The Iron Maiden appreciation thread

[Red Norse]

I though this place needed a space to declare your undying love for the best metal band the UK has ever bred - Iron Maiden. How did you discover them and what have they meant for you?

Personally they are the sole reason I got into heavy metal, and their music still make me head bang my short hair twenty years later. I saw them live for the first time in Oslo in the summer of 2008 and for some reason I wasn't expecting much.

I'd lost touch with them since Jannick Gers joined and the Fear of the Dark album, but boy did they prove me wrong. They were simply awesome, they were tight and energetic, my vocal cords were fecked at the end of the concert. Simply the best metal concert I've ever witnessed.

Lastly, my favorite song:

 

[Adzzz]

The Trooper, Fear of the Dark, The Duellists and Aces High for me

Powerslave being the best album overall.

 

[Raoul]

Wasted Years - Best guitar solo ever

 

[Doogie]

Four or five years ago I was in a commercial flight in which Bruce Dickinson was the pilot. Can't be that many big rock stars (if any) that end up being pilots.

 

[Biscuit1871]

The new song is atrocious.

 

[Member 39557]

I was thinking about them the other day as they have a new album coming out. Love them, although it's a bit of a guilty pleasure in some respects.

I have seen them 3 times, twice with Bruce and once with Blaze.
I even went to see Bruce's skunkworks gig at the Astoria

Wrathchild, Aces High, Fear Of The Dark and The Clairvoyant spring immediately to mind as some of my favourites.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Love them, but I'm not really familiar with anything post 'Seventh Son.' Other than the title track from 'Fear of the Dark.'

 

[Red Norse]

Love them, but I'm not really familiar with anything post 'Seventh Son.' Other than the title track from 'Fear of the Dark.'

Me too, Seventh son wasn't all that compared to the earlier albums. I was a budding guitarist at the time (now I'm not), loved the interplay between Murray and Smith. Tight as a virgin's ....

 

[Lance Uppercut]

I have a really tough time trying to pick my favourite Maiden album. Whichever one I'm currently listening to, probably.

Any decent Maiden covers you know of? I am a fan of this one:

 

[Red Norse]

I have a really tough time trying to pick my favourite Maiden album. Whichever one I'm currently listening to, probably.

Any decent Maiden covers you know of? I am a fan of this one:

Tbh, I didn't like that at all. Covers can be fun though, do you have others?

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Not a fan of the vocals? I prefer the "death metal" style which is why I like it.

Perhaps this would be more to your taste:

 

[WeasteDevil]

They've never been the most harmonic/melodic band have they?

 

[King_Eric]

My favorite Maiden songs are Fear of the Dark, Run to the Hills, Montsegur and Paschendaele.

The Rock in Rio live album/DVD is simply amazing as well.

Great band and one of the few who manage to keep performing at that very high level. They're already going for more than 30 years yet they still amaze me with every new album.
One of their last albums (Dance of Death) is also one of their best in my opinion.


Is there a date yet for the release of their new album? Was supposed to be this summer I think.


And this is a cover of 'The Evil that men do' by symphonic metal band After Forever:

 

[Nearco]

I've been a metal fan since about 1981 and obviously I have or had all their albums, but they kind of passed me by a little. I was never as much of a fan of Maiden as I was of Metallica.

I think Piece of Mind was their best work.

 

[Nearco]

They've never been the most harmonic/melodic band have they?

Melody is a big no no for metal bands. Shouldn't happen.

 

[Sw33t]

Fear of the Dark is by far my favourite song of theirs. The Rock in Rio version was awesome along with the album.

One of the best discographies I've got is the Iron Maiden one.

 

[Red Norse]

Not a fan of the vocals? I prefer the "death metal" style which is why I like it.

Perhaps this would be more to your taste:

Sorry, I feel like a negative cnut now, but I didn't like that either. The vocalist sounded like he struggled with a particular tough turd.

 

[Claymore]

Children of the damned is special.

