While 1992's
Fear of the Dark
was definitely more of a return to form for
Iron Maiden
, it still wasn't quite on par with their exceptional work from the '80s. Easily an improvement over 1990's lackluster
No Prayer for the Dying
(both musically and sonically), the album debuted on the U.K. charts at number one. The opening
"Be Quick or Be Dead"
proved
Maiden
could easily hold their own with younger
thrash metal
bands,
"From Here to Eternity"
contained lyrics that seem better fitted for
Moetley Cruee
, while the expected epic album-closing title track would become a concert staple (all three tracks were released as U.K. singles). While
records of the past would contain an album's worth of first-rate material,
is again weighed down with too many drab compositions --
"Childhood's End,"
"Chains of Misery,"
"Judas Be My Guide,"
and more. The serene
"Wasting Love"
proves to be one of
's better
ballads
of the '90s, while the rockers
"Fear Is the Key"
and
"Afraid to Shoot Strangers"
are also standouts.
would be singer
Bruce Dickinson
's final studio album with the band (until their late-'90s reunion), as he publicly voiced that he felt the band had run its course. ~ Greg Prato