1. Wildest Dreams [A.Smith, S.Harris] 3'52
2. Rainmaker [B.Dickinson, D.Murray, S.Harris] 3'48
3. No More Lies [S.Harris] 7'21
4. Montségur [B.Dickinson, J.Gers, S.Harris] 5'50
5. Dance Of Death [J.Gers, S.Harris] 8'36
6. Gates Of Tomorrow [B.Dickinson, J.Gers, S.Harris] 5'12
7. New Frontier [A.Smith, B.Dickinson, N.McBrain] 5'04
8. Paschendale [A.Smith, S.Harris] 8'27
9. Face In The Sand [A.Smith, B.Dickinson, S.Harris 6:31 D.Murray, S.Harris] 6'10
11. Journeyman [A.Smith, B.Dickinson, S.Harris] 7'06

Bruce Dickinson (vocals)
Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Jannick Gers (guitar)
Steve Harris (bass)
Nicko McBrain (drums)

Drummer Nicko McBrain kicks off Iron Maiden's 13th studio record with an uncharacteristic one-two-three-four before launching into the rousing opener, "Wildest Dreams." This bar-band sensibility permeates Dance of Death's first three refreshing yet unremarkable tracks before shifting into the more familiar fantasy rock of previous releases. That shift begins with the remarkable "Montsegur," a brutal, melodic assault that recalls the group's glory days and showcases lead singer Bruce Dickinson at his venom-spitting best. The anthemic "New Frontier" is a musical sibling to the band's 1982 classic "Number of the Beast" and eclipses any doubt about the band's ability to keep up with the phantom specter of age. Despite the dark imagery and the ferocity of the performances, there's a looseness to the record that conveys a surreal sense of fun. They enjoy playing together, and that more than anything shines through on old-fashioned rockers like "No More Lies" and "Gates of Tomorrow." No Iron Maiden album would be complete without a Dungeons and Dragons-style epic, and they deliver on the hammy title track and the lush closer, "Journeyman." The group's innate ability to consistently cater to its fans' stubborn tastes, while maintaining a level of integrity that other veteran bands displace with unintentional Spinal Tap zeal, is a testament to its talent and experience. While the keyboard-heavy sound of their previous release, the excellent Brave New World, creeps into some of the more indulgent tracks, Dance of Death is a triumphant return to form for these heavy metal legends. --- James Christopher Monger, Rovi

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Disc 1
1. Satellite 15 4:36
2. The Final Frontier 4:10
3. El Dorado 5:52
4. 2 Minutes To Midnight 5:50
5. The Talisman 8:45
6. Coming Home 5:57
7. Dance Of Death 9:03
8. The Trooper 3:59
9. The Wicker Man 5:06

Disc 2
1. Blood Brothers 7:04
2. When The Wild Wind Blows 10:37
3. The Evil That Men Do 4:17
4. Fear Of The Dark 7:30
5. Iron Maiden 5:08
6. The Number Of The Beast 4:57
7. Hallowed Be Thy Name 7:28
8. Running Free 7:57

Personnel:
    Bruce Dickinson - lead vocals
    Dave Murray - guitar
    Adrian Smith - guitar, backing vocals
    Janick Gers - guitar
    Steve Harris - bass guitar, backing vocals
    Nicko McBrain - drums
with
    Michael Kenney – keyboards

"EN VIVO!" was filmed on April 10, 2011, in front of over 50,000 ecstatic fans at the Estadio Nacional, Santiago, during the Round The World In 66 Days leg of The Final Frontier World Tour, and captures a magnificent performance by the band, ardently embraced by the legendary Latino passion and energy of their Chilean fans. With spectacular stage backdrops, dynamic musicianship and a literally jaw-dropping appearance by Eddie, this live show encapsulates to perfection the heart and soul of Iron Maiden 2011.

Bass player and founding member Steve Harris comments, "For The Final Frontier Tour, it was really important to me that we filmed in South America as we're always so overwhelmed by the fans' reaction when we go to that part of the world and I wanted to reflect that in the filming. After much consideration, we chose the Santiago show as we felt it was one of our best performances of the entire tour and to play at the prestigious Estadio Nacional was a landmark moment for us. For reasons known to our fans, it took a long time before we got to play our first show in Chile, and once we did get to play a show, the response was so phenomenal we just had to keep coming back, and it's got better and better each time!

