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The Live Beast Paul Dianno |
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Original Maiden singer unleashes his beast across the great divide of early Maiden numbers in live form. Dianno's voice, grown gruff with age, consumed with rage, holds up well, delivering many a throaty roar that reincarnates the lofty shelf-life of the likes of "Wrathchild," "Killer(s)" and sorry Bruce, still gotta go with the original, "Prowler," the one that started it all on the very first Maiden self-titled release an astonishing twenty years back-twenty one but who's counting anymore! It'd be easy to finger point at poor Mr. Dianno, lately of an identity crisis of the maddening kind, but he does appear to have found his way back to his hard-rockin' roots in recent months. The kick here however is that the tunes were pulled from several different performances throughout the years of his post-Maiden career. Long having been staples of the Dianno live show that's seen Paul fronting the likes of Battlezone, arguably his greatest "solo" achievement, though maybe I was asleep at the bar but I didn't quite catch where Battlezone's third album landed… In following, Killers was up to the task until Paul got all thugged-out and bugged on us and I think for many, that was the signal that the well was finally running dry… but give 'im credit, he, nor his inner demons felt the urge to lay down and die… taken for what it's worth, this record's an extra bonus for those who've been outta touch or the temperamental purists who'll never let the pre-glory moments fade into oblivion. All ten of the tunes cover the first two Maiden records plus an extra bone with "Women In Uniform," bore of '81s "Killers" sessions and this version simply kills-I'll give 'em an "A" rating just for finding it! Released by Spitfire
Records. Review by Vinnie Apicella
[va85@columbia.edu] |