Review: "The Immortal Embrace of The Iron Maiden"

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The years go by, the leaves of the trees fall and are renewed resplendent in an electric spring color while the incandescent sun covers the faces of those who once again are in charge of filling the National Stadium no matter how long they have waited for the appointment of their lives. It is no wonder, because the maiden is unique, she is powerful, attractive and impressive; the maiden is Iron Maiden.

Every high-profile evening has the presence of greats in the field and on this occasion those in charge of opening the day were the nationals of Dynamic Overproduced Groove Metal Art, better known as DOGMA who unfortunately we were not able to witness but who from outside the venue sounded solid and it is no wonder if we think that Gabriel (vocals), Sebastián (drums), Sandro (bass) and Glen (guitar) have been perfecting their peculiar metallic style for years.

Once inside the National esplanade, the only thing left to do is rejoice at such a view; 62,000 fans of all ages fill a venue that has seen these heavy metal greats on more than one occasion. The black t-shirts are stained with images of Eddy that transcends beyond the decades, they are the perfect catwalk, almost like a walking museum, of the group’s complete discography that goes from the 1980 album of the same name to its most recent release Senjutsu in 2021. More than four decades of a story that refuses to end and that is stamped, not only on the clothes of the errant but also on the beating hearts of those who wear them with pride.

The ground rumbles, the cold breath lowers the overwhelmed temperature of a hot day in the capital and the lights go out; The engines warm up their power and the audience prepare the atmosphere with a chorus that demands the maiden. With Doctor Doctor of UFO chanted by the crowd and Blade Runner (End Titles) by Vangelis the English are in charge of creating noise while they shoot the lights to welcome the metal legend once again; Iron Maiden In all its splendor it makes the largest stage in Santiago its own. First song and the energy overflows, the temperature continues to drop, but the human warmth makes the court feel like the flames of hell, Caught Somewhere in Time from the 86 albums with a futuristic cover full of small events from the band’s history, Somewhere in Time, awakens the metal instinct of the place that welcomes the group with deafening shouts of applause. They follow with Stranger in a Strange Land, The Writing on the Wall and Days of Future Past in a jump to Senjutsu in a parable of infinite time while the fans make the ground rumble.

The longing grows to listen to the classics that moved generations year after year, but it is not yet time, the power of the beast is present with The Time Machine, The Prisoner and Death of the Celts which They continue this colloquial pimponeing between the music of yesteryear and the new “Era Maiden” which is in short supply of modesty as it continues to be as thunderous as usual. Jump Can I Play with Madness and the audience goes crazy with the voice of Bruce Dickinson that multiplies by thousands almost like an impressive Victorian choir. The tired faces of those who have fought the heat for hours show the sweat of satisfaction at being able to vibrate in the same tune as their favorite band. No one rests on the shores anymore, since the Maiden has woken up from her slumber and like an avalanche she hits with her accelerated riffs and the unattainable beat blasts of Nicko McBrain’s drums, who at 72 years old seems to have the same energy as when he was only 20.

By the time people find the machine loaded with fuel, Alexander the Great, debut song in Chilean lands, penetrates the sonic barrier in an incredible melodic display. Heading, moshpit and all the metal clichés that are so enjoyed in live shows complete a unique event in its field; Iron Maiden is the first metal band to fill the stadium two dates in a row and it is no wonder. At this point the entire stadium collapses singing, shouting symphonic cheers and applause until there are no prints on their hands. Classics among the classics, light and shadow; the calm and the storm; Fear of the Dark by the light of cell phones (we still miss the hand-burning lighters that used to light the concerts) they turn the voices of the public into a single monster praying this almost cult emblem. The guitars explode and the tide that is the court jumps in unison when it begins to play Iron Maiden, in a neat compositional interpretation accompanied by the tireless mosh pits that form on the court when the clock strikes 22 hours and 35 minutes.

A break from the tracks that lasts less than 3 minutes so that the guitars break the silence with the prolixity and virtuosity that only they can achieve: Hell on Earth, The Trooper and what may be an anthem for many of those present, Wasted Years are the songs chosen to end his excellent presentation of the first day of the “The Future Past Tour” in Chile and which are grateful for the exorbitant energy of the audience. The voice becomes a sea of ​​sound resonances that transcend beyond the compositions, Maiden and the audience maintain complicity until the end of a show that sounded powerful and implacable the entire time. It couldn’t be any other way: Iron Maiden is not just songs on the air; Iron Maiden is the soundtrack of our entire lives.

Meryth Smirnoff

Photos by Pedro Ateaga

Setlist:

Caught Somewhere in Time

Stranger in a Strange Land

The Writing on the Wall

Days of Future Past

The Time Machine

The Prisoner

Death of the Celts

Can I Play with Madness

Heaven Can Wait

Alexander the Great

Fear of the Dark

Iron Maiden

Hell on Earth

The Trooper

Wasted Years