MAIDEN VOYAGE

“LIVE AFTER DEATH.” Iron Maiden. Capitol. This two-record, 100-minute live set is a well-performed, well-recorded (by Martin Birch) record of Maiden’s fast and furious, yet precisely played rock. However, since the band so closely reproduces studio versions, the LP has a peculiar redundancy.

It also goes downhill due to the quality of the “Powerslave” material that dominates the first two sides.

Too many of the older arena-stormers on sides three and four expose the heavy-metal cliches burdening even this far-above-average quintet. But, particularly for slice-and-dice guitar valor, Iron Maiden does come across as the state of the art on this album, the state of the art being what it is.