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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Bell Centre, Montreal, QC, 10/30/2024)

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La bête a détruit Montréal lors d’une incroyable soirée de pur Heavy Metal, peu importe que ce soit en anglais ou en français.

INTRO: No for IMFC Meetup… but yes for FTTB, Pt. II

Although I don’t think there was an official Iron Maiden Fan Club meetup in Montreal on Tuesday night, as most fans seem to have attended the Habs game instead, The Future Past Tour 2024 stop in the city by THE HU and IRON MAIDEN at Bell Centre was absolutely amazing from start to finish, with the rowdy Montreal crowd giving a hard time to security and to everyone who endured FTTB – First to the Barrier the entire day, including myself. In addition, we couldn’t have asked for a better weather in the city the day of the show, as miraculously it wasn’t cold at all; quite the contrary, the temperatures were above the +17oC mark (I think it even went past the +20oC at some point), making our lives a lot easier than of the folks who had to brave -2oC and snow in Quebec City a couple of days before. and of course, althoguh the headline of this review is in French, the review will be in English, in the best montreal style possible, ça va?

OPENING ACT: The Hu

Also, for our total delight, we had Mongolian Folk Metal brigade THE HU opening the show in Montreal (instead of the horrible DJ from Toronto), and let me tell you that those Mongolian warriors put on a great live show, if you’re curious to see them live one day. Spearheaded by the trio formed of Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar, Nyamjantsan “Jaya” Galsanjamts and Enkhsaikhan “Enkush” Batjargal, armed with their beautiful morin khuurs (also known as the horsehead fiddle, a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument), and playing songs from their excellent albums The Gereg and Rumble of Thunder, all also featured in their 2024 live album Live at Glastonbury, those Mongolians kicked some serious ass, with songs like TATAR Warrior, Wolf Totem and This Is Mongol sounding absolutely heavy and tight on stage. I guess most people at the venue enjoyed their set, of course even without being able to sing a single song along with them, but in the case of The Hu it’s all about the power of their music, their theatricals, and their Mongolian heritage. And seriously, they were shredding those stunning morin khuurs! I truly want one of those!

Setlist
Gereg
Bosoo
Tuurugdul
TATAR Warrior
Grey Hun
Black Thunder
Yuve Yuve Yu
Wolf Totem
This Is Mongol

Band members
Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar – morin khuur, throat singing
Nyamjantsan “Jaya” Galsanjamts – tumur hhuur, tsuur, throat singing
Enkhsaikhan “Enkush” Batjargal – morin khuur, throat singing
Temuulen “Temka” Naranbaatar – tovshuur, backing vocals
Unumunkh “Ono” Maralkhuu – percussion, tumur hhuur, backing vocals
Jambaldorj “Jamba” Ayush – guitars, backing vocals
Nyamdavaa “Davaa” Byambaa – bass, backing vocals
Odbayar “Odko” Gantumur – drums

IRON MAIDEN

It was then finally time for another killer round at the barrier together with the one and only IRON MAIDEN, once again melting our faces with their Somewhere In Time and Senjutsu-based setlist, and add to that the rowdier than usual crowd in Montreal and there you have the recipe for a warlike, incendiary metal concert. If you ever do FTTB, be warned that trying to stay on Dave and Adrian’s side because they throw more picks also means having to endure a lot more pushing, sweat, disrespectful people who arrive five minutes before the show but somehow believe the band members are their friends and they’re special, so they need to be at the barrier at all costs, and so on. That’s why I chose the other side of the stage for a less rowdy experience, which doesn’t mean there weren’t tons of circle pits, crowd surfers and some fist fights around us. Yes, FTTB can be a small war when the boys start their show. In my case, there was this middle-aged dude right behind me trying to hold the barrier with both hands, and I understand he was trying to do that to stay safe because of all the pushing, but it looked like a metal version of Jack and Rose form the movie Titanic at times.

I honestly don’t know how I managed to take decent photos of the show because it was total anarchy close to the stage, to the point several fans had to be taken out because they were not feeling OK at all, with a couple of them even passing out during the show. And speaking of photographers, why were there so many in Montreal, but basically none in Toronto apart from Tom Pandi? I mean, I really miss having the photos by Keith Ibbitson on the Toronto review, but I guess it is what it is. Anyway, back to the show, although the setlist was the exact same of the entire tour, as well as Bruce’s jokes, at least this time he told all of those jokes in French (just like in Quebec City), which was good for me so I could practice my French as I knew exactly what he was going to say; not only that, the band sounded amazing just like in Toronto, and I will say it again that these two Canadian shows I attended were like a return to form by Nicko at least for me, compared to his performance in Australia. He even threw one of his drumsticks directly to me as if he was like “here, my friend… this is for you to see that Nicko is still alive and kicking!” I loved it!

It was once again a true pleasure witnessing the boys blasting amazing tunes like Caught Somewhere in Time, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Prisoner and Alexander the Great to their avid Iron Maiden family, and not even the absolute mayhem caused by the fans in the floor section during Hell on Earth, The Trooper and Wasted Years could make the entire night less special. I know some people believe a show is only cool with some wild pushing, but I personally think you have to respect whoever arrives before you, and also pay attention to who’s around you because smaller people can get really hurt in some cases. Well, when the show was over and we were all covered in sweat (our own and from others too), holding our beloved prizes, and taking the famous flag photo, I was already thinking about the next tour, or when I’ll be able to see them next, because the boys undoubtedly love Canada and they’ll surely come back in the coming years for more Iron Maiden madness in the Great White North.

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, 10/26/2024)

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A perfect weekend in Toronto can only happen to the sound of the one and only Iron Maiden.

INTRO: IMFC Meetup and FTTB, Pt. I

This weekend in Toronto might have been the most Iron Maiden weekend ever in the city, when the Dental Floss Salesmen From Montana, also known as IRON MAIDEN, finally brought to the 6 their undisputed The Future Past World Tour 2024 at Scotiabank Arena, in this case without THE HU for reasons beyond anyone’s control, but that didn’t stop all Maidenmaniacs at the show from having the time of their lives. A day before that it was time for a very nice and sweet Iron Maiden Fan Club meetup at The Loose Moose, where around 25-30 IMFC members had a great time talking about music and life, having some good quality food and some amazing beers, and proving once again why the IMFC is like the perfect family we’ve always asked for.

