POWERSLAVE

After the increased progressive leanings on 'Piece of Mind', Maiden released a new height with 'Powerslave' which could very well be called the first progressive metal album.

I'm always amazed when I listen to Iron Maiden, the fact that they can release masterpiece after masterpiece is simply amazing. Even though 'A Matter of Life and Death' is my personal favorite Maiden album, it's hard to pick a favorite when nearly all of their albums are flawless. If I had to pick a favorite out of the classics though, it would probably be 'Powerslave'.

The album begins with single 'Aces High'. Nicko McBrain's drumming on this track is very powerful and the guitar compliments it well. Of course you can't forget the other single '2 Minutes to Midnight', being just as powerful as the previous track. One song on this album that I feel gets forgotten is the instrumental 'Losfer Words (Big Orra)'. The song begins with cymbals before some really powerful driving guitar riffs come in. My favorite song from the album though has to go to the amazing title track. Bruce Dickinson gives one of his strongest vocal performances on this song, real power coming out of great lyrics like 'Tell me why I have to be a powerslave'. The instruments all compliment each other well, and the riffing can sound menacing on this song. Even though my favorite song on this album is the title track, my favorite classic Maiden epic 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' can't be forgotten. This nearly 14-minute behemoth is a musical interpretation of a poem, but that doesn't need to be known to enjoy this masterpiece. The guitars really drive, Dickinson's vocals are powerful, the drums are powerful, the song changes and is definitely one of my favorite epics of all time. The bridge is conducted perfectly, reminding me a lot of Rush's 'Cygnus X-1' with the way the guitar sounds and the spoken word. Once the song builds back up, Dickinson gives yet another powerful vocal performance. A true masterpiece.

Overall, I think everyone can agree that this is an essential album to any metal collection. This album boosted Iron Maiden's popularity, and helped make them one of the most influential bands in heavy metal.

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