"Powerslave is the fifth studio album by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on September 3, 1984. It is notable for its Egyptian theme displayed in the album art, as well in the title track's musical style. It contains a musical re-telling of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", which uses pieces of the original poem as lyrics, and is the longest song Iron Maiden have ever recorded at a length of 13 minutes and 38 seconds. The album is also notable amongst the band's albums as being the first album to feature the same lineup as the previous one. As of 2008, this is the last of the band's albums to contain an instrumental track: "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)." Powerslave is often considered one of their finest albums by fans and critics alike." - Excerpt from Wikipedia.orgI bought a cassette tape of this album in the early 90's and it became one of my regularly-played tapes. What I particularly like about it at was the infectious energy of the songs from the beginning to the last. What I learned later on that each track has it's own interesting tale to tell. Some of the notable tracks include:
"Aces High", a song about a WWII RAF pilot during the Battle of Britain in 1940 which marks the first time an air battle was fought in the British Isles, provides a jolting kickstart to the album's high-energy opening salvo.
"2 Minutes To Midnight", tells about that time in 1953 when the Doomsday Clock registered the closest ever to "midnight", representing catastrophic destruction. (Presently, the Clock is set at 5 minutes to midnight. The furthest it was set was 17 minutes to midnight in 1991).
"Flash of the Blade" starts off with a prominent guitar riff to accentuate the tale of dueling swordsmen. The awesome guitar solo showcases intricate lead guitar harmonies between Adrian Smith and Dave Murray, that Maiden is known for.
"Back In The Village" is another fast-paced number, based on the 1960's TV show "The Prisoner" which was said to be a favorite of Bruce Dickinson's.
"Powerslave" begins with high pitched scream followed by an ominous laughter. It tells about the demise of an Egyptian pharaoh. One of the album's best tracks.
"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is based on the poem with the same title by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. This epic song used portions from the poem itself to complement the song. It's a commendable choice for the band to inject classic poetry to their album.
This album is generally hailed as one of the best ever, if not THE best, to be produced by Iron Maiden and I believe the recognition is rightfully bestowed.
Release: 1984
Tracks listing:
1. Aces High
2. 2 Minutes To Midnight
3. Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)
4. Flash Of The Blade
5. The Duellists
6. Back In The Village
7. Powerslave
8. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
Band members:
Bruce Dickinson - vocals
Dave Murray - guitar
Adrian Smith - guitar, backing vocals
Steve Harris - bass
Nicko McBrain - drums
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