IRON MAIDEN – Fear of the Dark – 2019 Remastered Edition
- Posted on 01-09-2019
I have always been rather fond of Iron Maiden’s 1992 opus “Fear of the Dark”, and not just for nostalgic or sentimental reasons, mind you. There are some real gems to be found on this fabulous disc and they sound better than ever before thanks to a real solid and competent re-mastering of said record.
Even though this one was Dickinson’s last studio output with Iron Maiden before he left the ensemble to focus on other musical pursuits, “Fear of the Dark” contains more drive, energy, and most importantly, better and more memorable songs than its predecessor, the interesting albeit uneven “No Prayer for the Dying” (1990). This 2019 edition sounds quite powerful and lively, and the entire affair comes across as crisp, clear, and superbly tweaked with respect to the balance and levels between the various instruments as well as the layers of the compositions. The melodically gorgeous title cut is a classic, but killer tracks such as “Afraid to Shoot Strangers” and the fist-pumping album opener “Be Quick or Be Dead” are terrific compositions and way too overlooked within the Maiden canon. Other notable songs include “Childhood’s End” and “Chains of Misery” – the latter of which is a personal favorite of mine.
Not every tune rocks or rules here, and “Fear of the Dark” does have a few patchy moments, but this brand new remastering is great and presents the perfect opportunity for you to immerse yourself in this entertaining and often-times riveting piece of work once again. In terms of dynamics and clarity, they did an excellent job with this one.