One of the most comforting things about living in the UK is knowing what you can rely on: bank holidays will be rainy, beans will be on the breakfast menu and Britain's homegrown heavy metal heroes will continue rocking well into their twilight years. Motorhead do it, Ozzy Osbourne does it and, with Brave New World, Iron Maiden prove that they can do it, too. Featuring the return of vocalist Bruce Dickinson, after his self-imposed, six-year exile from the band, Brave New World is the sound of classic Iron Maiden at their finest. The guitars--augmented by the addition of a third guitarist, Adrian Smith--still scream along at top volume, with their signature blistering solos and frantic time changes. Songs like hit single "The Wicker Man", the anthemic "Blood Brothers" and "The Nomad" all bear the hallmarks of Maiden's best work--that is, they rock. Brave New World is the triumphant sound of one of Britain's heavy metal institutions returning to the top of the heap. --Robert Burrow