overlooked and underrated and I wish they’d play more of these songs live instead of just the title track. It’s sort of a continuation of No Prayer and in fact, both of those albums are underrated. This is also the last album to feature Bruce Dickinson. To me, they sound very early 90’s and I really dig that kind of sound. I give this one 8/10
Eddie: here he is part of a tree and he looks all demonic and stuff. In fact, he looks like he could be part of a comic. I go back and forth on whether I think this one is their best so I will rate this version a 4/5
Standouts: From Here To Eternity, Childhood’s End, Chains of Misery
The X Factor- well the first album to not have Bruce Dickinson on vocals and new singer Blaze Bayley. Now I had heard that this album wasn’t worth my time but after listening, I actually think that this one isn’t that bad. I mean Blaze is no Bruce and musically it’s quite good. It’s not a massive departure but yes it is in fact different than their other albums. It’s also darker than some of their other albums too as Steve Harris (bass) was going through personal stuff. So with that being said, definitely check this album out with an open mind and you might actually enjoy it. I give it 6/10
Eddie: so for this one, he is shown being vivisected but it almost looks like a claymation picture (at least to me). Definitely not their best but a reflection of the times in terms of the art. I give it 2/5
Standouts: Lord of the Flies, Blood on the World’s Hands, The Unbeliever
Virtual XI- the second album with Blaze Bayley on vocals. While not as dark as the last one, I find that overall, it’s kind of repetitive and drags in some parts. Again as with the last album, I had heard from people to skip this album and while it’s not as good as their other albums, I think it’s still worth checking out. The years that this and the last album came out, was a very weird time for metal. I mean Korn and the whole Nü-Metal scene was big so I just think that if these albums were released at a different time, then they might’ve been received differently. Overall, this album is just ok and I give it 5/10.
Eddie: on here, he is shown in almost a virtual reality setting which make sense because they were coming out with their computer game Virtual Ed. Definitely not their best and it gets a 2/5
Standouts: Futureal, The Clansman, Don’t Look to the Eyes of a Stranger
Brave New World- so after Blaze Bayley was dismissed from the band, they decided to get Bruce Dickinson back on vocals and on top of that, Adrian Smith also makes a return but that doesn’t mean that he replaces Janick Gers so instead they are now a six piece. As far as comeback albums go, this is one of those quintessential ones. The songs definitely have that old school Maiden feel to them and I would even put this one up there with albums like Powerslave and Piece of Mind. Definitely a 10/10
Eddie: on here he is shown as a cloud overlooking what looks like a futuristic London. It’s a really cool version of him and a badass album cover. I give it a 5/5
Standouts: The Wickerman, The Mercenary, The Fallen Angel
Dance of Death- now I had heard from some that this one isn’t their best especially when being compared to their last album. I would actually kind of agree with them too. It’s not a bad album by any means but it’s just not as strong as others. It kind of shifts from their NWOBHM roots and goes for a more progressive direction. Plus having the three guitar part harmonies is something that’s really cool on this record. Is it as bad as people say it is? No it’s not. Is it a good album worthy of your time? Yes it is. I give this 7/10
Eddie: not sure what is going on here but Eddie is a grim reaper and he is in the middle of a bunch of computer generated naked people. It’s a really weird cover but Eddie looks cool. I give it a 2/5
Standouts: Wildest Dreams, Monteségur, Face In The Sand
A Matter of Life and Death- so with every Maiden album, there is always a theme and this one is about World War 2. This I feel like is one that doesn’t get talked about enough and is another overlooked album (as of now). I remember I had heard of this album when leaving the Long Beach Arena after seeing Slayer and people were giving away stickers promoting the album (I still have some of those too). Anyway, I did buy the album and I’m kind of sorry I didn’t see them play these songs live because it’s actually a really good album and the songs would probably sound awesome live and the stage show was probably badass. I give it 9.5/10
Eddie: probably one of my favorite versions of him. Here he is a tank soldier and there is a squad of skeleton soldiers too all on a tank. It’s really cool and definitely a 5/5
Standouts: Different World, These Colours Don’t Run, For the Greater Good of God
The Final Frontier- this one is definitely more I guess you would say upbeat. Like on a lot of their albums, they have a fairly good number of slower songs but on here, there aren’t a lot of those. It’s pretty consistent as far as the pacing of the album is concerned. I hadn’t heard much of this album except for like one or two songs but they are all pretty consistent with one another. Overall, a pretty solid album and it gets 8/10
Eddie: so on here, he is depicted as a giant space monster killing astronauts. It’s really cool and fits the theme of the album nicely. I give it 4/5
Standouts: The Alchemist, Starblind, El Dorado
The Book of Souls- so again like with the last album, I had only heard some songs and after listening to this album, I realized that this is one that should be heard from start to finish. For a band that has been around as long as they have, it’s pretty impressive that they can still put out consistently good albums. Musically, it’s a lot like their last album but it’s also it’s own thing. If you are in the fence about this one definitely check it out. If you are looking for Number of the Beast part 2 then by now you should know to look elsewhere. I give it 8/10
Eddie: this is probably one of my least favorite versions of him. Here he is depicted as a Mayan but to me it’s just so boring. Definitely a 1/5
Standouts: Speed of Light, When the River Runs Deep, Tears of a Clown
Again like I said earlier for a band that’s been around since the early 80’s, the fact that they can put out great albums is saying a lot. This is another one of those bands that really need to be seen live. This is also another one of those that’s going to be hard to rank.
Final Grade: A+
Album Rankings:
- Powerslave
- Piece of Mind
- Killers
- The Number Of The Beast
- Somewhere in Time
- Iron Maiden
- Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
- A Matter of Life And Death
- Brave New World
- No Prayer For The Dying
- Fear of the Dark
- Dance of Death
- The Final Frontier
- The Book Of Souls
- Virtual XI
- The X Factor
Eddie Rankings:
- Powerslave
- A Matter Of Life And Death
- Killers
- Piece of Mind
- Fear of the Dark
- No Prayer For the Dying
- The Number Of The Beast
- Brave New World
- Somewhere in Time
- Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
- The Final Frontier
- Iron Maiden
- Dance of Death
- The X Factor
- Virtual XI
- The Book of Souls
Sinister Reviews 