Piece of Mind 1983

"Another classic by Iron Maiden, "Piece of Mind" is the first Maiden album to feature influential drummer Nicko McBrain and full of classics like "The Trooper", "The Flight of Icarus", "Where Eagles Dare", "Revelations" and, to some extent, "Die With Your Boots On".

The album opens with the technical but captivating "Where Eagles Dare" which is followed by the Dickinson-penned ballad "Revelations" which is an all time fan favorite, and one of my favorites from this album. This is followed by the heavier "Flight of Icarus" and the rocker "Die With Your Boots On". "The Trooper" is one of Maiden's most popular tracks ever, and it is catchy as hell - and, notably, there is no chorus!

In ye olden days, in the time of vinyl, the first five tracks of this album constituted side A, and it is worth noting that "Piece of Mind" is an album whose first side contained nothing but hits. Consequently, perhaps, side B contains all obscure tracks. These tracks may be obscure, but I actually think that side B on the whose is better than side A. "Still Life" is a midtempo and slightly melancholic and dark song while "Quest for Fire" is a heavy 3/8 song based on the film and book of the same title. This song contains some nice medieval sounding twin guitars. "Sun and Steel" is a galloping metal track, also containing intricate twin guitars, while "To Tame a Land" is a proggy epic track based on the novel "Dune", containing several musical twists and turns. This track was later covered by Dream Theater.

(review also posted on metalmusicarchives.com)"