Originally published by L.S. Media. June 7th 2011.
There can be nothing more annoying for a music enthusiast, especially one who covets every new release, every special or live album that a band may decide to put out for their “loyal fans” then when a group of such high regard as Iron Maiden put out the ever increasing compilations.
Whether it’s to cash in before the Heavy Metal behemoth’s come back to the U.K. or if it’s through a genuine need to inform their fan base of what they have achieved in the last 20 years, From Fear to Eternity does little to get the excitement and Rock juices going.
Although the album cover promises much, inside the double disc is no more than a collection of songs that will no doubt be played live when the band perform at arena’s such as the Birmingham N.I.A. or the o2 Arena. Undoubtedly, these songs, once played live, will have the multitude of Metal fans slavering over delights of the atmospheric Paschendale or the surprise number one hit Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter but for fans who pick up the C. D in the hope that it will give an even bigger insight to one of the best Metal bands to ever come out of England, they will be sorely disappointed.
From Fear to Eternity covers the tumultuous period between 1990 and 2010. A time when the band was on top of the Metal world and producing album after album that had been creative and stunning through the dark days of Virtual XI when the band seemed destined to be become a joke and into the re-emergence as one of the leading Metal bands.
Albums such as No Prayer for the Dying and Fear of the Dark were the peak of a process that had begun all the way back in time with The Number of the Beast. From there the band seemed to disintegrate and it’s interesting to note that the only songs that covered Blaze Bayley’s tenure as the front man of the band have been replaced by live versions and Bruce Dickinson’s unique and intense vocals.
It’s only in the last couple of albums that the band has once more regained a footing on the mantle of influential modern Metal bands with songs on this particular recording as Dance as Death and The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg being a head bangers dream.
The live tour promises to be fantastic with each gig being one to possibly savour forever, unfortunately the band’s latest attempt to inject some pre-interest into those gigs falls way short with this release.
1 star
Ian D. Hall