Released on September 3, 1984, Powerslave marked a serious step-up in craft and execution for Iron Maiden. Sure, the theatricality and ambition had been apparent since day one, but by their fifth album Maiden were staking their claim as the biggest metal band on the planet, a band without frontiers who'd reached the very top.
While the debate about which Iron Maiden album is best rages on, Powerslave remains a remarkable release in their canon, its influence spread far and wide across the metal scene. That in mind, Hammer spoke to some of metal's great and good to find out how the album has shaped modern metal.
