(Rated this album with 4 out of 10) Reviewed by
A music fan
from Seattle, WA USA
When this album came out it hammered the final nails into the coffin of the NWOBHM. It simply could not stand up to the massive albums coming out at the time from American bands like Slayer and Megadeth. After releasing two albums with a decidedly bloated euro-metal sound (keyboards and guitar synth), this album meant to hail a return to Maiden's denim and leather days of yore. But without the wailing emo solos of Adrian Smith, and the addition of Janick Gers (who is a great guitar player in his own right, but couldn't manage to break out of blazing through boring bluesy runs) Maiden churned out a bland slab of vinyl. As much as I loved Maiden in the day, they failed their American audience at a crucial point when speed metal was all too happy to step in and take the heavy metal crown.
