Formed in London in 1976, Iron Maiden were at the forefront of the so-called New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement. Their specialty was radio-unfriendly powerhouse metal, played louder than hell, and performed with whiplash dexterity and technical aplomb. Their songs were cleverly structured with lyrics--usually by bassist Steve Harris or their most well-known singer, Bruce Dickinson --that ditched typical car/girl/teen topics in favor of sci-fi, horror/fantasy or mythology. They could get spacey and at times overly epic, but as of yet, they've never recorded a power ballad, and for that we thank them.
Led by Harris and guitarist Dave Murray (the only two original Maidens still on board 20 years later), the band was inspired equally by the early '70s Triumvirate Of Evil (Purp -Sab -Zep ) and the punk rock do-it-yourself ethos. They self-released their demo, The Soundhouse Tapes, and nabbed a deal with Harvest/EMI in 1980. After two ripping LPs and a live EP, original singer Paul Di'Anno left for a solo career which never took off. Dickinson joined, and the group enjoyed a gold or platinum album and sold-out world tour each year for six straight years. Maiden was also probably the only major band of any genre to have a mascot--the lurching, seven-foot-plus rotting-corpse named Eddie was their only theatrical trapping and appeared on every LP cover.
The band became increasingly progressive in the late '80s, but following the departure of Dickinson in '93 and the entrance of ex-Wolfsbane screecher Blaze Bayley, Maiden returned to its familiar galloping rhythms and brain-bludgeoning heaviness. Die-hard fans seem to have rolled with the changes, but in '97 doubt remains as to whether Maiden can capture a new generation of metalheads. Beyond question, the band will continue as a touring machine, delivering a live show nothing short of a heavy metal how-to lesson.
The band have released over 20 albums [including Best Of... and Greatest Hits albums] and are still tear-arsing across the world with new releases. Their newest album "Dance Of Death" is quite possibly one of their best yet with the singles "Wildest Dreams" and "Rainmaker".
