Iron Maiden
Piece Of Mind

THE REVIEW

This is the fourth studio album by Iron Maiden. It follows "The Number Of The Beast" (1982) with which Maiden had reached the top of the charts in their homeland. This is the band's absolute masterpiece. This is "Piece Of Mind" (1983, EMI Records).

Nine tracks, all beautiful, almost 46 minutes of pure class. Behind the drums, Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain takes over from Clive Burr. The new drummer rejects the double bass on principle and trains obsessively, acquiring an impressive speed on the single bass drum. With Nicko, Maiden's rhythmic section evolves further and Steve Harris fully enjoys it: the opener "Where Eagles Dare" (written by Harris; from MacLean's book of the same name) confirms it unequivocally. Dickinson and Smith are now full-fledged members who contribute significantly and (especially on this album) even masterfully on the compositional level. From this perspective, the difference with the successful predecessor (The Number Of The Beast) is a greater melody: "Revelations" (written by Dickinson with a quotation for Chesterton) and "Flight Of Icarus" (written by the Smith/Dickinson duo; from the eponymous Greek mythological theme; wonderful final solo by Murray) need no further proof. When Harris joins the two, it results in a true battle hymn frequently proposed on stage such as "Die With Your Boots On" (written by the Smith/Dickinson/Harris trio; excellent drumming by McBrain) and defining a song like "The Trooper" (written by Harris; from Tennyson's story on the «Crimean War»; a true musical seal to the personal friendship and the guitar twinning of the Smith/Murray duo) as uplifting (to say the least) is a simple and pure statement.

Murray also composes (and does it excellently) in a duo with Harris in the hallucinatory "Still Life" (written by the Murray/Harris duo; from Campbell's "Dweller in the Lake") and the subtle line between lucidity and madness (all centered on the play on words between "Piece Of Mind" and "Peace Of Mind) that permeates the entire album, emphatically stands out in "Quest For Fire" (written by Harris; one of Dickinson's best vocals). The catchy "Sun And Steel" (written by the Smith/Dickinson duo; from the autobiographical book of the «samurai» Miyamoto Musashi) is, in its choral refrain, the most «catchy» piece (a term I allow myself like a poet indulging in a «license») that precedes the best track of this group's entire repertoire and of the entire Heavy Metal genre: the closer "To Tame A Land" (written by Harris; from Herbert's book "Dune"; a perfect union of musical sequences in unison and rhythm changes).

This is not a review for fans only (each of them has their favorite album, for mostly personal reasons). This is a review of an absolute masterpiece that embodies a genre: Heavy Metal. Everything is here and it touches perfection so much as to appear «outwardly aseptic». But the «pathos» that these tracks unleash live dispels any doubts about it. Maiden are the true forefathers of Heavy Metal, and the most admired and «copied» album by the «colleagues» of the London group is this one. An artist will always say that the best album is the last one they've made, but just read a little between the lines and you'll see that the historical leader Steve Harris gives a clear indication in this regard. In the context of my modesty, I love to say that (truly) starting from this album, «Iron Maiden is Heavy Metal ‘cause Heavy Metal is Piece Of Mind».

TRACKLIST

1. Where Eagles Dare (Harris) - 6:10
2. Revelations (Dickinson) - 6:48
3. Flight of Icarus (Smith/Dickinson) - 3:50
4. Die With Your Boots On (Smith/Dickinson/Harris) - 5:25
5. The Trooper (Harris) - 4:11
6. Still Life (Murray/Harris) - 4:55
7. Quest for Fire (Harris) - 3:41
8. Sun and Steel (Dickinson/Smith) - 3:26
9. To Tame a Land (Harris) - 7:25

LINE-UP

• Steve Harris: Bass & Backing Vocals
• Dave Murray: Guitars
• Adrian Smith: Guitars & Backing Vocals
• Bruce Dickinson: Lead & Backing Vocals
• Nicko McBrain: Drums

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