"This show also features the gigantic new Eddie. He wasn't due to make his appearance until our European leg of the tour later in 2011, but we managed to transport him across the sea in a special huge container just in time for the latter end of the South American dates, so it was great we were able to immortalize him for the DVD as he really has to be seen to be believed!" --- prnewswire.com

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01. Prowler - 3:53
02. Remember Tomorrow (Steve Harris, Paul Di'Anno) - 5:25
03. Running Free (Steve Harris, Paul Di'Anno) - 3:14
04. Phantom Of The Opera - 7:19
05. Transylvania - 4:05
06. Strange World - 5:43
07. Charlotte The Harlot (Dave Murray) - 4:11
08. Iron Maiden - 3:32

Personnel:
- Paul Di'Anno – lead vocals
- Dave Murray – guitar
- Dennis Stratton – guitar, backing vocals
- Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
- Clive Burr – drums
+
- Will Malone – producer

There may be no better place to hear how both punk and prog rock informed the New Wave of British Heavy Metal than Iron Maiden's self-titled debut. Often overlooked and overshadowed by the glorious Bruce Dickinson years, it's easy to forget that Iron Maiden was itself a game-changer when it appeared on the scene in 1980. That year also saw important albums from Motörhead, Saxon, and Angel Witch, but Iron Maiden vaulted its creators to the head of the NWOBHM pack, reaching the U.K. Top Five and establishing them as an outfit with the talent to build on Judas Priest's late-'70s innovations. On the one hand, Maiden was clearly drawing from elements of punk rock -- the raw D.I.Y. production, the revved-up velocities, and the vocals of rough-and-ready growler Paul Di'Anno, who looked and sounded not like a metal god, but rather a short-haired street tough. On the other hand, Maiden had all the creative ambition of a prog rock band. Compositionally, even their shortest and most straightforward songs featured abrupt changes in tempo and feel. Their musicianship was already light years beyond punk, with complicated instrumental passages between guitarists Dave Murray and Dennis Stratton and bassist Steve Harris. When Murray and Stratton harmonize their leads, they outdo even Priest's legendary tandem in terms of pure speed. The lyrics have similarly high-flying aspirations, spinning first-person stories and character sketches with a flair for the seedy and the grotesque. Add it all up, and Iron Maiden performs the neat trick of reconciling two genres seemingly antithetical to one another, using post-Priest heavy metal as the meeting ground. The seven-minute "Phantom of the Opera" is a landmark, the band's earliest progressive epic and still among its best; with its ambitious fusion of musical styles, its multi-sectioned construction, and the literary retelling of the lyrics, it seemed to encapsulate all the promise of both the band and the NWOBHM. Two of the simpler, punkier rockers, "Running Free" and "Sanctuary" (the latter left off the U.K. version but added to subsequent reissues), made the lower reaches of the British singles charts. The flasher tale "Prowler," one of the band's more enduring numbers, is in the same vein, but ups the instrumental complexity, while the title track still remains a concert staple. Elsewhere, the band offers the first of many instrumentals with "Transylvania," introduces the recurring title character of "Charlotte the Harlot," and reimagines Judas Priest's "Beyond the Realms of Death" with the "ballad" "Remember Tomorrow," which starts out soft but closes with a speed-freak guitar section. Perhaps the only hint of a misstep comes on the more restrained ballad "Strange World," the only song from this album that was never re-recorded in a live or alternate version by the Dickinson lineup. Nonetheless, the whole project explodes with energy and ideas, and while the band would certainly go on to refine much of what's here (including the cover painting of mascot Eddie), Iron Maiden would still rank as a landmark even if the Dickinson years had never happened. --- Steve Huey, Rovi

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CD1
1.The Ides of March 01:46
2.Wrathchild 02:55
3.Murders in the Rue Morgue 04:19
4.Another Life 03:23
5.Genghis Khan 03:10
6.Innocent Exile 03:54
7.Killers 05:02
8.Prodigal Son 06:13
9.Purgatory 03:20
10. Drifter 04:50

CD2
1. Twilight Zone
2. Women In Uniform
3. Invasion
4. Phantom Of The Opera (Live)
Personnel:
    Paul Di'Anno – vocals
    Dave Murray – guitar
    Adrian Smith – guitar, backing vocals
    Steve Harris – bass guitar, backing vocals
    Clive Burr – drums
+
   Dennis Stratton – guitar

