Iron Maiden
Sonisphere’s artist pages are written by real fans for real fans. Thanks to Tom Dare for this one…
In 1975, former West Ham youth player Steve Harris formed Iron Maiden, and in giving up his dreams of football stardom, forever changed rock history. Following in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal footsteps of all-time greats such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden took metal music to a new plane. Unrepentantly heavy but with sumptuous melodies, this British rock institution have a legacy that now spans more than three decades, and includes some of the finest records ever to come out of this country and even a Brit award. An Iron Maiden greatest hits list is longer than most bands’ entire track-listing and more varied than whole sub-genres, from the rapid intensity of ‘The Trooper’ or the anthemic ‘Run To The Hills’ to the brooding beauty of ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ and the sprawling odyssey that is ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’. Few bands have inspired as many air guitar solos, head bangs and horn throws as Maiden, and have such a musical legacy, influencing artists as varied as the original thrash bands, the Gothenburg school of death metal, the giants of metalcore and black metal acts such as Cradle Of Filth. And of course, no band has an icon so totally associated with heavy metal as Eddie, Maiden’s zombie mascot.
Such is the immense popularity of The Irons, filmmaker and Maiden fan Sam Dunn (of Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey fame) chronicled their recent Somewhere Back In Time tour in the movie Flight 666, to widespread acclaim (and total joy from us Maiden fans). If you want to understand the power of Iron Maiden, watch that, and see the fan weeping in ecstasy after catching Nicko’s drumstick. You don’t like Iron Maiden- you adore them!
Maiden have a totally justified reputation for their astonishing live show, frequently showing bands three decades younger than them just how heavy metal should be performed. To cap an incredible career, they were recently winners of BBC 6 Music’s Heavy Metal World Cup, crowning them the greatest metal band of all time. Be warned- Iron Maiden could steal your Sonisphere. Up the Irons!
Current Line-up
Bruce Dickinson (vocals)
Dave Murray (guitar)
Adrian Smith (guitar)
Janick Gers (guitar)
Steve Harris (bass)
Nicko McBrain (drums)
Eddie (zombie mascot)
Must-have album
All of them! But if you can only have one, ‘Powerslave’.
Song we hope they play at Sonisphere: ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’
Watch This!
Iron Maiden ‘Run to the Hills’ Live 2009
Official website
www.ironmaiden.com
