"Metal fans love metal forever," Rob Zombie famously once said. "No one ever goes, 'I was really big into Slayer one summer.' I've never met that guy. I've only ever met the guy that's got the Slayer logo carved across his chest." Zombie's right about metal and its followers, and with that life-affirming dedication comes an almost obsessive appreciation of the genre's most influential classics. Like Zombie, I've never met anyone who only knows "a couple of songs" by Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath or Metallica. I've only ever seen those logos emblazoned, sometimes for life, on people's bodies.

So what's all this got to do with Maiden uniteD, the European collective that's been singing the praises - literally - of Iron Maiden since 2010? Well, Maiden uniteD at some point realized that metal lifers, in all their dedication to the genre, represent an interesting niche. How many times have metal fans listened to The Number Of The Beast, Piece Of Mind or Powerslave, Maiden uniteD wondered, maybe aloud. Given how burned into peoples psyches "The Trooper", "Aces High", "Two Minutes To Midnight", "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "Murders In The Rue Morgue" or any other Maiden song is, would fans be interested in radical re-interpretations of those tracks?

In the hyper-traditional world that is metal, the answer is "maybe". But Maiden uniteD has managed to usurp metal's ultra-rigid code of conduct and become a successful project because of (or in spite of?) the vast difference it vision represents. With core members coming from Threshold, Within Temptation, Textures, Up The Irons and Orgel Vreten, and with a touring lineup that includes members or ex-members of, amongst others, Apocalyptica, The Gathering, Iced Earth, Paradise Lost and Ayreon, Maiden uniteD is an ensemble cast of metal troopers who want nothing more than to pay homage to one of metal's most influential. Except the end result doesn't sound like any other tribute record. Instead, it's Iron Maiden gone easy listening, jazz and acoustic rock.

Yes, that does indeed say 'easy listening', and Maiden uniteD has reinterpreted Steve, Bruce, Adrian, Dave, Janick and Nicko's creation in completely unexpected ways. Remembrance is the third album to do so, and this time it includes former Maiden vocalists Paul Di'Anno and Blaze Bayley on "Prowler" and "Futureal" respectively, which adds several extra layers of authenticity and historical acumen to the project. Does all of this work? Of course not. B-side "Burning Ambition" and early Maiden staple "Charlotte The Harlot" are way too over the top in their love of Broadway show tunes, and the perfection that is "Aces High" has been transformed into a country-esque track that flirts with all sorts of ballad roadmaps (for an electrifying version of "Aces High" that rivals even Maiden's original, check out Children Of Bodom's energy-drink-on-energy-drink version from 2002). That said, the acoustic version of "Killers" found here lends an eerie quietude that befits the song's title, while Di'Anno and Bayley sound in top form on their tracks, both songs performed in inspired, interesting and listenable ways. And there's no one on this planet that could possibly fuck up the perfect "Remember Tomorrow". While Opeth's version from the My Arms, Your Hearse era is the pinnacle of Maiden coverdom (of any song), the take here on Remembrance keeps up pace, which is no small feat.

So, does Maiden uniteD work? Well, superficially, the whole lower case 'u' and uppercase 'D' in 'uniteD' is an awkward way of branding this thing, let's be honest. And, no, it doesn't work in its totality, because there's too much found here that, intrinsically, will probably not appeal to metal fans that have literally grown up on Iron Maiden. But the concept of reimagining Maiden songs this vividly and this boldly - that's a resounding success. It takes fortitude to re-shape this type of metal life-blood, and Maiden uniteD has fortitude in (ace of) spades. And, hey, when it works - like it does on "Killers", "Prowler", "Futureal" and "Remember Tomorrow" - this is highly unique and varied material that merits being played many times, to both spot the differences and to revel in the familiarities, even if they're only peripheral. This is an oddity, but one that merits attention.

Like metal itself, no doubt.