Iron Maiden's sophomore effort, Killers, is mostly composed of pre-existing material that had been left off the debut, with just a few new additions. It's certainly a better-sounding release than the debut, with new producer Martin Birch beefing up the band's studio presence and lending their instrumental attack a newfound clarity that throws their considerable skills into sharp relief. In fact, this helps mask the fact that the songwriting isn't quite as strong overall as it was on the debut. But the teaming of new guitarist Adrian Smith with Dave Murray forms the most formidable twin-guitar attack in heavy metal, outside of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing. Plus, bassist Steve Harris' busy, driving lines are now consistently audible in the mix. The resulting instrumental fireworks are what truly make the album tick. That said, there's a much smaller percentage of catalog standards here than on the previous album. "Wrathchild" is the standout, re-recorded here with Smith on guitar from an earlier version for the Metal for Muthas compilation. There's a fair bit of unity in the lyrical themes, with a parade of murderers, fugitives, and characters otherwise torn from their roots. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a first-person retelling of the Poe short story, and the title track is another highlight, with Paul Di'Anno turning in an especially menacing performance. The single "Purgatory" has a catchy singalong chorus and a tempo worthy of Motörhead, while "Twilight Zone" (not included on the U.K. issue, but added to subsequent releases) scraped the bottom of the British charts. The biggest departure here is the almost Supertramp-like prog-pop of "Prodigal Son," a melodic, uptempo offering with an arrangement based around acoustic guitars. Despite some inconsistency in the material, Killers is clearly the work of a top-notch ensemble, and in order to take the next step forward, their musical ambitions were clearly going to require a vocalist as technically accomplished as the band. It's worth noting that some Maiden fans actually prefer the rawness of the Di'Anno years to the polish of the Bruce Dickinson era (though, it should also be noted, they're in the minority). ---Steve Huey, allmusic.com

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CD1

01-Opening
02-The Ides Of March
03-Wrathchild
04-Purgatory
05-Sanctuary
06-Remember Tomorrow
07-Another Life
08-Clive Burr Drum Solo
09-Another Life (reprise)
10-Band Introductions
11-Genghis Khan
12-Killers
13-Innocent Exile
14-Twilight Zone
15-Strange World
16-Murders In The Rue Morgue
17-Phantom Of The Opera

CD2

01-Iron Maiden
02-Encore Break
03-Running Free
04-Encore Break
05-Transylvania
06-Drifter
07-Encore Break
08-Prowler
09-Running Free (reprise)
10-Encore Break
11-Last Message
12-Announcement
13-Outro

Paul Di'Anno - vocals
Dave Murray - guitar
Adrian Smith - guitar, backing vocals
Steve Harris - bass guitar, backing vocals
Clive Burr - drums

Recorded Live at Koseinenkin Kaikan, Nagoya, Japan - May 23, 1981

Known for such powerful hits as "Two Minutes to Midnight" and "The Trooper," Iron Maiden were and are one of the most influential bands of the heavy metal genre. The often-imitated band has existed for over nearly four decades, pumping out wild rock similar to Judas Priest. Iron Maiden have always been an underground attraction; although failing to ever obtain any real media attention in the U.S. (critics claimed them to be Satanists due to their dark musical themes and their use of grim mascot "Eddie"), they still became well known throughout the world and have remained consistently popular throughout their career. Iron Maiden were one of the first groups to be classified as "British metal," and, along with Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and a host of other bands, set the rock scene for the '80s.

Iron Maiden were first formed in 1976 by bassist Steve Harris, who would soon join up with rhythm guitarist Tony Parsons, drummer Doug Sampson, and vocalist Paul Di'Anno. Before finally obtaining a record deal, the group played in local areas throughout the '70s, receiving a fair amount of London airplay. Parsons replaced Dennis Stratton, and the band made its record debut in 1980 with the self-titled Iron Maiden album. Although the release was recorded in a hurry, it was nonetheless a hit in the U.K. due to the single "Running Free." Iron Maiden's 1981 follow-up, Killers, displayed a harder approach to their music than before, and also saw the replacement of Stratton with Adrian Smith. Due to his uncontrollable alcohol addiction, Di'Anno was forced to part company with the group and would soon be replaced with vocalist Bruce Dickinson in 1982 for the band's groundbreaking Number of the Beast. This album, boasting such songs as the title track and "Hallowed Be Thy Name," would come to be known as one of the greatest rock recordings of all time. Since the unexpected worldwide success of Beast made Iron Maiden international rock superstars, they changed very little of their style for their next album, Piece of Mind. They undertook two major tours before recording 1983's Powerslave, which would go on to be another cult hit. The product of Powerslave's 11-month tour was 1985's Live After Death, a double live album that featured all of their biggest hit singles.

