To Tame a Land

This strikes me as somewhat of an odd Iron Maiden song for Dream Theater to cover. While it’s certainly epic and progressive, it lacks the sort of bombastic majesty that Dream Theater usually aims for. Indeed this track feels a great deal slower than it should be, and when it does pick up the pace it still doesn’t feel like it ends on at a climatic moment. Most of this is the fault of the original song, which is by far down the weakest epic of the classic Iron Maiden catalogue. I suppose that the band had their hands tied on the selection of the song as it was recorded for a Kerrang compilation and some assholes called Madina Lake got to “Caught Somewhere In Time” first. Oh well, you have to make due with what you have right?

This is not to say that the song is bad. It’s still a classic Maiden composition, and Petrucci and the gang do a good job adding their own spin to it. The sitar effect during the verses is a nice touch in particular, pushing science fiction atmosphere to the fore front in a way that Iron Maiden themselves would have done if the song had been on “Somewhere In Time” rather than “Piece of Mind”. John Myung is clearly enjoying his day in the sun as well, as he matches Steve Harris’s signature driving bass perfectly. If nothing else, this cover shows yet again that Dream Theater are damn good replicators.

Much like the Rainbow cover, the main problem with this recording is James LaBrie’s voice. Not only does LaBrie’s nasal whine get in the way of the vocal melody, but there also appears to be a heavy amount of distortion and reverb on his voice that completely screws up the atmosphere. I would wager that this cover was recorded at a much faster pace than the rest of the collection, and that the band subsequently settled for vocal takes far below than their usually standard. Then again, given LaBrie’s similar failure to deliver on “The Number of the Beast” cover album, perhaps singing Iron Maiden is just not in the cards for the Canadian. It’s shame because the rest of the band picks up a large number of their instrument tricks from the classic Maiden era.

Case in point: The best section of this song is the instrumental second half. Here John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess are free to play off each other while John Myung and Mike Portnoy drive at a tempo more fitting their playing style. The guitar and keyboard solos aren’t as evocative and memorable as the originals, but that would be asking an awful lot wouldn’t it?

I suppose the answer to that question really determines how much you’ll like this. If you live and die on Eddie’s command, this cover probably won’t satisfy you. The same goes for the casual Dream Theater. However, if you’re into the novelty of one long running heavy metal band covering another, this is worth a listen.