The first thing I remember I was fourteen, and I was lying around my room doing homework and listening to the radio when this noise came on, this crazy sprinting noise, and I stopped what I was doing and listened transfixed from the first note to the last. I felt like I'd been socked in the head and the world had unfolded before me into something bigger, badder and louder than I had ever thought it could be.
That was the first time I heard Guns 'n' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle." Ha... fooled you there, crossed you up, didn't I? This review is about Maiden and here I am yammering away about some hard rock glam hair band from LA. Well, you can cram it if you have a problem, because it relates. And not only because I detect a not-so-subtle musical thread running between G&R and the Maiden, mainly having to do with the quality of their grooves and the fact that they're a five-piece with a yowly lead singer. No, sir.
Maiden reminds me of Guns 'n' Roses because listening to the new Iron Maiden double-live gonzo extravaganza Death on the Road gives me chills all over like I was fourteen again. It takes me back to that age when metal was a thrilling new discovery to this Ohio teenager: Zeppelin, Ministry, Metallica, Megadeth, Judas Priest, and Maiden. Listening to Death on the Road I feel like I did that time we were listening to Somewhere In Time and then went and got Shawn's old Chevette with no passenger seats up to 85 MPH out on the back roads of Portage County. I feel like Columbus sighting land after ten weeks at sea. I feel like Neil Armstrong stepping onto Luna Firma. I feel like I just invented wet t-shirt night.
From the first notes of "Wildest Dreams" to the last chorus of "Run To The Hills," Death on the Road is a headbanging motherschtupper of a record. Maiden's rolling, sprinting grooves have not weakened with age, and the excellent recording captures every bit of guitar squeal and bass grind. Bruce Dickinson's voice is for the most part every bit as grand and overdramatic as ever, lending unexpected depth to epic silliness like "Paschendale" and "The Number of the Beast." So what if the first five minutes of 2003's "Dance of Death" are straight - I mean straight - out of Spinal Tap's "Stonehenge," and so what if the stentorian voice declaring "There are moh things, in heaven and uuuhth, then aaah drrrreamt of in yoh.... PHILOSOPHY!" is just reading - out of context - from Act 1 of Hamlet? It's so metal! The drums! The guitars! The solos! The... AAGH! YEAH! MAIDEN! MAIDEN ! MAIDEN!!!!!
Article comments
1 - Marty Dodge
The trouble is no Maiden live album will be as good as Live after Death. Can't really see the point of this one but I will probably end up getting it anyway; more likely the DVD.
2 - John Owen
There is that, true. I don't actually own Live after Death, nor have I heard it, which probably means I have to go to some dingy, tobacco-stained office somewhere and turn in my metal badge, but I do hear it's just about the best thing ever.
I guess the point of this new one is if you really want to hear "Fear of the Dark" live? It's too bad this one doesn't necessarily serve a purpose, because although it's probably superfluous, it's definitely really good.
3 - Chris Beaumont
Nice review.
I just started listening to it. I am looking forward to actually seeing the DVD. In this age of DVD, I tend to prefer the concert DVD's over the CD's. So far though I am liking it. A lot is still new to me as I came in really late to the Maiden army.
4 - moe
The author of this article for some reason included Maiden and GnR in the same sentence. Since the author felt it necessary to state so many "Similarities" between the two bands I guess I will take the liberty to state one difference.-- Maiden is still a band and kicks ass at it as well.
5 - Paul Roy
And I thought Rush got carried out with the number of live albums they put out. Me likey though.
6 - Paul Roy
Ooops, I meant to say carried AWAY.
7 - moe
Um ... ya Rush + Live = Unreal.. Exit Stage Left sure did sounded amazing. I understand they did put out quite a few live albums but don't see too much harm in that unless well you do not have a band. Maiden sure is entertaining live thats for sure. I think I have watched Rock in Rio from MAIDEN serveral Times over. Never get tired of it.
8 - John Owen
Hey, hey... G&R are still a band... Axl said so just last week! What... don't you believe him? "Chinese Democracy" is due any month now!
Heh.
9 - Matt
Nice review John. Thanks!
Matt
10 - Saqib
The review rocks as hard as Maiden.
CHEERS JOHN. where've u been hiding all these days.
CHEERS AGAIN
11 - Temple Stark
John,
This was chosen as an Editor's Pick this week by your humble Music Editor Matt. Go HERE to find out why and grab a nifty graphic button to put on your own site.
12 - PHil Hutchinson
IRON MAIDEN FUCKIN RULE..... And if u live in some obscure country and only have a donky as transport then fuck yeh.... this cd will be cool.... bu the dvd is very late to be realased. you cant get better than maiden live. dissapointed by jorneyman tho. and could have done with "the Clansman, The Ghost of The Navigator." maiden is all about mythilogical theatrics. keep it strong and with this line up. i love the operatic theatricle songs. MAIDEN AT ITS FINEST. Phil.. UP THE IRONS!!!
13 - VarceTTi
DANCE OF DEATH SONG & THE WHOLE GIG IS AWESOME... I'VE GOT NO WORLDS... ONLY EMOTIONS... MAIDEN! MAIDEN! MAIDEN!