10 Best Hard Rock Comeback Albums Ever
5. Brave New World - Iron Maiden
Towards the end of the 90s, Iron Maiden were beginning to struggle. Their previous two albums, The X Factor and Virtual XI, had performed below expectations (the latter being the group's lowest charting release ever at the time), and singer Blaze Bayley, who had provided vocals for both albums, was starting to struggle with his voice. He was dismissed from the band as a result, leaving Maiden without a vocalist.
After extensive talks, the group invited Bruce Dickinson to rejoin them, along with guitarist Adrian Smith, who had previously left the band in 1990. With his replacement, Janick Gers, remaining, the six-piece band now had a three guitar line-up, and after a successful reunion tour, Brave New World was released in 2000.
Rather than just being a 'comeback' album with the old crew, Dickinson and Steve Harris in particular wanted to evolve Maiden's sound further, and so opted to further a more melodic and progressive sound they had experimented with in the 90s. It was a success - critics praised the return of Dickinson and Smith, calling the album the greatest since Maiden's glory days. It was the start of a new modern era for Maiden - one still going strong 20 years later.
It's also a real testament to how the band has evolved now that they continue to sell out shows worldwide with a lot of their newer material, rather than just the metal classics.