Feeling Some Deep Purple This Week

“I’m a Speed King, you go to hear me sing,
I’m a Speed King, see me fly.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0rAP87B7UA

My Deep Purple fix was reached this week; as Martin Popoff sent me his latest book, The Deep Purple Royal Family. I decided to combine my review of it with Purple’s most important album, In Rock, from 1970.

When I first heard this thunderous clash thay was the distortion of sound that commanded attention from Deep Purple on the opening of “Speed King” from in Rock, I was taken aback. Then the song reaches a respite with the aid of Jon Lord’s keyboards—then we “hit it” with the Good Golly Miss Molly screeches from Ian Gillian and the song is under the command of the first truly metal band as this is the first truly metal album. Lord’s keyboards enhance the surreal as Ritchie Blackmore takes the guitar to a new level of controlled chaos and Ian Paice’s drums pound a relentless rhythm that drives home the sound. The true hero, on this album as well as this song, is Roger Glover as his bass soars. Not regulated to a background instrument, Glover’s bass gives the “drive” that IS heavy metal. Song after unrelentless song, Glover delivers.

Bloodsucker follows and is not the champion that Speed King is, but it strikes a harsh nerve. Again, it sounds as if Deep Purple is the absolute most important thing on the planet in this song, as the fever hits and the band delivers.

The sublime Child In Time follows, sublime, if only for a moment. The band breaks in some jazz infusion moments in this song until the pace quickens to Blackmore’s total control of the Stratocaster. Keeping us grounded the entire time is the fore-mentioned Roger Glover. Slightly after midway through this song, Jon Lord takes us back to a state of bliss, added to the controlled vocals of Gillian. Hang on metal fans, Ritchie shows us soon enough why he is the master.

Flight of the Rat continues the guitar power that Blackmore is capable of reaching. It sounds as if the producers put Gillian’s vocals in the background so Blackmore’s guitars and Paice’s drum will be the centerpiece. Notice the fills of Glover’s bass in this unheralded song. This bad boy thunders along quite nicely. Considered by many as a “throwaway” number, this song is proof that there is no such thing from a Deep Purple album at this time.

Into the Fire starts with a perfect blend of keyboards/bass/guitars in a moment of power until Gillian screams his articulate voice. I think this song, if no other, shows how incredible Ian Gillian truly is. This song is his showstopper. True Ritchie Blackmore riffs hard on this one, but Gillian stretches the vocal chords far and thin.

Living Wreck starts with Paice’s drumming talent, followed by Glover’s control. This is one song that comes off some highs from the first side, only to show the listener that this is a band, not a Blackmore/Gillian showpiece. Lord’s keyboards reach a new height of power on this track. Can the keyboards be a metal instrument? In the hands of Jon Lord, the answer is a resounding yes.

Hard Loving Man, starts off similar to Speed King with the crash crescendo, follow by the signature heavy metal guitar riff that I would argue Ritchie Blackmore created. This song also has the heavy metal scream often copied by groups like Judas Priest, as Gillian is nothing short of incredible on this track. This is the way to end an album.

Newer versions of this CD include the bonus track/single Black Night. Whereas it is a great song, it would not do justice to the hard rocking/metalesque pace of the other songs on In Rock.
Ok, I feel better getting that off of my chest.

Martin Popoff has written another great Deep Purple book called The Deep Purple Royal Family, which includes ads, concert bills, reviews, and all of the incredible tidbits of information surrounding the band. This first volume (and Martin says on his website that he will write a second volume covering the latter years) ends in 1979. The excitement for me was looking at all of the incredible pictures and historical documentation offered by Popoff to give the reader and music fan the complete picture of what the entire era was like. I have always enjoyed how Martin has included the posters/ads/ and collectable memorabilia of a group in his books, such as those shown In His Black Sabbath—Doom Let Loose; Judas Priest—Heavy Metal Painkillers, and Rush—Contents Under Pressure books. This collection goes way beyond what he has previously done. Buy this book at his site, http://www.martinpopoff.com/ and treat yourself to the complete picture which is Deep Purple.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ehh

Sorry for the delay in posting—married on October 30, 2010—and that has taken time away from many other things. Plus work this year was at times a bit stressful, so I decided on the first day of Summer Break—at least until Monday when I teach summer school again, I would blog.

I won a Kindle last week as a door prize for a teacher appreciation night and I enjoy it very much. It gave me an idea, especially after reading a book on it, to comment on some good, bad, and “ehh” books on metal.

