8 Iron Maiden Songs That Are Far Better Live
2. Aces High
Aces High opened Iron Maiden's shows across the Flight 666 tour in 2008 and is featured on the CD/DVD of the same name. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the greatest opening to a live album the band has ever put out.
The build up to the song is key here. Churchill's famous 'never surrender' speech is played over the PA system, followed by the studio intro to the song. By this moment the crowd's anticipation has reached it's peak.
At the ending of the intro, Harris, Gers, Murray and Smith burst onto the stage accompanied by the first fireworks of the night, almost drowned in a sea of screams. This is a perfect example of how special an Iron Maiden show is. You could listen to that introduction endless times and it would still give you chills.
The song was originally released on the Powerslave album in 1984. While it would be understandable if Dickinson struggled to reach the same quality that earned him the nickname 'The Air Raid Siren' after all those years, the singer doesn't miss a single beat, truly living up to the moniker so well deserved.