Iron Maiden "Book of Souls" World Tour: Live Review & Photo Gallery

Iron Maiden made Tinley Park their office on Thursday night as they continue on the second leg of their Book of Souls World Tour.

The first leg of the tour led the group to 36 countries across six continents in 2016.

After making stops in a handful of countries earlier this year, 2017 is proving to be another successful year for Iron Maiden while now trekking across the US this summer.

First to take the stage on Thursday was Swedish heavy metal band Ghost, known for their eccentric on-stage presence with their identity-concealing costumes. Judging by the adrenalized reaction of the crowd once Ghost took the stage, it was clear that Maiden and management chose the right act to kick things off for them.

Following Ghost’s set, a quick intermission to put the final touches on Iron Maiden’s elaborate stage setup built up more and more anticipation for the sea of fans, especially for those in the packed front pit.

Hardcore fans recognized UFO’s “Doctor Doctor” being echoed loudly through the speakers as an unofficial countdown to Maiden’s much-anticipated arrival on stage. A brief intro then being played on the video screens led to lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson appearing within a cloud of smoke, standing behind a large cauldron on the center riser of the Mayan temple themed stage.

Dickinson stayed on the catwalk for most of their opening song “If Eternity Should Fail” before coming down to work the stage with the other members by the second song, “Speed of Light”.

Guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, Janick Gers, and bassist Steve Harris all actively made their way around the stage throughout the show, interacting with each other for plenty of instrumental bits and appearing to have a genuinely good time in the process. Percussionist Nicko McBrain was also very animated behind his drum set, being featured on the projector quite often, visible to fans farther away from the stage.

Meanwhile, energetic 58 year-old Dickinson ran and leaped around the full length of the stage for pretty much the entire two hour set. Like the rest of the band, Dickinson interacted with the crowd as he paraded around, performing a few comedic antics and theatrical stunts which included a routine with band mascot Eddie during “The Book of Souls”.

The 15-song setlist included tracks both new and old with a very positive response from those in attendance. You can catch Iron Maiden and Ghost on tour now through July 22nd.

Photos by AJ Roccaforte.