Let’s start off positive with The Good:

Castle Full of Rascals—Deep Purple ’83 to ’09. Everything you wanted to know about the rebirth of Purple is here. It covers Gillian’s solo stuff, Rainbow and other side projects. As with many of Martin’s other books, the chapters are divided by the abums that came out during the time. Each album is carefully diagnosed, tour information is included, band members are interviewed, and the book “takes the reader there” as to the moments of the band. As a fan of Deep Purple and Martin’s style and approach, I loved this book. This book is especially helpful for those who thought Come Taste The Band was the last Deep Purple album.

The insider’s view that Popoff shares is nothing less than impressive. This is a must-have for all Deep Purple and Hard Rock fans. As always with all of Martin’s books, as I read each chapter, I listen to the album highlighted. It is a recommended way to savor Poppoff’s books because the writing is so much ore clear as the subject matter is flowing in as many senses as possible.

Now the Bad

Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Bad may be a bit of an overstatement here, as Eddie strikes me as a genuine and personable guy. The problem I have with this book, which I bought for the kindle, is that this volume is less about the music or the bands, and more about Eddie’s encounters with the band for his radio show or his VH1 shows.

I think the personal flair that Eddie’s writing encompasses would do well by mixing in some critical reviews of the albums or the tours or even more about the music itself. Instead, often times, it reads as if it is a "fanboy" interpretation of Eddie’s favorite artists. Nothing wrong with that per se, but if a writer is going to use that approach, the title should not be “Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal.”

Whenever anyone has a "pick or choose" music genre book, interpretations are open as to band selection; but as a fan of the music, and as someone who is exactly the same age as Eddie and pretty close to the same age (a year or two divides us) as Martin, I can relate to the authors’ experiences. I stopped more than a few times and asked myself, "How could an essential hard rock and metal book miss 'such and such' band while including 'that” band?' As an example, no chapter is devoted to Blue Oyster Cult, but a chapter is devoted to Bon Jovi!? I understand the difference in tastes, but Bon Jovi? Anyway this is not a “bad” book, but it left me a bit frustrated at times.

Lastly, the “Ehh”

The Collector’s Guide To Heavy Metal Volume 4. Sorry Martin, but I have to be honest; I was disappointed in this book. Martin’s reviews were fair, even though I may disagree with him on occasion; I have always appreciated his fairness. That is not why I give this an “ehh” rating. My problem with the book is the co-writer David Perri absolutely despises the entire “Power metal” genre. I understand that Perri is a Thrash/Death Metal fan, something that I am not. I have a feeling that Martin is not either, so he incorporated Perri to write on a genre that is frankly, probably a bit beyond his generation—which I respect.

That said, Perri’s reviews of some of the European power metal bands and albums are downright harsh. I remember when The Rolling Stones Record Guide in 1978 referred to Nazareth as “dog food” and “utterly wretched,” some folks felt it was entirelly too vicious. The band later made jokes about it, but I think nazareth's 40 year career says more than a biased review of their material. I guess if you are going to pan something, that is a way to do it, but Perri’s absolute disdain for some of the power and symphonic metal stuff is utterly unfair. Not all of those bands are Helloween rehashed just the same as not all thrash is Slayer revisited. On this blog, I will not write on or review much Thrash.

I truthfully do not care for Thrash as much as I enjoy other genres of hard rock and metal. That said, I am able to appreciate some of the bands and albums. for example, I like the “Black album” by Metallica, one I know many Metallica purists hate, but I also can appreciate Master of Puppets and a song like Battery. To me, all of Slayer’s stuff sounds exactly the same, still I have listened to, and I have appreciated some of the moments in Reign in Blood, and like-minded albums. I have at least listened open-mindedly. I truthfully do not believe Perri has done so, especially with the cruelness at which he comments on Sonata Arctica—a band tha regular readers know to be a favorite of mine.

My point is that if a reviewer has a pre-determined bias already, perhaps someone else should do the review. As stated previously, I think Popoff is much more fair in his reviews. The book has some excellent reviews and is a guide for what is available, biases aside.

Now, it felt good to “get that off my chest…” and I will continue to update more often this summer.

Rough Silk: The Greatest Band You've Never Heard Of Before, Part II

“So you were born where the black cats stray,

Back on your feet - that's the price you got to pay,

For daylight dreams in the midnight hour…

Intelligence is power!

