IRON MAIDEN – Death On The Road

Throughout the world, few bands strike up as many passionate feelings in Metal as does Iron Maiden. Fast-approaching 30 years in the business, Iron Maiden has enjoyed the unique status of being appealing to veteran Metalheadz, their children, and in some cases, even their grandchildren. To each of these generations, Iron Maiden is the shit … the alpha and the omega of Heavy Metal. Whether or not Steve Harris and his bandmates are truly worthy of this iconic status is a topic to be debated elsewhere, but the facts are facts –- Iron Maiden have reached the envied stage of their careers where they can basically do whatever they want in whatever fashion they choose … and people will support the hell out them. Some have cried foul during recent years in response to Iron Maiden sucking their fans dry via compilation and one-off releases that offer little, if anything, truly new … rabid fans, of course, go out and buy these releases, and some argue this fosters growth of the concept that a band really doesn’t have to stay on top of their game to make tons of cash.

Well, be that as it may, back in 2003, Iron Maiden released a much-respected album in Dance Of Death. A massive world tour ensued, a live CD followed, and now finally in 2006/07 (depending on your country of origin), the whole world is privy to an official DVD release of that show. One thing that can be laid to rest right from the get-go is that Iron Maiden put forth every possible effort to ensure that THIS release could in no way, shape, or form be labeled a “rip-off.” Actually, word has it that the reason this puppy took so long to finally be released was because so much work was put in (especially by Steve Harris) to dot all of the I’s and cross the T’s … and it most certainly shows.

The concert itself comprises 2 DVDs … your choice: you can listen to it in simple stereo format, or, for those with the appropriate set-up, in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. The sound of this show is nothing short of perfect. It’s clearly “live” (with no apparent overdubs or trickery), but clear as a bell, powerful, and on the cutting edge of recorded live performances. In fact, you won’t “hear” a live DVD that sounds better … guaranteed. The glaring weakness, unfortunately, is the filming technique. Funny, but the DVD package warns persons with Epilepsy to consult their physicians first before watching this show. Damn right … heck, even if you don’t have Epilepsy, you might develop it after spending the better part of 2 hours watching this DVD. The cameras seem to be constantly buzzing from light to dark sections of the stage and from player to player at an almost frenzied speed. Unfortunately, the viewer is never really allowed the opportunity to just focus on one player or a section of the stage to soak in the moment. Nope, they force-feed speed and constant movement in this video recording … and the sad fact is that it gets annoying way too quickly, with little to no reprieve in sight. Overall, this piece of the package gets a 7 / 10 — high marks for sound quality and the performance of Iron Maiden, but brought down due to filming techniques that are like fingernails scratching a chalkboard.

The true value (worth its weight in gold, actually) lies in the Special Features DVD. Here, Iron Maiden includes over 3 hours of documentary footage about their time and motivations whilst in the studio recording Dance Of Death. Amazing stuff … the producers of this documentary really did a great job of showing the band as very humble, dedicated, and immensely competent professional musicians and songwriters. You will get to know this band better and more intimately than you ever have after watching this documentary … and you’ll be better for it, for sure. You’ll also have a new (or renewed) appreciation for the Dance Of Death album. Most DVD packages would probably end there … but not this one … nope, there truly is LOTS more in addition to this (see the listing of all the goodies below), most notably another documentary from the Road Crew’s perspective of what it’s like to conduct an Iron Maiden world tour, and a third mini-documentary that focuses on the fans of Iron Maiden via a series of interviews. It’s all great … and it’s all a very interesting watch — a confident 10 / 10.

Overall, this DVD set is an absolute “must have” for Iron Maiden fans of all ages … although the concert filming techniques become annoying rather quickly, the stage and show are still spectacular, as is the sound quality, and the Special Features DVD is simply about as good as it gets. Iron Maiden isn’t milking their fans’ wallets this time with the same bride in a new dress … with Death On The Road, fans indeed get more than their money’s worth. You have a chance with this DVD to see and hear true professionals at work and to tap into their motivations and thought processes with respect to creating a very solid album and developing a massive ensuing tour. Check it out and buy it if you haven’t already!

Special Features Include

Death On The Road Documentary – both from a recording studio perspective and tour
Live On The Road Documentary – behind the scenes perspective and Crew interviews
The Fans – fan interviews
EPK – promo press interviews and presentation prior to Dance Of Death album release
Promo Videos – “Wildest Dreams” and “Rainmaker” videos, along with other tidbits dealing with their creation
Photo & Artwork Galleries – photos, album/singles artwork, tour date listings

Total Run Time: 200 minutes

Concert Footage

Intro-Declamation * Wildest Dreams * Wrathchild * Can I Play With Madness * The Trooper * Dance Of Death * Rainmaker * Brave New World * Paschendale * Lord Of The Flies * No More Lies * Hallowed Be Thy Name * Fear Of The Dark * Iron Maiden * Journeyman * The Number Of The Beast * Run To The Hills

Total Run Time: 105 minutes