PAUL DI'ANNO'S BATTLEZONE · Fighting Back | DIGIPAK CD

CD in digipak.

Background information about 'Fighting Back'

When you hear the name Paul Di'Anno, your mind instantly goes to those raw, street-level early Iron Maiden records that defined a generation. But what the man did after his departure from the East London giants deserves just as much attention — and Fighting Back is the glorious proof. This is Di'Anno unleashed, fronting his own beast of a band, delivering exactly the kind of no-bullshit heavy metal that made us fall in love with the genre in the first place.

Fighting Back hits you right in the chest from the opening title track — a defiant anthem that sets the tone for the entire record. Di'Anno's voice is in top form here: that unmistakable snarl, equal parts street punk and classic metal, dripping with attitude and authenticity. Tracks like Welcome to the Battlezone and Warchild are pure adrenaline, built on galloping riffs and fist-pumping choruses that demand to be screamed back at full volume. But it's not all full-throttle assault — In the Darkness shows a darker, more atmospheric side, proving there's real depth beneath the leather and denim. The Land God Gave to Caine ventures into epic territory, while Running Blind and Welfare Warriors keep the energy firmly in the red zone. This reissue even throws in the bonus track Rising Star, a welcome addition that rounds out an already killer package. The production is raw but punchy — exactly how this kind of metal should sound, unpolished and dangerous.

What makes Fighting Back so essential is that it captures a moment when Di'Anno had everything to prove — and he delivered in spades. There's no pretension here, no prog-wankery, just honest-to-god heavy metal played with conviction and heart. It's the sound of a man who helped invent a genre refusing to be written off, and the result is one of the most underrated records in the NWOBHM-adjacent canon.

For fans of:
Iron Maiden, Tank, Saxon, Holocaust, Raven, Tygers of Pan Tang

Track listing

1. (Forever) Fighting Back
2. Welcome to the Battlezone
3. Warchild
4. In the Darkness
5. The Land God Gave to Caine
6. Feel the Rock
7. Running Blind
8. Too Much to Heart
9. Voice on the Radio
10. Welfare Warriors
11. Feel the Rock
12. Rising Star (Bonus Track)

Manufacturer: 375 Media GmbH, Schlachthofstrasse 36A, 21079 Hamburg, Germany, Contact: 375media.com