Here’s a tribute to one of the most influential metal bands of all time, the mighty Iron Maiden. This compilation was put out by Dwell records a few years back and there’s even a call to irons part 2 which I unfortunately don’t have. Anyway on to the music and the bands that infest this album. STEEL PROPHET – The Ides of March/Purgatory This is an absolutely brilliant and flawless cover. Starting off with the classic instrumental they rush headlong into a killer rendition of one of my favorite maiden tracks. They breathe new life into this classic with passionate vocals and sublime guitar work. Excellent. 10/10 ANCIENT WISDOM – Powerslave Another brilliantly executed rendition with highly innovative use of keyboards giving this an extremely eerie feel. Great vocals and an excellent solo further enhance the beauty of the song.Awesome 9.5/10 VITAL REMAINS – Trooper I must admit I expected something exceptional from them but I was left quite disappointed in the end. Musically done note for note, the only difference being the growling vocals which sound alright but makes you yearn for the classic. 6/10 ANGELCORPSE – Genghis Khan Holy, holy shit. What an amazing cover of this brilliant instrumental. The drumming is absolutely unbelievable. The song has been sped up ten fold and the guitar work is stellar. Phenomenal. 10/10 SOLITUDE AETERNUS – Hallowed be thy name Nicely executed cover of one of maidens most popular tracks. Strong clean vocals and spot on musicianship lend considerable muscle to the song, and although done slightly slower than the original it still carries through very well. 8.5/10 NEW EDEN – Phantom of the opera Excellent version of yet another classic. Again the musicianship is superb and a little heavier than the original. 9/10 OPETH – Remember tomorrow Slightly faster than the original Opeth do an excellent job with beautiful guitar structures and serene vocals. Classy. 9/10 MORGION – To tame a land Done much heavier than the original and with good use of keyboards they manage to build up quite an atmosphere although I still prefer the original. 8/10 EVOKEN – Strange world Horrible, horrible, horrible. The vocalist sounds like he has a bad hangover and the guitars are badly out of tune. They should be butchered for screwing a brilliant classic. Pathetic. 1/10 OPERA IX – Rime of the ancient mariner Ill say it once and Ill say it for the last time. Women should NOT be allowed to growl. Bloody terrible, whiny growling and also pathetic off key clean vocals. While the music is somewhat accurate the solo has to be one of the worst pieces of crap I have ever heard. Of all the songs they had to fuck an epic. Bitches,cunts,whores. 1/10 ABSU – Transylvania Yet another excellently executed instrumental which is much faster than the original. Great drumming and bass work closing out this tribute with a bang. 9/10 All in all an excellent tribute to one of the true legends of metal. This compilation is well worth your money but I suggest you have a barf bag handy while listening to Evoken and Opera IX. Cheers.