Phantom of the Opera - 2015 Remaster

Running 7:22, this song was inspired by The Phantom Of The Opera a 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux that was later turned into a popular musical adaptation for the stage and screen. The song is written from the perspective of Christine, the singer the phantom yearns for. As in the story, the phantom is a conflicted but menacing presence, making him a worthy subject for an Iron Maiden song.

Bass player Steve Harris, who wrote this song, explained: "This is a very long song that was done in sections. The middle part was totally separate but it fit in very well. It felt right to go from the slow part into the middle section. Phantom is one of the best pieces I've ever written, and certainly one of the most enjoyable to play. It's got all these intricate guitar lines which keep it interesting. Then there's the slow middle part which creates quite a good mood. It's also got fast heavy parts which are really rockin'. And it's also got areas for crowd participation. It pretty much covers all the bases for the band. It was also a good example of what I wanted to get across."

"Phantom Of The Opera" is part of Iron Maiden's self-titled debut album, which features Paul Di'Anno on lead vocals (Bruce Dickinson replaced him for their third album). Di'Anno, though, was not the visual focus of the album art. That would be Eddie, an undead creature designed by Derek Riggs that became the band's mascot.