By the release of Live After Death, Iron Maiden had already established themselves as a powerful and unique metal band. Their long-awaited 1986 supplement album, Somewhere in Time, showed a bit of departure from their past releases, showcasing the use of synthesizer guitars and songs more relevant to the same themes. Released in 1988, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, a concept album like its predecessor, featured the singles "The Evil That Men Do" and "The Clairvoyant," and soon became Iron Maiden's most critically acclaimed album since Number of the Beast. After another exhausting tour, Smith departed and the band took a one-year hiatus. With new guitarist Janick Gers, the band resurfaced with No Prayer for the Dying in 1990, a record that returned to the classic sound the group used when recording its earlier releases. One of the album's singles, "Bring Your Daughter...to the Slaughter," was granted the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Song of the Year, but it nonetheless gave the band its first number one U.K. hit. By the time the group finished its 1991 tour, Dickinson expressed desire to leave and work to promote another band he had founded, the Skunkworks. Fear of the Dark, the band's last album with Dickinson, debuted at number one on the U.K. charts and became one of Iron Maiden's biggest-selling albums to date. After their supporting tour, two live albums were released in 1993: A Real Live One, which contained live versions of their newer hit singles, and A Real Dead One, which featured the more "classic" Maiden songs live.

Dickinson's replacement, Blaze Bayley, marked his debut in 1995 with The X Factor. While the record failed to chart as well as some of its predecessors, it was still a minor success in England. Iron Maiden marked the end of 1996 with Best of the Beast, a double compilation album. In 1998, little interest in the Virtual XI album prompted Bayley's termination; Dickinson and Smith returned to the band for a tour in 1999, and a new album, Brave New World, emerged the following year. The band toured throughout the early 2000s, releasing the live Rock in Rio and the greatest-hits collection Edward the Great in 2002, followed by a new studio album, Dance of Death, in 2003. They followed DOD with the Rainmaker EP, as well as the live DVDs History of Iron Maiden, Pt. 1: The Early Days and Raising Hell in 2004. Sanctuary put out the two-disc The Essential Iron Maiden in 2005 to coincide with the group's co-headlining Ozzfest tour with Black Sabbath, a tour that found Maiden pulling out due to a series of confrontations with Ozzy's wife/manager, Sharon Osbourne. They released the live CD/DVD Death on the Road in September of 2005 and a collection of new material, Matter of Life and Death, in 2006. In 2009 the band released the soundtrack for the film Flight 666, a documentary/concert film recorded in 16 different cities during the group's first leg of their 2008 "Somewhere Back in Time World Tour". In 2010 the band released its fifteenth studio, The Final Frontier. --- Barry Weber, allmusic.com

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01.Caught Somewhere In Time 
02.Wasted Years 		play
03.Sea Of Madness 		play
04.Heaven Can Wait 
05.The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner 
06.Stranger In A Strange Land 
07.Deja Vu 
08.Alexander The Great

Bruce Dickinson – vocals, backing vocals on "Reach Out"
Dave Murray – guitar, synthesized guitars
Adrian Smith – guitar, synthesized guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Reach Out"
Steve Harris – bass guitar, backing vocals, bass synth
Nicko McBrain – drums

The weakest album from Iron Maiden's classic ‘80s period, Somewhere in Time is really the first true disappointment in their catalog, too often collapsing under the weight of their now-trademark ambition. Though it sold well on the heels of the hugely successful Powerslave tour, and is often regarded as underrated by Maiden devotees, it clearly finds the band struggling to refresh what was rapidly hardening into formula. Trying to keep up with the times, Maiden incorporate synthesizers here, much as Judas Priest attempted to do on the same year's sterilized-sounding creative flop Turbo; the main difference here is that Maiden pull it off much more effectively. Yes, the production does have more of that typically ‘80s studio sheen, but Maiden makes the new instrumentation serve their existing sound, rather than trying to hop on contemporary trends. (And really, why make the sound more commercial when you're already amassing a small fortune from merchandising?) Their ferocity hasn't gone anywhere either, as this ends up their fastest album (on average) since The Number of the Beast. The real problem here is that the material is less inspired; too often Somewhere in Time feels like epic-Maiden-by-numbers, as fewer of the extended pieces truly catch hold. The first half of the album actually works very well -- "Caught Somewhere in Time" is an effective opener, introducing the newly futuristic flavor in the band's sound while offering a thematic parallel about time travel. Adrian Smith really comes into his own as a writer here, penning both of the album's singles ("Wasted Years," the undisputed highlight here, and "Stranger in a Strange Land," surprisingly not based on Robert A. Heinlein's sci-fi classic), plus the nicely metallic "Sea of Madness." Though it perhaps could have been trimmed a bit, "Heaven Can Wait" remained a concert singalong staple for years to come. But then the misfires take over. "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" is far and away the least suitable subject for an extended epic that the band has ever undertaken, and the music itself offers little catharsis. Despite the wailing chorus, "Déjà Vu" never quite gels, feeling a bit underdeveloped musically. The now-expected prog-metal album closer this time is "Alexander the Great," and this part of the Maiden formula here verges on self-parody. Steve Harris' lyrics largely stick to a recitation of facts, names, and places that add little drama to the music, and Dickinson is stuck belting out a lazy, totally on-the-nose chorus ("Aaaaaaalexander the Greaaaaaat!"). Somewhere in Time will appeal more to the metal diehard who's already suspicious of too much overt melody; there's plenty of progressive complexity here to impress that type of listener. For the rest of us, even though fully half of the album is still excellent, Somewhere in Time is the first Maiden record that's less than godlike. ---Steve Huey, AllMusic Review