To find a rose way down below,

Scared to death where egos grow;

Whenever a wish cuts like a knife,

Then life goes on,

On and on - tomorrow I'll be gone,

But life goes on”
From “Life Goes On,” from the album Circle of Pain, 1996

I have not shied away from stating that Savatage is just about my favorite band over the last year or so. Now, I have discovered one that could be called a carbon of Savatage, and I do not mean Trans-Siberian orchestra. Rough Silk is the next of my groups you have probably never heard of before series. Rough Silk combines classical, symphonic elements with straight ahead hard rock/metal. They are very piano friendly, notice not keyboard, but piano friendly.
They sing about life and the components therein, and their Circle of Life CD is perhaps the best of the lot.

Their music has an ebb and flow that will cause anyone to feel the pulse of the bass mixed with the sophistication of the guitars, the pound of the drums, and always the piano and keyboards accentuating the lot. Their vocalists are clear and sharp, but lead vocalist Jan Barnett has a deliberately fragile quality to his range. Just when you think he might lose the control of the voice; bang, he delivers with a passion and power. When Jan left, Thomas Ludolphy took over. After he departed, keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg assumed command.

This band is one of the finest German Power Metal bands there is. Aside from the fore-mentioned Circle of Pain album, I really enjoyed Mephisto, despite its bizarre cover. I also grew to enjoy Beyond The Sundown, as it arguably has the best cover. The band at times can have the vocal arrangements of Meatloaf and at times, they remind me of George Harrison in the choruses, and no, I am not kidding. There are comparisons to be made with Queen as well, especially on the Symphony of Life album, even more especially on the song “Under the Guillotine” Still in the background, there is a not-so hidden homage to Savatage, so much so, that Jon Olivia is a guest on the Symphony of Life album.

Their albums are not the easiest to find, but seek them out. They are power metal at its best.

The Rough Silk official website: http://www.rough-silk.com/index.php

Butterfly Temple: Folk Trends That Are Worthy of a Listen

I am selling some of my CD’s on eBay to help defer the cost of the wedding I am expecting to pay and to clear out some room. In my selling fury, I tend to take a few minutes and relisten to key tracks on CD’s to decide if I really wish to part with them. Now, why the big build-up? It is because of the above that I rediscovered my enjoyment and love of Butterfly Temple.

I like the vocals and frankly the Russian language mixes well with the music. There is a sophisticated use of synths and keyboards against a pound of the drums and thunder of the bass.

Depending on the album, the harsh vocals are underplayed by the folkish sounds of traditional Russian tunes. The best example of the Pagan/Folk metal roots is the Veles album. I found it to be the most accessible of all of their works. I love the female vocals that temper the momentum of the band and add some purpose to the controlled chaos. The Russians can rock. The electric guitars are a bit more subtle in this band and give way to the atmospheric tendencies of the band in creating a tone, and a breadth to the music that flashy guitar solos are more of a disruption. That is not saying guitars are not a major instrument, it’s just that they add to the overall image/goal of the band.


Folk metal is often lumped together with Viking/Norse/Goth/Pagan metal. I often think these mixtures are fair in such bands like FinnTroll, Tyr, and Falkenbach; in Butterfly Temple, they really have no place. Butterfly Temple often uses a harsh death metal-esque voice, but the tunes are quite reminiscent of Eastern European/former Soviet Bloc countries folk tradtions. I have often tried to find translations of the songs, and the band’s musical themes include: Pathways, Halls of Stillness, Hounds, Wolves, and hymns. There is a dark sounding undercurrent of some of this music and there is a part of me that wishes to be more involved lyrically, but I think that would distract me to a degree from enjoying the overall quality of the music. There is something to just listening and not really trying to read the themes. As such, I take the band for what they are musically without any judgements to anything other than the sounds of the music.



I own six of this fine bands releases: On The BloodRed Path..By The Will Of Rod, the Times Of Mara, Veles, Dreams of the Northern Sea, Wheel of Chernobog, and the most recent Za Solntsem Vsled, the latter being available through Amazon and iTunes. Kind of a shame the others are not, as I obtained my from eBay and they occasionally show up there from the IROND label. I encourage folks to check out this band who uses some non-traditional instruments such as bells, Folk female voice—kind of like an instrument the way Butterfly Temple uses it, lofty keyboards, fiddles, whistles, accordions, acoustic guitars, orchestration, against the background of traditional metal sounds of heavy drums, guitars, harsh vocals, and an unrelenting bass. I think the bass is what really drew me back to this band.


In my usual last word: Although I am not sure, but I have a feeling that lyrically, what they are saying is quite fascinating.


