Iron Maiden Powerslave Ranked
We've gotten to what is probably my fav album of all time. All 8 tracks are great and are in or near the S-rank territory. The bands first album without a lineup change shows that the stability as well as the hunger to grow makes for magic considering how good this album and the following 2 are. |
| 8 | Iron Maiden
Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)
Sadly Maidens last instrumental track is last here, but that is sheer proof of how goddamned amazing this album is. Adrians Solo is a huge highlight and the riff to leads structure of track make for a very fun one to listen/play along to. |
| 7 | The Duellists
I feel there are many Maiden tracks that are slight re-dos of previous ones and this one feels like a re-do of Where Eagles Dare; it has the same weaknesses but IMO outdoes it everywhere else minus drum intro. Its biggest increase in quality is not repeating instrumental portions so many fucking times as aforementioned track. The chorus is very fun and the instrumental portions are great. The textural variety provided by the harmony before last verse is the perfect release of everything through the solos. |
| 6 | Back In The Village
Holy Adrian Riff and lead madness, this track is a badass rocker with energy to match. Lyrically a bit weak imo but Bruce's performance itself is undeniable. Love Dave and Adrians solos on this one. |
| 5 | Flash Of The Blade
My pick for most underrated on the album, this track is fucking great. The harmony part here is my all time fav in discography it really shows the band doesn't have to pack a solo into every song; this one is so good already it didn't need it. |
| 4 | Aces High
Kinda mind blowing a track this good, and possibly their best opening track (I will need to reckon with the next albums opener later), doesn't even get bronze medal here. Every bit is iconic here from the harmonized intro, the memorable and infectious vocal lines and the sick solo sections to the ending. What prevents it being top 3 here is that its a little straightforward which helps its impact but doesn't have as much depth to dig into. |
| 3 | Rime of The Ancient Mariner
I can already hear the torches being lit and pitchforks being lifted, but time to lay bare something I constantly internalize when interacting with fandoms; I don't attribute any level of virtue or quality to something just because of its length or complexity. A long song can def create a journey that hits so hard but that comes at the cost of an ask of time/energy which is not always available from the listener. Luckily though this once-longest Maiden track delivers.
The vocal parts are what truly make this track work and the opening stanza alone is endlessly iconic. Guitar harmonies and bass parts along with a perfectly utilized drum performance create an all-timer. However for its length it does sometimes get a bit of that quality-to-time ratio hit that the above tracks personally deliver on better. |
| 2 | 2 Minutes To Midnight
One of the bands absolute best "Rockers", this track is filled to the brim with textural variety its like a treasure trove or puzzle box on repeated listens. One of the best choruses the band has ever done and the riffs match perfectly. All time solos from both Dave and Adrian. The huge highlight is the post solo interlude with amazing guitar parts breaking through the reduced energy. The person producing this track deserves a medal for setting that section up so well. |
| 1 | Powerslave
I'll admit it that the solo section is why this is my fav on the album but lets not undercut the rest of track here. The riffs are heavy hitting with the "eastern flair" used with enough restraint to not become a gimmick. Bruces lyrics and performance are top tier and the bass throughout whole track might be best on album. the ending is a huge highlight as well.
But lets talk about that solo section; throughout the whole thing Steve Harris is channeling something divine laying down the perfect accompaniment to instruments and Nicko's great groovy drums. We got the BAR NONE best Dave Murray solo and honestly best Maiden solo in general paving the way and Adrian pretty much matches with his solo as well. The harmonized section is up there with Flash of the Blade, Revelations, and Hell on Earth as the best from band as well. Again track without this section is top half of album worthy but holy shit the sheer payoff from the solos section is even way above the Maiden gold standard. |
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