Paul Di'Anno
The Living Dead

Uh-oh! We're told that this review also appears (in whole or in part) on truemetal.it

There is a plethora of characters who, to sell a few more copies of their works, market themselves as "the original vocalist of...": Dave Evans of Ac/Dc, Charlie Dominici of Dream Theater and, indeed, Paul Di'Anno of Iron Maiden come to mind. However, there is also a plethora of metalheads who consider the first two albums of the Iron Maiden as the pinnacle of their career and the good Paul as the "true and only singer" of Iron Maiden, despite Bruce Dickinson. It's certain that Di'Anno is remembered as a genuine stage animal, sometimes clumsy but never rehearsed in his attitudes, a legacy of his past as a punk rocker, a feature always recognized and sought after by HM purists. 

"The Living Dead", released in a different form in 2000 under the moniker Nomad, is his latest work that, I must admit, I feared would disappoint me like so many of his other solo releases post-Iron Maiden like "Gogmagog", "Battlezone", and "Killers". But no, this time old Paul hits the mark - and it was about time! - with an album with a personal style and up-to-date, containing a track like the title track which is truly exquisite and surprisingly sweet for a "difficult" character like him: probably the nicest piece composed since leaving Iron Maiden. 

Let's get to the tracks: in "Brothers Of The Tomb" the singer recalls the style of Rob Halford in falsetto version, with the ghost of King Diamond behind the microphone. "Mad Man In The Attic" is a practically thrash track in the style of "Over Kill"; the more aggressive Di'Anno can be found in "S.a.t.a.n." and "War Machine", "Cold World" is a track in the style of Saxon at least regarding the sharp riffing while in "Nomad" looms the ghost of Maiden/Queensryche in the initial part. Unexpectedly the album closes with the cover of "Symphony Of Destruction" by Megadeth, interesting but not memorable, which is always a pleasure to hear. 

As a bonus track, for the joy of die-hard Iron Maiden fans, we have "Wrathchild" and "Phantom Of The Opera" in live version: appreciable and nothing more. The package also contains a DVD with the video of the best track on the album, namely "The Living Dead", and an interview with Paul Di'Anno about his past in Iron Maiden, strictly only in English and, unfortunately, without even subtitles. 

With this album the ex-Maiden finally returns to make a positive impression, partially mitigating the bitter disappointments he often reserves for fans who go to see him live lately.