Iron Maiden biography

A hasty follow up album, Killers, was released in 1981 which lacked the raw punch of the band's debut. By this point singer DiAnno was sacked. He had become an alcoholic and it was also felt his guttural, punkish screams weren't suited to the band's metal ethos. DiAnno made way for the high-pitched histrionics of new vocalist, former infantryman Bruce Dickinson. Dickinson was at the helm for the band's 1982 breakthrough album, The Number Of The Beast. With a title borrowed from satantist Aleister Crowley, the album was crucial to the development of the band, bringing them success in the UK and America. More melodic and accessible than their previous efforts, the album hit No.1 in the UK charts and would form the basis of their live gigs. Single Run To the Hills gave the band their first UK Top 10 hit. By now the band's lineup had solidified with the arrival of veteran drummer McBrain from metal act, Trust.

1983 album Piece Of Mind provided two further hit singles in Flight Of Icarus and The Trooper. In 1984 the band began a mammoth World Slavery tour to promote new album, Powerslave, whose sleeve depicted the band's mascot, skeletal monster Eddie, in an ancient Egyptian setting. Now with their readily identifiable sound, fantasy artwork and explosive live shows the band became the essence of heavy metal. The tour resulted in the double album, Live After Death in 1985 and a further British hit, Running Free whose royalties were donated to anti-drug abuse projects. 1986 album Somewhere In Time marked something of a musical and thematic departure for the band with a musically diverse collection and songwriter Harris drawing on the work of novelist Alan Silitoe, science fiction author Robert Heinlein and classical historian Pliny. Blimey!

In 1988 the concept album Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son topped the UK charts. With music that piled on the synths and sharpened the harmonies, the album spawned a trio of Top 10 singles including Can I Play With Madness, Evil That Men Do and The Clairvoyant. After another exhausting mammoth world trek, the band announced their intention to take a well-earned break. Speculation abounded that this signalled the end of the band, exacerbated by Bruce Dickinson 's solo project, Tattooed Millionaire, his book, The Adventures Of Lord Iffy Boatrace , and EMI Records ' policy of re-releasing Iron Maiden 's single catalogue in its entirety (on 12-inch). But there was tension in the ranks. Harris felt the direction pursued on the last two albums had been taken to its conclusion and favoured a return to the band's chest beating roots. Guitarist Adrian Smith disagreed and was soon replaced by Janick Gers.

The result of the in-fighting was the back-to-basics 1990 album, No Prayer For The Dying which spawned the band's first UK No.1 single, the unintentionally hilarious Bring Your Daughter...To The Slaughter. The song had previously been released on the soundtrack to A Nightmare On Elm Street 5 and had already been awarded the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Song that year.

The obligatory world tour followed, despite being denounced as satanists in Chile. 1992's Fear Of The Dark, with its twin guitar attack was much in the style of its predecessor and would be the last to feature the, by now, undoubtedly sore tonsils of Bruce Dickinson. He departed for a solo career to be replaced by ex Wolfsbane vocalist, Blaze Bailey. Bailey made his debut on 1995's X-Factor album, a record which achieved the band's lowest chart placing since Killers back in 1981.

Follow up album Virtual XI was a relative disappointment although the Maiden faithful took heart when Bruce Dickinson announced his return in 1999 together with guitarist Adrian Smith. The resulting tour was a sellout and paved the way for a new studio album featuring the the classic line-up of Dickinson, Harris, Murray, McBrain and Smith alongside Janick Gers, retained as a third guitarist.

Brave New World was released in 2000 amid much fanfare and expectation. The album was a return to Maiden's halcyon mid-80's period - chock full of gothic fantasy songs and crunching power chords, pleasing long time fans no end.

The band's 13th studio album, Dance Of Death was released in 2003. The band's reputation had been re-invigorated with the rise of The Darkness and the re-appraisal of metal. Again the album was back to basics, no frills Maiden. The breakneck single Wildest Dreams epitomised the mood of the album while the orchestra-laden, battlefield epic Pashendale seemed tailor-made for Maiden's sturm-und-drang live theatrics.

In 2005 the band reconvened for major live appearances at rock festivals including the Carling Weekend, to coincide with the release of a live album in August, Death On The Road.

The Maiden%u2019s success is a testament to the enduring appeal of heavy metal. Bruce Dickinson's overwrought vocals and apocalyptic lyrics are only ever one step away from comic book campery but ultimately the band remain harmless. Bring your daughters? Hell, bring your mothers and grandmothers too. They'll love it.