By Colette Custin
Iron Maiden hit the Allstate Arena on Thursday, revisiting a fan-favorite period of their past on the aptly named Future Past tour.
1986’s Somewhere in Time was the focus this time around, and while it’s a record that the band rarely digs into outside of arena singalong “Wasted Years,” this time, it made up a large part of the deep-cut driven setlist, with “Alexander the Great,” “Heaven Can Wait” (complete with a gunfight between vocalist Bruce Dickinson and Eddie in futuristic gunslinger gear), and opener “Caught Somewhere in Time” seeing the stage for the first time in many years.
At this point in their career, Maiden are all about having fun, and it was clear that digging into the vaults was a winning formula as legendary bassist Steve Harris roused the crowd while guitarists Janick Gers, Dave Murray, and Adrian Smith worked their airtight three-guitar attack throughout the night. And of course, with the thunder of drummer Nick McBrain behind them, the band was a well-oiled machine as they tore through classics like “The Trooper” and “Can I Play With Madness.” “Fear of the Dark” gave Dickinson a chance to show off just how strong his voice remains after all these years, and Senjutsu Eddie made an appearance to tease the crowd with some swordplay during the iconic and timeless “Iron Maiden.”
Almost fifty years into their career, Iron Maiden continue to prove themselves as perhaps the greatest heavy metal band of all time, and if Thursday show was any indication, we’ll see them again soon.
