Best album for each instrument in Maiden?

M

Misirlou

Prowler
In which album do you think each instrument in the band was showcased the best, or stood out the most?

Vocals:

Guitars (riffs/harmonies/solos, the whole thing):

Bass:

Drums:
 
Vocals: It's between Powerslave and Somewhere in Time for me, maybe the latter
Guitars: Somewhere in Time
Bass: Could be the debut or Killers but I'd go with AMOLAD
Drums: PoM or AMOLAD
 
Oooh, I'd have to think hard and listen again to answer properly which I'm not gonna do just now so off the top of my head it's between Killers, Piece of Mind, AMOLAD and BNW for all.

Theres like a 'dusty' vibe I've always felt from POM that I love, the bass and drums vibe in a way I love.

AMOLAD is heavy, atmospheric and clear all over and the vocals do it for me, they're like, roomy, raw and live or somethin.

BNW shimmers with life and effects.

Killers is polished rawness and just sounds class.

Soooo....

Vocals - Killers or AMOLAD

Guitars - BMW or AMOLAD

Bass - POM or AMOLAD

Drums - Pffffft, take your pick.
 
Having spent nearly two decades trying to play all of these albums on bass, I find Killers is the toughest & the most interesting from start to finish.

Ironically it starts with what might be the single easiest song in their entire catalogue (Ides of March). But it gets tougher fast! What stands out about Killers is how prominent the bass is, and many fills and variations Harris plays. (Unfortunately, that drops off noticeably over time). I don't think Harris plays any power chords on this album, but we get high-speed galloping, and harmonics.

"Genghis Khan" is arguably the toughest song in Maiden's entire catalogue (on bass). It's short, but it's a deadly combination of speed and technical complexity. Past the ominous intro, "Killers" is fast and unrelenting. "Purgatory" is prboably the fastest non-galloping song (and features some tricky fills).

"Wrathchild", "Murders in the Rue Morgue", "Innocent Exile", "Drifter" and are more manageable, but all have numerous riffs that wear you down over the course of the 40 minute album. "Another Life" might be the easiest track on the album, and even then, it's tougher than at least half of Iron Maiden's material from The X Factor onwards.

Don't overlook "Prodigal Son" either. Yes, it's a ballad, but Harris has a prominent role, and the bassline is deceptively fast. It's easier to hide mistakes in a faster, heavier song, but I find that any errors really stand out here.

I'll write more about the other albums if/when I have time. The second toughest album is probably Powerslave. It's not as consistently tough as Killers, and already Harris is playing fewer variations, but at its peak, it has some very challenging material, including most of "Losfer Words", "The Duellists" (a few very tricky riffs during the instrumental section) and "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (half of which is a generic mid-tempo gallop, but the bass solo and the simultaneous rhythym & lead section are demanding).
 
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