They are classified by the Russians as "Pagan Death Metal," which may scare a few folks away. I have found them to be quite soothing at times and honestly would consider them Traditional Folk metal, granted Traditional Folk Metal with a growl. Check out Butterfly Temple on their IROND Label: http://www.irond.ru/indexf.html

A More Mature Sonata Arctica in The Days Of Grays

“Mountain sings to me for the last time,
Making this moment
I have found my place,
I closed my eyes and joined them,
Guarding the young, amongst the Amazing Grays.”



I have listened with great anticipation to the new Sonata Arctica The Days of Gray CD more than a few times. The band has certainly changed their style over the last two albums, but this change has evolved more with The Days of Gray when compared to Reckoning Night, their last gasp at the Wolves years as I like to call the earlier works; and Unia, the more “pop” sounding Sonata Arctica.

The Days of Gray opens with a beautiful instrumental in “Everything Fades to Gray,” which has majesty and a nod to classical music. The band then uncharacteristically open the second track, “Deathaura” with a female vocal supplied by the sweet voice of Johanna Kurkela. The song is wandering and builds to a classical sounding crash. The band has moved its sound to a place I have not heard from them before, and it is bit more than reminiscent of a band like Kamelot than Sonata Arctica. There is some displaced (in all honesty) multi-layered sounds coming through on this song, which adds to the “metal” moments of the album. It also adds a bit to the song.

“The Last Amazing Grays” is the third track, which sounds a bit more like “pop” than “power” metal. All of the time, Marko Passikoski’s thundering bass strums evenly along. Tony Kakko’s vocals are in perfect pitch. Missing is Henrik Klingenberg’s flashy keyboards in this song, giving in to a more classical sway in the background. Tommy Portimo’s high snare drums are missing as well, as the more thundering bass heavy drums are pounded. The guitars of Elias Viljanen play the power metal riffs with clarity and precisely. This is the signature song on the album, that explains the themes of death, redemption, atonement and individuality, which is the reality of maturity and “the days of grays” as we age. The band seems to set the tone of the growing musically with their spirit of aging theme that encompasses this album.

“Flag in the Ground” is the traditionally “tuneful hit” that we have come to expect from Sonata Arctica over the years, as it hearkens back to their mid-period. To me it is an opposite of "Don’t Say a Word," in which a lover learns of his woman’s infidelity and brutally says good bye. Now a maturing Kakko is finding himself and discovers his lover wants him back. Truly a great song.

Carrying on that self-discovery theme is “Breathing,” perhaps the most deeply moving song on the album. Kakko sings “I cannot control my life anymore; Feel a need to leave and breathe on my own; I remember all the broken songs of my life; Maybe one more wrong will make it all right; I just really need to be alone now…” It reminds me of Ruins of My Life from Ecliptica, as this one is a slower and more haunting song.

“Zeroes” follows as a quicker, but more of a throw-off song. Not my favorite on the album, but it offers some speed at a space in the album when it is needed. It also features the famous Kakko scream.

After “Zeroes” is “The Dead Skin’ continuing the aging sage theme of the band. It has grown me in its pacing and building up to a climax theme. It also features the heaviest bass riffs thus far on the whole album. And then in the center of the song are the tuneful keyboards that I enjoy from the band. Probably among the most powerful songs on the album. I really like this one.

“Juliet” follows and I again sense a nod to more gothic sounds of bands like Kamelot (and no, I am not calling my favorite melodic/power metal band a goth band). This one has the thundering signature rhythm sound of Sonata Arctica, cat references, and a sense of longing. You can sense this has the longing and despair as they Kakko sings “life is but a long, sad game; lifeless souls avoiding shame; two dead swans is all we need; to pave the winding memory lane.” It also plays on Shakespeare’s theme of lost love, but the “Romeo” and “Juliet” are much older from Sonata Arctica and have lived much longer than Shakespeare’s characters. It sounds honestly like something that could have been pulled from Kamelot’s Black Halo

“No Dream Can Heal a Broken Heart,” follows the bombastic “Juliet” and features Johanna Kurkela on vocals. The aging theme is continued as Kakko sings “One day we will run out of tomorrows; and yesterday’s become the stuff our dreams are made of…” The poisoned lips references are also a connection to “Juliet’s” theme.