Wasted Years - Best guitar solo ever

Nah, that's Comfortably numb by Pink Floyd but it might be close.

 

[::sonny::]

I've been a metal fan since about 1981 and obviously I have or had all their albums, but they kind of passed me by a little. I was never as much of a fan of Maiden as I was of Metallica.

This

I think Piece of Mind was their best work.

The Number Of The Beast (1983) and Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (1987) as albums

 

[paceme]

Got their latest live album and DVD today which is the classic Maiden England tour in 88. feck me it's good, can't think of another band as big who have such a great sense of humour while still being serious musically. 10 foot tall eddies and blow up space ships on stage

 

[Revan]

Fear of the Dark is by a distance my favorite song of them.

Like them but is not one of the bands which I can listen to every song of them.

 

[RedMist99]

Got their latest live album and DVD today which is the classic Maiden England tour in 88. feck me it's good, can't think of another band as big who have such a great sense of humour while still being serious musically. 10 foot tall eddies and blow up space ships on stage

I raise you ACDC


Huuuuge inflatable prostitute riding a steam locomotive

 

[TheSamulator]

Wow, didn't realize we had a thread on Maiden. They're probably my favourite band, they're definitely right up there for sure. I've only had the pleasure of seeing them live once though, back at Download in 2007. But man it was feckin' epic! I would have been seeing them at Download this year too but it's fallen right in the middle of my holiday so unfortunately i'll miss it.

Good to see there are others who appreciate them on here. I sometimes think they go a little under the radar for a lot of people, of course they are a fecking huge band and extremely well known i just find some people i know seem to just dismiss them without much thought.

 

[paceme]

I raise you ACDC


Huuuuge inflatable prostitute riding a steam locomotive

They did pop into mind but most of their music is tongue in cheek where Maidens is in genral more serious. Both brilliant though and its not meant to be a negative to AC DC

 

[Ainu]

I fecking love Iron Maiden. They're easily my favourite band bar none. The first seven or so albums are all classics. I've been fortunate enough to have a huge metal festival (Graspop Metal Meeting) just around the corner from where I grew up that they regularly headline.

First time I saw them was 2003 with a fantastic show with all the classic plus a few personal favourites of mine like 22 Acacia Avenue and Die With Your Boots On. Then 2005 was the Early Days tour where I had the chance to hear a lot of lesser played songs from the Di'Anno days like Murders in the Rue Morgue, Killers and the epic Phantom of the Opera. In 2008 they brought their Powerslave/Somewhere in Time tour, so they played stuff like Powerslave (obviously), Wasted Years, Aces High and Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

It's been a while since I've seen them now, but this summer they're headlining the festival again with a show that's said to include The Prisoner, which I've never seen them play live. Needless to say I got my ticket ages ago. Favourite songs are probably too many to name. Phantom of the Opera, Remember Tomorrow, The Prisoner, 22 Acacia Avenue, Aces High, Powerslave, I could listen to those 24/7 and never get tired of them. But my absolute favourite has to be Hallowed Be Thy Name. Fantastic guitar riffs, some of the best of Bruce's vocals, brilliant double solo and a perfect live song. If I had to pick one song to sum up Iron Maiden, this would be it.

 

[Minkaro]

Iron Maiden are probably the band that I want to see live the most, that I haven't seen yet.

Children of the Damned is amazing, I'd probably go with that for a favourite song. I reckon the Blaze era is pretty underrated. Don't think it comes close to Bruce's stuff, but if another band had released the same albums I think more people would like them - there seems to be a feeling of "this is Iron Maiden without Bruce Dickinson, I cannot like this!" amongst some people.

Oh, there's a Bruce Dickinson cover of Alice Cooper's "The Black Widow." It's wonderful because he does the narration at the start, and sounds like he's having a great time with it.

