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| '''Iron Maiden''' is a very successful '']'' band from ]. Formed in 1976 by ] ], previously of ] and ], they are one of the most successful and influential bands in the heavy metal ], selling over 70 million albums worldwide. Iron Maiden has so far released thirteen studio albums, four "best of" compilations, nine live albums, and four limited boxed-sets. |
'''Iron Maiden''' is a very successful '']'' band from ]. Formed in 1976 by ] ], previously of ] and ], they are one of the most successful and influential bands in the heavy metal ], selling over 70 million albums worldwide. Iron Maiden has so far released thirteen studio albums, four "best of" compilations, nine live albums, and four limited boxed-sets. The band won the ] for international achievement in 2000 . | ||
| Iron Maiden's ], ], is a perennial fixture in the band's horror-influenced ] art, as well as in live shows. Eddie was originally drawn by ] but has had various incarnations by ]. Eddie is also featured in a ] ], '']'' as well as numerous books, graphic comics and band-related merchandise. | Iron Maiden's ], ], is a perennial fixture in the band's horror-influenced ] art, as well as in live shows. Eddie was originally drawn by ] but has had various incarnations by ]. Eddie is also featured in a ] ], '']'' as well as numerous books, graphic comics and band-related merchandise. | ||
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| The name of the band was influenced by "the Irons", or ] – a club in the local area of the band which it supports. (The bands bassist, ], played for West Ham's youth team before becoming a musician.) An ] was also a medieval torture device used in ], and the song "Iron Maiden" has lyrics that are about that old method of execution. | The name of the band was influenced by "the Irons", or ] – a club in the local area of the band which it supports. (The bands bassist, ], played for West Ham's youth team before becoming a musician.) An ] was also a medieval torture device used in ], and the song "Iron Maiden" has lyrics that are about that old method of execution. | ||
| Iron Maiden was a sensation on the English rock circuit by this time. The band had been playing for three years and gained a tremendously loyal following, but had never recorded any of their music. On ] 1978, the band recorded one of the most famous demos in rock history, the '']''. Featuring |
Iron Maiden was a sensation on the English rock circuit by this time. The band had been playing for three years and gained a tremendously loyal following, but had never recorded any of their music. On ] 1978, the band recorded one of the most famous demos in rock history, the '']''. Featuring | ||
| In several of the early Iron Maiden line-ups, Dave Murray was joined by another guitarist, but for most of 1977 and all of 1978, Murray was the sole six-stringer in the band. This changed with the arrival of ] in 1979. Drummer ] was also replaced by the dynamic ], and in November 1979, the band landed a major record deal by signing to ], a partnership that would last for nearly 15 years. Shortly before going into the studio, Parsons was replaced by guitarist ]. Initially, the band wanted to hire Dave Murray's childhood friend ], but Smith was busy singing and playing guitar for his own band, Urchin. | |||
| ===Initial success=== | |||
| The eponymous '']'' was released in 1980 to critical and commercial success, and the group became one of the leading components of the ]. The band went on to open for ] on their 1980 ] tour, as well as opening select dates for the legendary ]. After the ] tour, ] was fired from the band as a result of creative and personal differences. Finally, the timing was right for the arrival of ]. | |||
| Smith brought a sharp, staccato sound to Iron Maiden. His tight, experimental style was the complete opposite of Murray's smooth, rapid take on blues. One of Iron Maiden's trademarks is the double "twin lead" harmonising guitar stylings of Murray and Smith, a style pioneered by ] and ], and developed further by Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. | |||
| In 1981, Maiden released its second album, titled '']''. This new album contained many tracks that had been penned prior to the release of the debut album, but were considered surplus. Only two new tracks were written for the album; the exciting title track, and the energetic "Murders in the Rue Morgue". | |||
| ===The next level=== | |||
| Like most bands, Maiden consumed a large amount of alcohol in their early days. However, most members dabbled very little in other drugs: Steve Harris never taking them at all. The exception was vocalist ], who demonstrated increasingly self destructive behaviour particularly through cocaine usage. His performances began to suffer, just as the band was beginning to achieve large-scale success in America. At the end of 1981 the band replaced Di'Anno with former ] vocalist ]. | |||
