TORONTO -- The last time I went to Massey Hall and people were chanting "Bruce! Bruce! Bruce!" it was for Springsteen.

 Last night was an altogether different story.

 Bruce "Air Raid Siren" Dickinson, a spritely, athletic performer with an operatic wail of a voice, had returned to the fold of veteran British heavy metal kingpins Iron Maiden after a seven-year absence.

 And, boy oh boy, did the noisy throng of air-punching, physically aggressive audience members -- the last time I saw that many sweaty, long-haired men was in Quest For Fire -- roar their approval. (Even despite the absence of third guitarist Adrian Smith, whose father just passed away.)

 The nearly sold-out crowd of 2,100 weren't the only ones having a good time.

 "This is seventh concert that we've done since we got back together," said Dickinson. "And as you can see we're having a f---ing blast!"

 Last night's lineup included the two-pronged, lightning-fast guitar attack of the animated Dave Murray and the energetic Janick Gers, the latter musician a dead ringer for Spinal Tap's David St Hubbins, plus equally ferocious bassist Steve Harris and drummer Nicko McBrain.

 The band came to town in support of their latest release, the double CD (and CD-ROM) Ed Hunter, which is a fan-voted, best-of compilation.

 Now why this ear-splittingly loud group of musicians chose to play the classicly refined confines of Massey Hall is anyone's guess, but seeing as Motley Crue checked in at the same venue last fall, maybe Motorhead is next.

 Naturally, Iron Maiden's entire 17-song set list, which stretched over just an hour-and-a-half, was made up of material from Ed Hunter.

 Dickinson, also a top-rated fencer and swordsman, was in fine limber form as he shrieked his way engagingly through songs with titles like Wrathchild, Powerslave -- for which he donned a feathered animal mask -- and The Evil That Men Do.

 Dressed in a short-sleeved, black T-shirt, black bicycling pants and running shoes -- Dickinson alternately vaulted off the front speaker and did airborne splits or climbed up the impressive wall of speakers at either side of the stage.

 "Scream for me Toronto!" Dickinson commanded on more than one occasion and the audience, on their feet and in the aisles from the get-go, were happy to oblige.

 There was also the old "turn on the lights during the chorus" routine to get the crowd motivated for singalongs during 2 Minutes To Midnight, The Clansman -- which Dickinson explained was about William Wallace of Braveheart fame -- and Fear Of The Dark.

 But the band's energy was pretty infectious all on its own.

JAM! Rating: 3 out of 5