LIVE AFTER DEATH

Iron Maiden were on a roll. 1982's 'The Number of the Beast' and 1983's 'Piece of Mind' had shot the band to the top of the metal world, and if there was finally any doubters left that didn't think the band belonged, then 1984's 'Powerslave', the Brits' fifth studio release, really established them as one of the top metal acts around. What followed was the 'World Slavery Tour', which saw Maiden embark on a trek around the globe with an elaborate stage show that encapsulated the energy and imagery of their music.

So what's next? How about a live album to commemorate the tour? Which brings us to the first of many live albums the band would put out; 'Live After Death'.

Split over two discs, the first recorded in California, USA while the second in London, England, 'Live After Death' highlights the energy and enthusiasm of the band in their early days. Featuring all the major hits from their first five albums, including 'Aces High', 'Run to the Hills', 'The Trooper', 'The Number of the Beast' and 'Phantom of the Opera', the performances and production are all of a high standard, however, the audience can be a little hard to hear at times, which kind of ruins the experience, but as a whole, this is a good live release.

Though, with that said, I've always preferred studio albums to live ones, and as it is, 'Live After Death' does seem a little outdated today, considering the wealth of live albums the band would go on to produce. Still, it has its moments and isn't bad by any means, there just isn't really anything to entice me to choose this over any of Iron Maiden's studio efforts instead.