| Dickinson vowed from the start that he was his own man – in his own words, he "wasn't going to wear frilly collars and cut his hair". Legendary DJ, ] had told Dickinson not to join the band – advice which was ignored. Dickinson's debut with Iron Maiden was 1982's album '']'', which is recognised as a classic of the ] genre. This album was a world-wide success providing definitive songs such as "The Number of the Beast", "Run to the Hills" and "]", considered by many to be one of the best metal songs ever written. For the first time the band went on a world tour, visiting the ], ] and ]. The tour was marred (or perhaps promoted) by controversy coming from ] groups that claimed Iron Maiden was a ] group because of their dark lyrics, which supposedly spoke of ]. The allegations centered around one song, "The Number of the Beast", a song ostensibly about a bad dream. The members of Iron Maiden tried to deflect this criticism by insisting that the lyrics were based on a dream of ]'s, but the accusations persisted. A group of ] ] destroyed the band's records (along with those of ]) by burning them in a large fire. This controversy, unfortunately, is thought to be one of the main causes of the stereotype that all heavy metal is Satanic. However, these accusations of Satanism were largely based on misinterpretation of the song. Iron Maiden's current drummer, ], is a ] Christian, and is happy to play the song, which he sees as a warning against Satanism. | |||
| On the same tour, producer ] was involved in a ] with a group of church-goers. Coincidentally, the bill for the repair came to ]], a figure which Birch refused to pay, instead opting for a higher amount. | |||
| On a more positive note, actor ] was very accommodating when a request was made to allow the band to use a spoken intro from the cult TV series, '']'', in which McGoohan was the lead actor. McGoohan was a big name in 1982, and Iron Maiden manager ] was nervous about making the request. The conversation between McGoohan and Smallwood allegedly went: | |||
| :''McGoohan: "What did you say the name of the band was again?" | |||
| :''Smallwood: "Iron Maiden" | |||
| :''McGoohan: "A rock band, you say... do it!"'' | |||
| ] | |||
| Before heading back into the studio in 1983, they replaced drummer Clive Burr with Nicko McBrain and went on to release four albums which went multi-platinum world-wide: the dark and ultra-heavy '']'', featuring "Flight of Icarus" and "The Trooper" (1983), '']'' featuring "2 Minutes to Midnight", "Aces High", and "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (1984), '']'' (1985) and '']'' (1986). The band gathered huge audiences worldwide, especially in ], ], ], most of ], and the ]. Support in these areas remains to this day. | |||
| Satanic accusations persisted - there was a lot of controversy about ] messages in many bands' music at the time, normally discovered by playing the offending track backwards. On the ''Piece of Mind'' album, a ] was placed at the start of the track "Still Life" as a kind of internal joke. Reverse this track, and you will hear drummer McBrain clearly saying "Hmm, Hmmm, what ho sed de t'ing wid de t'ree bonce. Don't meddle wid t'ings you don't understand", followed by a ]. McBrain later admitted this to be his "famous" impression of ]. It translates to the following: "'What ho,' said the monster with the three heads, 'don't meddle with things you don't understand.'" | |||
| Also on the '']'' album, renowned author ] came into conflict with the band when they wanted to record a song named after the book '']''. Not only did Herbert refuse to allow the song to be called "Dune", he also refused to allow a spoken quotation from the book to appear as the track's intro. Bass player ]'s request was met with a stern reply from the agent: "No. Because ] doesn't like rock bands, particularly heavy rock bands, and especially rock bands like Iron Maiden". This statement was backed up with a legal threat, and eventually the song was renamed "To Tame A Land" and released in 1983.<!--end of references from 12 Wasted Years video--> | |||
| ===Experimentation=== | |||
| <!--references from Official Biography (see below)--> | |||
| In 1988, the band tried a different approach for their seventh studio album, titled '']''. This was a ] featuring a story about a mythical child who possessed ] powers based on the book '']'' by ]. | |||
| For the first time, the band used keyboards on a recording (as opposed to guitar synths on the previous release). In the opinion of some critics, this produced a more accessible release. The band also headlined the annual '']'' Festival for the first time this year. The 1990 edition of the ] contains the following entry: | |||
