The Chemical Wedding

Not quite ready for the brave new world of a reunion with his best-known band, former and future Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson laid the groundwork with the heaviest (and best) entry in his solo discography. With help from former Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and guitarist/producer Roy Z (who would also assist Rob Halford in his eponymous endeavor), Dickinson transformed heavy metal into gold on this alchemical concept record. Some of the best songs of his career can be found amongst these experiments: “King in Crimson,” “The Tower,” and especially the thunderous “Book of Thel” all come pretty close to discovering the Philosopher’s Stone.