Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time - 1986

Take a look at that GLORIOUS cover.  Just look at it.  It's freekin' brilliant.  Eddie is the BEST metal mascot ever.  I have this t-shirt also, and I wear the shit out of it.  When I made this cover, I didn't even put the Iron Maiden logo on it, because I didn't want to destroy it.  It's perfect as it is.  And, if you don't know who this group is, and a logo is going to make the difference, don't even bother.  Go home.

Every IM cover is a masterpiece, though.  Aces High, Powerslave, Purgatory, The Trooper...  just to name a few.  (I'm wearing a Live After Death t-shirt right now, as I type this.)

My first IM album, I sorta knew what to expect.  I knew who they were and what they sounded like, but was never really interested until I saw the cover for this album.  I was reading Frank Herbert's Chapterhouse: Dune at the time, and although I loved the cover already, seeing Herbert Ails (along with Bradbury Towers) really took it over the top for me.  What a grand slam.

AS FAR AS THE MUSIC IS CONCERNED...

It's not their best album, but I would probably rank it as their third best.  Nice and heavy, yet melodic and catchy.  The songs will stick in your head and you'll be humming them all day long.  I love the singles off the album, but my favorite track is Sea Of Madness.  And, their cover of Juanita is terrific.  Nice to see them do something less...  serious?

So, listen up and enjoy.  ONE MORE DAY of "Heavy Metal Week", and the single post I'll make tomorrow is pretty good.  I know you'll like it...

Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time - 1986