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'Death on the Road'

A document of a German show from Iron Maiden's 2003 'Death on the Road' tour, this release is the band's sixth full-length live album. There are also masses of Maiden live material available on a plethora of EPs, B-sides, boxed sets and DVDs/videos. So what does this CD offer that we haven't already got half a dozen times?

Well, a bunch of tracks from the Dance of Death album, basically. As such, your enjoyment of this new CD will be largely dependant on your opinion of said platter. Personally, I thought that it was a solid collection of songs which successfully added some new wrinkles to the oft-derided Maiden formula, but those of you who would rather have Eddie cut off your ears than be subjected to the delicate acoustic strumming of 'Journeyman' might be better served by giving 'Live After Death' another spin instead. The more adventurous among you who take a chance on 'Death on the Road' will be rewarded by 90-odd minutes of well-written, well-played songs by a group of metal master-craftsmen.

As another Kevin Shirley/Steve Harris co-production, the sound is comparable to 2002's 'Rock in Rio' and manages to retain the 'on the night' authenticity of the show without sacrificing any clarity. As usual, there is nice balance between the musicians and the enthusiastically 'whoa-whoa-whoa'-ing crowd. Steve Harris has stated that this tour was of a more theatrical bent than usual, but all this really amounts to are a few vaguely embarrassing intros where poetry is read in a portentous voice over a background of rumbling sound effects (oh, and Bruce Dickinson poncing about in a silver cape and mask, but you'll have to wait for the promised DVD for that particular visual treat). There are occasions when Bruce seems even more breathless than usual - at the beginning of 'Fear of the Dark' it sounds as though his batteries are slowly running down - but the band are in generally fine form. As with all truly great metal bands, Maiden are at their finest in the live environment.

Of course, it goes without saying that this CD doesn't really come close to the legendary 'Live After Death', but taken on its own terms as a fan-targeted tour souvenir this hits the spot nicely. Unless you're a mega-fan, though, you might want to save your cash until the accompanying DVD is released. You don't really get the full Maiden live experience until you can see Steve Harris putting his foot on the monitor.