Iron Maiden's "Powerslave" was to metal what Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was to pop. If you were a fan of heavy metal in the 80's then this album was the soundtrack to your Saturday night out with the guys. There is just so much on this album to rave about, be it the killer chorus of "2 Minutes to Midnight", the great guitar track of "Flash of the Blade, the cool "Egyptian" sound to the title cut, of the epic "Rime of the Ancient Mariner". There was something here for every metal fan. Iron Maiden has made a career out of defying the norm, and in a time when most bands were riding the metal-pop wave, writing songs about Girls..Girls..Girls, or Talking Dirty to Me, Maiden's subject matter was the RAF during WWII and the Blitz with "Aces High". "Powerslave" is about Egyptian mythology, and the album also features a song about fencing "Flash of the Blade". Not your typical song matter for an 80's metal band. But the highlight of the album for me is "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", based on an 18th Century poem, this 12 minute epic tells the tale of a doomed captain and his ship, and is musically one of the most impressive songs in Maiden's catalog. If you haven't heard this song, then buy this album immediately! It's worth the price of the cd alone. It doesn't matter if you think "Powerslave" is Maiden's best album, or if you like "Beast" or "Piece of Mind" or any one of their other albums better, you have to respect Iron Maiden for what they accomplished with "Powerslave".

The World Slavery Tour was my first concert ever; and in retrospect, what a great concert to start with! By 1984, when "Powerslave" came out, Iron Maiden had established themselves at the top of the heavy metal heap. Their previous album, "Piece of Mind," was a huge seller, and the successful World Piece Tour set the bar high for the band's follow up. The radio was already playing "Two Minutes to Midnight," so I had an idea we'd have more of the same good music.

When "Powerslave" came out, I grabbed a copy as soon at it hit the stores. I still remember the album -- especially the textured front cover and a mass of hieroglyphics to decipher. (See what you lose with CD art?) There's all sorts of little messages Derek Riggs included in the cover, you just needed to have a hieroglyphics key to decipher them. I also recall there being a message scrawled on the vinyl's lead-out that said, "There's only one!" I'm not sure if that was just a random note or if there was anything to it. Who knows, maybe I had the winning album in some sort of meet the band contest.

Even though I had gotten a small sample of the music, I was a bit disappointed on first listen. I guess I was looking to be slapped in the face and bowled over by it, but that didn't happen. Maybe it was because the band's sound had become more technical, weaving together more intricate melodies, I'm not sure. Nevertheless, over the years, I've grown to really love the album.

In retrospect, this is a pretty good place to start if you've never heard a full album from the band's earlier days. I've always thought "The Number of the Beast" was better, but "Powerslave" shows a band reaching their creative peak. You not only get songs that widely regarded as Iron Maiden classics: "Aces High," "2 Minutes to Midnight," and "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," but the other songs round out the album almost to perfection. I have especially grown to love "Back in the Village" and "Flash of the Blade," two songs I'd love to see in the setlist.

One note -- I am especially thankful for "Rime of the Ancient Mariner;" it came along during Freshman year English class. While the song isn't the whole poem , it contained enough to allow me to quote several passages and pass many a quiz!

The year is 1984, and Iron Maiden are boarding a train. Bruce, Adrian, Dave, Steve, Nicko...all aboard? Now it's time to push the pedal to the metal, and don't let up until the album's over. The next stop? A classic, timeless metal album known as "Powerslave."

This English metal band is about as important to heavy metal as Black Sabbath and Metallica. They debuted in 1980, when bands like Ramones and Clash were popular. So, Iron Maiden (and other New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands, like Motorhead and Judas Priest) killed off the uprising of punk, and helped to keep heavy metal alive in the `80's.

"Powerslave" flies by at about the same pace as a Judas Priest record, but there's more to this album than just speed. Like stellar musicianship and super catchy rhythms. Plus, frontman Bruce Dickinson's vocals may be considered by some to be annoying, but I think they help to give Iron Maiden a sound of their own. His famous British-accented upper register usually shines in every song, and he also makes some good vocal hooks.

"Aces High" begins with a chugging riff and stop-start bursts of drums. It then becomes a continuous, running beat, with some of the aforementioned high pitched singing (which sounds similar to Maiden's earlier hit, "Run to the Hills.")

