Iron Maiden's Reviews
Piece Of Mind (Average Rating: 9.24 out of 10)
Simply a must-have album (Rated this album with 10 out of 10)
Reviewed by
Eden C.
from Jerusalem, Israel.
Piece of Mind is considered one of Iron Maiden's best, if not the best, album of all times. In my opinion it is a very strong album, but not quite of the same caliber as the previous The Number of the Beast (and its successor, Powerslave). All songs on this album (despite one or two, depends) are very strong numbers. The problem, however, is that the album lacks songs of the highest level, that is songs such as Hallowed Be Thy Name (as an epic ballad) and songs such as Aces High and The Number of the Beast that serve as nerve pounding classics. I'll give you a brief overview of each song. The album kicks off with the classic Where Eagles Dare. The song is played very rapidly, but still clocks at over 6 minutes. The solo's are great, and the chorus is very strong as well. The next song is Revelations, inspired by the ancient Egypt. The song features many acoustical guitar parts, and is truely a masterpiece, although it requires a few listens to really like it. Basically it is a very complex piece, with great lyrics, as expected. The song sounds a little commercial in my opinion, Flight of Icarus. Basically it sounds like a mixture between the first two songs of the album, in terms of style. But it is shorter than both, almost four minutes, but not as intense as one would think. Still, this is considered by many the highlight of the album. The next track is Die With Your Boots On, an intense and catchy tune, and quite long, almost five and the half minutes. The solos are great, but the lyrics are somewhat shallow. Also, the chorus is a bit too long, but the bridges between the chorus and the verses are great. The next song is perhaps Maiden's most recognizable one, The Trooper. This is a true classic, not quite a rocker as The Number of the Beast or Run To The Hills, it's noticably slower, but has excellent solo's like the aforementioned. Still Life, track no. 6, is one of Maiden's most underestimated tracks. It is a beautifulmystical song, that kicks off with a strange backward message. The entire song has a very special feel to it, and even features three cool quotes by Niko. The solos are very melodic, and the guitars simply sound outstanding. The next song, Quest For Fire is a step or two down from the previous ones, but is still fun to listen to. Sun And Steel, the following song, is also not quite the same league as Revelations, but is still a very solid one. The chorus is above Maiden average (i.e. excellent), and the guitar work is also impressive. The lyrics are quite good as well. And last but not least is the excellent To Tame A Land. A legendary Harris ballad. It's doesn't sound quite as good as my favorite all-time song, Hallowed Be Thy Name, but it's very close to it. You will fall in love with the excellent acoustic riff that follows this 7-and the half minute masterpiece. The song consists of many different parts that will require you to stay alert the entire playing time. The bottom line is that this is a great album, and a must buy. Whether you are a Maiden-fan or not, if you like Heavy Metal, you must have this album in your collection. This is also the first album featuring Maiden's classic line-up, a must have.
Buy this album on Amazon at $16.98
|
