FEAR OF THE DARK

Essentially a stylistic follow-up to the band's previous album, FEAR OF THE DARK gets much higher marks from fans than its predecessor, although I must admit that I prefer NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING overall. The main problem with this album, aside from the glaring lack of progressiveness, is that the band attempts to include too many songs, resulting in some glaring filler. The highlights, are of course, worth the price of admission, particularly the concert-favorite title track, the Gulf War ballad "Afraid to Shoot Strangers," and the long-forgotten album cut "Judas Be My Guide," a remarkably tuneful song destined to be discarded by the masses due to it being buried in the middle of the second half of this sprawling affair. Bruce Dickinson continues to sing in his new raspy voice, an effort to introduce "grit" to the band's sound after a decade of slick and now post-grunge unhip prog metal. It's a shame too, because they alienated most of their fans in the process, although if I'm not mistaken this album debuted at #1 on the charts and the band headlined the Donington Festival for, what was it, the second time? Still, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who actually likes stuff like "Weekend Warrior," or at least would actively listen to the thing if it weren't for the fact that they were playing this album from start to finish. Bruce Dickinson would soon leave the band for a solo career and Maiden would trudge wearily onward.