PIECE OF MIND

This is NOT a great Iron Maiden album. It's not terrible but Piece of Mind just doesn't do for me what other Maiden albums do. The new addition to the band this time round is Nicko McBrain on drums, a very good drummer with a more distinctive style than his predecessor. This is the band's first stable line up and will last for several albums.

'Where Eagles Dare' is a good example of a typical Maiden headbanging metal song. This is a promising start to the album. Unfortunatly 'Revalations' does not live up to this hopeful beginning and is rather dull. 'Flight of Icarus' is in the same vein as the first track, but better IMO. 'Die With Your Boots On' is a very FUN track. while containing no musical or lyrical depth it is very enjoyable to listen to. 'The Trooper' is easily the best song on the album. It's thunderous riff and top vocal performance need to played LOUD for full effect. 'Still Life' is another good song with a quiet intro that builds up very well into the hard-rocking main section. 'Quest for Fire' is terrible musically, and even worse lyrically. It leaves wondering why Maiden would write such a stupid song. 'Sun and Steel' is a bit boring, and on their next album the band would create two superior sword-fighting songs. 'To Tame a Land' finishes the album as well as it started witha great 'mini epic', which would become a traditional way for the Irons to end their next few albums.

So this album is nowhere near the best in Maiden's brilliant catologue, but I would recommend it to fans who already own the bulk of their 80s material, but it probably won't appeal to people who only like their stuff from 2000 and later. 2.75 stars