IMFC Meetup @ The Loose Moose

Then on Saturday it was time for the (in)famous FTTB – First to the Barrier experience, with some of the winners lining up so early to the point whoever arrived there after 8am would already be number 15 or higher. Well, it is what it is, I mean, if you have nothing better to do, why not showing up early, right? In Australia, for example, I didn’t even put my name for FTTB, as I knew I was going to be doing tourist stuff until close to show time, but in Toronto and on a Saturday it was perfect for me to get there a little earlier. The whole FTTB day went smoothly and we all had a great time spending the day with some old friends and some new faces, and not even the dropping temperatures were capable of taking our excitement away for the show that was about to come. The only bummer was that because The Hu couldn’t make it in time for the show, we had to spend almost three hours at the barrier after getting into the venue without nothing to do, but no one seemed to care about that in the end.

OPENING ACT: Instead of The Hu, we got…

…a so-called “metal DJ” that no one asked for. Seriously, Mongolian Folk Metal squad THE HU might be the most unique opening act for Iron Maiden in years, but instead we got a random DJ who despite trying his best, couldn’t read the room and make two crucial changes to his “performance”. The first was to simply turn the volume down a bit, or at least the bass, because it got way too noisy and no one could hear their own thoughts during those 45 excruciating minutes; and second and most important, although I’m a fan of Industrial, Thrash and Speed Metal, those are definitely NOT the styles you should play to an Iron Maiden crowd. Some of the songs played were OK, like Metallica’s “Motorbreath”, but overall it was way too noisy and convoluted for the average Maiden fan. At least I checked and The Hu made it to Quebec City, so I’ll be very happy to see them live this Wednesday in Montreal instead of another random DJ that apparently knows nothing about the audience at a Maiden show.

IRON MAIDEN

Everyone at the barrier asked why IRON MAIDEN couldn’t have started their show a little bit earlier then, maybe adding two or three songs to their setlist in honor of the deceased Paul Di’Anno (RIP legend!), but of course it’s not that easy to change the whole event like that (in special when the setlist is a fusion of Somewhere In Time and Senjutsu, period), as I know some people already have their plans in place to get to the venue just in time for Maiden. Anyway, it was 8:50pm when, as in all other cities of this tour, UFO’s Doctor Doctor started playing in the PAs followed by the end titles for the movie Blade Runner, setting the tone for the indomitable Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and Nicko McBrain to kick the city of Toronto hard in the ass with a flawless and very energetic performance.

And although the entire setlist was the exact same from the entire tour, it’s always a different show, as you have to pay attention to the nuances of all the action going on on and off stage. For instance, Bruce screwed up big time the first or second verse of Caught Somewhere in Time, Nicko sounded way better (and looked way happier) than in Australia, which has nothing to do with Australia itself but most probably to his very effective physiotherapy to get in better shape, and the overall quality of the sound was also fantastic compared to other previous concerts in the city. I’m also very proud of the Toronto fans, because the crowd was electrified, singing all songs, screaming, raising their horns and so on, while at the same time being very respectful to everyone around them. Pushing, smashing others, trying to get to the front row no matter what are not a synonym to a nice show, and not fun at all, and Toronto proved a show can be absolutely thrilling without the need of that disrespectful behavior. Thank you, Toronto!

The highlights of the setlist this Saturday were undoubtedly The Writing on the Wall, The Prisoner, and pretty much everything from Alexander the Great until the very last notes of Wasted Years, proving they don’t need to play “the classics” (whatever that means, because all of their songs are classics as soon as they’re launched) to win their fans right away. A new song like Hell on Earth sounded absolutely brilliant, and it felt like it was a classic from the 80’s, just to confirm that bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, KISS and so on don’t just create music, but they create TIMELESS music. I didn’t catch any drumstick, guitar picks or wristbands like some of my buddies, but I’ll forever hold the memories of that amazing Saturday night in my mind and in my heart. And now, off to Montreal for more, of course!

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 09/12/2024)

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How about another excellent show by the boys Down Under before heading back to Canada?

INTRO: IMFC Meetup

After skipping the concert in Brisbane to have more time to enjoy both Melbourne and Sydney, it was time for another explosion of heavy music by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and IRON MAIDEN during the Australia & New Zealand leg of The Future Past Tour 2024, this time at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. By the way, I only did night one in Sydney, returning to Canada on Friday September 13 so I could make it in time to worship the Metal Gods (which will be published here in another concert review). However, due to the Iron Maiden Fan Club meetup at The Squires Landing on the night of September 11, it actually felt like more than just one show. It was fantastic seeing some old friends and putting faces to new ones while enjoying a few pints, and not even the British Lion concert happening at the same time stopped over 40 IMFC members to celebrate life and music together at the pub. I love those meetups, and I can’t wait for the Toronto one next month.

OPENING ACT: Killswitch Engage

I can say that I finished my Australian adventure with absolutely zero sight of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. It was impossible to arrive early at the venue having so many attractions to see in the city like the Bondi to Coogee Walk, Manly Beach, the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, as well as some further sites like the Blue Mountains. I’m sorry if you’re a fan of the band, but with so much to do I didn’t even care about getting to the venue in time to see them at least once. Everyone I asked later how their concert was said “it was OK” without a lot of enthusiasm, so I guess I made the right decision to ignore the band and enjoy some time by the sea seeing some whales and dolphins in their natural habitat, right? By the way, everyone I spoke to that did the FTTB experience in any of the Australian dates said they were tired of Killswitch Engage, most probably because after a long wait outside the venue, when you finally get in you simply want to see Iron Maiden and nothing else, and that’s even worse when the opening band plays something most fans don’t listen to on a regular basis.

Setlist
My Curse
This Fire
Strength of the Mind
The Arms of Sorrow
A Bid Farewell
In Due Time
The Signal Fire
Unleashed
Hate by Design
Rose of Sharyn
This Is Absolution
The End of Heartache
My Last Serenade
Holy Diver

Band members
Jesse Leach – lead vocals
Adam Dutkiewicz – lead guitars, backing vocals
Joel Stroetzel – rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Mike D’Antonio – bass
Justin Foley – drums

IRON MAIDEN

Once again, there I was ready for a blast of The Future Past Tour 2024 in Australia by IRON MAIDEN, again blending the best of the albums Somewhere In Time and Senjutsu, as a “farewell” to my trip Down Under. As mentioned, I didn’t stay for night two in Sydney because the Metal Gods were calling me back to Canada, but according to my friends I got the best of the two shows in Sydney as both the band and the crowd were more electric and in sync on the first night. There isn’t a lot I can say about the show that hasn’t been said before, except for the fact that Bruce was absolutely out of tempo during the first part of Caught Somewhere in Time, and it was funny watching the rest of the band trying to “fix” the error. The same songs that were the top moments of the shows in Melbourne were also the best ones in Sydney, in special Hell on Earth with all of its pyro (the only real pyro of their entire setlist, by the way), and of course Wasted Years, the perfect closure for my vacation in the land of kangaroos, koalas and quokkas.

