IRON MAIDEN: History

2008-07-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

Iron Maiden are the best Heavy Metal Band EVER. from Leyton in the East End of London. The band were formed in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, formerly a member of Gypsy's Kiss and Smiler. Iron Maiden are one of the most successful and influential bands in the heavy metal genre, having sold over 80 million albums worldwide[without significant mainstream or radio support. They are also often considered the leaders of the METAL movement[. The band won the Ivor Novello Awards for international achievement in 2002, and were also inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk in Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles County, California during their tour in the United States in 2005.

Iron Maiden: Remastered [Enhanced]
Just as punk was mutating into new wave and the '70s were coming to a close, Iron Maiden came onto the British music scene as part of a movement known as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. Named for a mediaeval torture instrument, Iron Maiden was founded by bass player Steve Harris and released their self-titled debut in 1980. Roughly produced by Will Malone, the songs were influenced by the group's fascination with horror films ("Phantom Of The Opera") and the macabre ("Transylvania", "Prowler"). Driven by Harris' driving bass andPaul Di'Anno's raspy vocals, songs such as the moody "Remember Tomorrow" and the more aggressive "Charlotte The Harlot"also featured the melodic interplay of guitarists Dave Murray and Dennis Stratton. "Running Free" was the album's anthem and landed Maiden a slot on Top Of The Pops, where in their refusal to lip-synch, they became the first band to play live on the show since The Who's 1972 appearance.

Killers: Remastered [Enhanced]
KILLERS is based on more straight-ahead heavy metal, departing from Iron Maiden's 1980 self-titled debut, which had more of a punk edge (a facet often cited as an important stepping stone for "thrash metal" years later). Nonetheless the first album was a huge surprise hit in the band's native England, debuting within the Top Five upon release. The group's second release one year later, KILLERS sets its sights on making inroads in America, touring stateside for the very firsttime. The album was also the first for guitarist Adrian Smith, who replaced Dennis Stratton.

The Number of the Beast
1982's THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST remains one of heavy metal'sall-time classics. Although the British quintet was in the midst of enjoying its first taste of global success, original singer Paul Di'Anno abruptly quit in 1981. Though stunned,the young band wisely agreed to soldier on, making ex-Samson singer Bruce Dickinson their new frontman. Nicknamed "The Air Raid Siren", Dickinson's voice was to become one of the band's most prominent signature characteristics. It also didn't hurt that the band had composed some of its best songs ever, such as the haunting title song, and its first U.K. Top-10 single, "Run to the Hills".

Piece of Mind: Remastered [Enhanced]
PIECE OF MIND is the release cemented Iron Maiden firmly inthe 1980s, making it one of the decade's most successful and enduring metal bands.

Powerslave
Iron Maiden issued its fifth release, POWERSLAVE, in 1984. It was a time in which the band had become a worldwide arena-headlining sensation. The album was also the first to not have been marked by a lineup change, helping Maiden produce another metal classic.

Iron Maiden - Live After Death (2DVD) [1984]
Rock-gods Iron Maiden perform live at Long Beach Arena, California in 1984. The 4-night stand saw huge Egyptian sphinxes on either side of the stage and a gigantic mummy in the middle shooting pyrotechnic sparks from its eyes; all stunningly brought back to life in this DVD.

Somewhere in Time: Remastered [Enhanced]

Iron Maiden's 1986 SOMEWHERE IN TIME contains more than a few highlights, such as the ferocious album opener, "Caught Somewhere in Time", as well as softer singles "Wasted Years" and "Stranger in a Strange Land". And as with the band's preceding studio release, POWERSLAVE, another masterful composition closes the album, in this case the sprawling "Alexanderthe Great". Departing from the familiar sounds of stellar earlier releases like THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST and PIECE OF MIND, this album explores new musical territory with the addition of synthesizers, while maintaining its trademarks--galloping bass, heavy guitar riffs, and operatic vocals

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son: Remastered [Enhanced]
By the release of this landmark eighth album, Iron Maiden had settled into what's generally considered their classic line-up. With Bruce Dickinson, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Nicko McBrain operating at the very peak of their form, band mastermind, main songwriter and bassist Steve Harris decided to extend the Maiden remit yet further by unveiling their very first concept work. Contemporary critics scoffed in the face of such a grandiose gesture, but Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son spawned no fewer than four British hit singles and remains an indomitable highlight of the Maiden's illustrious career.