"2 Minutes to Midnight" has another fast, catchy riff and two melodic solos. This song is really a highlight, though, because the chorus is a shout-along (well, almost).

"Losfer Words (Big `Orra)" is a personal favorite, because it's an instrumental. A lot of heavy metal's best albums (i.e. Metallica's "Master of Puppets," etc.) have instrumentals, and not only does "Powerslave" have one, it has a GREAT one. This song features some great guitar work (including a classical sounding solo), and a couple of tempo changes.

"Duellists" is also mostly an instrumental (the middle and most of the end is free of vocals). It also has a fast, chugging riff, two more tasty solos, and a couple more speed changes.

"Powerslave" has mostly galloping riffs. It slows down for the middle, when there are two wailing solos, but it turns back to the galloping beat near the end.

Even though they may not be as relevant now as they were in the 1980's, they have influenced many popular bands (like Metallica), so the spirt of Iron Maiden lives on through them. Plus, even if you don't give them credit for being one of metal's most important and influential bands, "Powerslave" is still a classic, timeless masterpiece which should always have a place in every metalhead's C.D. collection.

It really is a damned shame, isn't it? This generation's sorry excuse for music is being recieved with misplaced fervor and adulation by would-be critics while grandiose epics such as Iron Maiden's "Powerslave" are fading into obscurity due to the gratuitous ignorance of the MTV-worshiping youth. Makes me cry. Just the thought of someone choosing Fall Out Boy and Avril Lavinge over Iron Maiden makes me ill. Maybe I'm out of line, but i strongly doubt it.

Having been around for nearly a decade by this time, Iron Maiden's sound was developing from their early punk-styled streetwise songs to complex masterpieces. The Number Of The Beast saw the beginning of this change. The band's 1984 release, Powerslave, was the moment where their new style shined it brightest.

Like the previous release, 1983's Piece Of Mind, this album has the classic, and most likely the best, Iron Maiden lineup. Bruce "The Air Raid" Dickinson takes the forefront and vocals and sings with raw energy and power while having refined his ability over the last two albums. Guitarists Adrian Smith and Dave Murray play the harmonies that are so tight it's hard to imagine how they pull it off. They also let off some blazing solos when the time comes. As always, bassist and main lyricist Steve Harris lets himself be heard in the low end as he pounds, slaps and jams with the rhythm of Nicko McBrain, whose drumming is masterful and incredible.

The album starts off with the classic Aces High. The song starts a little slowly but once the harmony and rhythm kicks in, you know your time has come. The song is fast paced; hard, heavy and powerful with some great guitar work and a showcase of Dickinson's vocal refinement. Next comes another classic and live favorite: 2 Minutes To Midnight. Slower than the previous song, the guitars are very tight while the rhythm is powerful as Dickinson sings away with perfection. Next is Losfer Words (Big Orra), which is one of the 4 instrumentals that Iron Maiden has recorded in their career. A very cool song, the guitars shine, the bass is all over the place and the drumming is solid and consistent. Flash Of The Blade comes next and this is an awesome song about fighting and being a swordsman. The opening guitar is pretty interesting but blows into a hard song that rocks until its over. Not much to say about this song except awesome.

Another song about fighting, The Duellists follows up. It is basically a continuation of Flash Of The Blade with the heavy guitars and pounding rhythm but it is definitely a great song. One of my favorites on this album, Powerslave is an incredible song. Right away, the song hits home with heaviness. Dickinson steps in with the microphone and sings incredible lyrics about an evil Egyptian god. The guitar of the pre-chorus is cool and gives the song and evil type sound but the chorus is where everything shines. Dickinson's vocals soar while the other instruments play something similar to a march or even their signature galloping sound. The song breaks down into a soft piece but picks up again and ends in perfection. The final song, the longest song Iron Maiden has ever done, is Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. All any fan can say about this song is "wow". Its is simply incredible. The guitars gallop, the bass pounds, the drums flow and Dickinson's vocals are amazing. The breakdown with the spoken part is eerie but cool. And like the song Powerslave, the song comes full circle and ends perfectly. Words can not begin to describe this song.

Among Iron Maiden's 12 studio albums, a majority of fans vote this album to be one of their favorites. It has everything Iron Maiden stood for from the beginning. Although a number of these songs aren't played live anymore, they are still classics in their own right and you have to love each and every one of them. I recommend this for every Maiden fan and any fan of metal in general. Go on. Buy it.