Let’s say that the pre and post show activities were just as fun as the show itself, with a quick trip to the Trooper Dive Bar & Fan Meet at The Locker Room, located only five minutes walking from the venue (as pretty much anything else inside the beautiful Sydney Olympic Park), chatting with a few people that were about to see Iron Maiden live for the first time ever, and obviously meeting with my friends from the IMFC one last time before heading back to Canada. I like to say that although the shows are usually the same, with the exact same setlist played night after night, there’s always something unique or different to enjoy, and even after seeing the boys three times Down Under I can’t wait to see them again in Toronto and Montreal next month, and meet again several familiar faces that love to follow the band all over the world, especially when the place is as stunning and fun as Australia.

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 09/06/2024 & 09/07/2024)

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How about a trip Down Under for two nights of undisputed Heavy Metal with the world famous dental floss salesmen from Montana?

INTRO: Trooper Dive Bar & Fan Meet

What a wild and ultra busy trip Down Under to see the boys in action, my dear metalheads! I’m sorry for not posting this review of the KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and IRON MAIDEN shows at Rod Laver Arena during The Future Past Tour 2024 before,  but it was absolutely impossible to spend any time in front of my laptop writing the review as there was so much to do in Melbourne, a very beautiful city (but with a shitty weather). And I was lucky enough to be “cured” from any type of jet lag after having spent five days in New Zealand doing lots of tourist stuff (including a visit to Hobbiton) before heading to Melbourne for the shows. Well, here it is, finally, with the date being retroactive to the day after both shows in the city. I didn’t attend the first two shows of the Australia & New Zealand tour in Perth and Adelaide, but I guess Melbourne was by far the biggest event after Sydney, obviously, with both days being sold out. However, before talking about the shows, let me talk a little about the experience of meeting Maidenmaniacs from all over the world outside of the actual venue.

Although there wasn’t an official IMFC meetup in Melbourne, countless fans enjoyed a very decent amount of Trooper beer, early access to merch, and some quality time with friends and family at the famous local pub Young & Jackson, which was transformed into the Trooper Dive Bar & Fan Meet during the two days of show in the city. If you don’t know what the Trooper Dive Bar & Fan Meet is, just search for it on Google and you’ll see how awesome the initiative was Down Under. Hopefully they’ll bring that same experience to Canada and the United States in October, because it was indeed fantastic to spend a few hours prior to the shows with lots of old and new friends! Also, there were some guys distributing what was called a “fan card” with a QR code that once scanned could provide you with some amazing memorabilia including a signed copy of the tour’s setlist. Of course I didn’t win anything, but just having one of those fan cards as a souvenir of such an unforgettable trip Down Under was already good enough for me.

OPENING ACT: Killswitch Engage

This will be the quickest and fastest review of a band ever, as I have absolutely no idea of how KILLSWITCH ENGAGE performed in Australia. I mean, I didn’t apply for First To The Barrier (the famous FTTB) in Australian lands, which means I didn’t have to be at the venue before 4 or 5pm like in previous FTTB experiences, spending my time visiting different sites and beaches almost until it was time for Iron Maiden to hit the stage both on September 6 and 7, getting inside the venue only when it was already close to 8:30pm. To be fair, I don’t think Killswitch Engage were the best option to open for Iron Maiden in Australia and New Zealand despite having a few good songs in their discography, and I guess the vast majority of fans had the same opinion as most people waited until the last minute to enter the Rod Laver Arena on both days. At least in North America we’re getting The HU, a much more interesting and unique band, so it will be worth it arriving at the show ahead of time.

Setlist
My Curse
This Fire
Strength of the Mind
The Signal Fire
Unleashed
Hate by Design
Rose of Sharyn
In Due Time
This Is Absolution
The End of Heartache
My Last Serenade
Holy Diver

Band members
Jesse Leach – lead vocals
Adam Dutkiewicz – lead guitars, backing vocals
Joel Stroetzel – rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Mike D’Antonio – bass
Justin Foley – drums

IRON MAIDEN

If you follow IRON MAIDEN regularly, you probably know they almost never make any changes to their setlist during a tour, and of course it couldn’t have been any different during the Australia & New Zealand leg of The Future Past Tour. In all cities they visited this time, including of course Melbourne, the setlist was the exact same played in Europe in 2022 and in Canada in 2023 (and it will also be the same in the US and Canada dates this October), blending classics from their 1986 cult album Somewhere In Time with their most recent installment Senjutsu, and obviously a few other hits. Songs like Caught Somewhere in Time, The Writing on the Wall, The Prisoner, Alexander the Great, Hell on Earth and Wasted Years were the highlights of both nights in Melbourne, showing a tight band that refuses to slow down due to their age, in special Mr. Adrian Smith. This is his tour, and he’s on fire in all shows. Simply brilliant.

Another thing that was exactly the same both nights (actually, in all of their concerts Down Under) were the jokes told by Bruce, with a few minor adjustments, including of course his already famous “can I play with Agnes?”, plus his obsession with quokkas. And in terms of the audience, let’s say that the crowd seemed very quiet or tired on night one, maybe because they attended the concert right after a full week of work, but everything changed on night two with a much more active and electrified crowd. If anyone asks me why I went to Australia to see the same show multiple times, my answer is quite simple. The band won’t be around for much longer, and even if they do it won’t be the same thing; Nicko is clearly slower than ever due to his recent health issues (but he still got it, and I don’t know how he manages to perform almost every night at his age), which makes me think that he might not be with the boys if they ever visit Australia again. Anyway, after two amazing concerts in the cold city of Melbourne, it was time for some sunshine and stunning beaches in Sydney, plus obviously another superb sonic blast from the dental floss salesmen from Montana the following week!

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB, 09/30/2023)

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The future Past Tour 2023 turned the city of Edmonton into “Eddie-monton” thanks to one of the wildest Iron Maiden crowds ever in Canadian lands.

INTRO: IMFC Meetup and FTTB, Pt. II

The day after the concert in Calgary, I would say all Iron Maiden Fan Club members (plus a lot of locals as well) headed up a little further north to Edmonton for another round of IRON MAIDEN during the band’s The Future Past Tour 2023 (plus of course the opening act ATREYU). Once again, one day before the actual concert a big group gathered at On The Rocks for another successful IMFC Meetup, sharing a few beers with old and new friends, enjoying a few metal hymns played by the DJ including “Run to the Hills” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”, and a live band playing pop songs from the 80’s. The pub was even giving away two tickets for the concert, but I bet the old fella who won those sold them online right away. As I mentioned in the review for the Calgary show, the meetups have a unique energy that’s worth going out of your way to make it there.