No Prayer for the Dying [Enhanced]
Following its greatest success yet with the concept album SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON, Iron Maiden changed out Adrian Smith for ex-Ian Gillan guitarist Janick Gers on NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING. Rumours swirled that the band was breaking up,especially when Bruce Dickinson issued a solo album, but the band re-congregated for 1990's NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING. The album marked a musical move back to the basics, as Maiden dropped the synth shadings of its previous two albums in exchange for a more guitar-driven sound. Standouts include "Holy Smoke" and "Bring Your Daughter...To the Slaughter", as well as the album-opening "Tailgunner".

Fear of the Dark: Remastered [Enhanced]
Although alternative rock was burning up the charts in 1992, longtime metallist outfit Iron Maiden admirably stuck to its guns with FEAR OF THE DARK. This effort follows in the path of 1990's NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING, as Maiden again sticksto more simple compositions, avoiding the more ambitious songwriting tendencies that marked the group's late-'80s work.The album-opening "Be Quick or Be Dead" recalls the work ofsuch younger speed metal bands as Megadeth, while "From Here to Eternity" is one of Maiden's few forays into tales of sex and sin, a la Guns N' Roses. Unfortunately, Singer Bruce Dickinson quit the band after the ensuing tour (although he and guitarist Adrian Smith would return for a reunion in 1999).

Live at Donington 1992: Remastered [Enhanced] [Live]

In 1992, Iron Maiden headlined the massive daylong Monstersof Rock heavy metal festival at England's Castle Donington for the second time. Hot on the heels of the band's two-partlive album from 1993 (A REAL LIVE ONE and A REAL DEAD ONE),came another live collection, LIVE AT DONINGTON, which contained Maiden's complete performance on August 22, 1992.The performances here are rawer than those on the LIVE ONE/DEAD ONE collections, due to the fact that the group didn't have the luxury of selecting the best performances from several concerts. Though this album was originally issued only as a limited-edition release, when Maiden's complete catalogue was reissued in 1998, LIVE AT DONINGTON was included. LIVE AT DONINGTON is an excellent collection, featuring tracks such as "From Here to Eternity", "Tailgunner", "The Clairvoyant", "2 Minutes to Midnight", "Sanctuary", "The Trooper", and other greats.

A Real Live Dead One: Remastered [Enhanced] [Live]
When Iron Maiden's entire catalogue was reissued in the U.S. in the late '90s, the group's two live albums from 1993, AREAL LIVE ONE and A REAL DEAD ONE, were combined together as a two-disc set, entitled A REAL LIVE DEAD ONE. A REAL DEADONE is made up of live renditions of songs from the group's1980 self-titled debut through 1983's PIECE OF MIND, while A REAL LIVE ONE contains favourites from 1986's SOMEWHERE INTIME through 1992's FEAR OF THE DARK. The songs were recorded during the band's 1992-1993 European tour, and the two-disc set includes an interesting and detailed Iron Maiden family tree, which lists all of the members' (past and present) previous and current bands.

Iron Maiden: Raising Hell [1993] dvd

This is a fantasic video - recorded live at a concert with a twist, there are two stages: * One stage has Iron Maiden in their ultimate line-up just before Bruce Dickinson left the band, performing classic tracks from their back-catalogue * The other stage has horror illusionist Simon Drake performing creepy and gross tricks with fire, blood and bondage. The concert includes a mix of both stages, alternating from one to the other - a bit of death followed by a bit of excellent heavy metal, and a particularly impressive finale combining the two! This is easily the best music video I've ever seen - when is it coming out on DVD!?

The X-Factor [Explicit Lyrics]
When longtime vocalist Bruce Dickinson left Iron Maiden in 1993, many fans feared that the band was finished. But the rest of the band decided to stick it out, finding a replacement in ex-Wolfsbane frontman "Blaze" Bayley. On Maiden's first recording with Bayley, 1995's THE X FACTOR, the band sticks to the same musical direction of its early-'90s work: straightforward, heavy tunes.Bayley's voice couldn't have been more different than that of his predecessor. While Dickinson sang in a higher register (often in an operatic style), Bayley was more of a bassy, low-down belter--just listen to such tracks as "Man on the Edge" and "Lord of the Flies" forproof. Unfortunately, the new lineup didn't have the same staying power as the Dickinson-fronted era, lasting for only one more recording.

