POWERSLAVE

Powerslave was my introduction to Iron Maiden and it is a highly recommended album for both metal fans and prog heads. It is the crowning achievement of their evolution from punk-metal to ambitious prog metal epics, it has some of their best songs and I've never heard them play tighter or more passionately.

The opener is spot on, Aces High is an excellent 80's take on Rainbow's Kill The King, injecting with more aggressive playing and speed. 2 Minutes to Midnight is another Maiden anthem, slightly commercial but too catchy to resist. Losfer Words is the first track on the album that extends their usual epic hard rock formula. It's an instrumental with gorgeous bass work from Harris and a structure that goes a bit further then usual metal formats. It's no YYZ but sure enjoyable. Flash of The Blade has some pleasing instrumental sections but suffers from a cheesy bridge and chorus. Also The Duellists has never appealed much to me, but the remainder of the album more then makes up for this mid-album dip.

With Back In The Village, the album gets the momentum back from the first three tracks. A highly Blackmore influenced guitar riff kicks of this catchy speed metal gem. The title track Powerslave is my favourite Maiden song and I'm quite sure I'm not the only one. Their best galloping riff ever, vicious verses, an ominous Eastern music inspired bridge, great vocal harmonies in the chorus and an excellent guitar solo. Also the rhythm is a clear nod to Middle-Eastern dance rhythms and the main reason for the Egyptian flavour. The 13.30 minutes of Rime of the Ancient Mariner can't be missed neither. It's Maiden's most bold and proggy moment and they pull it off with great flair.

Slightly uneven but still superb, Powerslave isn't an album you are allowed to miss if you are interested in heavy prog, prog metal or power metal. If you think Iron Maiden isn't more then a daft commercial 80's metal band, then this album could make you change your mind. An obvious Iron Maiden favourite. 4.5 prog-related stars.