Parlophone Vinilo y CD

Review: Are Iron Maiden the finest stadium heavy metal band the UK, or any other country, has ever produced? Maybe, but let's not get into subjective comparisons. The fundamental truth of the matter is the English titans of frantic riffs really did crack the formula and set a benchmark - combining thunderous instrumentation with mesmerising theatrics and wonderfully tongue in cheek branding.

The Number of the Beast was (and still is) the outfit's third full length record, and by this point it's safe to say they had fully entered the stride of their finest era of the last 50 or so years. Boasting at least some of their biggest anthems ('Run to The Hills', 'The Number of the Beast' itself, and 'Iron Maiden', to name but three), it's almost ridiculous to think they managed to pack this LP with 26 consistently powerful and inescapable tracks, all played with the energy of their legendary live shows.

Review: Apparently inspired by a request for a reissue of their first 'greatest hits' comp Discography on vinyl, Smash is a career-spanning retrospective that rounds up all of the Pet Shop Boys singles to date - and there have been rather a lot over the years - in freshly remastered form. Naturally, it's a beautifully presented box set, featuring six slabs of wax (each in bespoke inner sleeves) and a booklet containing track-by-track liner notes by the iconic duo and journalist pal Chris Heath. It contains some of the greatest pop music made over the last four decades, with familiar hits being joined by fan favourites and occasionally overlooked later cuts. Basically, if you love the Pet Shop Boys you need this in your life.