Virtual XI [Enhanced]
Iron Maiden's eleventh record, aptly titled VIRTUAL XI, is a wonderful addition to the band's legacy. Refusing to sell out and go "alternative" or "electronic", the group sticks to what it knows; heavy metal epics focusing on world peace, paranoia and technology. This is the second release with vocalist Blaze Bayley who adds his own powerful element to the Maiden mix. His voice is deeper and more brooding than his predecessor Bruce Dickinson, but just as effective.

Brave New World
One of the most comforting things about living in the UK is knowing what you can rely on: bank holidays will be rainy, beans will be on the breakfast menu and Britain's homegrown heavy metal heroes will continue rocking well into their twilight years. Motorhead do it, Ozzy Osbourne does it and, with Brave New World, Iron Maiden prove that they can do it, too. Featuring the return of vocalist Bruce Dickinson, after his self-imposed, six-year exile from the band, Brave New World is the sound of classic Iron Maiden at their finest. The guitars--augmented by the return of Adrian Smith--still scream along at top volume, with their signature blistering solos and frantic time changes. Songs like hit single "The Wicker Man", the anthemic "Blood Brothers" and "The Nomad" all bear the hallmarks of Maiden's best work--that is, they rock. Brave New World is the triumphant sound of one of Britain's heavy metal institutions returning to the top of the heap.

Rock in Rio: Live [Live]
First live album for the Leytonstone formed heavy metal actsince 1993's 'Live At Donnington'. The set was largely madeup of tracks from their studio album, 'Brave New World' from 2000; alongside singles from throughout their career. The live version of 'Run To The Hills' included here was released as a charity single.

Dance of Death
The release of Dance of Death, Iron Maiden's 13th studio album, comes at a most fortuitous time. Fortuitous for them, because in 2003--after years of struggle--rock has fought its way back to the top of the UK charts (thanks, in large part, to the success of The Darkness). Fortuitous for us, because Dance of Death ably demonstrates why, amongst the Monsters of Rock pantheon, Iron Maiden are the Godzilla.

A Matter of Life and Death
A Matter of Life and Death is Iron Maiden's fourteenth studio album, in a career that has spanned three decades. And yet, after all this time, Iron Maiden continue to improve, whilst most of their peers flounder. Simply put, A Matter of Life and Death is more than just a great Iron Maiden album; it's a great metal album. It revisits a theme that's familiar territory for the band, and rather boldly, devotes an entire album to it. A Matter of Life and Death is a concept album about war, and the closest thing to a prog album that the London-based metallers have yet created.

Somewhere Back In Time: The Best Of: 1980-1989
East London heavy metal veterans Iron Maiden release 'Somewhere Back In Time', a compilation celebrating their first seven studio albums and one live album, recorded between 1980 and 1989.

Iron Maiden - Visions Of The Beast [2003] DVD

DVD DescriptionTrack Listing:
Disc 1:
· 1. Women In Uniform
· 2. Wrathchild (Live At The Rainbow)
· 3. Run To The Hills
· 4. The Number Of The Beast
· 5. Flight Of Icarus
· 6. The Trooper (Promo Version)
· 7. 2 Minutes To Midnight
· 8. Aces High
· 9. Wasted Years
· 10. Stranger In A Strange Land
· 11. Can I Play With Madness
· 12. The Evil That Men Do
· 13. The Clairvoyant (Donington '88)
· 14. Infinite Dreams (Live)
· 15. Holy Smoke
· 16. Tailgunner
· 17. Aces High (Camp Chaos Version)
· 18. The Number Of The Beast (Camp Chaos Version)
· 19. Futureal (Football Version)
· 20. Fear Of The Dark (Rock In Rio)
Disc 2:
· 21. Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter
· 22. Be Quick Or Be Dead
· 23. From Here To Eternity
· 24. Wasting Love
· 25. Fear Of The Dark (Donington '92)
· 26. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Donington '92)
· 27. Man On The Edge
· 28. Afraid To Shoot Strangers
· 29. Lord Of The Flies
· 30. Virus
· 31. The Angel And The Gambler
· 32. Futureal
· 33. The Wicker Man
· 34. Out Of The Silent Planet
· 35. Brave New World (Rock In Rio)
· 36. The Wicker Man (Camp Chaos Version)
· 37. Flight Of Icarus (Camp Chaos Version)
· 38. Run To The Hills (Camp Chaos Version)

Maiden Rules

IRON MAIDEN: History