10. Ghost — Phantom Of The Opera
Empty technical skill is not enough to make the music that moves peoples’ souls. There may be people who can pick or fingerpick their way to faster guitar solos than Dave Murray, but that is not enough to make a great cover. Ghost bring a whole package of technical excellence and theatricality to their cause. They can genuinely augment the vision of the original. Careful curation is also a watchword here. At the time that this was released, Maiden were finding themselves, seeking a final direction. Of course, they would have to do so with new material, and the opportunities provided by live work. The original of this remains as what was recorded at the time. Ghost provide a fully fledged version of the song as it might have been. — Mike Tobyn
9. Guignol & Mischief Brew — Hallowed Be Thy Name
Guignol are a “Balkan jazz” quartet from Brooklyn led by Hold Steady keyboardist Franz Nicolay. Mischief Brew are a folk-punk trio from Philadelphia but the name often functions as the pseudonym of their leader Erik Petersen. In 2009 the five of them collaborated on an album of mostly originals, and two covers. One was a somewhat predictable choice given Guignol’s influences: Django Reinhart. But the other was Iron Maiden.
If you thought you didn’t need an instrumental klezmer-esque cover of “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” well, now you know you were wrong. The accordion takes the guitar riff to start, while the clarinet and trumpet take the vocals on the chorus, and the tuba takes the bass (but of course). Later, all lead melodic instruments combine on the iconic guitar parts. There is a clarinet solo followed by a trumpet solo. They make a joyful racket and don’t really worry about precision. And they don’t wear out their welcome, with the cover coming in at less than half the length of the original. — Riley Haas
8. Cradle Of Filth — Fear of the Dark
Imminent, inevitable, planned, death should make one philosophical. Or at least lead to reflection of some sort. This makes it the perfect territory for English folk music and the Prog Rock that flowed from it, Prog Rock that Maiden have embraced and refined. Sometimes you might come to the view that “It is a far, far better thing that I do now…”, but more often you will reflect on the steps and mistakes that brought you here. There will probably be regret, and there is in the original “Fear of the Dark.” Not when Cradle of Filth do it. Their perspective is not inner turmoil and reflection. They are ecstatic at the opportunities provided by death, perhaps the mere physical end of a host, which will allow an undead being to be released into an unready and unsuspecting world, an incubus who can wreak havoc, but only when the the current vehicle is gone. The imminence of the opportunity is sensed in the epic delivery. Thrillingly unsettling. — Mike Tobyn
7. Food for Thought — 22 Acacia Avenue
In the course of writing a Full Album on The Number of the Beast years ago, I discovered Food for Thought. I needed a cover of “22 Acacia Avenue” to complete the album, and few bands have covered it. Often in such a scenario, with limited options, you end up with a just-good-enough cover. But this cover—and this band—is amazing. On the album Food for Thought, they covered Iron Maiden deep cuts in a variety of genres. It holds together beautifully, with folk duets (“The Angel and the Devil”) and disco jams (“The Mercenary”) coexisting in harmony. “22 Acacia Avenue” remains the best of the bunch, as smooth samba segues into lounge piano.— Ray Padgett
6. Zwan — The Number Of The Beast
Zwan was the short lived side project of Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlain. The band included indie rockers Matt Sweeney and David Pajo along with A Perfect Circle’s Paz Lenchantin. Zwan was led vocally by Corgan, but here we have Sweeney’s more unassuming half-whispered vocals backed by a simple beat and intricate and bendy acoustic guitar. The song sounds like it may have been a demo (the band did play it live along with dozens of other unreleased tracks) but, despite the simple production value, Zwan (or Sweeney) create an interesting version of Iron Maiden’s most well-known track. It’s not in your face, but the intimacy of “666” being sweetly sung into your ears has its own kind of weight. — Mike Misch
5. Macondo — Purgatory
In 2004, Powerslaves: An Elektro Tribute to Iron Maiden was released. It’s another example of how surprisingly well the band’s music adapts to genres that would seem very much beyond its grasp. Macondo’s “Purgatory” starts off sounding like New Order playing “Funkytown,” which would probably be enough to drive Eddie to what’s left of his knees. But stick it out and you’ll hear a dedicatedly spooky cover, chilly and spare. Paul Di’anno, lead singer of the original “Purgatory” (it was his last single with the band), called the track his favorite on the whole tribute. — Patrick Robbins
4. Bunny West — Run to the Hills
Where the original “Run to the Hills” is very percussion heavy, starting with a big drum sound and hi-hat before the guitar joins, this version completely relies on piano to accompany the history lesson cloaked in a song. Despite this sparsity in accompaniment, the piano still maintains a wide range of expressivity while leaning into the more somber nature of the storyline. In this version there isn’t the same change in both vocal delivery and instrumentation choices to signal the point of view switch in the story. However, the vocals are so strong and rich that it’s a worthy trade. — Sara Stoudt
3. Ryan Adams — Wasted Years
If you know Ryan Adams mainly for his cover of “Wonderwall,” you know what’s in store here–and yet it will still surprise you. Replace any shredding with hypnotically pretty fingerpicking, trade any high-energy singing for a vocal so intimate and interior you’d think Adams was reading from his diary. Even a metal purist will have to concede this reinvention of “Wasted Years” is no waste of two-and-half minutes; even Maiden haters will have to admit the songwriting here possesses a timeless quality. — Tom McDonald
2. Baaba Kulka — Prodigal Son
Given that Gabriela (Gaba) Kulka occupies a niche of largely dark musical theater, tending towards a quirky mix of jazz and poetry, it might seem strange she is drawn so much to the possibly simpler fare offered by Iron Maiden. But drawn she certainly is, with the 2011 album, from which this comes, devoted to songs from the NWOBHMers. Grouping up with the band, Baaba, Polish like herself, they put together an agreeably off-kilter interpretation of 10 of their songs for the eponymous album Baaba Kulka. This is the highlight, a skittery jitter that mixes a hefty nod to the dance floor with the sort of jazz flute that Ron Burgundy would certainly approve. It is all delightfully odd, especially when familiar with the original. — Seuras Og
1. Hellsongs — The Evil That Men Do
Swedish folk-metal Hellsongs have made a career of adding saccharine-sweet folk elements to classic metal songs and their cover of “The Evil That Men Do” is no exception. Hellsongs have covered Iron Maiden a number of times and each does a great job of bringing the lyrics to the forefront and imbuing them with emotional heft. Singer Harriet Ohlsson opens the song sounding like any other indie-folk track, lilting “Love is a razor, I walk that line on that silver blade.” So sweet, so relatable. The keyboards are resonant, the soft, chugging acoustic guitar keeps the pace as Ohlsson continues “his eyes were red with the slaughter of innocence.” Well, that got a bit darker than most folk songs. The new arrangement and the careful delivery wonderfully tell a love story that was previously buried by the Iron Maiden instrumentation. — Mike Misch
