Listen to Overkill's 'End of the Line' off of Under the Influence. Close you eyes and picture the Maiden boys circa-Somewhere in Time.

I just inadvertently did and now I know that it will impossible not to always think of this song - a longtime Overkill fave - as a Maiden b-side.

What's the best 20-track album we can make of Maiden 'homages'?

Are you talking about songs that sound like they were influenced by Maiden? or songs that Maiden should cover as B-sides?

In any case.... how about Iced Earth's entire catalog. It's a straight tribute to the Mighty Maiden. I also always thought Profane Genocidal Creations by Dark Fortress had a very Maiden sound. Very guitar driven, lengthy complex songs reminiscent of the Maiden aesthetic. Figured i would throw another less obvious example out there.

I have this feeling with some Megadeth's songs, back in the day, for example.

kind of interesting idea, I personally think...

First song coming to my mind (as I just listened to it a few hours ago) is a song by Ironsword called (fittingly) "Crown of Iron". Yeah, the vocals in no way are maiden-esque (too rough) but the overall track screams "early Maiden" and it def. sounds so intenional (hence the song title, I assume). Anyway, a great track by a great band paying their hommage to Maiden. Listen for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRQFivNPI1g

Slayer's Crionics has some strong nods to Transylvania, and Destruction's United By Hatred is kind of like the violent middle section of Genghis Khan turned into a full-on epic battle-themed thrash song.

Actually, I haven't listened to that Overkill album in at least five years, but I remember that the instrumental bridge of Overkill III had a bit of a Phantom of the Opera thing going for it, although I can't remember if that was present in the rest of the song.

I would love to hear Maiden do a cover of Fates Warning's Without a Trace. That song has always sounded very Maidenesque to me for some reason.

Basically that entire album sounds Maidenesque.

Miles Beyond and Machine Men are the first bands to come to mind for this sort of thing, though the latter had more in common with Bruce Dickinson's solo works than anything else.

Yeah, yaw pwobablwy write.

Sentenced's Amok is highly Iron Maiden-inspired stuff.

Blind Guardian's Trial by the Archon is basically a lost early Maiden instrumental.

anthrax's first album sounds like early iron maiden. Even the vocals.

I always think instantly of Maiden when I hear pretty much any riff from Subterranean-era In Flames, especially the actual track 'Subterranean'. Sure, the same could be said for lots of melodeath but this in particular screams Maiden.

Funny that. You think Iron Maiden when you here melodeath in general? Incredible. I think the same thing when I hear just about any derivative of power metal myself.

You guys list up a lot of shit with downtuned guitars, double bass drum, and dissonant chords.
I know Nicko used double pedal on Face In The Sand, but it's no excuse...

I think most of you go too far with the requirements for "sounding like", it's like saying Primal Fear sounds like Judas Priest. They don't! There's obvious influences from Priest but they don't sound enough the same except a few songs.

Gamma Ray seldomly sound like Judas Priest tho, like Real World which is like a mix-match of songs like Out In The Fields, Turbo Lover, The Sentinel and others. There's even some guitar licks resembling the solo on Priests Reckless, which is cool. And To The Metal, which is a ripoff of Metal Gods... Haha!

However the intro on Running Wilds Mutiny sounds a bit like the intro on Maidens The Prophecy. So there you go with one good sounda-like... Which isn't even the same tempo but the guitars play almost the same thing

Been listening to dark fortress for 10 years or so and never thought of that, will have to listen to it again and see what you mean.