IRON MAIDEN – Somewhere Back In Time: The Best Of 1980-1989

Iron Maiden is to a Metalhead as water is to survival. Metal fans simply cannot live without a fix of Maiden now and then. Bands like Dream Theater, Metallica, Coheed and Cambria, etc. have all covered this world renounced British Metal band. Throughout Maiden’s electrifying history of tours, albums, DVDs, and shows they have probably had the largest impact on the Heavy Metal scene known to man. Earlier this year Iron Maiden went on their Somewhere Back in Time World Tour, targeting their peak, the 80’s. This helped increase the fan base and revive the oldies. Releasing a good 14 or so original albums, their fan base has also quadrupled over the years, along with recognition. I mean this band has fans ranging from 9 year old kids to 70 year old grandparents… can any other band say that? Most likely not.

Somewhere Back in Time is the newest/oldest album with tracks traveling back to their 1980 self titled album Iron Maiden. With new fans popping up every day the band thought that releasing this album would give the newer fans a vibe of what Iron Maiden’s all about. Somewhere Back In Time (The Best of 1980-1989) features songs from The Number of The Beast, Powerslave, Piece of Mind, Killers and a few more famed albums. This new CD is exceedingly well rounded and does give the new and old fans a good dose to keep up their Metal health… it is pure classic Maiden. However, some of the older fans are questioning this new album. After all, you can basically go to any record store and pick up an album of Maiden and most likely it will be a collection of their greatest hits. Well, this CD just adds to that ongoing Iron Maiden collection.

The first track, “Churchill’s Speech (Aces High)”, will have any Metal fan singing the lyrics and head banging. Following up this whimsical song is “2 Minutes to Midnight”, the classic “The Trooper”, “Wasted Years”, “Children Of The Damned”, “The Number Of The Beast”, “The Evil That Men Do”, “Wrathchild”, a favorite of all fans… “Can I Play With Madness”, and “Powerslave”. You even get a little history lesson on the Native Americans with “Run to the Hills”. And who could forget the notorious Maiden version of “Phantom Of The Opera”?

This album closes off with the incredible “Hallowed Be Thy Name” and of course, the track named after a torturous death sentence, “Iron Maiden”. These tracks were hand picked by the Metal band themselves. And they’ve done a great job. Somewhere Back In Time (The Best of 1980 – 1989) has just the right amount and is a perfect taste of Maiden for any fan.

With Maiden being one of those legendary bands in Metal that never gets old, they will always be attracting new fans. The fact that they are still lively also brings the hope of new material. In a way, Iron Maiden is immortal.