PIECE OF MIND

After the high school content of this album's predecessor and a bumpy relationship with the early Maiden faithful who saw Paul Di'Anno an essential ingredient, this tight offering showed the band's new chemistry knitting beautifully with a now fully developed formula for clever and original progressive heavy metal. They would also become, by far, the hardest working band in the world. Just look at the tour schedules from the late '80s. There's a reason Iron Maiden got so big.

The lyrics are also improved, with less death, rape and mayhem, and more adventure, myth and warfare. A salute to the fearless British fliers of WW II is a vengeful opener in triplet with IM's signature dual guitar harms and Dickinson pulling highs not human in nature. Greek drama 'Flight of Icarus' and sacrificial 'Die with Your Boots On' could've been expanded upon but it's back to business for 'The Trooper' with this lineup at their best, and equally good 'Still Life' reminding of the first two albums. No stride broken in 'Quest for Fire', its Cimmerian imagery and Celtic jigs, the band peaking here with probably the best thing on the album, followed by Saxon-esque and very nice 'Sun and Steel' and totally killer prog number 'To Tame a Land'.

Like a trusted old friend who always brings the goods, Maiden was there with quality heavy music that didn't recognize the climate at a time when most metal bands were finished or too embarrassing to acknowledge. An institution that deserves every bit of credit they get.