"Somewhere In Time" jest krążkiem który budzi we mnie mnóstwo dobrych wspomnień i pozytywnych emocji . Słuchając tej płyty przypominam sobie lata nastoletniej młodości kiedy to w upalne, letnie noce otwierałem okno swojego pokoju na ostatnim piętrze wieżowca w którym zamieszkiwałem długie lata i gapiłem się w gwiezdne niebo słuchając "kosmicznych" dźwięków zawartych na tym albumie marząc przy tym o wspaniałej, pełnej przygód przyszłości.... No cóż. Co było to minęło i nie wróci. Latka lecą. Nie spełniły się też wszystkie marzenia. Pozostały wspomnienia. A jeśli wspominać ... to najlepiej przy dźwiękach "Somewhere In Time".

Przejdźmy do samego albumu i muzyki. Druga połowa lat 80 to dla Iron Maiden okres ugruntowania swojej wysokiej pozycji na światowym rynku muzycznym. Żelazna Dziewica przeistoczyła się w megagwiazdę grającą wyczerpujące trasy koncertowe, przez co zespół zaprzestał wydawać swoje albumy studyjne co rok, jak to czynił do tej pory. Coś za coś. Dając siebie fanom na koncertach muzycy mieli coraz mniej czasu na tworzenie nowych kompozycji. Świat mógł zachwycić się "Somewhere In Time" dopiero w roku 1986, czyli dwa lata po ukazaniu się poprzedzającego go "Powerslave".

"Somewhere In Time" to album przełomowy w karierze Brytyjczyków. Zespół pracując nad materiałem rozpoczął poszukiwania nowego brzmienia eksperymentując z syntezatorami i przestrzennymi efektami gitarowymi, co po ukazaniu się krążka doprowadziło wielu ortodoksów z ciasnymi mózgami do palpitacji serc i histerycznych reakcji. Zespołowi zarzucono odejście od korzeni, pójście na łatwiznę w celu zdobycia szerszych kręgów publiczności i zwiększenia sprzedaży płyt. Moim zdaniem eksperymenty brzmieniowe okazały się udane i otrzymaliśmy w prezencie album, którego do dziś można słuchać z przyjemnością. Krążek doskonale zniósł próbę czasu a te najbardziej "komercyjne" utwory ("Heaven Can Wait" i "Wasted Years" ) jeszcze długo będą wykonywane na kolejnych światowych trasach zespołu przyprawiając kolejne pokolenia żarliwych fanów o wypieki na twarzach. W zasadzie to wszelkie opinie i obawy ortodoksów należałoby o kant d.... roztrzaskać. Owszem. Jest tu nowe, może trochę zmiękczone delayami i chorusami, przestrzenne, jakby futurystyczne brzmienie, doskonale zresztą komponujące się z klimatem okładki, jednak nadal mamy tu do czynienia z rasowym Iron Maiden . Gdyby tak pozbawić wszystkich przestrzennych efektów taki np. "Caught Somewhere In Time" i zarejestrować go podobnie jak utwory z lat 83 czy 84 to okazałoby się, iż doskonale nadaje się on do umieszczenia na "Piece Of Mind" czy "Powerslave". Zgodzę się, iż "Wasted Years" i "Sea Of Madness" mają może troszkę piosenkowy charakter ale czy przypadkiem "2 Minutes To Midnight" nie był kochany przez fanów za to samo? "Ooo ooooooo ooo ooooo" w "Heaven Can Wait" - czyż nie uwielbiacie tego podśpiewywać na koncertach? Albo te syntezatory?? Niech mi ktoś powie, że to nie pasuje to odeślę go do psychologa.... Absolutnie nie razi mnie lajtowość "Stranger In A Strange Land" . Ja tę lajtowość wręcz uwielbiam. Na "Killers" też mieliśmy "Prodigal Son" i świat się z tego powodu nie zawalił. To że początek "The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner" wbija się na długo w pamięć uważam za zaletę i jest to zasługa kompozytora a nie marketingowe czary mary grubasów w garniturach z EMI. Zespół podtrzymał jeszcze jedną dobrą tradycję i nagrał kolejną suitę . "Alexander The Great" uważam za dzieło doskonałe i nigdy nie mogłem zrozumieć dlaczego nie jest wykonywane na koncertach. Mam nadzieję, iż kiedyś Harrisowi przyjdzie do głowy pomysł aby urozmaicić troszkę setlistę, panowie odkurzą pamięć i poćwiczą ten wspaniały utwór.

