Paul Di'Anno In Memory Of CD Review
There’s something incredibly special about the first two Iron Maiden albums. I always enjoyed the more punk influenced sound on ‘Iron Maiden’ and ‘Killers’. In conjunction with that, Paul Di’Anno’s vocals were truly a standout and while many Maiden fans would say that Bruce is the superior vocalist, it’s subjective. I think that for what the first two albums were, Paul was the perfect front man. And I know this might be a controversial take, but the self-titled debut is my favorite release of theirs and one of the best NWOBHM albums ever released.
Even though his time with Maiden was short lived, Paul would go on to be a part of a number of other projects. He would provide vocals for Battlezone, Killers and Architects of Chaoz amongst others. ‘In Memory Of’ showcases some of Paul’s best material while releasing music for Metalville Records. This includes the aforementioned Architects of Chaoz in addition to his solo project. This album has it all - live and studio recordings, covers and even a couple of songs that were never previously released in a physical format. Additionally, the booklet contains previously unpublished photos which is also a really neat tribute.
It’s hard for me to focus on what to highlight as there’s so much I want to say, so I’m just going to jump right into the deep end. More than half of the album is composed of live tracks. I don’t like live albums or live tracks mixed in with studio tracks on an album. Yep. I’m that guy. I love going to concerts and seeing bands perform, but it is rare that a live album is not only enjoyable, let alone something I would choose to listen to. Ironically, one of the handful of live albums that I DO enjoy is Maiden’s ‘Live After Death’, even though it's Bruce singing and not the man we’re celebrating here. There’s a mix of live tracks from his solo band and Architects of Chaoz including, “Impaler”, “Running Free” and “Killers” which is a previously unreleased live track from Wacken 2015. There are two covers here - a live version of the Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” and Deep Purple’s “Soldier of Fortune” which is taken from the 2015 Architects of Chaoz album ‘The League of Shadows’. A lot of fans consider “Soldier of Fortune” to be the crown jewel of Paul’s career. And while it is hard to disagree that his vocal performance is anything but superlative, I feel “Switched Off” and “You’ve Been Kissed by the Wings of the Angel of Death” are just as good.
‘In Memory Of’ will be released on May 16th, one day before what would have been Paul’s 67th birthday. To celebrate, crank up your favorite releases of his and let the world know that heavy metal will live on along with Paul’s iconic voice.
~TJ