The next song “As If The World Wasn’t Ending” starts with a keyboard solo that I swear was lifted from early to mid 1970s pop music like the Carpenters. It seems oddly out of place, but then the crash and rumble of the bass and guitars crescendo rescues the song and the guitar solo in this one is the best on the album. This is a song about a delusional soul looking for comfort in toxic liquids to reach drunken understanding.

“The Truth Is Out There” is a redemption song of sorts, atonement by acceptance. It also has among the most clever lyrics on the album. “Now I am crawling in (my crawling skin); I can’t wake up anymore (can’t find the door); I try to make a deal (with myself); to avoid the blinding door (once again)….Can I trust my own eyes; Is that me in disguise; Is this bliss or am I insane?” There is a soaring and swirling quality in the keyboards and choruses of voices in this one, complete with cellos and orchestration. This song seems like a more mature piece of music performed by Sonata Arctica.

The album proper ends with a return to the themes and musical moments of “Everything Fades To Gray.” The song is a summation of life. Lyrically, the philosophy is clear: “When it all ends; when everything fades to gray, we dive into the darkness; some things are needless to say.” There is a crash of sounds in this one as a false ending brings us back to the central theme of age, redemption, acceptance, and the inevitable end.
The bonus track “In My Eyes You’re a Giant” is among my favorites. It sounds like it could have easily fit on Eclipitica, or Silence from their past. The “wolves’ theme returns as well. Kakko sings “Here I am howling at the bright new moon; the burning flame within, my own kin, and; every night I heard something out there calling me; reminding me, friend, to know, I am not your child.” This song hearkens all of the Sonata Arctica fans to the high hat and snare drums, the heavy bass, the quirky vocals, the sharp guitars and the signature keyboard solos. It is the perfect ending of this mature album, as this song is a return to the colors of the band in the last hurrahs of The Days of Gray.

Martin Popoff Writes It Perfectly: Gettin' Tighter: Deep Purple '68-'74

“Magic woman wreckin' up my soul,

Things you tell me have never been told.

Magic woman I don't know,

Electric before me,

I love you so,

I love you so.

You're racing like a fireball dancing like a ghost,

You're Gemini and I don't know which one I like the most.

My head is getting broken and my mind is getting bust,

But now I'm coming with you down the road of golden dust.

Oh my love it's a long way,

Where you're from it's a long way…

The golden light above you show me where you're from…

The magic in your eye bewitches all you gaze upon.

You stand up on your hill, behop all around you,

They wonder where you're from, oh yeah…

They wonder where I found you.

Oh my love it's a long way…

Where you're from it's a long way.”
--Deep Purple from the song “Fireball” from the album Fireball, 1971.

This post was a long time coming. Martin Popoff’s book, Getting’ Tighter: Deep Purple ’68-’76, is a magnificent read. AS a fan of Deep Purple, I appreciate the scope of what Popoff has undertaken.

Getting’ Tighter follows a familiar format for fans of Popoff’s books; but the formula is so common-sensical, that it need not be altered. In chronological order, each chapter is devoted to an album. The album is dissected song by song, commentary from band members, managers, and other folks around at the time is given, so the reader is shown a rare glimpse of the inner-workings of the band and the band’s historical perspective. As a history major from college, I love this format. This time around, Popoff also adds commentary from people who either influenced or were influenced by the band. In the Fireball chapter, insightful commentary as well as raw honesty was shown by guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen on the impact of the album to his career choice and his life.

Other chapters have commentaries by members of other bands, such as Blue Oyster Cult (a personal favorite of Popoff and me). I also love the comments and occasional bitterness expressed by former band members whether they were forced out or left on their own accord.

There are gems in this book in the evolution of the Deep Purple story. I enjoyed learning how popular authors like Robert Heinlein influenced the writing of the band. The writer royalty expose was interesting as well. It also appears fairly obvious that Ritchie Blackmore was a moody spirit that was so professional about his music; he would sacrifice kindness to others. Ian Gillian seems like the most normal member of the band, and Jon Lord, at times comes off as a bit of a control freak.

Amazingly, the book does not gloss over material, as the band is presented in an honest light. The limitations of the band members (particularly Ian Paice’s self-criticism of his drumming and Nick Simper’s bass and Rod Evans vocals) are given a fair amount of coverage. The eerie moody swings of Ritchie Blackmore are sprinkled throughout the various stories of the band , and the frustrations of being a phenomenal group while maintaining little notoriety are given an in depth analysis. Added to the story are the usual mismanagement recollections by band members on the marketing of record companies and the sloppiness of tour managers of the band.

