“Fear of the Dark” came out in 1992 and was Iron Maiden’s tenth album. The band had taken from their previous record, “No Prayer for the Dying”, a simpler and more direct approach to its sound, and carried it on here too. The album did very well on the charts, reaching number two in Britain.
The reviews were mixed. On Sputnikmusic the record got 3.5 out of 5, with the reviewer noting that many tracks aren’t at the level the band had accustomed fans to in the 80s, but acknowledging that there are strong points too. Iron Maiden hadn’t stopped playing well, it’s just that during this period their songs didn’t have the big melodies and harmonies of their previous records.
What stands out on the album is four tracks: “Fear of the Dark” that gave it its title, “Wasting Love”, “Judas Be My Guide” and “Afraid to Shoot Strangers”. “Fear of the Dark” became over the years one of the band’s most beloved songs and the whole crowd sings it at concerts.
“Wasting Love” is one of the band’s few tracks in a slow, ballad-like style. On “Judas Be My Guide” Bruce Dickinson shows off his familiar operatic voice again, and on “Afraid to Shoot Strangers” the band returns to its classic style. These tracks are considered the best of the record, while others like “Be Quick or Be Dead” start strong but lose their intensity along the way.
“Fear of the Dark” also went down in history as the last album with Bruce Dickinson for eight years: after it the singer left to focus on his solo project, and Blaze Bayley took his place. The band and Bruce made up later, and the record today is seen as an intermediate step that still holds some of the most beloved songs in their history.
See also: Blaze Bayley: “The Iron Maiden legend belongs to Paul Di’Anno” and Tim Ripper Owens: “There’s a reason why Iron Maiden…”