A few hours after the meetup, several of us had a (very) early start to join the FTTB – First to the Barrier at Rogers Place for another memorable day with our blood brothers and sisters in preparation for the concert that night. And I gotta say the FTTB meeting point this time was a blessing from the metal gods, as we were able to stay indoors (yes, with a roof and away from the chilly Edmonton weather) with easy access to washrooms and to an array of restaurants like Boston Pizza! It was so relaxed and comfy there that it didn’t feel like we were there for almost 12 hours before getting into the venue. This was most probably the nicest FTTB ever, with no cold weather, no winds, no rain, no starvation nor dehydration being present, making it A LOT easier for us all to endure the battlefield that the GA section turned into as soon as the lights went down later that day for the concert.

OPENING ACT: Atreyu

Precisely at 7:30pm, California’s own Metalcore act ATREYU did what was expected of them once again, putting on a very entertaining show for both their regular fans as well as for anyone who had no idea who they were. Frontman Brandon Saller made an excellent use of the wild energy emanating from the crowd to demand some mosh pits, and he was promptly answered by most kids in the floor section, which in the end put a huge smile in the faces of all band members. When they played the song Save Us and asked the crowd to scream those two words with them, the reply from the whole venue was pretty loud, with their bassist Marc “Porter” McKnight later taking some time to say how much they admire and respect the Maiden family for being so nice to them and for enjoying their show more than anyone could have imagined. That was indeed a wild concert by Atreyu, and if the opening band already turned up the heat that much at the Rogers Place, you can imagine what happened when Iron Maiden hit the stage, right?

Setlist
Drowning
Becoming the Bull
Right Side of the Bed
Save Us
When Two Are One
The Theft
The Time Is Now
Gone
Ex’s and Oh’s
Battle Drums
Falling Down
Watch Me Burn
Warrior
Blow

Band members
Brandon Saller – clean vocals
Dan Jacobs – lead guitar, backing vocals
Travis Miguel – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Marc “Porter” McKnight – harsh vocals, bass
Kyle Rosa – drums

IRON MAIDEN

And there we were all again precisely at 8:50pm, going crazy already during the first few seconds of Doctor Doctor, for one more flammable performance by the “dental floss salesmen from Montana” (also known as IRON MAIDEN) for our personal “collection” of concerts; however, this time things got pretty wild for a Canadian show, placing the Edmonton gig as one of the roughest crowds I’ve ever experienced worldwide. All hell broke loose the minute the band hit the stage with their old school classics from Somewhere In Time and their newer ones from Senjutsu, with that madness happening even during slower or more melodic songs like The Writing on the Wall and Death of the Celts. We were being smashed and pulverized by the wild fans from the GA, but we didn’t get to the venue so early to give up our spot at the barrier, so we did our best to survive that.

Remember when I talked about meeting “Mr. Lobster” during the FTTB wait in Calgary? I think I forgot to mention it was just a crazy dude fully dressed as a lobster, but that weird costume paid off in Edmonton as Bruce himself spotted that guy during the speech before The Time Machine and questioned if he came all the way from the ocean walking to Edmonton. As a matter of fact, Bruce was so impressed with the guy’s costume that instead of waving his arms in the air during the breathtaking Hell on Earth, which was by the way the most amazing song of the night in my humble opinion, he put his hands in the air like if he had “lobsters claws”. A small but awesome touch to the concert by Bruce, I might say. I just think that next time Mr. Lobster needs a friend dressed as a steak, so they can form a “surf and turf” duo at the show.

Back to the concert, all that pushing and smashing was getting wilder and tougher as the band continued to stun us with an avalanche of classics, making it quite difficult to jump up and down during Heaven Can Wait, for example, or to raise our arms and fists in the air together with the band. Some tiny girls behind us were being crushed into pieces to the point we kept turning to them to ask if they were OK, if they needed some water and so on. The crowd surfing was also insane, and I guess I’ll never see so many crowd surfers again during a song like Hell on Earth anywhere in the world. Of course things got even worse when the boys played Fear of the Dark, but who cares? Nothing that some time at the gym and some cardio can’t take care of.

By the end of the show, it was visible how Bruce, Steve, Adrian, Dave, Janick and Nicko were amazed by the rowdy reaction of the crowd throughout the entire concert, with the nonstop action in the GA being highly acclaimed by the band, and of course, with Bruce being stunned with the loud chants of “Maiden! Maiden! Maiden!” to the point he left his microphone behind and simply enjoyed such beautiful moment with the fans. The Trooper and Wasted Years were pure war in the floor section, something you could only see in places like Brazil or Argentina, but the Edmonton fans made sure they’re also going to be “feared” whenever the band returns to the city. And after all was said and done, there was a very emotional moment with one of the most amazing members of the IMFC that brought tears of joy to the eyes of several of us, including myself of course. I’m not going to add all details here, but all I’m going to say is that next time someone questions me why I still listen to Iron Maiden after so many years, I’ll just smile back at that person.

Unfortunately due to budget limitations and work-related duties I couldn’t make it to the Vancouver show, but that doesn’t mean my Canadian Iron Maiden journey finished with the show in Edmonton. Even at the West Edmonton Mall and at the airport on Sunday I saw countless Maiden shirts and chatted with some of those fans, proving how strong the connection is between Maidenheads no matter what. One of the funniest moments happened at the airport right before boarding the plane, when two kids who were around six or seven years old kept looking at my new Sasquatch Eddie shirt. The oldest one said hi to me and then he smiled and said he liked my shirt, even showing me his dinosaur backpack to show how cool he also is. That was amazing, and from now on I’ll call the city of Edmonton as “Eddie-monton”, the Iron Maiden capital of Western Canada.

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB, 09/28/2023)

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And the one and only Iron Maiden took the city of Calgary by storm with the absolutely stunning first concert of their three Canadian dates during The Future Past Tour 2023.

INTRO: IMFC Meetup and FTTB, Pt. I

What a lovely couple of days Maidenheads from all over the world had in Calgary, Alberta this week with the one and only IRON MAIDEN (with opening act ATREYU) during the first stop of their Western Canadian dates as the last part of their undisputed The Future Past Tour 2023. However, before all that metal extravaganza took over the old school Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday night, several members of the IMFC – Iron Maiden Fan Club, including myself, had an amazing meetup the day before the concert at a pub named Bear & Kilt, with over 40 Maiden fans storming the pub (when we had an initial reservation for only 20 people). Well, I don’t think the pub owner nor the waitresses were unhappy with all the extra money they made on a Wednesday night, right? And if you’re following the band anywhere, also make sure you attend some of those meetups because the energy is simply amazing!

