POWERSLAVE

One of the site's more dubious additions were Iron Maiden even though you must remember they occupy prog-related, not prog-metal. For some even that placement is going too far. I remember the day after this tour hit our city the Powerslave shirts took over the high school halls. I can't remember why I didn't go but I would have enjoyed it. The album, and actually the band, are a mixed bag for me personally. I hate Bruce Dickinson's frequent upper register warbles with a passion, and my friends and I always found the Maiden guitar sound to be a bit thin. Yet what does work here works in a big way. Listening to Steve Harris is just mesmerizing to me, he's a monster. And has anyone noticed how the Maiden rhythm section can sound just a bit like Trewavas and Pointer but with a harder, faster edge? The tracks are too repetitious for me to listen to often, yet they excel in their own way and remain fun to revisit on occasion. Aces, 2 Minutes, and Back in the Village are loads of fun with then hooks and punkish energy. Rime is a bit oversold as the highlight when the title track should be the one getting the attention. It encapsulates all of the strengths of Maiden (and Powerslave) in a more succinct package. From the guitar harmonies to the acoustic interlude to the memorable riffs, it has a great ferocity and bite to it. On the down side the album lags a bit in the middle section from Losfer Words through The Duellists. The lyrics of Powerslave also deserve some acclaim, being more ambitious and intelligent than those proposed by many of their peers at that time. A good album for the 80s metal fan.

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