Keeper:
Göran Nyström - Vocals
Magnus Hasselstam - Bass
Hans-Ove "Hasse" Persson - Guitar
Michael Hagenvald - Guitar
Jimmy Striem - Drums

Tracklist:
1. The Trooper (4:11)
2. Aces High (4:33)

Keeper is a band from Hammerdal, Sweden. They are die-hard Iron Maiden fans who have recorded a CDR single with the title "Maiden Made 'Em" containing two classic Maiden songs, "The Trooper" and "Aces High".

The musicians are quite young and it's never an easy task to record something with Iron Maiden. It's hard to not compare Keeper's versions with the originals.

The vocalist Göran Nyström doesn't reach the same high notes as Bruce Dickinson and the drummer Jimmy Striem is out of rhythm here and there.

The two guitarists Hans-Ove "Hasse" Persson and Michael Hagenvald are playing everything that Dave Murray and Adrian Smith are playing on the original recordings, right down to the solos, but not as flawless.

The bassist Magnus Hasselstam is doing his job quite well though.

The CD artwork has a nice black & white drawing of the band members in a typical heavy metal pose with swords and shields á la Hammerfall. I know that this CDR single is probably only for their closest circle of fiends, and I don't think they have any intentions to bring their music to a bigger audience.

If they want to do so, I hope they will write some own material. Because as an Iron Maiden cover band they still have a long way to go before they can compete with the originals. But then again, I don't think that it was their intention to do so either.

As an old-time Iron Maiden fan myself, I wish them good luck in the future. Although my criticisms I think that they have potentials to become a good band within a few years if they keep practising. Up the Irons!

-Reviewed by Greger Rönnqvist-