"Probably the odd one out in the Maiden discography, being that the title track is one of their biggest songs, but the rest of the album is almost never mentioned. I feel like 'Fear of the Dark' as an album still gets too much hate for being different to their 80's output. However, every track here is substantial to a point and warrants recognition as ranging from musically apt to masterful. Sure, there is one track on this record in particular that is a massive dip in quality relative to the rest of the album, of course being 'Weekend Warrior', with its irritating hooks and lack of inspiration. Other than that, I would argue that this record is amazing, it might not feature grandiose lead guitar work or iconic songwriting like the band's previous material, but there's an abundance of fresh ideas on 'Fear of the Dark' that make it a more than great experience.
Firstly, the more gritty atmosphere of 'No Prayer For The Dying' is retained here, although the music is generally more eerie, with more reverb-centred guitars and more streamlined vocal harmonies that honestly improve the songs hugely. For example, songs like 'Judas Be My Guide' and 'The Fugitive' would otherwise be ok tracks, but Bruce's outstanding vocal performance makes those songs the classics that they are. There's a certain attitude to the music here, and it's noticeable across more of the runtime, it sounds like the band is paying homage to their more rock-oriented roots of Thin Lizzy and Montrose; holding the melody back a bit and focusing more on riffs and hooks. Regardless, this still definitely sounds like Maiden, and when the lead guitars do kick in, they bring some of the highlights of Dave Murray's career as well as Janick Gers'. If this isn't exemplified in the title track alone, the jaw-dropping solos in 'Afraid To Shoot Strangers' prove that this was an overlooked record, and a victim of the band's forsaken 90's period.
With that being said, 'Afraid To Shoot Strangers' could be considered a ballad, at least the first half. 'Fear of the Dark' shows that Iron Maiden can write amazing ballads, as the band only really dabbled with the idea in 2 or 3 tracks before this, but maybe it's something they should've tried more often, considering how legendary some of these songs are. Of course, when reviewing Iron Maiden, the main focal point is the songwriting, and these songs are written exceptionally, with a contemporary commercial sound in mind but without resorting to bland pop rock songs, Maiden knows how to keep a track together and this record isn't any exception, since the album manages to sound catchy and consistent with varied structures despite the relatively short average track length.
Featuring one staple for the band and a few other somewhat popular hits, 'Fear of the Dark' is immensely underrated, and I feel that there is a lot of material here to enjoy past what you might've already heard. Virtually every song is memorable and enjoyable. The main reason I gave this album a nearly perfect score is because of how consistent the band is able to keep the songs." - The Metal Archives (96%/100%)
Compact Disc
Tracklisting:
1. Be Quick Or Be Dead
2. From Here To Eternity
3. Afraid To Shoot Strangers
4. Fear Is The Key
5. Childhood's End
6. Wasting Love
7. The Fugitive
8. Chains Of Misery
9. The Apparition
10. Judas Be My Guide
11. Weekend Warrior
12. Fear Of The Dark
