On a "Final Frontier of the World Tour"

Over the past several years, Iron Maiden has been in danger of being placed in the nostalgia category with their decades worth of material and performing "the hits" off of their landmark albums; such as "Number of the Beast", "Piece of Mind", "Powerslave", and a very, select few albums. "Final Frontier of the World Tour" is showing that Maiden is exploring a new frontier of material along with a few songs from their later works that have not been performed live in quite a long time. If you wish to see Maiden perform the classics, then maybe you should go to a date on this tour and see what else Maiden has to offer. Speaking with new and old Maiden fans alike, there was a mix of emotion for what, or the lack thereof, was included in the set. It's not 1984 anymore, and Iron Maiden fans should welcome new material to hear how Maiden's recent releases measure up to their older bodies of work. (Maiden went though an experimental period in the late 1980's, but it's a safe bet that the set will be a solid one at that.)  The newer Iron Maiden can be compared with older Maiden, and, afterall, who wants to hear "Run to the Hills" for the 10^th time when you can get something new? An Iron Maiden show is going to be just that, no matter what the set list is. An Iron Maiden concert is going to be an extraordinary event giving fans a show to remember regardless, and that is what this reviewer got. A once in a lifetime experience that will never be forgotten.

  Iron Maiden played a large amount of their later catalog, from albums such as "A Matter of Life and Death", "Dance Of Death", and four tracks from "Brave New World". The crowd seemed less enthusiastic with the later works of Iron Maiden, with songs such as "Ghost of the Navigator", "Brave New World", "These Colors Don't Run", "Blood Brothers", "Paschendale", and "No More Lies". Maiden  also performed  a few oldies that got the fans out of their seats. "Fear of the Dark" was met by an overwhelming response from the crowd, and "Hallowed Be Thy Name" sounded phenomenal. With help from the crowd, the venue lit up with cigarette lighters and cell phones. "Number of the Beast", one of Iron Maiden's signature songs from the album with the same title, seemed to be the crowd favorite. Iron Maiden also played three tracks from the Paul Di'anno era, with "Wrath Child" ,"Iron Maiden", and closing out the set with a jam version of "Running Free".

Iron Maiden also had a chance to play the first single from their upcoming album "The Last Frontier" entitled "El Dorado" that has been tearing up the US airwaves. Despite the fact that many members of the audience have yet to learn the lyrics, the new single went over quite well as the audience hummed along with the melodies and tried their best to sing along with Bruce Dickenson during the chorus. If "El Dorado" is a blueprint for what "A New Frontier" will sound like, this album is going to as memorable as "Powerslave" and hands down will be the best release of 2010. "El Dorado" is also available for free download at www.ironmaiden.com. 

No Iron Maiden concert would be complete with out a few appearances from their mascot Eddy. The iconic mascot has made his way onto every Maiden album and tour. During the song "Iron Maiden", the band had a 4^th guitar player standing at nearly 15 feet tall, and Maiden's stage set resembled a space station that had been ravaged in a post apocalyptic world, complete with an interchangeable backdrop .

Audience participation was amazing during the second half of the show, and vocalist Bruce Dickenson expects nothing less; encouraging the crowd to sing along with him and even fill in on a few choruses. The fans tried to sing louder than the mighty Maiden's PA system, but left with strained vocal chords instead.  Many bands that come to town also have a problem with the altitude. At a mile above sea level, Dickenson hit every high note without pause or struggle.

Progressive prodigy act knows as Dream Theatre did a great job setting setting the tone for the crowd, bringing the audience on an odyssey of music with a six song set that closed out with their commercial hit "Pull Me Under" from their 1992 release "Images and the Word". Mike Portnoy (Drums) played the intro to "Where Eagles Dare" that really got the crowd pumped up for the main event. Dream Theatre are world class musicians, and the only disappointing period of their set was that it only lasted for one hour. Even though Dream Theatre is perfect for the opening slot of an Iron Maiden tour, this is a band that you need to see headline a show to see what they are all about.