The other awesome perk we get for being part of the IMFC is obviously the FTTB – First to the Barrier experience, and once you get a taste of it, it becomes an addiction. Thursday morning several Maidenheads arrived really early to the venue to already get their numbers and line up for the FTTB, which allows you to get into the venue around 15-30 minutes before everyone else and secure a dream spot at the barrier. The experience in Calgary was fantastic, as the location and the weather were great and we could enjoy about 12 hours together with other fans, not to mention there were decent washrooms and a restaurant within a 5-minute walk from the meeting point, and the chance to chat with “Mr. Lobster” (who will be part of our Edmonton review, by the way). And to make things even more fun, we had the utmost pleasure of listening to the band doing their soundcheck in the middle of the afternoon. We weren’t inside the venue, of course, but we could listen to everything through the gates. That was indeed a unique experience for most guys and girls there, I must say, and of course I’m sure everyone was ready for more when we headed to the FTTB in Edmonton two days later.

OPENING ACT: Atreyu

After a long (but fun) wait, it was finally time for some live music for all FTTB winners plus of course everyone else who was already inside the venue when at 7:30pm Yorba Linda, California-based Metalcore veterans ATREYU hit the stage for a weird/eclectic/fun performance, and I used all those words because that’s how the show truly was. Mixing songs form their entire career with newer ones like Save Us and Warrior, from their 2021 album Baptize, and Drowning, Watch Me Burn and Gone, from their upcoming album The Beautiful Dark of Life (to be released by the end of 2023), the band formed of Brandon Saller, Dan Jacobs, Travis Miguel, Marc “Porter” McKnight and Kyle Rosa delivered an amalgamation of styles that makes it hard to list everything they played, even adding elements from Hip Hop to their music, plus an excerpt of I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), a classic by Whitney Houston, a moment that according to Brandon and Marc was inspired by those two guys having a bromance time by the river in Calgary earlier that day. In the end, everyone at the venue had a good time, the band got a very positive reaction from the crowd, and we were all pumped for the main attraction then. Good feelings and vibes, my friends!

Setlist
Drowning
Becoming the Bull
Save Us
Falling Down
Watch Me Burn
The Time Is Now
Ex’s and Oh’s
Gone
Battle Drums
Warrior
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (Whitney Houston cover)
Blow

Band members
Brandon Saller – clean vocals
Dan Jacobs – lead guitar, backing vocals
Travis Miguel – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Marc “Porter” McKnight – harsh vocals, bass
Kyle Rosa – drums

IRON MAIDEN

We didn’t know if the barrier was going to be relaxed or rough during the flawless, unparalleled performance by British Heavy Metal titans IRON MAIDEN, but at least in Calgary things ended up going pretty smoothly up until Fear of the Dark, as opposed to Edmonton which was a true carnage (but I’ll talk more about it on the Edmonton review, of course). So as the lights went down at 8:50pm and the iconic UFO’s song/intro Doctor Doctor was being played on the speakers, everyone at the venue could feel the energy level going up, and right after the end titles for Blade Runner (by Vangelis), Bruce, Steve, Adrian, Dave, Janick and Nicko began their sonic attack with the song that was for me the most powerful of the night, the classic Caught Somewhere in Time, followed by another classic, Stranger in a Strange Land, winning the hearts of all metalheads who were absolutely mesmerized by the band’s incendiary performance.

As they started playing the fantastic The Writing on the Wall, it became clear for the average concert goer that Thursday was not going to be any concert, but a fusion of their 1986 masterpiece Somewhere In Time and their most recent release Senjutsu, which contains a couple songs about the clash between past and future, as well as time travelling, hence the name of the tour being The Future Past Tour. Those songs are Days of Future Past and The Time Machine, and despite not everyone at the venue knowing them very well, the adrenaline kept flowing beautifully, proving Iron Maiden are so good you don’t even need to know their songs to have a great time during their shows. By the way, before The Time Machine, Bruce gave a short speech about travelling back in time, mentioning the famous DeLorean time machine from the cult movie Back to the Future, and his current attire finally made sense to everyone as he looked A LOT like the craziest version of the marvelous character of Dr. Emmett Brown.

Needless to say, Bruce and his bandmates were on absolute fire during their entire set, with Steve once again stealing the show with his thunderous bass guitar. As a matter of fact, as I was right in front of Steve the whole concert, it felt like I was having a lecture in bass playing together with the concert, not to mention the man is unstoppable on stage and inspires us all to keep moving, jumping up and down, and headbanging throughout all songs. Nicko also sounded much better than in the videos I saw from their concerts in Europe this summer, and it was awesome to see he made a very good use of the time off between Europe and Canada to recover even more from his stroke from the beginning of the year. And what to say about Dave’s solos in all songs, with a honorable mention to his perfect, soulful and striking solo during Fear of the Dark? The man knows exactly how to touch our hearts with his guitar riffs and solos, I must say.

There were two other songs that blew our minds during the show. The never-ending wait for Iron Maiden to play live Alexander the Great was totally worth it, as it sounded brilliant in Calgary; and the first song of the encore, Hell on Earth, was one of the songs from the new album that most people were eager to enjoy live, also being the only one from their entire setlist to have their trademark fires as an add-on. It was an emotional moment for me, and I’m sure others also felt that way while such metal hymn was being played on stage. And as the icing on the cake, why not ending the show with The Trooper and Wasted Years? That definitely left us all craving for more, and of course we were getting more two days later in Edmonton! Scream for me, Calgary… and see you shortly, Edmonton!

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton, ON, 10/12/2022)

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A “Hamilton virgin”? No problem, Bruce. We know how to take good care of you.

INTRO: First to the Barrier, here we go again… or maybe not!

Due to work-related duties, I was unable to join my fellow brothers and sisters from the Iron Maiden Fan Club for the First to the Barrier yesterday at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a very good time enjoying my second night in a row of pure awesomeness with the Legacy of the Beast World Tour 2022. As a matter of fact, the venue was so small and cozy that even if you arrived five minutes before Iron Maiden started their concert, you would still be able to grab a very good spot and witness everything happening on stage, and I still had time to be on the flag photo of the night with my fellow members of the IMFC, meeting a few new faces, and so on. This Saturday I’ll be in Ottawa and will certainly do the FTTB, but for now let’s focus on another amazing night of metal music in Hamilton.

