Written By Braddon S. Williams
Iron Maiden: Piece of Mind
Iron Maiden’s Piece Of Mind (1983) made this list for several reasons:
1) It is an excellent collection of prime Maiden classic heavy metal.
2) It was the first Maiden album I ever purchased, therefore making it near and dear to my metal heart.
3) It features an absolutely sick album cover of Eddie in chains and straightjacket, snarling ferociously…it doesn’t get much more metal than that.
4) It was the first album appearance of the mighty Nicko McBrain as Maiden’s drummer.
Much like Priest picking up Scott Travis, McBrain made a huge impact on the band’s sound.
In reference to #2, some of my personal highlights on Piece Of Mind are the incredible Flight Of Icarus, The Trooper, Where Eagles Dare, Die With Your Boots On, To Tame A Land, and Still Life (completed with the mysterious backwards message).
Iron Maiden have released a bunch of classic albums, but this one will always hold a sentimental spot near the top of their discography for me.