The setlist leaned heavily on that 2015 record in a set that effortlessly balanced new and old, and if there were some obvious hits missing, it was refreshing to see a band go all-in on their sixteenth album this way, with bassist Steve Harris leading the crowd in sing-alongs of new tunes like \u201cDeath or Glory\u201d and the sprawling, riff-drenched \u201cRed and the Black.\u201d (Indeed, it left this writer wishing for more of this from Maiden\u2019s contemporaries, if they even have any left – Judas Priest and Metallica most immediately come to mind despite the difference in age – and the enthusiastic Maiden crowd was onboard all the way.)<\/p>\n
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Of course, it wasn\u2019t just the solid ebb-and-flow of the setlist that kept the place on its feet. Vocalist\/pilot\/cancer-survivor\/superhero Bruce Dickinson is surely, at this point, destined for some special Hall of Fame. What can be said about the dynamic, charismatic Dickinson that hasn\u2019t been said already, at this point? At fifty-eight years old, his voice is as strong as ever, and considering the energy of Maiden\u2019s set, it was no small feat. Whether waving flags from a platform during \u201cThe Trooper,\u201d assaulting a towering Eddie by ripping the zombie mascot\u2019s heart out during \u201cThe Book of Souls,\u201d or stalking the elevated walkways during an epic \u201cPowerslave,\u201d Dickinson is a consummate showman who isn\u2019t afraid to show how much he\u2019s having fun. Indeed, the entire band exchanged smiles for most of the night, with drummer Nicko McBrain unable to contain his grins behind a massive kit while guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers palled around the stage like teenagers trying to good-naturedly outdo each other. (Which, incidentally, would be a daunting task for any musician, given the complexity of Maiden\u2019s three-pronged guitar attack.)<\/p>\n
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Ending the night with a giant, glowering Eddie sneering along to the anthemic \u201cIron Maiden,\u201d \u201cNumber of the Beast\u201d (featuring a giant demon goat for good measure), and \u201cWasted Years,\u201d Maiden proved yet again that they are, at this point, unrivaled in the world of heavy metal – a band who has maintained its stature as giants of the genre by playing to their strengths for nearly forty years. Nearly two years after the release of arguably one of the best records in their extensive canon, Maiden hasn\u2019t shown a hint of slowing down, and if Thursday\u2019s show was any indication, let\u2019s hope they don\u2019t any time soon.<\/p>\n
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For more on Iron Maiden, click here<\/a><\/p>\n