IRON MAIDEN (UK) - Powerslave (LP, EMI, 1984)

RATING: *****

Anyone who appreciates Iron Maiden's music above the 'near indifference' level most surely have spend many a day pondering about a pivotal question: what is the best Maiden album? It's a fascinating riddle, most of all because it's potentially impossible to crack. You have good grounds to lean in favor of at least six different studio albums, perhaps even more, and please note that I'm leaving live records out of the picture as I don't want to complicate matters even further. You may want to turn the question around a little, asking what would be the quintessential Iron Maiden record instead, but it wouldn't really make things that easier, and the preliminary challenge of defining what the elements that define the "perfect Maiden sound" are could easily become an impossible task in itself. But I'd say that, on a purely personal level, dividing the answer in two parts helps me to feel satisfied with my conclusion: I don't consider "Powerslave" to be the best studio LP Iron Maiden ever released (the pinnacle was still a couple records away IMO), but I'm entirely convinced it is the quintessential Maiden album, the one that captures all things that make this band such a stunning, genre-defining entity in the best possible light. In a time when Harris, Dickinson, Murray, Smith and McBrain had the world at their mercy, they managed to create a truly monumental LP, an all-time classic and a landmark for heavy metal as we know it; they were at the top of their game, plain and simple, and the metal scene would never be the same afterwards.

Everything about "Powerslave" is grandiose. The front cover (perhaps my favorite work from Derek Riggs) sets the mood in no uncertain terms: when you see Eddie turned into a pharaoh, with a giant pyramid gleaming with a eerie energy behind him, you damn sure know you're heading for a hell of a ride. The whole Ancient Egypt imagery was a perfect fit for the superlative tour that followed, a seemingly never-ending jaunt that went to nearly everywhere a metal band had ever set feet on, and then some - including a series of shows in then Communist countries (nicely documented on the "Behind the Iron Curtain" video) and a groundbreaking performance in Brazil, during the innaugural Rock in Rio festival - a memorable night that pretty much turned them into demigods in South America, no less. The stage props were huge, the venues got bigger and bigger, and it was mission accomplished when it comes to secure their presence in the difficult United States' market, with over a hundred dates in North America alone. Gruelling, no doubt, but also very worthwhile, as "Powerslave" went platinum in both Canada and the USA. Hard work will sometimes pay off, you know.  

When it comes to the music, the record is something of a culmination, bringing both the unrelenting drive of "The Number of the Beast" and the ambitious songwriting of "Piece of Mind" to its powerful, world-conquering conclusion. It's a very difficult balance to reach, you know: being an immense band able to command the masses without losing touch with the hunger and enthusiasm from your street-level days. These are songs written for stadiums, but without any of the elements we're accostumed to associate with an arena band. They're not softening their edge, they're not trying to be radio-friendly or simplifying their song structures - in fact, they're doing nearly the exact opposite: getting faster and heavier, sounding more intrincate and progressive while keeping the pedal to the floor most of the time, not to mention some truly challenging lyrics on a few far-from-commonplace topics. Iron Maiden were getting huge, but not a sane person in the world would have the guts to accuse them of selling out. From all the metal bands that ever made it real big, Iron Maiden were the very first to get there with such a hard-hitting, uncompromising approach to their sound, and we should all be forever grateful to them.

Iron Maiden were never exactly renowned for kickstarting their records with instant classics (they have used tracks like "Invaders" and "Tailgunner" as opening numbers, for God's sake), but "Aces High" is easily the best opening track they ever had: fast paced, dynamic, with exhilarating energy and one of the most memorable and sing-along choruses ever penned by the band, no less. No band ever wrote a WWII air battle song as good as this one, and most probably no one ever will. Next comes "2 Minutes to Midnight", a somber tune about war as a means for political and financial gain that is easily on my top 5 Maiden songs of all time. Every single instant of this song is pure perfection, and if don't agree with me, I'm sorry, but you're wrong. 