Warto dodać, iż największy wpływ na kreowanie brzmienia i stylu Iron Maiden na płycie "Somewhere In Time" miał jak zwykle szef zespołu - Steve Harris i gitarzysta Adrian Smith ("Wasted Years" , "Sea Of Madness" , "Stranger In A Strange Land") którego smak i kunszt kompozytorski znacząco wpływa na styl zespołu. Trzeba też wspomnieć iż nad "Deja Vu" Steve Harris popracował razem z Davem Murray`em. Bruce Dickinson miał w tym okresie nieco odmienne zdanie na temat drogi jaką powinien podążać zespół, to też na tej płycie nie znalazła się ani jedna jego kompozycja.

Ponieważ mam do tej płyty wielki sentyment, uważam ją za znaczącą w dorobku Iron Maiden i z radością obserwuję jak doskonale broni się w walce z upływającym czasem daję dychę ! I bez dyskusji !!! ;)---Garfield, rockarea.eu

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1 	Satellite 15...The Final Frontier 	8:40
2 	El Dorado 	6:49
3 	Mother Of Mercy 	5:20
4 	Coming Home 	5:52
5 	The Alchemist 	4:29
6 	Isle Of Avalon 	9:06
7 	Starblind 	7:48
8 	The Talisman 	9:03
9 	The Man Who Would Be King 	8:28
10 	When The Wild Wind Blows 	10:59

Bass, Keyboards – Steve Harris
Drums – Nicko McBrain
Guitar – Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, Janick Gers
Vocals – Bruce Dickinson 

When Iron Maiden's classic lineup famously reunited in the year 2000, their first new album, the quite excellent Brave New World, neatly reconnected both musicians and fans with the band's heritage, while simultaneously promising a prosperous future still to come. However, their next two efforts didn't fare quite as well, and whether Maiden was choosing to repeat the same moves without as much imagination or consistency on 2003's Dance of Death, or becoming bogged down in tiresome prog rock excess on 2006's desultory A Matter of Life and Death, it seemed that neither playing it safe nor taking risks was a surefire recipe for success anymore. And so the heavy metal icons took an extra year -- for them, a record-breaking four -- to work on their fourth post-reunion opus, and 15th career studio album overall, 2010's The Final Frontier, which, like many of their original mid-'80s classics, was recorded at legendary Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas, and aimed to reestablish an ideal balance of past and future, familiarity and freshness, complexity and immediacy. By and large, this is accomplished, and not just because of the futuristic themes spread across these songs, either -- nor the science fiction imagery used throughout the album's artwork, including the latest metamorphosis of the band's inseparable mascot, Eddie, this time into a hulking, green alien predator. No, there really is an unquestionable freshness about the futuristic themes and novel sonics explored by the intriguing percussive warm-up, "Satellite 15," which leads straight into the anthemic, arena-friendly opening title track; the muscularly riffed "Mother of Mercy," which recalls Bruce Dickinson's better mid-'90s solo efforts; and the remarkable "Coming Home," which is easily Iron Maiden's most convincingly executed semi-ballad since Fear of the Dark's "Wasting Love," and probably better to boot. The album's first half is rounded out by the surprisingly complex and cerebral first single "El Dorado," which was clearly written with "2 Minutes to Midnight" as a template (but isn't that good), before finally striking out with the efficient but ultimately somewhat forgettable speedster "The Alchemist," yet, all in all, this is a very impressive start. Too bad The Final Frontier's second half doesn't hold up so well, being stacked in worrisome fashion with five straight, longish compositions ranging from eight to eleven minutes in length. Even by Maiden standards, this is a tall order for fans to cope with (again!), and, sure enough, top marks are only deserved by the evocative Arthurian fantasy "Isle of Avalon," which is first out of the gate and captures all of the majesty and power you'd expect of an Iron Maiden epic, despite being no "Hallowed Be Thy Name" or "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" -- a "Paschendale," maybe. The remaining five-song monoliths produce only isolated moments of excellence and, amazingly, all begin in suspiciously similar fashion: via quietly plucked, déjà vu-inducing melodies framed by synthesizers before heading off on their individual, long-winded journeys. The "moments" include a strikingly aggressive riff sequence and reminisces of Somewhere in Time contained on "Starblind," and the vaguely psychedelic harmonies nestled somewhere deep within "The Man Who Would Be King," whereas "The Talisman" and Gaelic-inspired "When the Wild Wind Blows" merely recycle spare parts, for the most part, cherry-picked and reassembled from across the Maiden canon. This late dip in quality at the mercy of the band's more-is-more philosophy definitely leaves one pining for the days when heavier, punchier, and just plain shorter songs held equal appeal for Steve Harris and company; but, in good ways and bad ways, by hook or by crook, The Final Frontier still brings Iron Maiden closer to their aesthetic legacy and triumphant year 2000 rebirth than its two predecessors. And, at this stage in their career, Iron Maiden knows that nothing is more important than giving fans -- of all stripes -- what they want and expect. Why mess with a winning team, after all? [The Final Frontier's special -- aka "Mission" -- Edition was delivered with bonus content in a deluxe package outfitted to resemble a spaceship porthole.] ---Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic Review

