"The minute I don't enjoy it and we don't deliver, I wouldn't want to carry on as a parody act doing a cabaret show." - Janick Gers
For many bands, there is a beginning, a climax, and a conclusion. But for Iron Maiden, the ride has continued to climb since the early 1980s — one of the few NWOHBM (New Wave of Heavy British Metal) bands to have accomplished such a feat. Although they have evolved, they have not changed. Their newest release, The Final Frontier, still proves they're on top of their game — and it won them a Grammy.
More remarkably, the album also earned nearly perfect reviews from the world's most respected music magazines, including Kerrang!, AllMusic and Metal Hammer. Joe Bosso, editor of MusicRadar, remarked that "Iron Maiden have created a work full of hypnotic excitement, unconventional structure and dizzying vision", the type of innovative sound that continues to keep them at the top of their game. He also notes the sound may be demanding, but in a good way — in a way that keeps the ears and mind guessing.
Strangely enough, their biggest compliment comes from the BBC. Their 2010 review raves about Iron Maiden's "full-on prog-a-thon" — the entire album is pure progressive, NWOHBM metal — filled with sudden, unforeseen tempo and tone changes that makes their latter songs rise far above the competition. Isle of Avalon, the sixth track on their album, exemplifies this with its almost tribal-like feel, chiseled by rhythmic guitar riffs that flow with Bruce Dickenson's operatic singing. Then there's The Alchemist, arguably their heaviest track — though the solos may seem like typical Maiden, the dueling guitar riffs are purely un-Maiden, and original to boot.
However, Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray says When the Wild Wind Blows might be their most unique-sounding song on the album. "The rhythm's a little bit different from what we've done before, and there's lots of melodies," Murray told Billboard.com. "It's a big song. We learned it in sections just because it was such a complex arrangement, but it sounds quite natural." It may also be one of the longest songs, reaching almost 11 minutes in length. Riff-wise, it's both smooth and explosive — a momentous metal song that could be considered as epic as Fear of the Dark or Hallowed Be Thy Name.
Surprisingly enough, Murray says the album was recorded fairly quickly, despite the album's complexity. "We actually finished it in six weeks," said Murray. Each track reportedly only took a day to record, with the additional guitar parts recorded later on to complete the album. It clearly paid off — it debuted at number one in over 30 countries, making it Iron Maiden's most successful album to date. For a band that is over 35 years strong, that's no small feat.
Iron Maiden: Their Past
If it had not been for bassist Steve Harris, Iron Maiden would have never existed. Credited as the songwriter for every track on The Final Frontier (and many more), his passion for rock music began in 1971, after giving up his dream to play soccer professionally. Soccer meant drinking, socializing and listening to bands — but countless other boys were far more talented than he was. Instead, he bought a bass guitar, played along to his favorite records, and then set out to join his own band. After a string of disappointments with another band, he finally formed Iron Maiden in 1975, taking the name from The Man in the Iron Mask. It clicked.
It would not be until 1978 when Harris formed Iron Maiden's first solid lineup — or more notably, the first lineup to contain Paul Di'Anno and Dave Murray. The following years brought them commercial success, starting in 1978, when they signed with EMI, leading to the 1980 release of their debut album Iron Maiden. It earned them a number four spot on the UK Albums Chart, catapulting them as one of the most well-known leaders of NWOBHM, alongside Judas Priest, Def Leppard and Motörhead.
In 1981, they released Killers and subsequently fired Di'Anno due to alleged drug problems, hiring Bruce Dickenson instead. The change instantaneously drove them to the top of their game. Although Di'Anno did help Iron Maiden reach commercial success in the UK, Dickenson helped them reach worldwide fame, particularly with the release of The Number of the Beast, which led to a coast-to-coast United States tour — and criticism from a lobbying group claiming they were satanic. The controversy did not deter them, however. After hiring drummer Nicko McBrain in 1982, they went on to release Peace of Mind (1983) and Powerslave (1984), which contained their most popular songs to date, including The Trooper, Aces High and 2 Minutes to Midnight.
It would not be until 1988 when Iron Maiden would top the UK charts, however, this time with Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. In 1990, after guitarist Adrian Smith left due to professional differences, they also obtained their first (and only) number one hit on the UK Singles Chart, Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter. What soon followed would be considered one of Iron Maiden's lowest points. In 1993, Bruce Dickenson left to pursue a solo career, leading to the hiring of Blaze Bayley of Wolfsbane in 1994. Bayley headed their next two albums —The X Factor and Virtual XI, which were their worst performing albums to date. To make matters worse, Bayley became ill while touring to promote the album, causing tour dates to be canceled — and disappointing fans worldwide.
In 1999, Bayley left on his own accord, and soon after Bruce Dickenson and Adrian Smith rejoined the band. In Smith's absence, guitarist Janick Gers was hired to replace him, but they opted to keep him when Smith returned, filling their guitar lineup to three. Reunited once more, Iron Maiden released Brave New World in 2000, igniting a worldwide tour that became one of their most successful in Iron Maiden history. 2003's release of Dance of Death was considered both a critical and commercial success, earning it nearly perfect reviews from Allmusic and the BBC. In 2006, A Matter of Life and Death was released, featuring a more progressive sound — a sound they carried into their current album, The Final Frontier.
So where does this take them now? Although bassist Steve Harris has said in past years they would only record 15 albums —The Final Frontier is their fifteenth — members of Iron Maiden now admit this may not be the case.
"It's possible there will be another album, but it's hard to say at the moment," said guitarist Dave Murray to NoiseCreep.com. He went on to say that if all six members agree to produce a new album, then fans should expect a new album, though no tentative date has been set. If they don't, The Final Frontier may be their last album.
If it is, it's a great way to go out — it's statistically their best performing album, nearly 36 years after the band was first formed. Not many bands can make that claim.
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