Iron Maiden
Fear of the Dark

THE REVIEW

The 90s didn't start in the best way for the English band. After Adrian Smith's departure, replaced by the still excellent Janick Gers, the Maiden released what is considered by many as the first misstep of their long career. "No Prayer for the Dying," in fact, apart from a couple of good tracks, is light years away from those eight masterpieces that in the 80s led the band to be rightfully included among the first-magnitude stars of the metal firmament. There was thus an urgent need for an album that would bring the five back to their historic qualitative heights, and in 1992 the band released "Fear of the Dark" on the market. Objective achieved? To be honest, only partially. The tracks included in the album can indeed be divided into three groups, from mediocre to excellent, and in the tracklist, we find memorable pieces that have become history alongside others that could have easily been left out. In the first group, there are debatable tracks like "The Apparition" and "Fear is the Key." While the former is excessively monotonous, lacking a chorus or any memorable passage, the latter is perhaps saved only by a slightly interesting Arabesque melodic undertone. In the second group, we find those tracks which, although not representing essential pages of hard'n'heavy, are certainly well-written and enjoyable. Examples of these are the hectic opener "Be Quick or Be Dead," whose lyrics deal with the financial scandals of those years, or "From Here to Eternity," a pleasurable hard rock that also closes the trilogy of Charlotte the Harlot. Other enjoyable tracks include "The Fugitive," inspired by the movie with Harrison Ford, "Chains of Misery," whose choruses seem borrowed from some 80s hair metal band, or even tracks like "Judas Be My Guide" or "Weekend Warriors." Finally, we move on to the masterpieces of the album, namely "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" and the immortal "Fear of the Dark." These are two pieces that, in their structure, are quite similar, with a slow initial part followed by a powerful central acceleration where the guitars exchange parts in undeniably quality solos. And if the former, unfortunately, did not stand the test of time by failing to become a band classic, "Fear of the Dark" has not only become one of the most loved pieces by Iron Maiden fans and an omnipresent track in every concert but is also one of the most well-known songs in all metal music history. Ultimately, this can be defined as a decent album, oscillating between light and shadows, considered by many as one of the best of the band's second career phase, which, although far from the quality displayed in the 80s, certainly raises the group's status after the previous mediocre album. Always and forever, UP THE IRONS!!!