However, “Childhood’s End” is – in my personal opinion – one of MAIDEN‘s best and most underappreciated songs, with it’s beautiful main riff that is endlessly tinkered with, as well as the potent lyrics. “Fear is the Key” is more of a traditional slow-down and, personally, one of the less exciting songs on the album, though it does benefit from a darker tone and feel to change things up, which is extremely well-suited to the album and its name. Finally, it does kick up yet another notch before approaching the end, making for an interesting triple-layered song. The first increase in the riffing speed isn’t quite the explosion you might expect as it reaches the halfway point, but the band remain true to form in the way the riffing almost tells its own story. They tease a slow-down with “Afraid to Shoot Strangers,” though it is merely a tease, as they pick the speed up as the song goes on. The chill boogie that begins the track is quite alluring, along with the understated drums and slick riffing that goes overtop. Then the band continues the Charlotte the Harlot saga in “From Here to Eternity,” where we learn that Charlotte has fallen in love… with the glorious motorcycle that becomes her downfall.
Immediately, it’s nice to hear MAIDEN with good mixing and mastering, as the more recent albums have been a bit of a disaster on that front. The high energy, punchy track is a brilliant way to get things going. The album kicks off at full-force and full energy with “Be Quick or Be Dead,” as wild shredding and a proper Bruce Dickinson air raid siren scream blasts out. As such, we’re exploring the aforementioned “Fear of the Dark” today for its 30th anniversary! While these gents are still managing to release relatively decent material despite a 4-decade lifespan, there’s something to be said about the classic albums of the ’90s that really put MAIDEN on the map. It’s nearly impossible to pick which of IRON MAIDEN‘s many incredible heavy metal songs is the most iconic, and while it may not top the list, the title track to 1992’s “Fear of the Dark,” what with its haunting chant-along part, is definitely a live staple from these Brits.
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