Iron Maiden

I had to wait to do this one, it just would not seem right that I should write it without buying and listening to the new album.
The first heavy metal album I was given was Number Of The Beast, the first album I bought was Somewhere In Time, the second was Piece Of Mind and the first t-shirt I wore was Stranger In A Strange Land. They were also the first “big” band I saw live. Says something doesn’t it.

Iron Maiden is the staple of all heavy metal, the be all and end all. It doesn’t matter if you like them or not there is no denying their huge influence, you say to someone heavy metal and they will say “what, like Iron Maiden?”

I think my mum was hoping it was just a phase I was going through when I first played Number Of The Beast at home, “what’s that?” “Iron Maiden” I replied defiantly “oh”. “Oh”? what do you mean “oh”? Its Iron Maiden woman, are you not worried I’m slipping down the slippery slope of Satanism? Do you not worry about my poor corrupted soul? DO YOU NOT CARE? Like most sensible god fearing folk my mum didn’t buy into the whole “heavy metal is evil” thing, despite being a conservative, I was quite disappointed really, my first bit of rebellion and it didn’t even get a reaction.
My dad wasn’t much better.

I loved Maiden to bits, to me it was the definition of heavy metal, everything else was just to fill in the gaps. I finally saw them play at Wembley Arena in December 1990 supported by Anthrax, for some reason they rapidly lost their appeal after that, by the time they released Fear Of The Dark I was not interested, I bought the single Be Quick Or Be Dead but that was it. Even though I was not listening to them I was pissed when I found out they had replaced Bruce Dickinson with Blaze Bailey but that I’ve already discussed.

My interest was briefly reignited in 2000 when some mates (of JD on wardrobe fame) had a spare ticket to go see them at Earls Court, I felt a little out of place this time but they still rocked, I listened to the new album and for a while I was back in there.
About 18 months ago I realized I had nothing on CD so I bought Eddie The Great thinking this would keep me Maiden happy, it was not so, I then bought Number Of The Beast on CD and at that point decided that each time HMV has a sale I will have to replace something on CD. I have ten albums by Maiden but most are on vinyl or cassette.

Well I have listened through the new album now and it was pretty cool.
A Matter Of Life And Death gets 9/10 for metalness and 10/10 for Maideness

update: I think I have worked out what killed Maiden for me back in 1990, it was Bring your daughter to the slaughter. What a fucking appalling song, almost as bad as holy smoke, it’s a pity because there were some good songs on that album.