Placing Iron Maiden among the royalty of heavy metal is fraught with obligation.
After Sabbath, Priest, and the Scorpions, they are unquestionably one of most
endurable bands of the genre. Today, the classic lineup — bassist Steve
Harris, vocalist Bruce Dickenson, drummer Nicko McBrain, guitarists Dave Murray
and Adrian Smith, along with third guitarist and newest member, Janick Gers
— are reclaiming the throne with some of their most intense and moving
music of their career. Their legendary concerts continue to implement theatrical
elements and eye candy to sway audience members into an hypnotic state of fear
and exhilaration.War, mayhem, death — these are some of the images that
tastefully and effectively a Maiden concert. Maiden’s latest live DVD, Death
on the Road, finally released in the U.S. after being available as
an import only, accurately illustrates that point to a tee. Filmed at the Westenfalenhalle
Arena in Dortmund, Germany, Death On The Road was edited by
Steve Harris. In the end, we get a letter-perfect band tackling a scattered
stretch of textures and moods to suit a vast and grand presentation.
The show blows right out the doors with “Wildest Dreams,” an energetic
barnstormer from 2003’s Dance of Death. The momentum
stays intact for a stirring “Wrathchild,” followed by “Can
I Play With Madness” and “The Trooper.” By this time, the
band has the audience wedged against the stage, grasping for air, echoing every
chorus, and pumping their fists skyward.Dickenson introduces “Dance Of
Death” and disappears. There’s an opening dialogue, then the acoustic
guitars stew like a medieval trance. Dickenson reappears, wearing a cape and
a pair of Phoenician masques. He morphs into an animated court jester, imbuing
each verse with a lick and a wink. A frenzied Irish jig ensues, setting the
arena ablaze as the singer does a series of dervish-like twirls about the stage.
For “Paschendale,” it’s another flash of the lights with a
spoken-word introduction followed by the sounds of falling bombs. Smith threads
a lovely guitar line together while Murray and Gers lock in for a crashing set
of rock ’em, sock ’em power chords. Dickenson slips into the guise of a warrior,
donning a combat helmet and military coat to finish the number. “No More
Lies” gets the crowd chanting, trotting through a field of daisies before
imploding into mass hysteria. “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “Fear
Of The Dark” and “Journeyman” take similar, breezier turns
before erupting into headbangng madness. But it takes “Iron Maiden,”
along with the one-two punch of “The Number Of The Beast” and “Run
To The Hills,” to deliver the final blows.
The entire concert is available on two separate discs — one with full
traditional stereo soundtrack and the other with a 5.1 mix by Kevin ‘Caveman’
Shirley. This is pitched as a way to get the highest quality, although there
are plenty of well-received music DVDs with both audio options embedded onto
a single disc. Fortunately, the extra disc isn’t factored into the costs.
A third disc includes gobs of special features including an extensive 70-minute
Death On The Road documentary, promo videos from the album, background
interviews with members of the production crew and fans during the tour, artwork,
design sketches, and photo galleries. Since the taping of Death On The
Road, Iron Maiden has released A Matter of Life And Death,
the group’s highest charting U.S. album ever – hitting #9 on the
Billboard charts. There is little doubt Maiden is on their way to conquering
the metal world all over again. Their varied repertoire has emboldened their
range and extended their status. One can only wonder what lies over the horizon
for this torrent of vintage heavy metal.
~ Shawn Perry
