Before I ever listened to Iron Maiden, I had them contextualized as one of those quintessential metal groups from the '80s. Being more of a rock fan, with a much greater interest in music from the '70s (as well as the '60s), I didn't think they would necessarily be my cup of tea. I don't remember now what made me decide to start listening to them (several years ago), but when I did, I found I really liked their music, which, in my opinion, has more in common with AC/DC than Metallica.
Structurally, it has a metal feel, with lots of speed, a hard driving beat, and frequently horror-themed lyrics. But it's lacking the sort of raw heaviness that, in my mind, characterizes the distinction between hard rock and heavy metal. Plus, the lead vocalist (Bruce Dickinson) opts to sing rather than scream (or worse yet, growl) the lyrics, which many rougher metal bands are guilty of doing, which usually turns me off.
It's a wonder I haven't heard more of Iron Maiden on rock radio, considering how big they were, and how contemporary rock radio stations seem to be in bed with the '80s. Edward The Great is a satisfactory greatest hits compilation, which I chose among others largely because I liked its album cover, and I wanted a collection of songs that could fit on one disc - not necessarily comprehensive, but enough to sate my infrequent appetite for good quality '80s metal.
No comments:
Post a Comment