Finally, the visual companion to one of Heavy Metal's greatest live albums has been released on DVD. IRON MAIDEN's "Live After Death" has been long out of print and those with VHS copies have probably worn it out long before the band swelled to a six-piece. Yet, instead of just getting the concert, the IRON MAIDEN folks have decided to jam this DVD set with all kinds of goodies from 1984/85-era MAIDEN. Along with the main title, their "The History Of Iron Maiden, Part II," "Rock In Rio '85", an expanded version of the "Behind The Iron Curtain" documentary and a promo piece from a World Slavery Tour stop in Texas. Oh, and there are two promotional videos and a whole slew of photos.

Even with all the goodies, the real gem here is the concert from Long Beach Arena. While the "Live After Death" album was culled from the four dates, the video taken just from one of the performances. So those of you who know every bit of audio, from crowd interaction to when either Dave Murray or Adrian Smith is soloing, you will notice a difference. Said difference is mainly in Bruce Dickinson's inter-song banter. The album features very little interaction with the crowd whereas this performance finds Dickinson willing to discuss the Queen of England's marijuana use with these rabid, MAIDEN-loving Californians. The picture is perfect, the audio is amazing and while this won't replace the impact of the album, it simply makes the whole "Live After Death" material more complete.

With a stellar set list and a performance that shows MAIDEN was indeed poised to conquer the metal world, "Live After Death" is not only essential, it is priceless. And to ramp on that nostalgia, "The History Of Iron Maiden, Pt II" is almost worth the price of this 2-disc set alone! From the band to the managers and crew, the MAIDEN family all reflect on how these Brits went from small venue stars to arena fillers on an endless tour that lasted nearly two years. Each candid interview seems to make the band more and more loveable as they weave several yarns of MAIDEN's first hay day.

Also included is a slightly murky TV broadcast of IRON MAIDEN's first Rock In Rio performance. While the quality has degraded over time, it still is amazing to see Dickinson not only command a massive crowd, but endure a bloody brow from a wayward guitar. "Behind The Iron Curtain" impressively shows that IRON MAIDEN was too much for rigid Communism to handle on their tour of the Eastern Bloc while "Ello' Texas" features a humble Steve Harris and Dickinson on the steps of the Alamo explaining IRON MAIDEN's charm.

While current production and archival values aren't the same as current DVD releases, "Live After Death" archives a budding band make an easy step into Metal's major league. IRON MAIDEN, even with more members and more years, has the exact same energy now as they did then. Much like "The Early Days" DVD set, "Live After Death" is not only essential for MAIDEN fans, but also any self-respecting Metalhead.