Although he only appeared on a pair of albums with Iron Maiden, Paul Di’Anno has carved quite a niche for himself with headbangers worldwide. He’ll forever be associated with belting out such New Wave of British Heavy Metal classics as “Prowler,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Wrathchild,” but Di’Anno has been issuing solo releases on a somewhat regular basis since the mid-’80s. His 2006 release, The Living Dead, catches Maiden’s original vocalist in an extreme metal mood, as the rough, almost punk-esque vocals of his Maiden days are barely detectable. In its place is the album-opening title track, which surprisingly sounds very much like Bruce Dickinson-era Maiden, while “Brothers of the Tomb” features some Rob Halford-esque falsetto vocals, and the Nigel Tufnel-titled “Mad Man in the Attic” is classic thrash metal. Interestingly, it’s a cover of Megadeth’s “Symphony of Destruction” that sees Di’Anno return to his renowned vocal style (circa the Maiden days), and longtime fans will surely be happy to hear a pair of Maiden covers close the album, “Wrathchild” and “Phantom of the Opera.” Also included is a DVD disc, which includes a promo video for the album’s title track and a revealing interview with the singer. [Note: The Living Dead was previously released as 2000's Nomad, with a few track list alterations.] – Greg Prato