ROCK IN RIO

Since Iron Maiden first stepped on Brazilian soil for the memorable first Rock in Rio Festival in January 1985 (Queen, Scorpions, AC/DC, among other bands in a long list), which attracted more than 1.4 million spectators in its ten days, the devotion of the Carioca public was unconditional to the band led by Steve Harris, forging an affectionate relationship that has remained unchanged for decades.

And an unbeatable way to pay tribute to such a huge fan base was the release of the double album "Rock in Rio" (2002) of the English band's participation in their second visit to the festival in January 2001, where more than 250,000 people merged with the band in great shape to accompany them with their emotional clapping and chorus, clearly audible by a great production work that far exceeded the challenge, given the elephantine proportions of the event, to reliably capture every detail.

The setlist, as expected being part of a promotional tour, included six songs from the album "Brave New World" released a few months earlier, which although not yet had the resonance of the most notable hits of the band, were welcomed by the audience (especially the spectral "The Ghost of Navigator", the eponymous "Brave New World" and the emotional "Blood Brothers"), to which was added the unexpected and epic "The Clansman", taken from the discreet period of Blaze Bayley in Iron Maiden and that acquires a unique vitality from the hand of Bruce Dickinson and ends up being one of the most emotional and vibrant points of the concert, in addition to a tour of emblematic songs such as the energetic and galloping "The Trooper", "Iron Maiden" and "The Number of the Beast", the somber "Fear of the Dark" (also very chanted by the audience), the sentencing "Hallowed Be Thy Name", to finish with the overflowing energy of 'Run to the Hills'.

Although I personally would have replaced a couple of the new tracks from "Brave New World" with some of the more recognized ones like "Powerslave", "Revelations" or "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", "Rock in Rio" is after the legendary "Live Atfer Death" from 1985, Iron Maiden's best live album.

Very good.

4 stars

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