This issue we're celebrating 50 monstrous years of Iron Maiden with an exclusive Eddie cover and exclusive interviews with Steve, Bruce, Adrian, Dave, Janick and Nicko. It really has been quite the journey. And, as you'll find out, it's far from over yet
Classic Rock Special: Iron Maiden 6th Edition
Editor’s Note
The 70s & 80s
Rising Sons • Gypsy’s Kiss? Smiler? They might be not household names, but without them giving Steve Harris his first taste of band life, there’d be no Iron Maiden.
THE BIRTH OF NWOBHM • On May 8, 1979 a four-piece Iron Maiden played a North London sweatbox with Samson and Angel Witch – a gig that would be ground zero for rock’s next big movement.
THE EX-FACTOR • Between 1975 and 1980, Maiden got through five guitarists, three drummers, two vocalists and a keyboard player. We track down some of those missing in action…
RUNNING FREE • As the 1980s dawned, Iron Maiden were about to record their debut album. It was the start of a journey that would launch them into the stratosphere. But there were some massive hurdles to overcome first.
The Number Of The Beast • Before The Number Of The Beast, Iron Maiden were just part of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. After it they were a worldwide major band. But sacking their ‘problem’ singer wasn’t the only price they had to pay for its success.
BRUCE WHO?! • What would Maiden have sounded like if they hadn’t brought in Mr Dickinson?
THE ART OF THE BEAST • Maiden’s sleeve artist Derek Riggs on his iconic Number Of The Beast artwork.
“SCREAM FOR ME, AMERICA!” • In 2012, Classic Rock joined Iron Maiden behind the scenes in Las Vegas to look back at how they took on the USA in the 1980s – and won.
PYRAMID SCHEME • It took a crack team two months and £145,000 to build the iconic World Slavery Tour stage set. Charlie Kail was one of them.
“I DON’T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING” • In 2012, Steve Harris launched his debut solo album, British Lion.
Seven deadly sins Seven ways to win Seven holy paths to Hell And your trip begins… • It was the album that cemented Iron Maiden as metal’s greatest band. As Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son turned 30 in 2018, Metal Hammer celebrated its creation and its legacy with those who witnessed its impact first-hand.
“We have the power to do great good or great harm” • US novelist Orson Scott Card helped to define fantasy and scifi literature in the 70s and 80s, his Enders Game saga earning him critical acclaim and a glut of awards. In later years his views on same-sex marriage caused controversy, but his work has continued to influence writers, musicians and artists, and it was his 1987 novel, Seventh Son, that served many of the themes in Maiden’s 1988 landmark record…
“Prog taught me to do whatever the hell you want to do.” • For the past 40 years, Iron Maiden have been one of the most popular heavy metal bands on the planet, thanks in part to the determination and vision of Steve Harris. But the bassist and founder grew up a not-so-secret progressive rock fan. In 2015 he sat down with Prog magazine to look back of at the bands that shaped him and Maiden.
The 90s
Stranger In A Strange Land • With the 90s dawning, Iron Maiden stripped away the epic metal and went back to basics for this exciting new decade. But they were about to enter a period of turmoil that would throw the band’s future into doubt.
Wildest Dreams • Ex-Wolfsbane singer Blaze Bayley faced an impossible task: filling Bruce Dickinson’s boots. In 2015, Classic Rock sat down with the man who played an unsung part in helping Iron Maiden survive the 1990s.
The 00s
HOW WE MADE BRAVE NEW WORLD • When Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith returned to Iron Maiden in 1999,...