The metal legends put together a unique setlist for this trek
Iron Maiden brought The Future Past Tour to Baltimore on Tuesday (Nov 12th). The band opened with two songs from 1986’s Somewhere in Time — The title track, and “Stranger in a Strange Land.”
The 15-song setlist has been lauded by fans for covering a breadth of their career that Maiden hasn’t touched on in years. Plus, they’ve thrown a few new numbers into the set from their most recent album. One such song from 2021’s Senjutsu is “The Writing on the Wall,” The crowd knew every word, and it sounded exactly like it belonged in classic-era Maiden.
Frontman Bruce Dickinson’s operatic-rock voice is in fine form. He can still access his upper register and make the notes soar. Likewise, he can project heavy metal authority with a commanding lower register. He showed off both with a masterful rendition of “The Time Machine.”
As is Maiden tradition, the set featured a two-tiered, artistically-draped set complete with a platform for Dickinson to indulge in Eddie’s world. One of the most impressive things about a Maiden set is the full-color physical backgrounds that dress the stage. This tour features a glowing Tokyo back alley, a chess board, and even a Delorean screen.
Toward the end of the main set, Maiden returned to Somewhere in Time for fan favorite, “Alexander the Great.” The encore featured the must-play “The Trooper.” But beyond that, as one fan on Reddit put it, this set is not for the casual Maiden fan hoping to hear “Number of the Beast” and “Run to the Hills.” It’s for those who want to dig into these icons’ musical history and deep influence on metal music. It’s special. A show, you sense while watching, will not happen again.
Iron Maiden has made a legacy for themselves by creating a world around their music. Fans, in turn, get to immerse themselves in this universe. It’s a formula that has worked for decades of the Past, and will keep new fans coming into the Future.
