• Rating:
Masterpiece. This is the most appropriate word for an album of this caliber. A piece of history, an album to listen to in one breath, a concentration of endless emotions that finds its place at the beginning of the legendary 1980s, and more precisely in 1983 when the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) was sailing smoothly, thanks especially to glorious bands like the mythical Iron Maiden.
Yes, because for those who do not know, this is the fourth album of the iron maiden. An explosive, solid, full of ideas and passion album that follows after the masterpiece of the previous year: "The number of the Beast".
But now let's unwrap the work and analyze it from within. Let's try to savor the essence of the individual songs. The album opens with the famous and fantastic "Where Eagles Dare" and really starts off on a high note. The guitars are in "gallop," Bruce Dickinson's voice reaches unattainable tones, and a mythical atmosphere can be felt as the song ends after about six minutes of pure musical enjoyment. It then moves to the poetic "Revelations," written by the singer Bruce Dickinson, in which slow and melodic pieces alternate with moments where the rhythms marked by the mythical Niko McBrain's drum become faster, and Steve's usual bass throbs like never before. Truly fantastic in this song is the initial riff and the amazing solo that delivers more than one emotion. It is followed by the equally famous "Flight of Icarus," which the band will perform at many concerts of the era. The chorus is epic, and Steve's usual bass even overwhelms the sound of the guitars in many instances, something that does not happen in the following "Die With Your Boots On," really energetic, where the powerful and fast guitars take center stage. A concentration, therefore, of energy and irony, something that even the title suggests. We then reach the fifth track, the much-praised masterpiece by fans, the essential track at every "Iron" concert, we are obviously talking about the fantastic "The Trooper," the fastest and most intense song of the album, with an amazing riff, a "Finger-burning" solo, and a chorus that has entered the history of the London group. The following "Still Life," although not up to the mark of the former, is another memorable song and opens with an intro where a dark voice speaks in a language that seems to mean nothing, the words are unclear. However, if this is listened to in reverse, it states the phrase: "What ho sed de t’ing wid de t’ree bonce? Don’t meddle wid t’ings you don’t understand" or "What did the three-headed monster say? Nothing that you can understand." It obviously refers to Cerberus, the three-headed dog, and is probably a tidbit that Iron wanted to leave for their fans, a sort of "bonus" to discover. Track number 7 is "Quest For Fire," a quiet track with a nice chorus, characterized by a simple structure but by no means boring. It easily earns a passing grade, as does the following song "Sun And Steel," which flows smoothly and pleasantly. We then arrive at the final song "To Tame a Land," entirely written by "Steve Harris," very evocative, including the splendid solo, which closes the album beautifully.
I conclude by saying that no Iron Maiden fan or lover of the "new wave" should miss an album of this caliber, which has contributed to the history of a genre and even now, 23 years after its release, can still deliver unique and fabulous emotions.
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