The Classic Metal Album Reviews:
Title: Live After Death
Artist: Iron Maiden
Label: Sony
Release Date: 1985

Rating: 5 Skulls
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    • Death's Review:
    "Scream for me Long Beach!"

    To say this is the best live album of all time is - to me - no exaggeration. Sure, Bruce Dickinson recently suggested as part of the awesome recent Unrestrained! magazine Iron Maiden retrospective (by the way, I thought was an example of superb metal writing and proved to be an incredibly compelling piece--great work fellas!), that this documentation of the massive "World Slavery Tour" may have featured a mildly sub-par vocal performance, but I think he's wrong. Let me rephrase that: I've been listening to this epic masterpiece for fifteen plus years, and I've never had any complaints.

    This record is so important, not only because it sounds spectacular, but also because it captures the band at what many would consider to be their creative peak: up to and including the Powerslave record. Thus, vintage Maiden tracks sit comfortably alongside then-new songs like, "2 Minutes to Midnight" and the epic "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." This is pretty much mandatory listening for anyone who calls themselves a heavy metal fan, especially for anyone with any interest at all in the classic Maiden lineup of Harris, Murrary, Smith, Dickinson and McBrain. Subsequent Maiden live efforts are good ("I'm currently enjoying 2002's Rock in Rio, which is no Live After Death but is better than the twin A Real Live One and A Real Dead One releases which surfaced at the end of Dickinson's original tenure with the band).

    In short, I've never heard a live album - not before or since - that captures the true essence of a band as does this one. In fact, if I could only take one Iron Maiden album with me to that proverbial deserted island, I think it would be Live After Death. That's saying a lot for a live record, and thus should tell you something about the lasting impact this incredible album has made.
    5 out of 5
    DEATH  Email Death

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