| <blockquote> | |||
| ''"Largest PA system: On Aug 20th 1988 at the Castle Donington "Monsters of Rock" Festival a total of 360 Turbosound cabinets offering a potential 523] of programme power, formed the largest front-of-house PA. The average Sound Pressure Level at the mixing tower was 118], peaking at a maximum of 124 dB during Iron Maiden's set. It took five days to set up the system."'' | |||
| </blockquote> | |||
| ===Decline=== | |||
| For the first time in seven years, the band had a line-up change with the departure of guitarist/vocalist ]. Former ] guitarist ] was chosen to replace Smith, and in 1990 they released the raw sounding album '']''. This album went back to the heavy style of the band. Vocalist ] also began experimenting with a raspier style of singing that was a marked departure from his trademark operatic style. Nonetheless, the band obtained their first (and to date, only) number one hit single "Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter". It was released at the start of January, the slowest time of the year for record sales, and was one of the first records to be released on several different formats with different B-sides, thus encouraging fans to buy several copies. The single holds the record for being the fastest release straight in to number one and straight out of the charts again over the following couple of weeks. The song was originally penned and recorded by Bruce Dickinson for the soundtrack to the fifth '']'' movie. | |||
| Before the release of '']'', ] officially launched a solo career alongside Iron Maiden, with Gers as guitarist. Dickinson performed a solo tour in 1991 before returning to the studio with Iron Maiden for the album '']''. Released in 1992 it had several songs that were popular amongst fans, such as the title track and "Afraid to Shoot Strangers". | |||
| In 1993 ] left the band to further pursue his solo career. However, Bruce agreed to stay with the band for a farewell tour and two live albums (later re-released in one package). The first, '']'', featured songs from 1986 to 1992, and was released in March 1993. The second, '']'', featured songs from 1975 to 1984, and was released after Bruce had left the band. He played his farewell show with Iron Maiden on ], ]. The show was filmed, broadcast by the ], and released on video under the name '']''. ] ] performed grisly illusions on the performance, culminating in Dickinson's "death" in an ]. However, after Bruce's departure from the band there was a great deal of bad feeling toward him from the other band members. | |||
| ===Winds of change=== | |||
| The band auditioned hundreds of vocalists, both unknown and famous (among them ] of ]), and even offered the position to ] of ] (who did not audition), but he declined. They finally chose ] in 1994, formerly of ]. Bayley had an altogether different style to his predecessor, which received a mixed reception amongst fans. After a three year hiatus, Maiden returned in 1995 with the 70+ minute-long album '']''. The album was generally seen as having dark, brooding songs that seemed more melancholy and introspective than usual. Chief songwriter ] was going through serious personal problems at the time with the break-up of his marriage and the loss of his father and many feel the album's sound is a reflection of this. The 11-minute epic "Sign of the Cross", opening the album, is perhaps the stand-out track, and even Bayley's detractors tend to recognise it as a classic. The first concert supporting the new album took place on September 28, 1995 in ], ]. | |||
| The band spent most of 1996 on the road before returning to the studio for '']'' (1998). The album contained few notable tracks, with only "The Clansman" and "Futureal" surviving on future tours, and chart positions were observably lower. One of the most criticized tracks was the single "The Angel and the Gambler", which was all that many people heard of the album before deciding not to buy it. '']'' failed to reach the one million mark in worldwide sales for the first time, and thus sounded Bayley's death knell. | |||
| ===Reunion=== | |||
| ] | |||
| In February 1999, Bayley left the band, apparently by mutual consent. The main reason for his departure was his inconsistent onstage performance - Blaze's voice was not up to the rigours of a full-on Maiden tour. At the same time, the band shocked their fans when they announced that both ] and guitarist ] were rejoining the band, which meant the classic 1980s lineup was back in place - plus ], who would remain. Iron Maiden now had three guitarists for the first time. A successful reunion tour followed. | |||
| ====''Brave New World'' and ''Dance of Death''==== | |||
