The Return Of Iron Maiden
Aug 02 '00
Like most popular heavy metal bands of the eighties, Iron Maiden lost their singer and bravely soldiered on through the nineties, a decade that was decidedly unkind to anyone entering it with big hair and spandex. Maiden released a few albums with Blaze Blayley as vocalist, while former singer Bruce Dickinson released a few solo albums. In 1999, Blaze was bounced and Dickinson and ex-guitarist Adrian Smith returned to the fold. They embarked on a small-scale tour, and put in a transcendent set at Toronto's Massey Hall. Everyone was having a ball, and they looked forward to recording an album and doing a proper tour in 2000.
The band's new album, Brave New World, contains the best work that they've done in a long time. The songs are richly textured and show an advanced rhythmic diversity. And yes, they rock. Iron Maiden's August 1st appearance at Toronto's Air Canada Centre gave their fans a crash course in their new release. Taking the stage before an audience of about 4000, the band tore into their new single, "The Wicker Man". The band seemed genuinely glad to be touring, although Bruce Dickinson had a few choice words about the audience's size (or lack thereof). The crowd gave a warm response to "Ghost Of The Navigator" and "Brave New World" from the new disc, but the energy level rose noticeably when they dipped into their back catalogue for "Wrathchild" and "Two Minutes To Midnight". Bruce Dickinson's mighty voice is still going strong, but he fought a losing battle against the band's three guitarists, and the vocals ended up hidden deep in the mix. Still, Bruce is a great showman, and he worked vigorously worked the crowd while bounding about the metal-strewn, futuristic stage.
"The Sign Of The Cross" was delivered from an elevated cross that burst into flames at the end of the song. Perhaps it seemed like a good idea during the planning stage, but it veered dangerously close to Spinal Tap territory. Guitarist Janick Gers played wonderfully, but managed to distract the audience with his collection of Zany Guitar Hero moments. I'm guessing that Gers got straight A's in "Prancing Around The Stage" and "Rock Hot Dog 101: Swinging the Guitar Around Your Neck" during his time at Rock Star University.
The show hit its peak with spirited sing-along versions of "Fear Of The Dark" and "Iron Maiden", which featured a giant wicker man containing four temptresses. Dickinson and friends left the stage in a blaze of light and pyro, returning for "Number Of The Beast", "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and "Sanctuary". Iron Maiden's popularity may have suffered during the last decade, but the band is undergoing a renaissance, with the release of the impressive Brave New World CD. If you're one of the many Maiden fans who lost touch with the band, you might consider picking up their new release or seeing them on their current tour. You will be pleasantly surprised.
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