10 Unheralded Covers That Deserve More Recognititon
4. Wasted Years - Damone (Original: Iron Maiden)
'Wasted Years' is probably the most commercial single Iron Maiden ever released. While probably not in the mainstream consciousness as much as other hits like 'The Number of the Beast' and 'Run to the Hills', the song is the best example of just how much more commercial Adrian Smith is as a songwriter compared to his band mates.
This 2006 cover by Rock band Damone stripped it back to expose the song's true beauty while providing a better exploration of the song's themes. Its lyrics exploring loneliness, isolation and the hardships of life on the road (issues all of Maiden were dealing with during their gruelling 'World Slavery Tour', which consisted of 193 shows across 28 countries over 13 months) hit home better with this more emotionally connected vocal.
The song's uplifting chorus, where we are urged to not dwell on the past and move on from our hardships, is given more poignancy by Damone's use of orchestration and vocal harmonies. While the iconic riff loses nothing and becomes somewhat more haunting in an acoustic arrangement.
Damone never achieved much success before quietly disbanding following the death of their drummer, Dustin Hengst, from liver and kidney failure in late 2011. But this version stands to show that despite that they were, at least on this song, a talented act.