| In 2000, a more progressive period began for the band when they released the album '']''. The songs were longer and the lyrics spoke about both dark themes and social criticism. The band gained a new fan base when they began exploring the genre of ] with their more classic sound, and the world tour that followed ended in January 2001 with a show at the famous ] festival in Brazil, where Iron Maiden played to an impressive crowd of 250,000. | |||
| The band continued with their progressive trend with the over an hour long album '']'' released in 2003. All but two of the eleven tracks chime in at over five minutes, and nearly all have a recurrent theme of death, though not always in a dark manner. While failing to reach Gold status in the United States, the album went platinum in several other countries and left no doubts that the band was still a force to be reckoned with. Both Brave New World and Dance of Death were named "Best Metal Album" of 2000 and 2003 respectively by Metal-Rules.com. | |||
| In 2005, Iron Maiden announced a tour to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the release of their first album and the 30th anniversary of their formation. The band re-released the "Number of the Beast" single, which went straight to number three in the UK charts. The band hit the road to support the 2004 ] entitled '']'', in which the band celebrates the music mainly from its 1975-1983 period. | |||
| <!--As of 01.08.05, this is verifiable on the Latest News section of the www.ironmaiden.com official site--> | |||
| The band's show in ] on Saturday ] ] was broadcast live on TV across ]. The ] back catalogue album charts published just over a week later were as follows: | |||
| # Iron Maiden - ] | |||
| # Iron Maiden - ] (Best Of) | |||
| # Iron Maiden - ] | |||
| # Iron Maiden - ] | |||
| # Iron Maiden - ] | |||
| # Iron Maiden - ] | |||
| # Iron Maiden - ] | |||
| # Iron Maiden - ] | |||
| # Iron Maiden - ] | |||
| Iron Maiden toured the United States with a stint on the 10th anniversary ] tour, playing before ] from ] through ], ]. The band performed a shortened version of its Early Days European set, usually lasting about an hour. Several nights of the ] tour saw Iron Maiden headlining due to ] experiencing throat problems. Iron Maiden also played several "Off-Fest" dates headlining in places such as ] and ]. During this tour, the band was added to the ]. | |||
| ====Ozzfest Incident==== | |||
| ] | |||
| At Iron Maiden's last ] performance (August 20th 2005 at the ] at Glen Helen in ], CA), the band had their sound turned off several times, ] were thrown towards the stage, and chants of "Ozzy" were shouted through the ]. This was the work of ], who took to the stage and called ] "a prick" after they performed their encore, followed by a large portion of the crowd booing her off the stage. She officially admitted this in a scathing letter, accusing Bruce of heckling her husband, which she signed "The Real Iron Maiden". As planned, ] went on to complete the final dates of the tour in place of Iron Maiden. | |||
| The band completed its summer tour by headlining the ] on the 26th and 28th August 2005, playing classics from the first four studio albums to a combined audience of approximately 120,000. | |||
| A live album entitled '']'' was released on ] 2005, but the DVD version suffered a bit of delay and was released on the 6th of February 2006. The latter hit the DVD chart at no 1 in UK, Sweden, Italy and Greece and received universal acclaim from most UK rock magazines. | |||
| ====Future plans==== | |||
| A new album has been announced, to be released in september (As Said By Nicko McBrain at the London Gutiar Show) before the upcoming ]an tour, scheduled for November and December 2006 . Otherwise, there has been no confirmed release date, nor a title given, but it will be produced by ]. It has been stated that it will be a concept album. | |||
| ==Iron Maiden in popular culture== | |||
| <!--Source - Official Iron Maiden FAQ--> | |||
| * Bruce Dickinson and Eddie did a ] for British television with "The Seat Belt Dummies" in 1991. The seat belt dummies were in the audience playing ] and Eddie is shown. The dummies remark that, "if you don't wear your seatbelt, you may end up looking like this (points to Eddie)". At the end, Bruce says "Don't forget, buckle your safety belt, mate." | |||
| * Iron Maiden is referenced prominently in the to the ] hit "Teenage Dirtbag" by American punk-pop group ]. The song tells of a lonely, ]y teenage boy who secretly yearns for a pretty female classmate, Noelle, while listening to Iron Maiden. Noelle later surprises him by declaring herself to be a "teenage dirtbag" too, and inviting him to join her at an Iron Maiden concert. ] returned the favour by singing on Wheatus' third single "Wannabe Gangstar". | |||
| * The band is mentioned several times in episodes of '']''. Songs featured include "The Prisoner", "From Here To Eternity", and "Running Free". | |||
