Album per day: Day 6

Artist: Iron Maiden
Album: Powerslave
Released: 1984

Veteran metallers Iron Maiden have been putting the music scene to the sword since they released their self-titled EP in 1980. I had never given them much of a chance to impress me; I was the usual casual listener who knew the chorus to Run To The Hills. But then I saw them at Sonisphere Festival last year... it was one of the greatest shows I've ever been to, and I hardly knew any of the tunes. Characteristics like that let you know a band has still got it. I have now listened to a few more of their songs since, but I have yet to listen to an album in full. On that note I decided to give Powerslave a listen.
Aces High gets things underway with one of Maiden's biggest songs to date. Along with fellow single, and track number two 2 Minutes To Midnight, they provide the singalongs of the album, nonetheless maintaining the harmonising guitars that Iron Maiden have become so famous for. Instrumental track Losfer Words (Big 'Orra) allows vocalist Bruce Dickinson to rest his voice while Dave Murray and Adrian Smith let rip on their axes. The Duellists is a catchy number, despite the fact that it exceeds the six minute mark, although I wished Dickinson would come into the song a little quicker after the extended and overdone guitar solo.
It is at this point that I notice that most of the songs on this album  have a similar structure, with more or less matching tempos, and a lot of them make use of the same chord sequences. I won't let this completely overshadow the album though, as there is still so much more going on here, be it with the mesmerising solos from Murray or Smith, or Dickinson's operatic yapper. It's no surprise to see why this band are as wildly successful as they are, with over 85 million record sales to their name. The penultimate track, Powerslave, is full of heavy metal vigour, with a mid-section that is slightly reminiscent of Metallica's Master of Puppets. It also exceeds the six minute mark, so you have to have a bit of patience to be a fan of this band, and even though I'm not the most patient bloke in the world, I had a lot of time for this song. Ironically, we come to the final song, Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, which stands at 13 minutes and 34 seconds long. Many die hard Maiden fans have this down as one of the group's best songs, even though it is not the most commercially accessible of songs. Inspired by a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the first five minutes are typically loud and powerful, but then it goes all Tom Waits for a minute, then ending in big and bold fashion. This song is one that fits the word "epic" quite deservedly.
Every rock fan should listen to Iron Maiden more often. They can largely get overlooked by the younger generation, but I implore all of you to show Powerslave to your children when they're ready to embrace the metulz. Remember, you can't kill the metal; the metal will live on.

Rating: 8/10
Recommended songs: Aces High, Powerslave