Fear of the Dark (album)
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:''"FOTD" redirects here. For the Doctor Who episode, see [[Forest of the Dead]].''
{{Infobox Album <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
| Name = Fear of the Dark
| Type = Studio album
| Artist = [[Iron Maiden]]
| Cover = Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark.jpg
| Released = [[May 12]] [[1992]]
| Recorded = 1991 - April 1992
| Genre = [[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]]
| Length = 58:29
| Label = [[EMI]] |
| Producer = [[Martin Birch]]
| Reviews = *[[Allmusic]] {{rating-5|2}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:crm8b5x4tsqh link]
| Last album = ''[[No Prayer for the Dying]]''<br />(1990)
| This album = '''''Fear of the Dark'''''<br />(1992)
| Next album = ''[[A Real Live One]]''<br />(1993)}}
'''''Fear of the Dark''''' is the ninth studio album released by [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Iron Maiden]]. It topped the UK albums chart. Released on 12 May 1992, it was the final studio album to feature [[Bruce Dickinson]] as lead vocalist (until his return to the band in 2000's [[Brave New World (album)|Brave New World]]) who left the band following the albums support tour to pursue a solo career. He was succeeded by [[Blaze Bayley]], formerly of [[Wolfsbane (band)|Wolfsbane]], for two studio albums until Dickinson returned to Iron Maiden in 1999.
==History==
The album cover is the first from [[Iron Maiden]] not to be designed by artist [[Derek Riggs]]. In an interview with MTV, Bruce Dickinson said they had asked three different artists to design a cover, and they then picked the best one. [[Melvyn Grant]]'s illustration was chosen over the one Riggs submitted. Melvyn Grant has since drawn two more album covers for Iron Maiden, and the cover for their single "[[The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg]]" makes him the second most-used artist for Eddie after Riggs.
The album's musical style showed some experimentation with "[[Be Quick or Be Dead]]", a [[speed metal]] song released as the album's first single, and "[[Wasting Love]]", the group's sole power ballad. The [[Gulf War]] track "[[Afraid to Shoot Strangers]]" was the band's most political song since "[[2 Minutes to Midnight]]". The album featured first time songwriting credits for [[Janick Gers]] and featured more keyboard work than the previous album.
Only two songs off of the album, [[Fear of the Dark (song)|the title track]], and "[[Afraid to Shoot Strangers]]", would survive on tours past 1993. "Fear of the Dark" became a popular live track and is still played often today. "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" became a frequent addition on setlists during [[Blaze Bayley]]'s tenure with Iron Maiden, but it has not been played since Bruce Dickinson's return to the band.
"[[Be Quick or Be Dead]]," "[[From Here to Eternity (Iron Maiden song)|From Here to Eternity]]," "[[Wasting Love]]," and [[Fear of the Dark (song)|a live version of the title track]] were released as singles.
[[Fear Of The Dark Tour]] was the [[Concert tour|tour]] supporting the [[album]].
==Track listing==
All songs written by Steve Harris, unless indicated otherwise.
# "[[Be Quick or Be Dead]]" ([[Bruce Dickinson]], [[Janick Gers]]) – 3:24
# "[[From Here to Eternity (Iron Maiden song)|From Here to Eternity]]" – 3:38
# "[[Afraid to Shoot Strangers]]" – 6:56
# "Fear Is the Key" (Dickinson, Gers) – 5:35
# "Childhood's End" – 4:40
# "[[Wasting Love]]" (Dickinson, Gers) – 5:50
# "The Fugitive"– 4:54
# "Chains of Misery" (Dickinson, [[Dave Murray (musician)|Dave Murray]]) – 3:37
# "The Apparition" (Harris, Gers) – 3:54
# "Judas Be My Guide" (Dickinson, Murray) – 3:08
# "Weekend Warrior" (Harris, Gers) – 5:39
# "[[Fear of the Dark (song)|Fear of the Dark]]"– 7:18
===1995 reissue bonus CD===
#"Nodding Donkey Blues"
#*B-side of single "[[Be Quick or Be Dead]]"
#"Space Station #5" (Montrose cover)
#*Double B-side of 12" single "[[Be Quick or Be Dead]]"
#"Roll Over Vic Vella" (Parody of [[Roll Over Beethoven]] by Chuck Berry)
#*B-side of single "[[From Here to Eternity (Iron Maiden song)|From Here to Eternity]]"
#"I Can't See My Feelings" ([[Budgie]] cover)
#*B-side of 12" single "[[From Here to Eternity (Iron Maiden song)|From Here to Eternity]]"
#"No Prayer for the Dying (live)" (Harris)
#*Double B-side of single "[[From Here to Eternity (Iron Maiden song)|From Here to Eternity]]"
#"Public Enema Number One (live)" (Dickinson, Murray)
#*Double B-side of single "[[From Here to Eternity (Iron Maiden song)|From Here to Eternity]]"
#"Hooks in You (live)" (Dickinson, [[Adrian Smith]])
#*B-side of single "[[Fear of the Dark (live)]]"
==Personnel==
* [[Bruce Dickinson]] – [[singer|vocals]]
* [[Dave Murray (musician)|Dave Murray]] – [[guitar]]
* [[Janick Gers]] – guitar
* [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]] – [[bass guitar]], backing vocals
* [[Nicko McBrain]] – [[drum kit|drums]]
with
* [[Michael Kenney]] - Keyboards
==Chart performance==
===Album===
{| class="wikitable" width="60%"
!align="left"|Year
!align="left"|Chart
!align="left"|Position
|-
| [[1992 in music|1992]]
| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[UK Albums Chart]]
|align="center"| '''1'''
|-
| 1992
| {{flagicon|United States}} [[Billboard Hot 200]]
|align="center"| 12
|}
===Singles===
{|class="wikitable"
! Year
! Single
! Chart
! Position
! Album
|-
| [[1992 in music|1992]]
| "[[Be Quick or Be Dead]]"
| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[UK Singles Chart]]
|align="center"| 2
| "Fear of the Dark"
|-
| 1992
| "Be Quick or Be Dead"
| {{flagicon|Sweden}} Sweden
|align="center"| 15
| "Fear of the Dark"
|-
| 1992
| "[[From Here to Eternity (Iron Maiden song)|From Here to Eternity]]"
| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} UK Singles Chart
|align="center"| 21
| "Fear of the Dark"
|-
| [[1993 in music|1993]]
| "[[Fear of the Dark (song)|Fear of the Dark]]" (live)
| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} UK Singles Chart
|align="center"| 8
| "[[A Real Live Dead One]]"
|}
{{IronMaiden}}
[[Category:1992 albums]]
[[Category:Iron Maiden albums]]
[[Category:EMI Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Martin Birch]]
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