Description

Picture disc with cover sleeve In 1977, while most wannabe London rockers were embracing punks stripped-down sound and fashion aesthetic, bassist/songwriter Steve Harris was defiantly creating Iron Maiden – a hairy, denim-clad band that proudly performed heroic, escapist heavy metal. Over a generation later, his brave brainchild kicked off another world tour for a new album. This time tour debut took place at the SuperPages Center in Dallas on June 9th 2010. The middle-aged Maidens scampered tirelessly around the stage from the opening chuggy guitars of The Wicker Man through the fifteen songs that followed. In sleeveless T and camo pants, Bruce Dickinson skipped and prowled like a boot camp trainer while deftly delivering lyrics in his melodramatic, Dio-esque tenor. And, even from the good seats, Harris remained an apparently ageless, foot-on-the-monitor figurehead. Touring in anticipation of its 15th studio album, The Final Frontier (released two months later, August 16), the sextet's stage set was more Star Wars than Star Trek, while garish backdrops referenced individual songs. The galloping El Dorado was the only newbie performed in a selection which otherwise largely oscillated between material released since Dickinson's return to the band in 1999 (Blood Brothers, Ghost of the Navigator, Brave New World), and favourites from the band's first three albums (Wrathchild, Iron Maiden, Running Free). Though its earlier material (much of which was originally recorded with vocalist Paul Di'Anno) has more simplistic, street-wise hooks, Maiden has retained certain sonic signatures: Thin Lizzy/Wishbone Ash-inspired twin-axe harmonizing; ominous Black Sabbath-y riffs; a prog-lite sense of structural adventure; Harris clanking basslines; and flecks of folk-rock. Iron Maiden has prevailed (without so much as a radio hit) through earnest craftsmanship, a give-em-their-moneys-worth work ethic, a force-of-nature frontman and a deceptively diverse musical palate. So this opening gig proved that Iron Maiden is like a fine wine that keeps getting better with age. The played for more than 2 hours and didn't miss a note. Sure it was mostly new material skipping some of their greatest hits like Run to the Hills or The Trooper, but they have such a large collections of songs to draw from that they can't play everything and all of the songs that they did play sounded phenomenal. They sounded like they were at the end of a tour instead of the beginning of it. Bruce Dickinson is amazing, constantly running around the stage like a mad man and still singing great after all these years. Anyone who gets to attend one of their upcoming shows on The Final Frontier Tour will not be disappointed. This album features 6 tracks from this evening Track listing: 1. Brave New World 2. Fear Of The Dark 3. Iron Maiden 4. The Number Of The Beast 5. Hallowed Be Thy Name 6. Running Free