Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Iron Maiden
Label: Parlophone Records
Released: 2017
Running time: 100:59
Rating: 4/5
No two ways about it. Iron Maiden. Again, and with them, yet another live document. It simply can’t be any other way. Why? Because they can. So here’s a new, poisonously massive world tour in support of the current studio album »The Book of Souls« (2015), which kicked off, ahem… how interesting, on the exact tenth anniversary of our beloved portal, February 24, 2016, and wrapped up on July 22, 2017. Iron Maiden once again took the band to some parts of the globe they hadn’t conquered yet, where they also met some of their fans for the first time, in Lithuania, El Salvador and, you won’t believe it, in China. Finally there too, and uncensored! On this tour Iron Maiden swapped the Boeing that carried them on the past three for a bigger Boeing 747-400 EF1, though in Chile they had to do an emergency overhaul because of a busted engine. And last but not least, this tour is important and successful for another reason. It means more than just the triumphant return of the irreplaceable Bruce Dickinson, who has completely beaten cancer and, as usual, contributed his unique vocal gifts.
Anyone who caught Iron Maiden in Trieste on July 26, 2016 will have to buy this one, because it features a recording of the cult Powerslave from Trieste’s Piazza Unita d’Italia. Speaking of Trieste, there’s something else worth mentioning. The Trieste show was marked by two songs that »The Book Of Souls : Live Chapter« doesn’t have. Those are Tears of a Clown and Hallowed Be Thy Name (is that even allowed?). They’re replaced by Wrathchild and the new The Great Unknown. So what I’m holding in my hands is a »snapshot« of the setlist Iron Maiden played during this year’s leg of the »The Book Of Souls« tour. That leg started on April 22, 2017 in Antwerp (Belgium) and finished on July 22, 2017 in New York (USA). No big surprises: a whole bag of tracks from the current album and, surprisingly, no sign of some staples you can barely imagine an Iron Maiden show without (Two Minutes to Midnight, Run to the Hills, The Evil that Man Do, and Hallowed Be Thy Name too – even though they played it on the first part of the tour). There’s no fan for whom Iron Maiden could pull off a »miracle« – that is, play their ideal setlist – but we can still count among the sweeteners of this repertoire the immortal mini metal epic Powerslave, one of the most »radio«-friendly pieces in the Iron Maiden catalog, the otherwise brilliant Wasted Years, and last but not least Blood Brothers, the comeback kid from »Brave New Word« (2000), which nobody could have expected to ever show up on an Iron Maiden setlist again.
The band is as superb as ever. The sound is superbly polished too, and in places the chemistry between crowd and band is downright outstanding, so I can say it’s the peak of this recording in a way (e.g. the version of Fear of the Dark from the Brazil show). It couldn’t be any other way. Tickets are way too expensive, and there’s some truth to that joke. Iron Maiden really let loose with the new songs this time. Hence the feeling that there are just a smidge too many of them, because they’re simply too long. So it happens that the document can start to drag, since at moments like The Red And the Black nothing moves anywhere. But considering their tenure and years, Iron Maiden don’t give off a hint of tiredness or wear on this document, not for a second. Quite the opposite. Over the years they approach playing with even more commitment and bite, and this document carries that charm in abundance. How could it not, when you’re leading a crowd of tens of thousands of rabid fans, no matter which stage on the planet you step onto! Iron Maiden remain titans of metal!
All in all, »The Book Of Souls: Live Chapter« is an excellent live document, perhaps at least as convincing as »Rock in Rio« was. Everything sounds crystal clear and at every moment you know exactly what each member of the band is doing on stage. The soloing styles of the three guitarists deliver a sonically recognizable contrast, Harris digs into the bass strings as usual like it’s the last day before the apocalypse, Nicko McBrain’s exceptional drum barrage adds special dynamics and intensity to the overall sound, and like I said, Bruce remains Bruce. For his age and his recent life ordeal, he’s remarkable and one of a kind! This is a live album that, given the chosen repertoire, doesn’t leave a particularly strong impression, but on the flip side it’s an outstanding keepsake. If you happened to be part of this tour, this live document is a must for your CD collection!
Lineup
Bruce Dickinson – vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar, backing vocals
Janick Gers – guitar
Steve Harris – bass
Nicko McBrain – drums
Production
Tony Newton & Steve Harris
Track list
CD 1.:
1. If Eternity Should Fail (Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia, Friday, May 6, 2016)
2. Speed of Light (Grand Arena, GrandWest, Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, May 18, 2016)
3. Wrathchild (O3 Arena, Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, May 6, 2017
4. Children of the Damned (Bell Center, Montreal, Canada, Friday, April 1, 2016)
5. Death or Glory (Wroclaw Stadium, Wroclaw, Poland, Sunday, July 3, 2016)
6. The Red and the Black (Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, April 21, 2016)
7. The Trooper (Estadio Jorge Magico Gonzalez, San Salvador, El Salvador, Sunday, March 6, 2016)
8. Powerslave (Piazza Unita D’Italia, Trieste, Italy, Tuesday, July 26, 2016)
CD 2.:
1. The Great Unknown (MRA Arena, Newcastle, England, Sunday, May 14, 2017)
2. The Book of Souls (Download Festival, Donington, England, Sunday, June 12, 2016)
3. Fear of the Dark (Arena Castelao, Fortaleza, Brazil, Thursday, March 24, 2016)
4. Iron Maiden (Estadio Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 15, 2016)
5. The Number of the Beast (Open Air Festival, Wacken, Germany, Thursday, August 4, 2016)
6. Blood Brothers (Download Festival, Donington, England, June 12, 2016)
7. Wasted Years (HSBC Arena, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, March 17, 2016)