The treasure of this book is the track by track breakdown. Herein, Popoff knows his subject well. He has an uncanny ability to make insightful commentary on the musical evolution of songs and albums. I enhance the pleasure of reading this book by listening to the album while I read the chapter. I suggest others do the same to feel the complete effect of Martin’s writing ability.

The book can be ordered on Martin Poppoff’s site (see my links) or go here: http://www.martinpopoff.com/

and he will even autograph a copy for you. Martin is busy on part two of the Deep Purple story, as he emailed me a while back. In that edition, he will cover the late 1970s through the modern age of Deep Purple and hit upon some of Ritchie Blackmore’s Night material as well.

The lesson learned in reading this book is that Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and other artists of the time, whereas excellent bands, were pretenders to the throne of Deep Purple. Whatever tricks those other band used, Purple did it first, more often did it better, were more honest to the music, and played it louder, better, harder, and heavier.

My Return to The Blog and the BEST of IRON MAIDEN

Sorry, I am fully aware it has been a while.

And in my resurgence to blog on and on hard rock and heavy metal, I will attempt to do the impossible.

I am going to give the list of the top ten best Iron Maiden songs ever recorded.

I know, crazy, as such a thing cannot be done, but alas, I will try.

I also hope to span their career and not dwell on only the Dickenson stuff. I will also try to put the new and the old along side of one another. Most importantly, I will try to be fair. Granted, my list may rely too often on the “hits,” I think it is only fair to note that their “hits” are so incredibly good.

#10 is Phantom of the Opera. It is the only Paul DiAnno song on this list, which may offend some, but I think Dickerson range is so much better. This is the best of the earliest demonstration of the dual lead guitar work, of their songs. Murray and Stratton rule on this song. Steve Harris is unappreciated as a bassist and a songwriter. Hopefully this list will end that nonsense.



#9 is The Evil That Men Do, from the Seventh Son of The Seventh Son album. The guitars are incredible and intertwine perfectly with Bruce Dickenson’s vocals. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith are the guitar masters on this track and the rhythm section of Steve Harris and Nicko McBrain drive the song home.



#8 is Wasted Years. To me, this one is more ballad like than straight ahead rock. Most might argue this on the list, but realistically, this is the song that spoke to me personally when I first heard it; think of past wrongs and rights and the like.



#7 is From Here to Eternity from the Fear of The Dark album. It is so catchy and so riff-driven, I had to include it. I love the lyrics as well and I think it is Dickenson’s best vocal performance before he left the band the first time.



#6 is Can I Play with Madness. That chorus is reminiscent of Bring Your Daughter to The Slaughter (not on the list), as it is so catchy. Listen to it once, you are hooked.



#5 is Aces High from Powerslave. The song soars and dips and sounds like an aerial assault on the senses. It is exciting, the timing is precise and it is a rolling and rocking number if Maiden ever made one.



#4 is Virus from the Best of The Beast. It features Blaze Bayley on vocals, which may hurt some folks, but is a great song. It just sounds so “English” in its approach of metal.



#3 is The Number of the Beast from the Album of the same name. Is there a better guitar intro in the history of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal? Nah, I don’t think so, either. It just has the incredible momentum building to Dickenson’s scream and chorus. Not only one of the best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal songs ever recorded, arguably one of the best rock songs ever recorded.



#2 is also from the Number of The Beast, as it is Hallowed Be Thy Name. I love the “gallows poles” lines with the ominous bells and then the sophistication of the song and the tight playing of the band, as the thunder of Iron Maiden come crashing through. It is also a standout moment in Hard Rock/Heavy Metal.



And lastly, my
#1 is Fear Of The Dark from the album of the same name. I like the studio version so much better than the constantly anthologized live versions of this song. The first time I heard it, I gained respect for the band. I even use the lyrics in my Psychology class and play the song as a mood capturing moment of Fear and Phobias. It is the song that made me take Maiden more seriously as artists and made appreciate the quality of their musicianship and their appeal. It was the song that brought me back to Maiden two and a half years ago.



My favorite CD of theirs is either Powerslave, Piece of Mind, or The Number of the Beast.

Granted tough choices were made to make it on this list as Tailgunner, Clairvoyant, Running Free, Wrathchild, Run To The Hills, and Different World, The Trooper, Wicker Man, Rainmaker, and Flight of Icarius are not herein. Maybe on the next ten; choose what you wish to enjoy.

Oh and some of th studio videos were not allowed to be embedded, so I chose others: no copyright violations, as you are aware.