OPENING ACT: Within Temptation

I was so late to the concert last night that I missed pretty much the entire concert by WITHIN TEMPTATION, plus the fact that I spent the first 20 minutes at the venue checking the merch and grabbing a beer. However, everything I said about the band’s performance from the Toronto show is also valid for Hamilton, with Sharon den Adel leading her henchmen throughout their solid setlist and, therefore, properly warming up the fans at the venue for another flawless performance by the one and only Iron Maiden. I saw a few people complaining about Within Temptation, saying they’re boring and shouldn’t be opening for Iron Maiden during this part of the Legacy of the Beast World Tour, but that’s most probably because Symphonic Metal is not as appreciated in the US and Canada as it is in Europe, for example, and when the type of music being played is not your cup of tea not even the best band in the genre can entertain you, don’t you agree? Anyway, there are still two more dates for me to see Within Temptation on stage this tour, so I’ll try to make the most out of it and support those Dutch metallers as much as I can.

Setlist
The Reckoning
Paradise (What About Us?)
Faster
In the Middle of the Night
Stand My Ground
Supernova
Don’t Pray for Me
Raise Your Banner
Mother Earth

Band members
Sharon den Adel – vocals
Robert Westerholt – guitars
Ruud Jolie – guitars
Stefan Helleblad – guitars
Jeroen van Veen – bass
Martijn Spierenburg – keyboards
Mike Coolen – drums

IRON MAIDEN

By now you might know already that if there’s one thing that IRON MAIDEN love to do, that is starting their concerts precisely at 8:50pm, and it couldn’t have been any different in Hamilton, of course. As I was a little further back than the barrier I was able to see the full stage last night, paying attention to each detail (while obviously screaming all songs together with the band), and what really caught my attention this time is the “massive” break between the three songs from Senjutsu and the Legacy of the Beast ones. Also, not sure if anyone has noticed it yet, apart from those two very distinct acts we can also notice in the Legacy of the Beast one how the band begins in a slower, darker and more melodic mode and starts speeding up with each upcoming song, culminating with the breathtaking Aces High. Those guys always think of every detail, providing their fans with a unique experience even when the setlist is absolutely the same during an entire tour.

Bruce was having a lot of fun playing with the band in Hamilton for the first time ever, calling himself a “Hamilton virgin” while also explaining he has already been in the city for his “An Evening with Bruce Dickinson” spoken tour, and complementing by saying the rest of the band had already played in Hamilton but in 1998 (with Blaze Bayley on vocals during the Virtual XI tour). Also, during Blood Brothers as usual Bruce began pointing out different flags from all over the world, focusing on two fans from Puerto Rico and Bangladesh which were let’s say a surprise to him, as in his opinion those places are too far from Canada. Well, maybe he hasn’t realized yet that Canada, in special the province of Ontario, is beyond multicultural, with people from pretty much every country in the world living here. I’m pretty sure those two guys didn’t travel all the way from Bangladesh and Puerto Rico to the show, but letting Bruce think about that was all the fun, right?

Musically speaking, the band was tight and electrifying as usual, with Adrian and Dave kicking some serious ass with their beautiful solos while Steve was in his natural beast mode running around the stage and jumping up and down nonstop. Depending on the night, and of course on the fans, some songs get more incendiary than others, and last night that was the case with Sign of the Cross, Hallowed Be Thy Name, The Trooper, The Clansman and Run to the Hills, proving that although their concerts on the same tour might look the exact same things, they’re never the same. Add to that the fact the venue was smaller than the Scotiabank Arena (and it was fun seeing Bruce checking if the fans at the highest seated sections were alive by asking them to move their arms and scream), and there we had a very intimate and flammable night with Eddie and the boys. Moreover, I still had some time after all was said and done to chat with a couple of buddies from the IMFC, who will obviously be in Ottawa this Saturday. Or do you think that one or two Iron Maiden concerts in one tour is enough?

Setlist
Transylvania
Doctor Doctor
Senjutsu
Stratego
The Writing on the Wall
Revelations
Blood Brothers
Sign of the Cross
Flight of Icarus
Fear of the Dark
Hallowed Be Thy Name
The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden

Encore:
The Trooper
The Clansman
Run to the Hills

Encore 2:
Churchill’s Speech
Aces High
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, 10/11/2022)

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Finally, after over three long years, the city of Toronto was able to scream for the one and only Iron Maiden again in a perfect night of beautiful Heavy Metal.

INTRO: Scream for me, IMFC!

Before I start talking about the concert itself last night, I must say it’s awesome to be part of a family like the Iron Maiden Fan Club, also known as IMFC. As Bruce likes to say, we’re all blood brothers, and on Monday night at The Loose Moose it was really fun meeting some of the IMFC members that were going to the concert the next day in Toronto, enjoy a few pints together, talk about the current tour and the upcoming The Future Past Tour 2023, and so on. I know it’s not easy to invest some good money into the IMFC these days due to everything that’s going on with the world, but if you’re lucky enough to have some spare budget it’s definitely worth it. I can’t wait to meet some of my IMFC buddies tonight in Hamilton, because as I said, there’s nothing like the Iron Maiden family, right?

OPENING ACT: Within Temptation

One of the most fun perks of the IMFC is undoubtedly the First to the Barrier, or the FTTB, and this year I must say I was extremely lucky getting the FTTB for all three Ontario dates, those being Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa, and of course I was more than excited for it in Toronto because if you’re familiar with the Legacy of the Beast World Tour 2022 setlist, you know you’re in for a treat, getting to a very decent spot on the right side of the barrier. And Maidenmaniacs from all over the world started packing the Scotiabank Arena up early, allowing Netherlands-based Symphonic Metal/Alternative Rock act WITHIN TEMPTATION to play to an already big crowd, and we could see on the faces of all band members how happy they were because of that.

Promoting their latest EP Don’t Pray for Me, the band spearheaded by the charming vocalist Sharon den Adel played a short and sweet setlist including one of my favorite songs from their career, the exciting Paradise (What About Us?), and after each and every song the reaction from the fans at the venue was really heartwarming to the band. Right before playing the song Raise Your Banner, Sharon dedicated the song to Ukraine, raising an Ukrainian flag and waving it during the entire song, another moment that generated several claps and screams from the fans acknowledging not only how good the band is, but also that they’re on the right side of this stupid war. And after all was said and done, the band said farewell to their Torontonian fans, promising to be back soon to the city with more of their classy music.

