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IRON MAIDEN
- 1975
COUNTRY:
UNITED KINGDOM
GENRE(S):
HEAVY METAL
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SIMILAR BANDS:
ARMORED SAINT, SENVIZAGE, AT THE DAWN, BEISSERT, CAGE, THIN LIZZY, EDENSANDS, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, SEVENGATES, METALIUM
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Iron Maiden is a legendary British heavy metal band, recognized as one of the pillars of the genre.
PASCALJ
- 27.11.2023
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Steve Harris began his career as a bassist with Gypsy's Kiss and Smiler. He was also a soccer player, having trained with London club West Ham. But when he decided to form his own Heavy Meal band, he had to make a choice: sport or music. The choice he made was to form Iron Maiden in 1975. The first line-up included Steve on bass, Paul Day on vocals, Terry Rance and Dave Sullivan on guitars and Ron Matthews on drums.
The band's early years were marked by constant personnel changes. They included Dennis Wilcock on vocals, Dave Murray on guitar, who soon left after an argument with Dennis. Keyboardist Tony Moore even made a brief appearance. 1977 saw the return of Dave Murray, the arrival of Doug Sampson on drums and Paul Di'Anno on vocals. Iron Maiden toured England, playing pubs and small venues, earning a reputation as a live band.
On December 31 1978, Iron Maiden went into the studio to record a demo tape, "The Spaceward demo tape". Four tracks were ready, but only three appeared on the first real recording, "The Soundhouse Tapes". Only 5000 EPs were pressed and sold directly by word of mouth. The band has always refused to press any more, making 'Soundhouse Tapes' the collector's item that every fan wants to own.
Iron Maiden met Rod Swallwood in 1979, who became their manager, Clive Burr replaced Doug on drums, and the band recorded the arrival of a second guitarist, Dennis Stratton. EMI signed them for four albums, the eponymous debut of which went straight to #4 in the charts. This is also the first appearance of Eddie, the band's mascot, designed by Derek Riggs.
In 1980, they set off on the European road as support act for Kiss. Paris welcomed them on September 27, 1980 at the Hippodrome de Pantin. In 1981, Dave Murray's childhood friend Adrian Smith arrived to replace Dennis Stratton. This was followed by a 125-date tour of Europe and Japan, from which the 'Maiden Japan' EP was taken.
By the end of 1981, all was lost between Iron Maiden and Paul Di'Anno. Bruce Dickinson, ex-singer of Samson, finally took the microphone. "The Number of the Beast" was released in 1982, and Iron Maiden's success continued unabated. At the end of the tour that followed, Nicko Mc Brain replaced Clive Burr.
In 1983, Iron Maiden recorded "Piece of Mind", followed by a 180-date tour and "Powerslave" in 1984. The Hammersmith Odeon concerts in London and Los Angeles served as the basis for the 'Live after death' album and video, released in 1985 and scheduled for re-release on DVD on February 5, 2008.
This was followed by "Somewhere in Time" in 1986, and the conceptual "Seventh son of the seventh son" in 1988, with its strong synthesizer presence. Adrian Smith founded Asap, renouncing Iron Maiden in 1990. He is replaced by the ebullient Janick Gers (ex Ian Gillan Band). 1992 saw the release of the "Fear of the Dark" album, which sold 1 million copies in its first week, followed by a tour that produced two live albums, "A Real Live One" and "A Real Dead One".
Just before the 'A real live tour', an earthquake shaked the band. Bruce Dickinson announced his decision to leave Iron Maiden at the end of the tour. In January 1994, ex-Wolfsbane singer Blaze Bayley took over as Iron Maiden's new singer.
In 1995 Iron Maiden released "The X factor", followed by the 1996 "X-factour" tour, which included a visit to South Africa for the first time. Blaze Bayley was well received by fans. This was also the year of the "Best of the beast" double compilation album, containing the previously unreleased 'Virus' and 'Strange World', a track not included on 'The Soundhouse tapes'.
1998 saw the release of 'Virtual XI', a relative failure. Iron Maiden was a shadow of the band it had been 10 years earlier. But in February 1999, it was a surprise! Bruce Dickinson returned to Iron Maiden, accompanied by Adrian Smith, so that the band now featured three guitarists. To mark the occasion, the band released a compilation of songs chosen by fan vote, accompanied by the 'Ed Hunter' game.
"Brave New World" was released in 2000, and was a huge success for Iron Maiden, with the Metal Tour 2000 culminating in a 250,000-strong concert in Rio. On learning that Clive Burr was suffering from multiple sclerosis, they organized three charity concerts on March 19, 20 and 21, 2002, in aid of the Clive Burr MS Trust Fund, with a live version of 'Run to the hills'.
2003 saw the release of 'Dance of death', followed by the filmed and recorded 'Death on the road' tour. 2005 sees the release of the DVD 'The early days', retracing the history of the band's first period. The tour that followed, devoted to the first 4 albums, saw record ticket sales.
In 2006, Iron Maiden recorded "A matter of life and death", which was set to become one of the band's biggest hits. During the tour, the entire album was played. A new tour follows in March 2007, marking a major first for a rock band: the first rock concert of this scale in India, and a date at the Dubai Rock Festial. Despite requests, the tour did not include a stop in China, as the Chinese authorities forbade them to play certain songs.
In 2008, the band returned to the stage for the "Somewhere back in time world tour", starting in India and ending in Toronto, Canada. Iron Maiden traveled on board a Boeing 757, specially decorated in the band's colors and piloted by Bruce Dickinson himself.
In 2010, Iron Maiden released "The Final Frontier", their fifteenth studio album. The album received critical acclaim and topped the charts in many countries around the world. It featured epic songs such as "El Dorado" and "When the Wild Wind Blows". The band also embarked on a world tour to promote the album, taking them to countries where they had never played before, such as India and Australia.
In 2015, Iron Maiden returned with "The Book of Souls", an epic double album that marked their sixteenth studio opus. This album was particularly notable for being the first to include a song written entirely by drummer Nicko McBrain, entitled 'New Frontier'. Despite the challenges facing the band, notably the health of singer Bruce Dickinson, "The Book of Souls" was a huge commercial success and was hailed as one of Iron Maiden's best albums of recent years.
After a six-year wait, Iron Maiden released their seventeenth studio album, entitled "Senjutsu", in 2021. This album once again featured epic compositions and impressive instrumental performances. At the same time, Iron Maiden announced the "Legacy of the Beast" world tour, starting in 2022. This tour was based on the mobile video game of the same name and featured a visually impressive show, with sets and costumes inspired by the different eras of Iron Maiden's career.
More informations on http://www.ironmaiden.com/
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DID YOU KNOW?
 The name "Iron Maiden" was inspired by a medieval torture instrument known as the "iron maiden". However, the band chose the name for its visual impact rather than its macabre significance.
Iron Maiden was one of the first heavy metal bands to use double-necked guitars. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith often used these guitars to create complex, epic harmonies.
Iron Maiden launched their own plane in 2008, called "Ed Force One". The plane was piloted by Bruce Dickinson during their world tours.
Nicko McBrain has always refused to incorporate the double pedal into his playing technique. He did so only once, on the track 'Face In The Sand' on the 2003 album 'Dance Of Death'.
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