jaearena.blogg.se

The Number Of The Beast had drawn accusations from American Christian groups and the PMRC of being a Satanic bad influence, to the point where U.S. But their status also made them a target. Maiden’s drive, creativity and relentless work had by this point made them the biggest metal band in the world, and comfortably so. ​ “Apart from Metallica, who have done some good stuff, most of the other bands completely pass me by.” “Mentioning no names, but this whole thrash and death metal thing leaves me cold,” shrugged Steve. It was symptomatic of where Maiden stood in the metal pantheon: massive, but also clear leaders, steering themselves exactly where they wanted to go, undistracted by whatever else was going on around them.Ĭan I Play With Madness, from Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

While tales of the supernatural and cinematic vision were not new concepts for Maiden, or heavy metal at large, the inventive, original story and dramatic music of Seventh Son… was leagues beyond the simple swords-and-dragons fantasy that had become such a staple of the genre.

Having felt creatively uninvolved in Somewhere In Time, the singer really put his fingerprints all over its follow-up’s expansive themes, bringing it to life with an eccentric twist on classic British storytelling. It’s quite a mythical tale, and in trying to tell it we really allowed our imaginations to run free.” At the same time, there’s more to it than that. To find some sort of meaning, some pattern. Which is everyone’s story, really, isn’t it? None of us get through our lives smelling of roses everywhere we go everything is a constant battle to try and stay sane, to cut through all the bullshit that gets in our way. ​ “Nothing and nobody comes out of this story unscathed. “It’s a classic story of good versus evil, only with no guarantees whatsoever that it’s the good guys who eventually come through,” laughed Bruce in explanation. However, as the threats against him from his angry neighbours intensify, things go badly wrong, as Bruce notes towards the end that, ​ ‘For all his power, couldn’t foresee his own demise’. A concept album telling the story of a boy with supernatural powers – the seventh son of a seventh son, a repeating character in religious tales and folklore – as the songs unfold, it details how the lad is seen as dangerous and a freak in his village for his ability to see the future. Described by Bruce Dickinson as ​ “a heavy metal Dark Side Of The Moon”, Seventh Son… lives up to that lofty comparison both in terms of quality and ambitious, intelligent creative scope. ​ “For me, it’s like the enormous leap we suddenly made from our first two albums to releasing Number Of The Beast – very much a step forward, a step up.” “We’ve never managed to pull anything off like this before,” said Steve Harris to K! in 1988 shortly before its release, as the album was blasted out for press in the fittingly spooky surroundings of a German castle. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son smashed apart the band’s own limitations with a tale of good versus evil that would stand as their high-water mark to this day. Seven deadly sins, seven ways to win, eight killer songs that would come to typify Iron Maiden at their epic, creative, out-of-this-world best.