Setlist
The Reckoning
Paradise (What About Us?)
Faster
In the Middle of the Night
Stand My Ground
Supernova
Don’t Pray for Me
Raise Your Banner
Mother Earth

Band members
Sharon den Adel – vocals
Robert Westerholt – guitars
Ruud Jolie – guitars
Stefan Helleblad – guitars
Jeroen van Veen – bass
Martijn Spierenburg – keyboards
Mike Coolen – drums

IRON MAIDEN

Precisely at 8:50pm, the speakers began playing UFO’s classic Doctor Doctor as a “warning” to anyone who wasn’t on their seats or still outside buying beer or merch that the party was about to start. Actually, there was an even earlier warning when they played a video of the Legacy of the Beast game with Transylvania as the soundtrack on the big screens a few minutes before that, but you know, there’s always time to grab another beer before the show. And what a show! The unstoppable British Heavy Metal machine IRON MAIDEN was on absolute fire from the very first second, captivating their crazy fans with the three songs from Senjutsu they’re playing on this tour, those being the title-track Senjutsu, Stratego and my favorite of all three live, The Writing on the Wall, with Bruce inspiring everyone at the venue to sing it along with him, before kicking us hard in the head with an avalanche of classics, including of course Revelations, Flight of Icarus and Hallowed Be Thy Name, making up for the long wait of over three years for the band to return to Toronto.

It feels like every single time the band comes to Canada they love to point out how diverse the audience is, with people from all over the world like Brazil, Mexico and Peru, as mentioned by Bruce before playing the beautiful Blood Brothers, visiting the city for another night of Iron Maiden magic. The entire band was flawless and I heard several old school fans saying that was one of the best Iron Maiden concerts they’ve seen in the past few decades, and based on the crowd’s reaction to Sign of the Cross, The Trooper, The Clansman and Run to the Hills, I have to admit that was indeed a night to remember. Furthermore, what can I say about the performance by Mr. Janick Gers? The man was out of control (in a good way, of course), feeling like he was not just playing the guitar but also giving us an aerobics lesson, playing and throwing his axe around in all possible and imaginable ways.

I must confess that when I first saw they were closing the concert with Aces High I was a little worried if Bruce was going to be able to sing it after such intense performance, but of course to the surprise of zero people he nailed it as usual, ending the night in such an electrifying note it was hard to believe the concert was over when the speakers started playing Monty Python’s Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. One funny thing Bruce mentioned during the show was the fact that he was very, very happy to be playing indoors and not at the Budweiser Stage (as per their latest concerts in Toronto), which I don’t fully agree because the Budweiser Stage is a lot cooler than the Scotiabank Arena. Well, to be honest, I don’t really care where they play as long as they keep coming back to Toronto, and please excuse me for such short and not-very-detailed review as I’m heading now to the FTTB in Hamilton. Oh yeah, the show must go on. UP THE IRONS!

Setlist
Transylvania
Doctor Doctor
Senjutsu
Stratego
The Writing on the Wall
Revelations
Blood Brothers
Sign of the Cross
Flight of Icarus
Fear of the Dark
Hallowed Be Thy Name
The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden

Encore:
The Trooper
The Clansman
Run to the Hills

Encore 2:
Churchill’s Speech
Aces High
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Album Review – Iron Maiden / Senjutsu (2021)

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Behold another masterpiece by the one and only Iron Maiden with its 82 minutes of tactics, strategy, war, resilience and determination in the form of majestic Heavy Metal.

5.0rating

iron-maiden-senjutsu-2021“Have you seen the writing on the wall?”

The wait is finally over. After nearly six years, Senjutsu (or 戦術 in Japanese, loosely translated as “tactics and strategy”), the seventeenth studio album by British Heavy Metal legends Iron Maiden, has finally seen the light of day, and let me tell you each second waiting for such masterpiece was absolutely worth it. Marking the longest gap between two Iron Maiden studio albums following The Book of Souls from 2015, Senjutsu is also the band’s second double album, again using their original logotype (with the extended letters R, M and N) like in The Book of Souls, their first studio album since their 1984 cult album Powerslave to have no songwriting contributions from Dave Murray in any way, and the first since their 1998 opus Virtual XI to feature multiple songs written by Steve Harris alone. Once again recorded at Studios Guillaume Tell in Paris, produced by Kevin Shirley, co-produced by Steve Harris, and displaying a formidable samurai version of our beloved Eddie on the artwork designed by Mark Wilkinson (with the name of the album rendered on the right side of the cover art by the actual vertical Japanese spelling of “senjutsu” and on the left side by a font reminiscent of Japanese characters), Senjutsu takes the band back to the darker and edgier sound from albums the likes of The X-Factor, A Matter of Life and Death, The Final Frontier and The Book of Souls, showcasing another brilliant work done by the unstoppable Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and Nicko McBrain.

Traditional Japanese drums ignite the obscure and introspective title-track Senjutsu, offering us Maidenmaniacs over eight minutes of epicness to properly kick things off with Bruce already mesmerizing us all with his unique voice. Moreover, I love how his vocals walk hand in hand with the guitars by Dave, Adrian and Janick, not to mention the song’s ritualistic vibe (similar to what they did in their previous album with “If Eternity Should Fail”), followed by the already known tune Stratego with its lyrics full of metaphors about how hard it is for anyone to face their own lives (“How do you read a madman’s mind / Teach me the art of war / For I shall bring more / Than you bargained for”), while Nicko and Steve take care of that amazing galloping sound that became the band’s trademark, not to mention the song’s stunning guitar solos. Then we have The Writing on the Wall, the first single of the album which you might have probably listened to countless times already, where a country and southern vibe together with its catchy-as-hell chorus declaimed by Bruce (“Have you seen the writing on the wall / Have you seen that writing / Can you see the riders on the storm / Can you see them riding / Can you see them riding… Riding next to you”) turn it into the perfect option for hitting the road with your loved ones.

Lost in a Lost World brings forward another sinister intro to the sound of acoustic guitars that feels like it was taken from one of Bruce’s solo albums, exploding into a fusion of The X-Factor, Brave New World and A Matter of Life and Death with a lot of elements from Progressive Rock and Metal added to their core sonority, and with Steve’s bass lines being superb as usual, punching you right in your face, whereas back to a heavier sound we’re treated to the mid-tempo, rockin’ feast titled Days of Future Past, again blending classic Iron Maiden with Bruce’s solo material and displaying an amazing job done by the band’s guitar triumvirate accompanied by the pounding drums by an inspired Nicko. Needless to say, it will sound amazing if added to their live performances. Then beginning in a similar way as The Final Frontier’s “The Talisman”, The Time Machine presents a more cadenced pace with the background keys by Steve complementing the sharp work by the guitar boys, evolving into a sick galloping and diverse extravaganza halfway through it; and the sound of the ocean brings comfort to our hearts before Iron Maiden once again hypnotize us all in Darkest Hour, a somber ballad in the vein of A Matter of Life and Death’s “Out of the Shadows” but with a stronger vibe, all spiced up by their undisputed, soulful guitar solos.

