Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden

Oh man. Ministry and Iron Maiden back to back? Crazy, list. Crazy. This is definitely not the record I return to when listening to this band which I love, but I very much like the record. I'm a Dickinson guy, but it's a little like saying you're a Bon Scott or Brian Johnson person. In some ways, it's a little irrelevant given how much of AC/DC's sound is made up by the entire rhythm section. Same thing for Maiden. They get more and more progressive, and the songs get longer and longer, as these years go by... but their hallmark sound is certainly in abundance on this record. The things that make them Iron Maiden are here, regardless of who's singing. That said, yeah I really love the vocals and hearing a version of the band that's a little less polished. There's a bit of excitement and energy to the whole endeavor that isn't always at the forefront of a lot of Maiden records. And then songs are just good. There's a handful of tunes here that they played when I saw 'em in the 2010s, and I'm sure they've been on the setlist forever and will never leave. With good reason! This is pretty damn great.

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