10 Metal Albums That Should Have Been Great (But Totally Weren't)

Originally touted as what would be Iron Maiden's blistering return to their raw, early '80s sound found on the likes of Killers (1981), No Prayer for the Dying (1990) actually marked a giant devolution for the group, who had just two years prior revolutionised heavy metal with their progressive concept album Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988).

This album single-handedly ended Iron Maiden's '80s hot streak, being their first truly bad record after seven consecutive sure-fire successes.

To be fair, in theory, a return to the "raw" Maiden of yore doesn't sound like that bad an idea, especially after the mid-to-late '80s heralded new, extreme music styles such as death, thrash and black metal. It could have been a great musical shift that let the band keep up with the more abrasive sound of the time.

But indicators that No Prayer for the Dying would be a dud began in 1989, when guitarist Adrian Smith (arguably the driving force behind Iron Maiden's acclaimed, more progressive evolution) left the band due to disagreeing with the "stripped down" direction, to be replaced by Janick Gers.

Once the record finally hit shelves at the turn of the decade, it was lacklustre to say the least. The songwriting was nowhere near the usual Maiden standard, aside from the catchy hit single "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter", which lead singer Bruce Dickinson allegedly wrote "in about three minutes". Furthermore, the production and audio quality of the record left much to be desired, probably the result of the fact that it was literally recorded in a barn in the middle of Essex.

No Prayer for the Dying ultimately began a decade-long critical and commercial slump that Iron Maiden would have to endure right through the dreaded years of Blaze Bayley on the mic, all up until the lauded Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith comeback album Brave New World (2000).