iron-maiden-senjutsu-super-deluxe-boxset

Iron Maiden Senjutsu Super Deluxe Boxset

The last batch of songs from Senjutsu was entirely written by Steve Harris, and let me tell you it’s a flawless lesson in rock and metal music, starting with his undisputed bass lines in Death of the Celts, being gradually joined by Nicko and the rest of the crew. What a bold, multi-layered metal voyage by the band, overflowing epicness, progressiveness and electricity nonstop, spearheaded by the rumbling kitchen by Steve and Nicko, of course. And you better get ready for over 12 minutes of majestic Heavy Metal in the form of The Parchment, once again beginning in a serene, cryptic manner and evolving into a very progressive mid-tempo sound. Bruce’s vocals are utterly imposing and epic from start to finish, with Dave, Janick and Adrian being on total fire with their stringed axes. And lastly, Hell on Earth is a song that gave me goosebumps from the very first second, as soon as I started listening to it, feeling like “The Aftermath” from The X-Factor but at the same time a lot more intricate and powerful, with Steve and Nicko taking the lead while Dave, Adrian and Janick deliver sheer melody through their incendiary riffs, providing Bruce all he needs to flawlessly tell the story proposed in the song until all fades into the unknown in a somber and climatic manner. In other words, thank you, Mr. Steve Harris, for being so awesome.

iron-maiden-2021To be fair, there are no actual words I can choose to describe all the darkness, the energy, the details and the intricacy found in Senjutsu. It’s simply incredible how Iron Maiden managed to deliver such masterpiece without sounding outdated, repetitive or bland after so many decades on the road, leaving us all eager for another studio album, for their next tour, for more Eddies and so on, even knowing all members are in their 60’s already (as a matter of fact, Nicko is almost 70). Not only that, the way they promoted the new album on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube from day one, including the fun ride that was “Belshazzar’s Feast” (a story from the Book of Daniel in the Bible, also known as ​“the story of the writing on the wall”, with the initials WOTW cropping up in a lot of Iron Maiden-related places), was beyond entertaining, proving the band trespassed the barriers of music with Senjutsu. Furthermore, this is also one of those situations where buying the physical album, despite the fact we live in a digital world, is almost mandatory, especially if you go for the Super Deluxe Boxset, or even better, for the FC Exclusive Limited Edition Collectors Box, which will deserve its own review as soon as I receive it next week. And now please excuse me, as I need to get back to Senjutsu and listen to it another billion times on a loop for the foreseeable future, just the way it’s supposed to be when the band in question is the almighty Iron Maiden.

Best moments of the album: Senjutsu, Days of Future Past, Death of the Celts, The Parchment and Hell on Earth.

Worst moments of the album: I’m still trying to find one.

Released in 2021 Parlophone/Sanctuary Copyrights/BMG

Track listing 
1. Senjutsu 8:20
2. Stratego 4:59
3. The Writing on the Wall 6:13
4. Lost in a Lost World 9:31
5. Days of Future Past 4:03
6. The Time Machine 7:09
7. Darkest Hour 7:20
8. Death of the Celts 10:20
9. The Parchment 12:39
10. Hell on Earth 11:19

FC Exclusive Limited Edition Collectors Box/Super Deluxe Boxset Bonus Disc (Blu-ray)
1.The Writing on the Wall documentary

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass, keyboards
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON, 08/10/2019)

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Who’s ready for another night of Iron Maiden and their ass-kicking Legacy of the Beast Tour 2019 in Toronto?

INTRODUCTION: “No FTTB nor The Raven Age for you”

As I wasn’t selected for the First To The Barrier experience by the Iron Maiden Fan Club for the second night of the one and only Iron Maiden in Toronto at the always pleasant Budweiser Stage, and as a few friends invited me to a BBQ with lots of beer and metal music before the concert, let’s say that I “had to” miss the opening act THE RAVEN AGE, which in the end was more than good for me because watching their concert in full from the first row on Friday wasn’t what we can call a very entertaining experience. If you were there on the second day and saw The Raven Age, I’m pretty sure it was the exact same thing as the previous night, with the same band’s lineup, the same setlist, and the same confusing sonority. However, if you missed The Raven Age both days you can take a look at how their concert was by clicking HERE.

IRON MAIDEN

Just like what happened on Friday, 15 thousand fans from the most diverse countries such as Australia, Peru, India, Brazil, El Salvador, Germany, Colombia, Sweden and so on (including WWE badass superstar and a true metalhead Erick Rowan, whose real name is Joseph Ruud) were gathered together at the Budweiser Stage at around 9pm to enjoy another round of classics by the one and only IRON MAIDEN, once again as part of their Legacy of the Beast Tour 2019. Their setlist was the absolute same as Friday, of course, but because I wasn’t so close to the stage let’s say I was able to move more, to jump up and down a lot more, and to have a much more complete view of the stage, including Janick Gers who I must confess I couldn’t see much on the previous night. I was really tired from the previous day and I thought I was going to take it easy on Saturday, but you know what? As soon as Doctor Doctor started playing on the speakers, it was pure madness one more time.

As I mentioned, this time I could enjoy their full stage without having to force my neck up, right or left too much, and my neck is very thankful for that. The whole band was on fire as usual, with Dave and Adrian delivering their traditional crisp and crystal clear riffs and solos while Steve was the beast incarnate on stage. How can he do that? He doesn’t stop smashing his bass chords, singing, running around the stage and jumping up and down not even for a single second, and he’s already 63 years old! It’s absolutely impressive, reminding me why I admire and respect his work and passion for Iron Maiden so much. It’s always a pleasure to watch him play The Trooper, “galloping” his bass as if he was riding a horse into the battlefield, and his endless energy while screaming the famous “Oooh! Ooo-oooo-oooh!” together with the crowd during Fear of the Dark. After another superb and impeccable performance by Bruce, Steve & Co. was over (and this time Bruce’s flame thrower worked during Flight of Icarus), I started thinking how boring the world of music will be without Iron Maiden when they call it quits, but that’s something we don’t need to worry about at least for the next few years, as Bruce himself promised they’ll return to Toronto, most probably after the release of their upcoming studio album. I wish I could attend more concerts from their current tour, but for obvious reasons like time and money, for now I’ll have to  content with two nights in Toronto I’ll never forget. UP THE IRONS!

Setlist
Transylvania
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Churchill’s Speech
Aces High
Where Eagles Dare
2 Minutes to Midnight
The Clansman
The Trooper
Revelations
For the Greater Good of God
The Wicker Man
Sign of the Cross
Flight of Icarus
Fear of the Dark
The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden

Encore:
The Evil That Men Do
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Run to the Hills
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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