Your favourite five Maiden album covers?

Your favourite five Maiden album covers

  • Iron Maiden

    Votes: 2 4.9%
  • Killers

    Votes: 14 34.1%
  • Th Number Of The Beast

    Votes: 9 22.0%
  • Piece Of Mind

    Votes: 12 29.3%
  • Powerslave

    Votes: 34 82.9%
  • Life After Death

    Votes: 23 56.1%
  • Somewhere In Time

    Votes: 35 85.4%
  • Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

    Votes: 24 58.5%
  • No Prayer For The Dying

    Votes: 1 2.4%
  • Fear Of The Dark

    Votes: 8 19.5%
  • The X Factor

    Votes: 1 2.4%
  • Virtual XI

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Brave New World

    Votes: 12 29.3%
  • Rock In Rio

    Votes: 1 2.4%
  • Dance Of Death

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Death On The Road

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • A Matter Of Life And Death

    Votes: 9 22.0%
  • Flight 666

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The Final Frontier

    Votes: 3 7.3%
  • En Vivo!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The Book Of Souls

    Votes: 6 14.6%
  • TBOS: Live Chapter

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Senjutsu

    Votes: 4 9.8%

  • Total voters
    41
1.Fear Of The Dark
2.Powerslave
3.Killers
4.Somewhere In Time
5.The Final Frontier

The Book Of Souls and Senjutsu would have been added too - IF they had a background.
 
Somewhere in Time
Fear of the Dark
Live After Death
Powerslave
Killers

I like VXI and No Prayer artworks a lot too, but just not enough for the top 5.
 
I went with:

Live After Death - Probably the best cover of the band’s classic ‘80s era.

Senjutsu - I really, really like this cover. It takes the approach of The Book of Souls, but adds a little more depth and this Eddie is way cooler. Sharp as hell.

The Number of the Beast - The iconic one, for good reason.

Rock in Rio - I never thought much of this one until I bought the CD. Now I love staring at the photo of the festival, with Eddie’s ominous head adding a further touch of greatness.

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - A bit stripped-back compared to the band’s previous two record covers, but I love the icy background.
 
In chronological order:

The Number of the Beast
Powerslave
Live After Death
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
A Matter of Life and Death
 
A very difficult one, as I really like most of them a lot.

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
I like all the references to the past album Eddies, it's very surrealistic and ethereal vibe overall and as a bonus, the inner sleeve artwork is also among their best - if not the best. Scribe Eddie might very well be my all-time favourite.

Powerslave & Somewhere in Time
Oh the grandeur! Powerslave imagery remains effective and outstanding as ever. After getting Seventh Son, my big favourite, out of the way I could have chosen any pair of Maiden album covers from the 1982-1986 era as I really like all of them, but yeah, let's go with these two! They're both rather outstanding album covers and I like the contrast between them a lot.

A Matter of Life and Death
The tank being the centerpiece instead of Eddie is different, but it really underlines the mood, colours and the environment in the art itself. Fits very well with the album and nails the very Maiden-esque balance between dark and broody imagery with comic book aesthetics!

The Book of Souls
Yes, no background, but probably the coolest Eddie since Riggs' 80's heyday. Okay, it greatly benefits from the splendid album book(let) which probably gives a boost to it's "score" as a album cover, but come on... those read eyes, that look... and also, the contrast between this and the previous album cover (especially Eddie) really stood out. And even without all the aspects that (unfairly?) affected this high rating, it's still one of the most outstanding Eddie designs, drawn incredibly well. So there you go... Wilkinson did very well with Senjutsu as well, but The Book of Souls imagery was somehow a perfect match with his style!

Tied with TBOS/not sure?/honorable mention/runner-up:
Brave New World

The borderline between the sky and the cloud Eddie (now when I think of it, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask comes to mind!) and the CGI London landscape is a tad bit too clear, but I really like the colours and the general vibe of it. It's not technically quite as impressive and smooth as my other favourites, but it has some unique charm and somehow, the cloud Eddie, even though it originally comes from a totally different artwork, fits so well and his evil grin, looming over the futuristic London, just works brilliantly.
 
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Honourable mentions:
  • Iron Maiden was the beginning of it all and shows this Riggs guy really knows how to work light.
  • The Book Of Souls' inner illustration with Eddie ripping off is own heart should be the album's cover, period. It is ridiculously amazing. The details in the saliva, skin, heart... ouch!
  • Powerslave because of its grandeur, easter eggs and imposing scale and creativity.
  • Fear Of The Dark proves that Melvin Grant also masters light when it comes to Maiden covers. Also love how the branches and Eddie's guts mingle. Plus it's a really well reinvented version of the mascot.

Now the real deal:
  • 5- Piece Of Mind is disturbing, imaginative, dynamic, the lightwork is great and Eddie on this was an absolute novelty.
  • 4- Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son is the wet dream for any Dali and Riggs fan... enough said.
  • 3- Killers takes the third place but could as well be my number one (as does number 2). The horror scene, dynamics and gorgeous lightwork are mind blowing. And that grin...
  • 2- Live After Death is simply put a workshop in environment and physics applied to art: the leafs blowing, light, clouds, lightning... and then on top of it all the powerful image of Eddie being "recharged" back to life. Plus those flames coming from underground are amazing.
  • 1- Somewhere In Time is a monument, period. All the easter eggs and details are gorgeous but the main focus here for me is thye cyborg Eddie (man that thing is as cool as cool can be) and his victim's twitching hand. Plus once again it helps being a huge Blade Runner fan.
 
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Rock in Rio is a great album but the cover……I just can’t. Eddie Has A Nose. Once I noticed his real cartilaginous nostrils I could never unsee it.
 
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