Na "The Final Frontier" Iron Maiden miejscami odchodzi od swojego stylu dalej niż kiedykolwiek wcześniej. Najlepszym przykładem jest otwierający całość dwuczęściowy utwór. Część zatytułowana "Satellite 15" nie ma właściwie nic wspólnego z dotychczasowym dorobkiem zespołu. Brzmienie jest nieco industrialne, dopiero pojawiający się pod koniec głos Bruce'a Dickinsona przypomina z kim mamy do czynienia. Część druga, "The Final Frontier", chociaż bardziej riffowa, kojarzy się raczej z hard rockiem lat 70. niż heavy metalem następnej dekady. Ale kawałek jest całkiem niezły, chwytliwy, chociaż irytować może ciągłe powtarzanie tytułu.

Bardziej typowy dla grupy jest wydany na singlu, ale dość przeciętny "El Dorado". Jeszcze bardziej z dawnymi dokonaniami kojarzy się "The Alchemist" (w niczym nie przypominający za to utworu o tym samym tytule z solowego dorobku Dickinsona). Warto zwrócić uwagę na mocną balladę "Coming Home" (w klimacie "Wasting Love"), której refren należy do najbardziej chwytliwych momentów na płycie - a tych jest tu całkiem sporo, także w drugiej części albumu, gdzie przeważają długie, rozbudowane utwory.

Każdy z nich zaczyna się spokojnie, a rozkręca koło drugiej minuty. Wyróżnia się "The Talisman" z Brucem śpiewającym we wstępie dość nietypowo, z akompaniamentem wyłącznie gitary akustycznej, jednak mocniejsza część jest już bardzo ironowa. Jeszcze lepszy jest "When the Wild Wind Blows". Chociaż trwa 11 minut, przez cały ten czas przykuwa uwagę chwytliwą melodią i świetnym śpiewem Dickinsona. Początek i koniec utworu także nie są typowe dla zespołu - tak melodyjnie jeszcze chyba nie grali. Nie jest to jednak zarzut, to najlepszy ich utwór przynajmniej od czasów "Fear of the Dark".

Głównym minusem "The Final Frontier" jest jego długość, prawie 80 minut. Gdyby kilka utworów skrócić (np. "Isle of Avalon", "Starblind"), a inne po prostu ominąć ("Satellite 15", "Mother of Mercy") całość byłaby o wiele ciekawsza. ---pablosreviews.blogspot.com

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CD1
01 	Intro 	
02 	Futureal 	
03 	The Angel And The Gambler 	
04 	Man on the Edge 	
05 	Lightning Strikes Twice 	
06 	Heaven Can Wait 	
07 	The Clansman 	
08 	When Two Worlds Collide 	
09 	2 Minutes to Midnight 	
10 	Sign of the Cross

CD2
01 	Afraid to Shoot Strangers 
02 	Hallowed Be thy Name 	
03 	The Evil that Men Do 	
04 	Fear of the Dark 	
05 	Iron Maiden 	
06 	The Number of the Beast 	
07 	The Trooper 	
08 	Sanctuary

1998 'Virtual XI' is released, and is launched by a promotional football tour across Europe where the band and selected football professionals play games in front of thousands of fans. This is followed by the 'Virtual World Tour' taking in headline dates in Europe, USA, Japan and finally South America.

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1. "Aces High"   	Steve Harris 	4:32
2. “2 Minutes to Midnight"   	Bruce Dickinson, Adrian Smith 	6:04
3. "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" (Instrumental) 	Harris 	4:15
4. "Flash of the Blade"   	Dickinson 	4:06
5. "The Duellists"   	Harris 	6:07                             play
6. "Back in the Village"   	Dickinson, Smith 	5:03
7. "Powerslave"   	Dickinson 	7:12                             play
8. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"   	Harris, Samuel Taylor Coleridge 	13:37

Musicians:
    * Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
    * Dave Murray – guitar
    * Adrian Smith – guitar, backing vocals
    * Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
    * Nicko McBrain – drums