| * ], the popular primary character played by ] on the successful American ] '']'', says she's "''working on a couple ] covers''" when asked about the kind of music she plays (season 9, episode 3). | |||
| * In the movie '']'', Bill and Ted travel back in time to medieval England, and are caught talking with the King's daughters. The King decides to "put them in the ]" at which point Bill and Ted look at each other and say, "Iron Maiden?! EXCELLENT!". Later in the movie, Bill and Ted break into Ted's father's police station to break out some of the historical figures by using a tape recorder with Ted's voice. At the end of the tape, Bill and Ted exclaim together, "Now opening for Iron Maiden: The Wyld Stalyns!". In ] '']'', when players make ] look at the iron maiden in the jail on ], he says the same thing. | |||
| * In the ] '']'', the song "2 Minutes To Midnight" is played by the ] radio station. Also, the "ROCK" in the logo of V-Rock is written using the angular font used in the Iron Maiden logo. The player can also see a parody of Eddie on posters on the concert hall in the downtown area of Vice City. The angular Iron Maiden font is also used for the title of the Love Fist's latest tour, The Steel Heart Stone Cold Prostate Tour, which the game states as "the world tour that has been banned throughout the world". The Iron Maiden logo, allegedly designed by Steve Harris, has been expanded to encompass the alphabet and has been used in projects from "heavy metal" compilations sold in music stores to the VH1 "Metal Month" promotions. | |||
| * Several ]es contain references to the band, such as the "Seventh Son", "Evil Men" and "V800" infections. | |||
| * Phantom of the Opera (see below for clip) was used in two ] ] ] in the late 80s to mid 90s. One commercial for ] saw ] ] as the music speeds up while letting his audience know of his latest offerings. The second, and more well known, was a commercial for ] where we see ] preparing to race (albeit as a training exercise) and, once again as the music speeds up, he is seen sprinting from his starting blocks. | |||
| * ] ] band ] made reference to Iron Maiden and ] in the hit single Fat Lip where they state: | |||
| :''"Heavy metal and ]s, it's how we were raised. | |||
| :''Maiden and Priest were the gods that we praised."'' | |||
| Also, in their music video for "In Too Deep" former guitarist/singer Dave Brownsound is wearing an Iron Maiden "The Trooper" t-shirt. | |||
| * "Aces High", "Be Quick Or Be Dead", "Man on the Edge" and "The Trooper" were featured in the video game '']''. | |||
| * Japanese pro wrestler ] uses "Ghost of the Navigator" as his theme song. | |||
| * Eddie is an unlockable character in '']''. One of his special moves has him play air guitar along with an Iron Maiden riff. The song "Number of the Beast" is featured on the game's soundtrack as well. | |||
| * Iron Maiden's signature font is used for Heavy Metal and Hard Rock reference and even skate/snowboarding sub-culture. | |||
| * ] reputedly played a piano version of the song "Afraid To Shoot Strangers" | |||
| * Nicko McBrain appeared as a guest star on the long running British children's show 'The ] Show' on the episode "Hidden Talent". The highlight being a battle of the drums between the Iron Maiden drummer against Sooty and Sweep. | |||
| *The character ] of Capcom's ] videogame series was based on Maiden's Eddie. | |||
| * In the First Person Shooter computer video game Delta Force II, single-player cheats are titles of Iron Maiden songs from the Piece of Mind album, such as thetrooper, diewithyourbootson, revelations. | |||
| * In the "This Week" section of ] magazine 25th of March, 2005, an article regarding one of the Mars Landers was headlined "Limp To The Hills" | |||
| * "]" was the main theme song on '']''. | |||
| * On ] the first time you see John and Pete (the two who worship Nicky), Pete is wearing an X-Factor album t-shirt. Also on the documentaries, on Satan's Top 40 they mention the ] album. | |||
| * On ], ] presented a program called "Inside Human Spontaneous Combustion". | |||
| ==Discography== | |||
| :''Main article: ]'' | |||
| ===Studio Albums=== | |||
| *1980: '']'' | |||
| *1981: '']'' | |||
| *1982: '']'' | |||
| *1983: '']'' | |||
| *1984: '']'' | |||
| *1986: '']'' | |||
| *1988: '']'' | |||
| *1990: '']'' | |||
| *1992: '']'' | |||
| *1995: '']'' | |||
| *1998: '']'' | |||
| *2000: '']'' | |||
| *2003: '']'' | |||
| ===]=== | |||
| * '']'' (Platinum) - October, 1986 | |||
| * '']'' (Platinum) - November, 1986 | |||
| * '']'' (Gold) - January, 1987 | |||
| * '']'' (Gold) - June, 1988 | |||
| * '']'' (Gold) - November, 1990 | |||
| * '']'' (Platinum) - June, 1991 | |||
| * '']'' (Platinum) - June, 1991 | |||
| * '']'' (Platinum) - July, 1992 | |||
| Actual US sales far higher. Due to change in US record label several times, certifications have not been declared. | |||
