Part 33 of my series of Iron Maiden reviews!…and CONGRATS TO MAIDEN on your Grammy nomination!

IRON MAIDEN – No More Lies EP (2004, enhanced)

Don’t ask me what qualifies this as an EP and not a single. I don’t know. Anyway, “No More Lies” was from the Dance of Death album, and this EP comes handsomely packed in a cool box with a Maiden wristband. Collectors will want to keep that clean — not for working out in!

The tunes, however, are why you should be buying this, and it is worth buying for the orchestral version of “Paschendale”. One of the best war epics ever written by Iron Maiden (please, bring it back live?), it paints a vivid picture of the trenches during WWI. Guitar melodies dance, and the song is in your head after only one listen. You also get an electric version of “Journeyman”, which was acoustic on the album.  I’m not a huge fan of the song “No More Lies” itself.  It’s fine but would have been better two minutes shorter.

But what’s this?  A hidden track?  Yes it is!  Nicko McBrain takes lead vocals (!) on a comedic rendering of “Age of Innocence”!  We all know Maiden enjoy their joke tunes (“Sheriff of Huddersfield”, “Black Bart Blues”) and it is great to see that they still have a sense of humour.

If you can find it at a decent price (might be hard today), do it.

5/5 stars

1. No More Lies

2. Paschendale (Orchestral Version)

3. Journeyman (Electric Version)

4. Age of Innocence (How Old?) (hidden track)