IRON MAIDEN released their sixth album, "Somewhere in Time," on September 29th, 1986, through EMI in Britain and Capitol in America, produced as always in this era by Martin Birch at Compass Point in Nassau and Wisseloord in the Netherlands. It was the first MAIDEN album to use guitar synthesisers, a decision that horrified purists and gave the record its distinctive widescreen sheen. Adrian Smith wrote "Wasted Years" and "Sea of Madness," and "Wasted Years" became one of the band's most enduring songs; Steve Harris contributed the nine-minute "Alexander the Great." Derek Riggs filled the sleeve with a cyberpunk Eddie and dozens of hidden references to the band's history. Certified platinum in the United States, it was revisited in full on the Future Past World Tour in 2023 alongside "Senjutsu."
