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Iron MaidenFear Of The Dark

Genre:

Rock

Style:

Heavy Metal

Year:

Tracklist

Be Quick Or Be Dead3:21
From Here To Eternity3:35
Afraid To Shoot Strangers6:52
Fear Is The Key5:30
Childhood's End4:37
Wasting Love5:46
The Fugitive4:52
Chains Of Misery3:33
The Apparition3:53
Judas Be My Guide3:06
Weekend Warrior5:37
Fear Of The Dark7:16

Credits (42)

Notes

Fear of the Dark is the ninth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 11 May 1992.

It was the last album with Bruce Dickinson in lead vocals (until his return in 1999) and the last to feature the work of producer Martin Birch (who retired after its release), also produced by Steve Harris.

"Be Quick or Be Dead", a fast tempo song in a heavier thrash style released as the album's first single.

"Wasting Love" was the group's first power ballad, which dates back to Dickinson's first solo album "Tattooed Millionaire"

"Afraid to Shoot Strangers", is a political song from the point of view of a soldier in the Gulf War, Dickinson would often introduce the song as an anti-war narrative.

"Fear Is the Key" is about the fear in sexual relationships resulting from AIDS. The song was written around the time when the band learned about the death of Queen singer Freddie Mercury.

"Weekend Warrior" is about football hooliganism.

According to the band's biographer, Mick Wall, the cover depicts Eddie, "as some sort of Nosferatu tree figure leering at the moon". It was the group's first not to be designed by artist Derek Riggs, whose contributions were rejected in favour of Melvyn Grant's.
According to Iron Maiden's manager, Rod Smallwood, the band began accepting contributions from other artists as "We wanted to upgrade Eddie for the 90s. We wanted to take him from the sort of comic-book horror creature and turn him into something a bit more straightforward so that he became even more threatening."
Following Fear of the Dark, Grant has produced several more covers for Iron Maiden, making him the band's second most-frequent artist after Riggs.
In 2022, in her music video LALISA' M/V, South Korean superstar Lisa from Blackpink sports a full outfit featuring a collage of Fear of the Dark artwork.

Reviews for the album were mixed, with AllMusic commenting that, while "easily an improvement over 1990's lackluster No Prayer for the Dying (both musically and sonically)", the release "still wasn't quite on par with their exceptional work from the '80s".
Sputnikmusic were more positive about the release, stating that "though many of the songs are still sub-par by their standards ... the band returns to the lofty heights that they enjoyed for the entirety of the 80's".
Billboard gave it a positive review on release, saying Dickinson's voice "shows no sign of wear and tear" and the guitar work "sounds fresh and crisp".

In October 2011, Fear of the Dark was ranked No. 8 on Guitar World magazine's top ten list of guitar albums of 1992.
Fear of the Dark became the third Iron Maiden album to top the UK Albums Chart.
It is the band's most successful record in North America after the inception of Nielsen SoundScan in 1991, with 438,000 copies sold as of 2008.

