PAUL Di’ANNO & DENNIS STRATTON – The Original Iron Men II [2025 remastered reissue], MP3+FLAC

Reputed reissue label No Remorse Records is releasing PAUL Di’ANNO & DENNIS STRATTON album ”The Original Iron Men II”, fully remastered and featured in exclusive .

Originally released in the mid-90s, there were two volumes, the first released 1995, and this one 1996. While the cover art looks pretty ridiculous (but fun!) the music packed inside is a great mix of melodic metal, hard rock, and edgy AOR.
This project brought a unique approach to hard rock / metal brings puting together the two former members of Iron Maiden, and also featured the presence of big names in rock and heavy metal such as Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath – Bass), Gary Ferguson (Hughes/Thrall – Drums), Nigel Glockler (Saxon, Asia – Drums), Fast Freddie Clarke (Fastway – Guitar), Paul Samson (Samson – Guitar), Don Airey (Deep Purple, Rainbow – Keyboards), Biff Byford (Saxon – Backing vocals), Kim McAuliffe (Girlschool – Backing vocals), Doogie White (Backing vocals), among others.
This was a studio project glued by Lea Hart (Fastway), and not only Fast Freddie Clarke play here, also many songs were previously recorded by Fastway and the other Hart project / band; True Brits. The results are very good.
While there was – and still is – a controversy from Stratton’s side about this reissue (read below) ”The Original Iron Men II” is a great addition to your collection.

Dennis Stratton has said a couple of months ago; ”Please don’t buy this album. Paul and myself did not record this album. No Remorse may not know this, but I’ve made it clear now, so they do now.
Let’s make this clear so everyone understands. Back in the early ’90s I was running the cart and horses. Also I was a full time member of Praying Mantis. I was asked to go into the studio and record a bunch of songs as a solo project. Which I did.
But without my knowledge the songs were put on this album and Paul’s voice was added. I did not know this was gonna happen until I saw the CD case at one of my shows. Over the past years whenever I’ve done live shows… meet and greets… and signings and I come across this album I always tell the person who owns it the same story. I’m not sure if this company who’s selling it knows the truth. But now everyone knows.”

Well, Stratton is wrong.
Way back when these albums were first initially released, the artists were apparently and supposedly kept in the dark about how these albums were going to marketed, how they were going to be presented or branded… each musician recorded their parts at different sessions not knowing the other was involved.
And they were paid for the job. This happened a lot in the ’70s / ’80s and even until now: hired session musicians.

The masters were owned by the producer of the project… who at the time (early 90s) made a deal with a now defunct label to publish these.
When that label went out of business years later, the rights transferred over to a new label who had purchased the masters and catalog… you know who? Cherry Records UK.
And thus Cherry Records rightfully and legally has a right to sub-license these to any other company at their discretion. In this case it is No Remorse Records who these have been licensed to… a label whom are certainly not to blame for the apparent decades old “sins” of the original producer or original owner of the recorded masters. No Remorse Records do great work and quality releases.

Anyway, PAUL Di’ANNO & DENNIS STRATTON’s ”The Original Iron Men II” rocks, with great songs and fine performances, benefited by this new powerful remastering job.
Highly Recommended

01 – Let Your Body Rock (Vocals – Dennis Stratton)
02 – The Fool You Left Behind (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
03 – The Answer Is You (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
04 – No Repair (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
05 – This Man’s Face On Fire (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
06 – Don’t Take These Dreams Away (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
07 – So Far Away (Vocals – Dennis Stratton, Paul Di’Anno)
08 – Dead Or Alive (Vocals – Dennis Stratton, Paul Di’Anno)
09 – Big Beat No Heart (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
10 – It’s Only Love (Vocals – Dennis Stratton, Paul Di’Anno)
11 – Danger Lead (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)

Lead Vocals and Backing Vocals – Paul Di’Anno
Lead Vocals and Backing Vocals, Guitar – Dennis Stratton
Guitar – Dave Senczak, Fast Freddie Clarke, Paul Samson
Guitar, Keyboards – Ray Calcutt
Keyboards – Don Airey, Jem Davis
Bass – Neil Murray, Tim Carter
Drums – Gary Ferguson, Nigel Glockler
Backing Vocals – Biff Byford, Kim McAuliffe, Doogie White
Producer, Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Lea Hart

MP3 FLAC