Iron Maiden

Rock In Rio

Living A Dream!

Review Score:

(10/10)
If their startling comeback album BRAVE NEW WORLD wasn't enough to prove that Iron Maiden were back in business, than the following double live album ROCK IN RIO will certainly wake up the naysayers. Recorded on January 19, 2001, at the third annual Rock in Rio festival in Brazil, ROCK IN RIO is an exhilarating live testament in Maiden's canon. The six-man lineup put on an incredible show, and once "The Wicker Man" gets rolling with that classic Adrian Smith riff, it never stops. Even the mellower songs like "Blood Brothers" and "Fear of the Dark" are added with a fierce intensity that makes them stand out more than the studio versions. Although this is the sixth live album in Maiden's career and some of the classic songs have been played before to the point of overkill, the inspired performances by the band and relentless energy from the Brazilian crowd more than makes up for it.

Although I really wished the band would've at least played one song from SOMEWHERE IN TIME (either "Wasted Years" or "Heaven Can Wait" would've been perfect for this concert), the set list is pretty darn good for the most part. Combining lots of new material with the old classics and even a couple of underrated tunes as well, you pretty much get the best of all worlds.

Surprisingly enough, it's the two Blaze Bayley era tracks that are the standouts. Blaze's painfully deep voice wasn't the best fit for Maiden. With Bruce back in the band, he adds his mighty wail perfectly to these two songs and makes it sound like he never left the band. "Sign of the Cross" sounds like the true epic it's supposed to be. Bruce's intro is a lot creepier than Blaze's on the studio counterpart, and the lengthy instrumental section is played with great speed and even greater timing. "The Clansman" is the most moving performance on the album. The lyric that goes "No, we can't let them take anymore" is truly inspiring with Bruce singing and the crowd really getting into the spirit of things. Kudos to Steve Harris for his awesome acoustic bass on this song.

Everything else here is amazing. "Ghost of the Navigator," "Blood Brothers," and "The Mercenary" are the best live representations here from the BRAVE NEW WORLD album. As for the older songs..."2 Minutes to Midnight," "The Evil That Men Do," and especially "Hallowed Be Thy Name" are the best performances of the classic material. Nicko McBrain's powerful drumming alone on "Hallowed" is worth the price of this album. "Sanctuary" ain't too shabby either, with a fun extended closing section courtesy of Mr. Janick Gers.

I was not bored once throughout this entire two-hour extravaganza. ROCK IN RIO is undoubtedly 21st century Maiden at its shining hour.

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