The third in a trilogy of legendary Iron Maiden albums, Powerslave is frequently ranked as the fan favorite of the bunch, capping off a stellar run that sealed the band's genre-defining status. If The Number of the Beast was the all-time metal landmark, Powerslave is perhaps the quintessential Maiden album, capturing all the signature elements of the band's definitive era in one place. The album opens with Maiden at their catchiest, turning in a pair of metal classics right off the bat with the British hit singles "Aces High" (a high-speed ode to a WWII air battle) and the apocalyptic "2 Minutes to Midnight." Next we get an instrumental, "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)," of the sort that Maiden periodically deployed to keep fans in awe of their technical chops. A pair of their best and most overlooked album tracks follows; "Flash of the Blade" and "The Duellists" exemplify the glory-minded battle hymns that made up such an important part of their lyrical obsessions, even if both are about sword fighting rather than modern military history. By the end of the album, we're seeing Maiden at their most progressive and ambitious. The seven-minute title track builds on the previous album's "To Tame a Land" with its use of Middle Eastern melodies, delving into Egyptian mythology for a rumination on power and mortality. This leads into the biggest, most grandiose epic in the Maiden catalog -- "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," a multi-sectioned, thirteen-and-a-minute prog-fest adapted from the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem. Though it isn't exactly what you'd call hooky, its shifting moods and lofty intellectual aspirations made it a live favorite. This latter material helped ensure that Powerslave was the Maiden album with the biggest impact on the emerging progressive metal genre (which, in its earliest form, essentially fused Rush with this sort of Maiden material). In this context, "Back in the Village" gets somewhat lost in the shuffle; it's a thematic sequel to "The Prisoner," though not quite as memorable. So even though we don't hear the punk influences of old, Powerslave catalogs every major facet of the band's personality during the Dickinson years, and does so while firing on all cylinders. Perhaps that's in part because Powerslave is the first Maiden album to feature the same lineup as its predecessor, creating a definite continuity and comfort level. Or perhaps it's simply that we're witnessing a great band in its creative prime. Whatever the case, it's entirely arguable that Powerslave summarizes why Iron Maiden was so important and influential even more effectively than The Number of the Beast, at least on a purely musical level. It may not be quite as accessible, but it's every bit as classic and essential. ---Steve Huey, AllMusic Review

W tamtych czasach tempo pracy Iron Maiden było naprawdę imponujące: co rok świetny album. Ponieważ skład się ustabilizował, na Powerslave najistotniejsza zmiana w porównaniu z Piece Of Mind dotyczyła produkcji: album brzmi ostrzej od wszystkich innych płyt, nagranych przez zespół w latach osiemdziesiątych.

Aces High, Two Minutes To Midnight, Flash Of The Blade - każdy z tych numerów to mocny strzał, a zarazem zapadająca w pamięć melodia. Niemniej jednak zaczyna się tu pojawiać pewien problem: mimo, że Steve Harris coraz częściej dzielił obowiązki kompozytorskie z kolegami (utwór tytułowy jest na przykład w całości dziełem Dickinsona), po raz pierwszy grupa wpadła w pułapkę autoplagiatów. Zestawiając niektóre utwory w pary (np. The Duellists i Losfer Words) odnosi się wrażenie, że zespół tym samym pomysłem chce „obsłużyć” po dwie kompozycje.

Na szczęście płytę wieńczy najwspanialszy utwór w całej historii Iron Maiden - 14-minutowy The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, czyli podpisana przez Steve’a Harrisa dźwiękowa wersja nawiedzonego poematu Samuela Taylora Coleridge’a. Basista popisał się nadzwyczajnym wyczuciem proporcji - poszczególne części tej rozbudowanej kompozycji trwają dokładnie tyle, ile powinny: wiodący gitarowy riff jest stopniowo „przełamywany” przez coraz to nowy motyw, a w środku następuje absolutnie genialne zwolnienie z melorecytacją. Już ta jedna kompozycja wystarczyłaby, aby każdemu zarekomendować Powerslave. ---Paweł Brzykcy, terazrock.pl

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1. Iron Maiden - Churchill's Speech 
2. Iron Maiden - Aces High (Live) 
3. Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes To Midnight 
4. Iron Maiden - The Trooper 
5. Iron Maiden - Wasted Years 
6. Iron Maiden - Children Of The Damned 
7. Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast 
8. Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills 
9. Iron Maiden - Phantom Of The Opera (Live) 
10. Iron Maiden - The Evil That Men Do 
11. Iron Maiden - Wrathchild (Live) 
12. Iron Maiden - Can I Play With Madness 
13. Iron Maiden - Powerslave 
14. Iron Maiden - Hallowed Be Thy Name 
15. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (Live)

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