| (: search for "Iron Maiden".) | |||
| <!-- would be good to have worldwide and Japan certifications here as well; and also other awards (readers polls etc) --> | |||
| ==Audio== | |||
| * '''Phantom of the Opera''' {{Audio|IronMaidenPhantom.ogg|Listen}} – From the debut album, featuring Paul Di'anno on vocals. | |||
| * '''Run To The Hills''' {{Audio|IronMaidenRTTH.ogg|Listen}} – A top ten hit in the UK, and vocalist Bruce Dickinson's debut. | |||
| * '''Caught Somewhere in Time''' {{Audio|IronMaidenCSIT.ogg|Listen}} – This clip showcases the band's trademark twin guitar harmonization/"galloping" bass. | |||
| * '''Sign of the Cross''' {{Audio|IronMaidenSOTC.ogg|Listen}} – The band's third recording vocalist Blaze Bayley, singing on the opening track from the "X Factor" album. | |||
| * '''Brave New World''' {{Audio|IronMaidenBNW.ogg|Listen}} – Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith return in 2000 to critical acclaim. | |||
| ==Lineup== | |||
| <!--Taken from family tree issued with Eddies Casket official release--> | |||
| ] | |||
| ''For a complete list, see ].'' <!-- I've trimmed this down to just band members appearing on albums, since the full list is quite long - this also matches the infobox --> | |||
| ===Current Members=== | |||
| * ] – vocals (1981-1993, 1999-present) | |||
| * ] – guitar (1976, 1977-present) | |||
| * ] – guitar (1990-present) | |||
| * ] – guitar (1980-1990, 1999-present) | |||
| * ] – bass (1975-present) | |||
| * ] – drums (1983-present) | |||
| ===Past Members=== | |||
| * ] – vocals (1975 - 1976) | |||
| * ] – vocals (1976-1977) | |||
| * ] – vocals (1978-1981) | |||
| * ] – vocals (1993-1999) | |||
| * ] – guitar (1975) | |||
| * ] – guitar (1975 - 1976) | |||
| * ]– guitar (1976) | |||
| * ]– guitar (1977) | |||
| * ]– guitar (1979) | |||
| * ]– guitar (1979) | |||
| * ]– guitar (1979) | |||
| * ]– guitar (1979) | |||
| * ] – guitar (1980) | |||
| * ] – drums (1975 - 1977) | |||
| * ]– drums (1977) | |||
| * ]– drums (1977 - 1980) | |||
| * ] – drums (1980-1983) | |||
| * ]– keyboards (1977) | |||
| ===Original lineup=== | |||
| * ] – vocals | |||
| * ] – guitar (replaced Dave Sullivan after only two months) | |||
| * ] – guitar | |||
| * ] – bass | |||
| * ] – drums | |||
| ==Bibliography== | |||
| * ''Running Free: The Official Story of Iron Maiden''; Bushell, Gary and Halfin, Ross (1985) ISBN 0-946391-50-5 | |||
| * ''What Are We Doing This For?: A Photographic History''; Halfin, Ross (1988) ISBN 0-946391-65-3 | |||
| * ''Run to the Hills: Iron Maiden, the Authorized Biography''; Wall, Mick and Ingham, Chris (1998) ISBN 1-86074-666-7 | |||
| ==References== | |||
| * {{cite visual | crew=Iron Maiden (past and present band and management) | date=2004 | title=Iron Maiden - The Early Years | medium=DVD | location=UK | distributor=Sanctuary Group}} ASIN B0006B29Z2 | |||
| * {{cite book | author=Wall, Mick; Ingham, Chris | title=Iron Maiden, the Authorized Biography (3rd ed.)| publisher=Sanctuary Publishing | year=2004 | id=ISBN 1-86074-666-7}} | |||
| * {{cite web | title=Official Homepage | work=Official Homepage | url=http://www.ironmaiden.com | accessdate=January 28 | accessyear=2006}} | |||
| * {{cite visual | crew=Iron Maiden (past and present band and management) | date=1996 | title=Twelve Wasted Years | medium=VHS | location=UK | distributor=Sanctuary Group}} ASIN 6301092643 | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] - an unrelated band from the 1970's. | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==External links== | |||
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| {{Future album}} | |||
Revision as of 04:52, 1 June 2006
For other uses, see Iron maiden.| Iron Maiden | |
|---|---|
| File:Wicker man.jpgLeft to right: Adrian Smith, Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson, Dave Murray, Janick Gers, Nicko McBrain | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | East London |
| Years active | 1976—present |
| Members | Bruce Dickinson Dave Murray Adrian Smith Janick Gers Steve Harris Nicko McBrain |
| Past members | Clive Burr Paul Di'Anno Blaze Bayley Dennis Stratton Doug Sampson Tony Parsons Dave Mac Paul Cairns Paul Todd Dennis Wilcock Terry Wapram Thunderstick Tony Moore Ron Matthews Bob Sawyer Terry Rance Paul Day Dave Sullivan |
| Website | www.ironmaiden.com |
Iron Maiden is a very successful New Wave of British heavy metal band from East London. Formed in 1976 by bassist Steve Harris, previously of Gypsy's Kiss and Smiler, they are one of the most successful and influential bands in the heavy metal genre, selling over 70 million albums worldwide. Iron Maiden has so far released thirteen studio albums, four "best of" compilations, nine live albums, and four limited boxed-sets. The band won the Ivor Novello Award for international achievement in 2000 .
