10 Sci-Fi Hard Rock Albums You Need To Hear

10. Somewhere In Time - Iron Maiden

Not necessarily a concept album, Somewhere in Time still came when Iron Maiden were busy conquering the planet, and were surely looking to what the future could bring.

As such, they promptly injected their sound with some bass and guitar synths, producing a collection of tracks that included the mighty "Wasted Years" and "Stranger in a Strange Land". Lyrics occasionally dealt with mortality and selling your soul to the unnamed notion of technological advancement, but the most iconic part of all this was the album's presentation - fronted by Derek Riggs' phenomenal artwork on the cover and inside.

Depicting mascot Eddie in a cybernetically enhanced state, bearing down on the common folk as Maiden's signature gallops followed in tow, it was the first image fans saw, and helped propel the album to double platinum status in the U.S.

Whilst Somewhere in Time suffered a little from being written when the band were utterly exhausted from touring, if you're a sci-fi or cyberpunk fan, it's one of their absolute best.

Also, Sea of Madness absolutely slaps.