IRON MAIDEN – Peace Of Mind (2015 Remaster for iTunes)

Parlophone Records (BMG/INgrooves Music Group for the USA) have released 19 IRON MAIDEN catalog albums which have been Remastered for iTunes, encoded from 24-bit / 96 khz high resolution masters. All these albums have been freshly mastered with iTunes in mind, delivering the music to listeners exactly the way the artist and recording engineer intended.
These are brand new 2015 remasters from their original analog sources, exclusively produced for iTunes.
We have already presented the first 3 Iron Maiden albums (HERE), now it’s time for “Piece Of Mind“.

Iron Maiden’s founder member Steve Harris comments about this superior mastering technique:
“The Remastering for iTunes procedure allows the listener to experience the music as close as possible to the way the artist intended it to be heard. So, of course, I was very keen for the Iron Maiden albums to be mastered in this way.
The records have been available digitally before, when this medium first became a platform for music distribution, but were mastered with CDs in mind. The iTunes process involves a different approach and it’s great to finally deliver the music to our fans in as close to a pure and accurate sound as we could possibly achieve.”

“Piece Of Mind” marks the debut of what many regard as the definitive Maiden lineup, with the arrival of new drummer Nicko McBrain. McBrain’s ability to duplicate the complex patterns of the guitar and bass riffs gives the band a seamless ensemble unity.

Even Steve Harris, whose busy basslines were never exactly groove-oriented, has never felt more integrated into the overall sound. Perhaps part of that feeling comes from the less frantic pace; the average tempo has slowed somewhat from the preceding album, and the NWOBHM influences still present there have been slightly changed to a more ‘international sound’.

Instead, we get a few moodier, heavier pieces (especially “Revelations”) that make the album darker-sounding overall. We also get greater involvement in the songwriting from Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith, whose themes are perfectly in tune with Steve Harris’ epic storytelling.
Nearly every song here was inspired by movies or literature, whether it’s history, mythology, sci-fi, or fantasy; this approach got them tagged as a thinking-man’s metal band.

Steve Harris continues; “Now, the guitars are louder, the drums more substantial and the overall tone is so very much improved, in my opinion.
Tony Newton and Ade Emsley, who worked closely with me on the project, did a terrific job recapturing everything from the original masters, and together we’ve re- mastered them all digitally and I’m really happy with the results.”

Tony Newton adds: “The process started with locating all of the original album mix tapes (or whichever format they were mixed to). Then the choice of analogue to digital convertor was chosen for the most accurate capture to make it as close as possible to the sound of the mix as it was intended by the band.

When a lot of these tapes were last captured it was in the 1980s, early days of digital and only 44.1khz/16bit files were possible. On top of this, the new A/D convertors are far superior now, and, of course, it is possible to produce files of far higher resolution.
The result of this is that the songs now sound more defined with added depth and warmth.

Steve Harris ends; “I was very excited to be asked to be part of this project. I honestly feel that there is a massive improvement in the quality of these classic albums.”

And you can tell it: this remaster sounds really well designed for high quality headphones through iTunes, but also any player / environment.
At the time of its release, “Piece Of Mind” was Iron Maiden’s best album, the most technically complete. Over the years, the likes of Powerslave, Somewhere in Time, and Brave New World would over take it, but the album generally stays fresh, no matter how much you listen to it.
Easily an album that belongs in your collection.

01 – Where Eagles Dare
02 – Revelations
03 – Flight Of Icarus
04 – Die With Your Boots On
05 – The Trooper
06 – Still Life
07 – Quest For Fire
08 – Sun And Steel
09 – To Tame A Land

Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Steve Harris – bass
Nicko McBrain – drums, percussion

BUY IT !
itunes.apple.com/us/album/piece-of-mind/id979702236
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