Iron Maiden's mascot, Eddie, is a perennial fixture in the band's horror-influenced album cover art, as well as in live shows. Eddie was originally drawn by Derek Riggs but has had various incarnations by Melvyn Grant. Eddie is also featured in a first-person shooter video game, Ed Hunter as well as numerous books, graphic comics and band-related merchandise.
Iron Maiden has achieved international fame with its distinctive style of melodic metal. Their blend of heavy metal, highly melodic riffs, and intelligent lyrics has become instantly recognizable. The band is also renowned for their down-to-earth and genuine approach towards their music, their impressive energetic stage shows and their openness with fans.
Many of the band's songs are historical in reference to England, others based on folklore, movies, and books, such as "Children of the Damned", "The Duellists", "The Clansman", "Aces High", "Paschendale", "Revelations", "The Wicker Man", "The Prisoner", "Lord of the Flies", "Where Eagles Dare", "Out of the Silent Planet", "To Tame A Land" (based on Frank Herbert's novel Dune), "The Trooper" (based on the poem The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson), "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" – in which words from the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem are sung, and "Man on the Edge" (based on the movie Falling Down).
The band has headlined several major events in its career, notably Rock In Rio, Ozzfest alongside Black Sabbath, Donington's famous "Monsters of Rock", "Download" Festivals and the "Reading and Leeds Festivals .
Frontman Bruce Dickinson revealed, in an interview with MTV Brazil, that the band will enter the studio again in March 2006 to record their next album, due to be out in autumn. A European tour is expected to begin in October 2006 .
Iron Maiden was ranked # 24 in VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" . They are one of the most popular and influential heavy metal bands of all time. They also have perhaps the most iconic mascot in music history.
History
The long and twisting road from formation to the current day started in 1975, when bassist Steve Harris and guitarist Dave Murray first met. Thirty years later, the two remain at the helm of Iron Maiden.
Iron Maiden had twelve different line-ups in the 1970s, paying their dues on the mostly punk club circuit in London's rough East End. Although Iron Maiden was a metal band influenced by Deep Purple, Yes, Wishbone Ash, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath, the earlier music had undoubted punk overtones. Keyboardist Tony Moore joined in 1977, but before long everyone concerned realised that keyboards were a no go. Original singer Paul Day was replaced by the outlandish Dennis Wilcock, a huge KISS fan who used fire, make-up, and fake blood on stage. Wilcock provided the initial inspiration for "Eddie". Neither vocalist possessed both the stage presence and vocal ability to take the band to the next level. However, this changed in 1978, with the addition of punk-ranting Paul Di'Anno as frontman and Doug Sampson on drums.
The name of the band was influenced by "the Irons", or West Ham United F.C. – a club in the local area of the band which it supports. (The bands bassist, Steve Harris, played for West Ham's youth team before becoming a musician.) An iron maiden was also a medieval torture device used in Germany, and the song "Iron Maiden" has lyrics that are about that old method of execution.
Iron Maiden was a sensation on the English rock circuit by this time. The band had been playing for three years and gained a tremendously loyal following, but had never recorded any of their music. On New Year's Eve 1978, the band recorded one of the most famous demos in rock history, the Soundhouse Tapes. Featuring