Iron Maiden – Live After Death

Iron Maiden – Live After Death / 2008 Universal / 240 Minutes / http://www.ironmaiden.com /

“Live After Death” is a recording that has legs. Done during the band’s “Powerslave” tour in 1984-1985, this recording has been released on CD a number of times, and is only just being ported over to the DVD format this year. However, instead of going and just sticking a VHS tape on a DVD and raking in the bucks, Universal and Iron Maiden have decided to add a number of features to the DVD. This transforms what was originally a 97 minute concert into a package that hits close to the four hour mark. Of course, the original concert footage is present (and is not cut up in the way that the original CD releases of the show were).

For those Iron Maiden fans that were not old enough to be cognizant of the band during the original Powerslave tour (which is likely a large contingent at this point), there is a 60 minute documentary of the band during the Powerslave years. Perhaps most interesting to Maiden fans would have to be the second option “Behind The Iron Curtain”. “Behind the Iron Curtain” is by no means a cohesive release, but there are full live versions of some of the biggest Maiden hits of the time – “Aces High”, “The Number of the Beast” and “2 Minutes to Midnight” are all present, along with four other tracks. While there is a third section to the bonus disc – the band’s set during the 1985 Rock in Rio festival – the footage is pretty rough.

The band crafts some intense versions of tracks like “Run to the Hills”, “Revelations”, and “Running Free”, but the footage is harder to stomach given the main concert and other live offerings from this DVD. Finishing off the bonus DVD includes live footage from a 1983 show (“Acacia”, “Flight of Icarus”, and “Iron Maiden”), videos (“2 Minutes to Midnight” and “Aces High”) and a photo gallery that will take around 15-30 minutes to finish up. With a number of places cutting off 25% of the list price already on this DVD (bringing the $20 price tag down to $15), “Live After Death” is a must buy for any Iron Maiden fan. The twenty-year old footage shows Iron Maiden at a very different part of their careers, but still represents valuable footage which will allow individuals to understand why the band sounds like they currently do. This DVD also represents a great way to get into Iron Maiden; check this out if you are a fan or would like to get into the nitty gritty of the band.

Rating: 7.8/10

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