Iron Maiden Album Art Showdown

[Kalata]

VXI gets a lot of hate for the soccer pitch, but I think it fits the theme pretty well. Bizarre Eddie design, but that's par for the course of the '90s Eddies.

With a football theme or a landscape (like in the original art), it works for the overall idea. Like red or orange as a dominant color. With landscape it's like a power metal cover.

NotD is pretty weak, though I enjoy the various details that reference different songs.

Me too, great idea.

I've always had a soft spot for Benny Breeg. I like the colour scheme, the atmosphere, the composition and the Eddie.

Considering the theme of the song and not to repeat the same idea, they could have done something mysterious for the cover. Similar to the painting with Eddie's face shown in the music video.

 

[Siddharth]

27 The Number of the Beast +3
18 The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
14 Virtual XI + 2
5 Live at the Rainbow +1
2 Virus [alt. 2]
0 Nights of the Dead, Legacy of the Beast: Live in Mexico City

 

[Saapanael]

30 The Number of the Beast +3
18 The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
16 Virtual XI +2
5 Live at the Rainbow
2 Virus [alt. 2]
1 Nights of the Dead, Legacy of the Beast: Live in Mexico City +1

 

[The Dissident]

33 The Number of the Beast +3
20 The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg +2
16 Virtual XI
6 Live at the Rainbow +1
2 Virus [alt. 2]
1 Nights of the Dead, Legacy of the Beast: Live in Mexico City

 

[MindRuler]

We need an new round!

 

[Diesel 11]

We need an new round!

I’ve been on vacation! New round tonight, hopefully.

 

[MindRuler]

I’ve been on vacation! New round tonight, hopefully.

I hope you had a nice holiday!

 

[Diesel 11]

I hope you had a nice holiday!

Yeah, we went into the mountains to visit my partner’s grandparents. Listened to a lot of country and folk lol.

 

[Diesel 11]

Promoted to the Finals:
The Number of the Beast - 33 points

Promoted to Round 2:
"The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" - 20 points
Virtual XI - 16 points

Eliminated from the Tournament:
Live at the Rainbow - 5 points
"Virus" [alt. 2] - 2 points
Nights of the Dead, Legacy of the Beast: Live in Mexico City - 1 points

---

Round 1: Ladder 7

1. Somewhere Back in Time - The Best of: 1980-1989 (2009)


2. "Different World" (2006)


3. "Virus" [alt. 1] (1996)


4. "The Final Frontier" (2010)


5. "The Wicker Man" (2000)


6. "Different World" [DVD] (2006)


Template:
0 Somewhere Back in Time - The Best of: 1980-1989
0 "Different World"
0 "Virus" [alt. 1]
0 "The Final Frontier"
0 "The Wicker Man"
0 "Different World" [DVD]

 

[Diesel 11]

And we're back to the bottom of the barrel.

3 "The Final Frontier" +3
2 "The Wicker Man" +2
1 Somewhere Back in Time - The Best of: 1980-1989 +1
0 "Different World"
0 "Virus" [alt. 1]
0 "Different World" [DVD]

The singles from The Final Frontier are so cool, inspired by comic book illustrations. The first great single artworks since the picture disc of "The Wicker Man". As for the main "Wicker Man" cover, it's a solid band photo. SBIT's cover is fun, which suits the compilation album. Not rocking the boat. Solid.

The two "Different World" covers are worse than the one we had earlier in this game, and this third "Virus" cover is the worst of the bunch. Hugh Syme reused the concept for Nevermore's This Godless Endeavor and I think it's more successful there.

 

[MindRuler]

6 The Final Frontier +3
4 "The Wicker Man" +2
2 Somewhere Back in Time - The Best of: 1980-1989 +1
0 "Different World"
0 "Virus" [alt. 1]
0 "Different World" [DVD]

 

[Vaenyr]

9 The Final Frontier +3
6 "The Wicker Man" +2
2 Somewhere Back in Time - The Best of: 1980-1989
1 "Different World" +1
0 "Virus" [alt. 1]
0 "Different World" [DVD]

TFF is an easy winner. My first thought seeing TWM here was "eh, Eddie isn't properly on there, automatic disqualification" but then I saw the rest of the contenders...

I was never a fan of SBIT, feels too much like a photoshop edit of Powerslave. This version of Virus is the weakest of them, DW DVD is a worse version of the regular cover. Speaking of, the regular single is goofy, but at least it gives a better look at AMOLAD Eddie? Yay?

Bad round.

 

[Kalata]

What a weird Round.

11 The Final Frontier +2
7 "The Wicker Man" +1
4 "Different World" +3
2 Somewhere Back in Time - The Best of: 1980-1989
0 "Virus" [alt. 1]
0 "Different World" [DVD]

As I said before, I like Different World art- the Eddie is classic, the pose and the colors add a lot. It's a solid CGI this time.
The Final Frontier singles are unique with their style, this one is probably my ''least'' favorite of them, but at least it's something different and has a story depicted.
The Wicker Man, I know it's not Eddie, but this photo of the band and the wicker man has such a special and nostalgic aura, it's wonderful. The start of the Reunion era! And ofc considering the other options.