Versions

Filter by
    234 versions
    Image, In Your Collection, Wantlist, or Inventory
    Version DetailsData Quality
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album, Limited Edition, Gatefold
    EMI – EMD 1032, EMI – 7991611UK1992UK1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992-05-11, CDFear Of The Dark
    CD, Album, Stereo
    EMI – CD EMD 1032, EMI – CDP 7991612UK1992UK1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album
    EMI – TCEMD 1032, EMI – 7991614France1992France1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CDFear Of The Dark
    CD, Album, Stereo
    Epic – EK 48993US1992US1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album, Gatefold
    MJM Music PL – MJM 139, EMI – EMD1032, EMI – 7991611Poland1992Poland1992
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CDFear Of The Dark
    CD, Album, Limited Edition, Digipak
    EMI – 7808612Australasia1992Australasia1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album, Unofficial Release
    Takt Music – 1796Poland1992Poland1992
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album, Stereo
    EMI – 54 7991611, EMI – 54 7991621, EMI – 54 7991631, EMI – 2-54 7991611Italy1992Italy1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album
    MMC Records (2) – 69515-1-DHungary1992Hungary1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992-05-00, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album, Gatefold
    EMI – 7991621, EMI – EMD 1032Europe1992Europe1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album
    Epic – ET 48993US1992US1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark = フィア・オブ・ザ・ダーク, 1992-05-20, CDFear Of The Dark = フィア・オブ・ザ・ダーク
    CD, Album, Limited Edition, Stereo
    EMI – TOCP-7155, EMI – EMD 1032Japan1992Japan1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album, Gatefold
    EMI – 140 79 9161 1Spain1992Spain1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992-05-11, CDFear Of The Dark
    CD, Album, Stereo
    EMI – CDP 7991612, EMI – CD EMD 1032, EMI – CDP 799 1612Europe1992Europe1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album
    EMI – TCEMD1032, EMI – TC EMD 1032, EMI – TC-EMD 1032, EMI – 7 99161 4UK1992UK1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CDFear Of The Dark
    CD, Album
    EMI – C2 99161, Capitol Records – C2 99161Canada1992Canada1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album
    EMI – EMD 1032, Croatia Records – LP-7-2 2036868Croatia1992Croatia1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album
    EMI – 7 99161 1, EMI – 7991611Greece1992Greece1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992-05-11, CDFear Of The Dark
    CD, Album
    EMI – CDP 7991612, EMI – CDP 799 1612Italy1992Italy1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album
    EMI – MC-7-S 3036867, Croatia Records – MC-7-S 3036867Croatia1992Croatia1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album, Gatefold
    EMI – 168 799161 1Brazil1992Brazil1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album, Gatefold
    EMI – 7991611Portugal1992Portugal1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    LP, Album
    EMI – 11001472Colombia1992Colombia1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album
    EMI – 25201Venezuela1992Venezuela1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album, Unofficial Release
    MG Records (2) – MG 2144Poland1992Poland1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album, Gatefold
    EMI – EMI-25200Venezuela1992Venezuela1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album, Unofficial Release
    Brawo – 715Poland1992Poland1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album, Dolby HX Pro B NR
    Capitol Records – C4 99161Canada1992Canada1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album, Gatefold
    EMI – EMCJD(I) 5456South Africa1992South Africa1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, VinylFear Of The Dark
    2×LP, Album, Gatefold
    EMI – EKPL-0230-231South Korea1992South Korea1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album
    EMI – E0187-2Indonesia1992Indonesia1992
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, Box SetFear Of The Dark
    Box Set, Limited Edition, Promo, Numbered; CD, Album; Cassette; VHS
    EMI – EMD 1032UK1992UK1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album, Unofficial Release
    Star – 149Poland1992Poland1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album, Stereo, Dolby System
    EMI – 7 99161 4, EMI – TCEMD 1032Netherlands1992Netherlands1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album
    EMI – TCEMD 1032, MJM Music PL – MJM 139Poland1992Poland1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album
    EMI – 0777 7991614(6), EMI – 7 99161 4, EMI – TC EMD 1032Malaysia1992Malaysia1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album, XDR quality system, Dolby system
    EMI – 68 7991614Italy1992Italy1992
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CassetteFear Of The Dark
    Cassette, Album, Dolby System
    EMI – 7991614, EMI Greece – 7991614, EMI – 7 99161 4, EMI Greece – 7 99161 4Greece1992Greece1992
    New Submission
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CDFear Of The Dark
    CD, Album
    EMI – 799161 2, EMI – 799 1612, EMI – 374 799161 2Brazil1992Brazil1992
    Cover of Fear Of The Dark, 1992, CDFear Of The Dark
    CD, Album
    EMI – 7243 8 35877 2 8, EMI – CDEM 1579, EMI – 7243 8 36051 2 5Europe1992Europe1992
    New Submission

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    • Ratings:4778
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