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Iron Maiden- Up The Irons!
By OnTopic | June 14, 2010
Many bands have worshiped at the foot of Iron Maiden. Such is the staying power of the band that more than 3 decades after its inception, it continues to move albums and music merch off shelves to reach platinum and gold status.
Iron Maiden has sold over 75 million records, has been inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk, and has been hailed as one of the most influential rock bands in music history. The band has also been prominently featured in films, video games and songs by other groups, all in acknowledgement of its musical influence. Indeed, Iron Maiden is a legend in the making, if the band is not already one.
Band Past
Despite their near legend status, the group has had some experience in changing lineups. It was Steve Harris who founded the first group in December of 1975. The band’s name is taken from the torture tool called iron maiden used in the film The Man in the Iron Mask. Other than Harris who is the band’s bassist, backup vocals and studio keyboardist, guitarist David Murray shares the distinction of being the member who has been with the group the longest.
Presently, band members include Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals who is joined by Janick Gers on guitar; Adrian Smith on backup vocals and guitar and Nicko McBrian on percussion and drums. Michael Kenney takes on the keyboards for live performances. Former members include Dennis Stratton, Dennis Wilcock, Paul Day, Paul Di’Anno, Clive Burr and Doug Sampson. As with many other bands, not all former members left in good standing with the group. Some had to be forced out or had to leave due to professional altercations.
Albums Out
Iron Maiden has had an outstanding thirty releases spanning more than three decades of their music career. Of this number, fourteen are studio albums, four are EPs, five are compilations and seven are live Iron Maiden albums. Their work has led to the band’s inclusion in numerous charts and lists including the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement, the VH1 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and the MTV Top 10 Greatest Heavy Metal Bands of All Time.
Just to describe a few of the 14 studio albums released in the three-decade long career of Iron Maiden:
• Iron Maiden (1980)- This is the eponymous debut album of the band, which contains classics like The Phantom of the Opera, Sanctuary and, of course, Iron Maiden
• The Number of the Beast (1982)- Widely considered as one of the most influential albums in the heavy metal genre, it is also the band’s highest-selling album with worldwide sales of over 14 million, not to mention that this is also the debut of Bruce Dickinson as lead vocalist
• Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)- Probably the most lyrical of the group’s body of work, it centers on topics like mysticism, prophecy, reincarnation and the afterlife
• The Final Frontier (2010)- This is the band’s latest and fifteenth album slated for release in late summer and is gearing up to be yet another reason to worship at the altar of the Iron Maiden
The group is definitely not in danger of disappearing from band posters any time soon. As the fans of Iron Maiden always say in greeting and farewells, up the irons!
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