"Live After Death" is a live album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released in October 1985 on EMI in Europe and Capitol Records in the United States. The album was later re-released on CD by Sanctuary/Columbia Records in 2002 and on DVD by Universal Music Group/Sony BMG Music Entertainment. It was recorded during the band's World Slavery Tour at Long Beach Arena, California, and Hammersmith Odeon, London.
The video version of "Live After Death" features only footage from the Long Beach shows. It was originally released on VHS and Beta as a "Video LP" with 14 songs and no special features, and reissued on DVD on 4 February 2008, coinciding with the band's Somewhere Back in Time World Tour. The DVD includes the full concert as well as Part 2 of "The History of Iron Maiden" documentary series, which chronicles the recording of the "Powerslave" album and the subsequent World Slavery Tour.
Iron Maiden's World Slavery Tour began in Warsaw, Poland, on 9 August 1984 and lasted 331 days, with 187 concerts performed. The tour's stage design reflected an ancient Egyptian theme, featuring sarcophagi, Egyptian hieroglyphs, mummified representations of the band's mascot Eddie, and pyrotechnics. The theatricality of the stage show contributed to its acclaim and provided the context for the band's first live double album and concert video.
For the video, director Jim Yukich filmed two of the four-night run at Long Beach Arena, California, from 14 to 17 March 1985. Bruce Dickinson later noted that performances at Hammersmith Odeon were stronger, but technical issues with lighting limited usable footage from London. The double LP was primarily recorded at Long Beach, though side four contains tracks from Hammersmith Odeon on 8, 9, 10, and 12 October 1984. Bassist Steve Harris stated that no studio overdubs were added, aiming to preserve a fully live recording.
"Live After Death" has received consistent critical acclaim and is often cited as one of the best live albums in heavy metal. The release allowed the band to postpone recording their next studio album, "Somewhere in Time" (1986), providing time for recovery after the extensive World Slavery Tour. According to Harris, the audio album is from a single performance, likely the final Long Beach show on 17 March 1985, while the video combines footage from two nights, 15 and 16 March 1985.
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