Although regarded as one of the premier Metal vocalists, Paul Di’Anno has never managed to achieve the success of his former bandmates in Iron Maiden. Since leaving Maiden in the early 1980’s, Paul has released and/or has been a part of dozens of albums. Sticking close to his roots, Di’Anno has released numerous versions of “Wrathchild,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Killers,” helping them retain their staple status in fans’ Metal diet.
After Maiden, Paul re-emerged with a softer side, resembling the likes of Journey and Foreigner. Di’Anno was then not well-received amongst the throngs of Metaldom. Paul went on to front a new Metal band, Battlezone, whose first release was one of the poorest recorded releases in the history of music. Although Paul had returned to his Metal roots, the sound was atrocious; the whole disc sounded like it had been recorded on a boom-box, set in the corner of a practice room with all instruments set to eleven. But, at least the man had returned to Metal. Over the years he has released many tribute CD’s, usually to Maiden, featuring Paul on vocals and a slew of guest musicians — some big names and some basically unknown.
In 2000, under the simple moniker Paul Di’Anno, he released Nomad and enjoyed good reviews. Finally, the Di’Anno fans knew existed was making an album worthy of his original fans. Now in 2006, fans are getting more of that album, dressed up and given a new title, The Living Dead. Truth be told, although it seems deceiving to re-release an album disguised as something fresh, this album is good enough to be given a second chance. Even the new “horror-vibe” jacket cover seems better suited to the release. Throw in some bonus material and this is a solid “new” release.
The disc starts out with the title track and showcases the gentle side of Di’Anno’s voice with a slow and melodic beginning. Within the first minute, the drums join in and the acoustic guitars give way to electrics. The whole song takes on an anthem feel, with Paul giving a powerful performance, showing he still has the range he debuted all those years ago. The second track, “Mad Man in the Attic,” is a double-bass driven number with a classic bang-your-head riff that is sure to please the Metal masses. A cover of Megadeth’s “Symphony of Destruction” is an added bonus. Unfortunately, sounding so like the original, this track leaves the listener expecting to hear Mustaine’s unmistakable voice as well.
Never one to stray too far from his glory days, there are a two Maiden tracks here as bonus material: live renditions of “Wrathchild” and “Phantom of the Opera.” Besides these bonus tracks, there is a DVD that features the video for The Living Dead, and an in-depth interview with Paul discussing everything from leaving Maiden to his many marriages. He looks a little thicker and lot more tattooed than he did some twenty years ago, but the attitude, and more importantly, the voice, is still Paul Di’Anno.
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