SBIT compilation cover is weak and lazy, just a photoshop edit. Virus alt 1 cover is brutal, not for me. Different World DVD cover is quite nice, but I already voted for one.

 

[Kalata]

The singles from The Final Frontier are so cool, inspired by comic book illustrations. The first great single artworks since the picture disc of "The Wicker Man".

Making TFF singles comics style was probably the best idea. Not only it's unique and different, but it ties the album's theme, which was hard to do with El Dorado. With the other two, the title track and Coming Home, they could have done some space sci-fi action with Eddie (something from the music video of the former; they should have done it for the live album), but I guess this way is better and even more memorable, and no CGI.

Since the early 2000s, only these single covers and Benjamin Breeg are interesting.

My first thought seeing TWM here was "eh, Eddie isn't properly on there, automatic disqualification" but then I saw the rest of the contenders...

Yeah. It's also like the perfect back cover for the Wicker Man single.

I was never a fan of SBIT, feels too much like a photoshop edit of Powerslave.

A missed opportunity to do something interesting (like From Fear To Eternity), unfortunately. Something like: the same pose of SIT Eddie stepping into split worlds, the Powerslave one and the Seventh Son one! It would be like a Gamma Ray art.

This version of Virus is the weakest of them

I've always wondered why this single has 3 covers. Because it's part of a compilation album? The main one fits Maiden's best, while the other 2 fit TXF tone, no doubt.

In the 90s and early 2000s, the band did multiple covers/arts for some singles. Odd. but more arts, the better.

DW DVD is a worse version of the regular cover. Speaking of, the regular single is goofy, but at least it gives a better look at AMOLAD Eddie? Yay?

The covers inspired by the music videos only work for Different World imo.
I never thought about it, but Different World is AMOLAD Eddie without the uniform(?). Better looking AMOLAD Eddies are These Colours Don't Run art (maybe you could have added it to the game @Diesel 11 , it was used as a backdrop, the last 2 albums booklet arts too, for more fun) and the 2006 European tour poster.

 

[srfc]

14 The Final Frontier +3
8 "The Wicker Man" +1
4 Somewhere Back in Time - The Best of: 1980-1989 +2
4 "Different World"
0 "Virus" [alt. 1]
0 "Different World" [DVD]

The Final Frontier is great, Somewhere Back in Time is just a rehash of the Best of the Beast and a few other ideas where they "revisit" previous ideas, but against this competition it gets away with it. Wickerman is a bit shit, and I generally don't like the band photos idea, but the other ones are so bad I gave it the vote. Different World is probably harmless enough and if the animation in the video was a bit more like real Eddies than cartoons then these would probably be ok. That Virus is one of the worst covers Maiden ever put out.

 

[Saapanael]

Is every round going to have a version of Virus?

17 The Final Frontier +3
10 "The Wicker Man" +2
4 Somewhere Back in Time - The Best of: 1980-1989
4 "Different World"
1 "Virus" [alt. 1] +1
0 "Different World" [DVD]

 

[Diesel 11]

I've always wondered why this single has 3 covers. Because it's part of a compilation album?

It’s because it was released three different ways. Different bonus tracks on different CD releases, similar to “The Angel and the Gambler” and “The Wicker Man”.

maybe you could have added it to the game @Diesel 11 , it was used as a backdrop, the last 2 albums booklet arts too, for more fun

I didn’t want to get too bogged down into all the art from the band because I figured the game was already long enough. The only non-cover art I included is Riggs’s “Futureal” poster and the “Tailgunner” Eddie, since I always felt like the fans embraced them as though they were actual single art.

But I’m also here to do the will of the people so if everyone wants album sleeve art etc I can add it. I just also can’t see any of it going far in the game, though.

 

[Azas]

18 The Final Frontier +1
12 "The Wicker Man" +2
4 Somewhere Back in Time - The Best of: 1980-1989
4 "Different World"
4 "Virus" [alt. 1] +3
0 "Different World" [DVD]

 

[srfc]

It’s because it was released three different ways. Different bonus tracks on different CD releases, similar to “The Angel and the Gambler” and “The Wicker Man”.


I didn’t want to get too bogged down into all the art from the band because I figured the game was already long enough. The only non-cover art I included is Riggs’s “Futureal” poster and the “Tailgunner” Eddie, since I always felt like the fans embraced them as though they were actual single art.

But I’m also here to do the will of the people so if everyone wants album sleeve art etc I can add it. I just also can’t see any of it going far in the game, though.

Tailgunner was used on the No Prayer for the Dying picture disc, https://www.discogs.com/release/2509235-Iron-Maiden-No-Prayer-For-The-Dying

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

21 “The Final Frontier” +3
14 “The Wicker Man" +2
5 Somewhere Back in Time - The Best of: 1980-1989 +1
4 "Different World"
4 "Virus" [alt. 1]
0 "Different World" [DVD]

Another pretty terrible round!

The Final Frontier single is the only thing worthy here. I agree with everyone that the vintage comic strip angle was a neat idea.

Voting for The Wicker Man solely because I had a poster of that image in my basement as a kid.

SBIT only gets a point because something had to. I think it looks like a project for Photoshop 101.

Everything else is an abomination.