ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 3, 1983
By Steve Newton
The music on Iron Maiden’s Piece of Mind is about as mean and nasty as the expression on their mascot Eddie’s tortured face.
Iron Maiden’s greatest strengths have always been the nimble and precise fingers of lead guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, and on songs like “Die With Your Boots On” and “Revelations” they prove themselves one of the slickest heavy-metal axe duos in Britain.
Searing leads and thunderous chord progressions abound, much like they did on last year’s million-selling Number of the Beast.
Piece of Mind was produced and engineered by Martin “Black Night” Birch, famous for his work with Deep Purple and Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. It also features the band’s new drummer, Nicko McBrain, who replaces Clive Burr.
And even if you don’t like hardcore heavy metal, the album’s gruesomely outrageous cover art sure is fun to look at!