Iron Maiden
Death On The Road

THE REVIEW

Yes, and it’s okay that the Maiden release a live album every two years, but this time there is finally something different. Because all the Maiden’s live albums are more or less the same (the only exception was the poor Rock In Rio, which had a fairly recent tracklist), all bad copies of Live After Death. I didn’t buy the CD, I directly got the DVD.

Every time I have a Maiden production in my hand, I feel quite conflicted. I couldn’t give more than 3/5 to Brave New World, and I would even give Dance of Death a supportive 4, but thinking objectively, the last two works of the sextet are cut/paste from their previous records, but also a bit from the history of rock in general (The Wicker Man, Sign of The Cross...), and as someone who has listened to quite a lot of stuff, I have often been left with a bitter taste.
Okay, let’s forget the history, I open the package and finally see what I wanted to see: decent special features. Rock in Rio was also a bit lacking in that regard: a few words, a few images, and ten minutes of documentary.
Finally, we have two nice lengthy documentaries (even too lengthy to be honest) on the making of Dance of Death, the organization and backstage work of the concerts, and even the setup of the instruments! A guitarist like me can’t help but be pleased. The making of is beautiful, although to tell the truth, it goes off-topic for 50% of the time it occupies, but the average fetishist will find something to sink their teeth into. Production notes, studio life, and similar stuff, well, not bad...
However, we arrive at the core of the entire package: the concert.
Impeccable instrumental performance, but penalized by an underwhelming Dickinson, who, as a good professional, doesn’t make you miss Rock in Rio, although the energy is definitely not what it used to be. The sound quality is good, although the audience is always out of the audio, a bit like what happened in the previous live (I will send a letter to the Maiden pleading with them to keep Steve Harris at least ten meters away from the mixing console and production), and the video quality is a bit too much like a film, distorting much of the show with epileptic black and white intermittent flashbangs (not flashbacks, flashbangs), panoramic shots, and similar tricks that dampen the energy that should keep you glued to the screen.
Actually, it’s the classic Iron Maiden performance, with three guitars that in terms of power seem like one and a half, given the mess that Gers, Murray, and Smith periodically make with their instrument volumes, which aren't even heard in the rhythms and the bass that overrides everything as if they were Korn. Not bad overall, only the production destroys the good performance (as usual), taking away its impact and making it little more than passable. A gem is the acoustic rendition of Journeyman, in a different arrangement from the album. Very very beautiful, an unprecedented thing.

Overall, the live is 2.5/5, but it’s saved in the corner by the wealth of special features (including some ads, interviews with fans, two videos, and a not bad photo gallery) and manages to reach the fourth star. It’s a real shame.
We await the next studio album, and I recommend purchasing only to fans and those who don't have any video documentation of the Maiden (an unmissable disc for the latter).
For all those looking for a good live album, I recommend Live After Death.