A favorite album from my favorite band, this is a testament to why I decided to pick up a bass guitar for the first time...
IRON MAIDEN - Piece Of Mind [EMI '83]
Eddie's pissed and so we have it, Maiden's finest hour, a heaping slab of molten sullen gothic death that wastes all pretenders with a single unstoppable offensive of doom. PIECE OF MIND rages most heavily, due in no small part to two elements: Martin Birch's most purely punishing recording anywhere and Nicko's most convincing kick-ass percussive performance ever stamped with the Maiden seal of approval. The two work a rhythmic whirlwind of fear, caging and expressing the core element of the Maiden persona for really the first time, a devastating backbone that carries some of the weightiest grooves forged in metallic fire (even Harris and his over-active bass find synergy). Bruce lays waste a healthy piece of his own mind, belting out truly interesting tales of deceit and intrigue over well-written riff rockers such as the percussively complex WHERE EAGLES DARE, the heads-down DIE WITH YOUR BOOTS ON and Maiden catalogue centerpiece THE TROOPER, which features the single most remembered and celebrated MURRAY/SMITH death-from-the-skies twin-lead riff. Only the filler-ish QUEST FOR FIRE falls short, as the band has never sounded so steadfast, driven and focused towards war-torn battle. PIECE OF MIND becomes the thickest most uncomprimising chapter in the sometimes disjointed IRON MAIDEN catalogue, garnering further distinction as a metal disc that inspired and drove other musicians towards getting into the bars and kicking some marshall ass. A stirring display of triumph for players and listeners alike.