 

[paceme]

 

[Ainu]

Children of the Damned is amazing, I'd probably go with that for a favourite song. I reckon the Blaze era is pretty underrated. Don't think it comes close to Bruce's stuff, but if another band had released the same albums I think more people would like them - there seems to be a feeling of "this is Iron Maiden without Bruce Dickinson, I cannot like this!" amongst some people.

Nah, it's not just the Blaze thing, it's also the fact that the band were at the worst period of song writing. All of the 90's albums, including the 2 pre-Blaze, are uninspired and contain some pretty poor songs. It's not a coincedence Adrian Smith left just at that time as he saw this coming. Blaze did a few good songs like Man on the Edge and The Clansman but most of it was average stuff. His singing didn't do anything to bring it to a higher level either. And he simply didn't stand a chance on Bruce songs live. Hearing him bring Children of the Damned or The Trooper is shocking. Not his fault, his voice just wasn't suited to it, but those are the reasons people don't look back on that period with fondness.

 

[paceme]

I think they were just burnt out in that period. Their tours were insane in length and they were releasing an album almost every year, the work rate was incredible

 

[dinners85]

Never saw them live during the Paul Diano years but I was old enough by the time Number of the Beast came out in 82. Saw them live countless times through Piece of Mind 83, Powerslave 84, Somewhere in Time 86, Seventh Son 88, No Prayer 90 and Fear of the Dark 92.

Seen them at all their Monsters of Rock appearances at Donington but that 88 show stands out as my best Maiden memory.

For me their 'golden' period was 82 - 88

Sad to hear Clive Burr passed away the other day too.

 

[Minkaro]

All of the 90's albums, including the 2 pre-Blaze, are uninspired and contain some pretty poor songs.

No Prayer For The Dying and Fear Of The Dark were actually in a "bottom five" ranking I did back in 2010 on another site. Haven't really bothered with them since then, although I doubt that'd change.

I actually love the albums after Bruce's return, maybe more than the classics. I know, when I think about it, that the earlier albums are probably better, but because I got into Maiden through Brave New World and Dance of Death, they've always been my favourites.

One thing I'll never forgive Blaze for is the 4,000 repeats of "DON'T YOU THINK I'M A SAVIOUR?"

 

[Skywarden]

It took me quite some time to get into A Matter of Life and Death back when it was released. Once it clicked it really did leave a proper mark. I know a lot of people slated it and really didn't get into it, which is a shame because deep down there's a fantastic heavy metal beast filled with inspiration and innovation.

 

[TheSamulator]

Yep, A Matter of Life and Death was a bit of a grower for me too. I didn't hate it when i first heard it but i didn't love it either. I listened to it like 6 times straight after i got it and after then i really loved it, it's under appreciated in my opinion. I also like their latest offering, The Final Frontier, a lot. It left me in a similar position to A Matter of Life and Death after my first listen but repeated plays has meant it's really grown on me. I also really like how different it is to their earlier stuff, sure i like their earlier stuff better but i think it's great to see how they've developed their sound over the years and tried new things. For me, it's worked. It's kept it fresh and kept me coming back for more.

 

[paceme]

Playing the O2 in London in August, tickets on sale 28th of this month.

Awwwwwwwww yeaaaaah.

 

[esmufc07]

Robert Downey Jr. plays the part brilliantly.

 

[Member 39557]

Bill & Ted almost got put in an Iron Maiden. They thought it would be excellent!

I like Iron Maiden.

 

[paceme]

Just picked up four pristine records from a little fair. Piece of mind, number of the beast, seventh son and powerslave. All originals and only a tenner each. My weekend sorted!

 

[2 man midfield]

Were my favourite band for ages growing up, still love them now but not to the extent i did then. I think i outgrew the sound and moved onto heavier stuff, but for me everything Piece of Mind-Seventh Son is classic. Like the Di Anno stuff too, but not in the same league imo.

 

[Moby]

Absolutely love them. Hallowed Be Thy Name is my favourite but I love most of their songs dearly.

 

[marukomu]

Up to Somewhere in time was good. That album is okay. After that completely underwhelmed.