IRON MAIDEN – Live After Death

Iron Maiden, probably the most well-known and honorable Metal band of all time, has finally released their Live After Death DVD about 23 years after the album. Live After Death was shot during Maiden’s World Slavery tour (which included 195 concerts worldwide) in 1984-1985 down in Long Beach Arena, California. This four-night show gave Iron Maiden a place in history. Being in their 20s and youthful, energetic, and geared-up made this British Heavy Metal band perfect for this lengthy tour.

Iron Maiden reigned dominant in the 80s: just mentioning their name to your dad, grandma, friend, or random dude on the street and it’s a sure bet they knew of these Metal icons… after all, Maiden was the first Metal band to sell millions of records virtually without any radio play. But back to the album — Maiden released their album Live After Death a little over 20 years ago. When the CD hit the streets, the public went ecstatic. This album contained songs such as “Aces High,” “Run To The Hills,” “Trooper,” and “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” Through this live CD, Maiden captured the Metal souls of millions.

The first disc contains the full 90-minute concert of 13 songs. The set list was drawn from previous albums up to the concert date. These versions effortlessly surpass the recorded versions, and many Maiden fans that have seen this DVD prefer these versions to the studio recordings. The set list includes tracks such as the proclaimed “2 Minutes To Midnight,” rare songs such as “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner,” and staples such as “Running Free” and the astounding “The Trooper” — along with much more. This disc even gives you a little history lesson with the Maiden’s signature “Run To The Hills.”

Live After Death was recorded on 35mm and has an outstanding quality for an 80s live music DVD. Instead of the sound having a muffled fuzz like most concert DVDs, the sound is crisp. With the flashing lights, powerful lyrics, incredible stage performance, Bruce’s wide vocal range and one-on-one rapport with the audience, along with surround sound, you will feel like you are in the war zone with those Metalheads in the audience.

Of special mention too is the theme of the show. They arranged the stage around the album’s Egyptian motiff. There’s hieroglyphics, pyramids, and they even have Eddie wrapped like a mummy. This DVD will make you want to get up and headbang your ass off, no matter your age. The Metal prominence of Iron Maiden in concert will make you feel like you’re there, minus the sweaty vivacious teenagers. Whether you’re 13, 20, or even 45, Iron Maiden will deliver to your true Metal core.

Now, if that phenomenal creation didn’t make you wet your pants, disc 2 will. The second DVD has a full-length documentary of Iron Maiden called “The History of Iron Maiden-Part 2” (a continuation of “History of Iron Maiden Part One: The Early Days” from their previous DVD release). This DVD goes beyond what the average concert go-er would see on stage. It tells infamous stories of events backstage, regardless if it’s Maiden seriously writing songs, or goofing off and playing connect four. They even tell of a recorded tape of a fight they had once during a show. This DVD goes through struggles of the band as “slaves to the power of the tour” and you really get to know the personalities of each member. They all divulge their fare share of stories and even tell about the making of the video “2 Minutes To Midnight.” All the backstage info will get you into a new mindset and make you want to re-watch the first disk again. Disk 2 is well over three hours, but worth your time. After watching this you’d be able to tell your friends secrets of Maiden no one else knows!

The extras on disc 2 include “Behind The Iron Curtain,” which covers Maiden’s show in Budapest and Warsaw. There’s even a part telling how Iron Maiden wound up playing at a wedding reception. The highlights from Rock In Rio (1985), a concert they performed with nearly a 350,000 audience in South America. Ello’ Texas gives more details and insight of their touring life with live concert and interview footage along with some promotional footage. And to top it off, there’s a gallery of photos from concerts and recording sessions, artwork on albums covers, merchandise, promo videos, and tour program. Disc 2 in whole is around 5 hours, so get comfortable! This DVD itself is worth the money, it’s not a must own, it’s a need-to-own!

Between the live show, the extras, the interviews, and secrets of Iron Maiden, this entertaining 2-disc DVD is well-worth your time. If you’re a Maiden fan, you’ll go crazy with all the material that’s on these DVDs. Between the 13-song live show, the documentary, and the behind the curtain segments (featuring even more kickass songs), this DVD is the definition of Heavy Metal in the 80s. These guys really get deep into their touring and background of the band. They even tell about the famous Eddie, the character on every album cover. This set is a necessity for any Maiden fan. The sound and video quality are great, the songs are classic, and it even makes you laugh. You wanna find out Iron Maiden’s past and secrets? Well, get the DVD and find out all you expected and more than you could ever dream.

Iron Maiden Website