In fact, when you try to dissect "Powerslave" with a more inquisitive mind, you'll realize that it is divided into three very defined parts: a more direct, all-guns-blazing start and an epic, prog-oriented ending, glued together by a pair of songs that make something of a bridge between these two extremes. The insanely dynamic instrumental "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" (some people tend to overlook it, but I really can't see why, as it's a damn cool song) paves the way for "Flash of the Blade", perhaps the less complex song on the entire record, but carried along beatifully by truly memorable guitar interplay and a chorus to die for. Structurally, it's a bit like they've redone "Sun and Steel" from "Piece of Mind", as the two tracks are quite similar - but this particular cut is immensely better than its somewhat lacklustre predecessor, a kickass track that is easily one of the hidden gems in Maiden's repertoire. 

Then you have the two epics that close the record, and both are almost good beyond belief. The title-track uses Middle Eastern melodies once again, like "To Tame a Land" did little more than a year previously, but in an seriously more eerie, menacing way - an atmosphere that perfectly match the lyrics about the ephemerality of power and how even gods on Earth may die. The whole song is pure genius, but the instrumental mid section deserves some particular praise: there's a lot of space for everyone to shine, and the technical prowess only enhances the sense of gloom and unease the song conjures. Superb, really. As for "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", it's something of a template for the many extended epics Steve Harris would devote himself to create in later years - and it's undoubtedly one of his very best, a retelling of the classic Coleridge poem that manages to narrate a spellbinding story while keeping a muscular, unmistakeably heavy drive most of the time. Yeah, the atmospheric part halfway through is amazing, and the emotional build-up towards the "then down it falls comes the RAAAAAAAAAA" part is one of the most memorable moments in the band's entire repertoire, but the most impressive thing about this song IMO is just how headbanging-inducing it is: no obstrusive embellishments, no distractions and no wasting of time, just some good, old-fashioned, immensely memorable heavy metal. And it works like a beast, you can bet your ass it does.

The problem with "Powerslave" (and please note I'm using the world "problem" very lightly and just for the sake of argument) is in the middle of the park. Both "The Duellists" and "Back in the Village", though obviously good enough, are considerably lacking when compared to the rest of the package: though lyrically connected to "Flash of the Blade" before it (both are about battling with swords and stuff), "The Duellists" present some of the least interesting vocal lines from 80's-era Maiden (the OOOH-OH! during the chorus is particularly nondescript), and "Back in the Village" revisits the storyline of 'The Prisoner' TV series, but lacks the charm of "The Prisoner" (the song), sounding a bit aimless and redundant in comparison - although the lyrics are way more on topic now than in its rather vague predecessor. Both songs have a lot of redeeming features (the former brings some extremely tight and dynamic instrumentation to the table, while the latter presents razor-sharp riffing played at almost frantic pace), and you'll be hardly inclined to skip the pair while listening to the album, but the bridge is undoubtedly the more difficult part to cross while listening to "Powerslave", and this is what prevents me from saying this is the best Maiden album - even if it is, most of the time, my personal favorite.

Minor (in fact, really minor) shortcomings that are far from enough to diminish the lasting impact of this LP. This is the moment when the mighty Iron Maiden really gelled, when their many strong points finally turned into an entity stronger than the simple sum of its parts. The promises were many, and the challenges were huge, but these five young men from England fulfilled all of them with great aplomb, and the metal world would be all a better place because of it. It looks perfect, it sounds perfect (Martin Birch knew how to do his job, zero doubt about that), the performances are all stellar, and the music contents are among the very best any heavy metal band ever managed to lay down on tape. All things considered, "Powerslave" is a 5-star record without any shadow of a doubt, and if you don't follow me on this, well, are you sure metal is really your thing? 

Bruce Dickinson (V), Dave Murray (G), Adrian Smith (G), Steve Harris (B), Nicko McBrain (D).

01. Aces High (Harris) 4:31
02. 2 Minutes to Midnight (Smith/Dickinson) 6:04
03. Losfer Words (Big 'Orra) (Harris) 4:15
04. Flash of the Blade (Dickinson) 4:05
05. The Duellists (Harris) 6:18
06. Back in the Village (Smith/Dickinson) 5:02
07. Powerslave (Dickinson) 7:12
08. Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Harris) 13:45

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know!