January 2020  ·  The complete Maiden family tree and history

The definitive introduction to the Iron Maiden universe — covering every lineup change, every member's backstory, and every band in the Iron Maiden family tree. Steve Harris birthed Maiden on Christmas Day 1975. The Holy Trinity of albums: Beast, Piece, and Powerslave. Nicko McBrain: the most interesting character in Iron Maiden (his early bands included the 18th Fairfield Walk, Peyton Bond, Wells Street Blues Band, The Axe, Billy Day, Pat Travers, and Trust — from whom he basically traded places with Clive Burr). Janick Gers 1990 forward. The Fear of the Dark Gordon Giltrap connection. #fuckthatstring. #hookersandblow. "Make Iron Maiden your next project band!"

August 2021  ·  The impossible ranking  ·  Sam Elliott presides

Just 3?! But there are SO many killer albums to choose from. Each co-host narrowed it down to their personal Top 3 — with Sam Elliott back to introduce Matt's picks. Bill's picks: Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind, Powerslave — the natural Holy Trinity progression. Matt's picks: Number of the Beast, Seventh Son, Brave New World (now with even MORE guitars!). Adam's picks: Number of the Beast, Somewhere in Time, Brave New World. The one album all three unanimously agreed upon? You already know. Honorable mentions: Somewhere in Time, Piece of Mind, Powerslave, and the enigma of Heaven Can Wait.

2019  ·  Released April 14, 1980

The album that defined NWOBHM in one record — heavier, faster, and darker than most rock music of the time, yet woven through with twin guitar harmonies, prog-rock orchestration, and an unmistakable sense of melody. Prowler sums up the NWOBHM sound in one song. Transylvania: vampires enjoying relaxers in the dungeon before flying out for a feeding frenzy. Iron Maiden (the song) is one of Maiden's most progressive early compositions. "They're basically the Black Sabbath of NWOBHM." Get your time-traveling shoes on and dial in your relaxer level for 1980.

2022  ·  Released February 2, 1981  ·  The transition album

The final album with Paul Di'Anno — and the transition album that bridged the Di'Anno era to the Dickinson era, transforming Maiden into the progressive metal powerhouse they became. Side 1 is full of NWOBHM riffs more reminiscent of "punk rock metal." Side 2 contains all the best aspects of 70s prog. The birth of "Dungeon Doom metal" as a genre. Never listen to this podcast while in a Chick-Fil-A drive-thru, especially if macaroni and cheese is involved. The stark difference between "Genghis" and GENGHIS Khan. Paul Di'Anno: the rare case of a singer whose departure made a band greater.

2020  ·  Released March 22, 1982  ·  Sam Elliott presides  ·  Iron Maiden's Back in Black

The album that launched a thousand accusations of Satanism — and the birth of the modern Maiden sound. 3rd best-selling metal album of 1982 behind Van Halen's Diver Down and Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance. Derek Riggs created Eddie for a punk album — Maiden's management asked him to add long hair. Invaders / Children of the Damned / The Prisoner / 22 Acacia Avenue (the Charlotte Series) / The Number of the Beast / Run to the Hills / Gangland (the deeper cut) / Hallowed Be Thy Name. "The Number of the Beast: Iron Maiden's Back in Black." Sam Elliott's celebrity PSA. How much was that?! Album art mishap. #readthoselyrics. #666.

September 2022  ·  Released May 16, 1983  ·  Recorded in Nassau, Bahamas

The next step beyond Number of the Beast — "a renaissance of metal." Nicko McBrain's debut and the beginning of the classic Maiden lineup. Where Eagles Dare. Revelations. Flight of the Icarus. The Trooper. Still Life with the legendary Nicko backwards intro (NOT evil — just Nicko being Nicko). Quest for Fire: early power metal about dinosaurs. To Tame a Land (originally "Dune" until Frank Herbert said no) as a proto-progressive metal landmark that influenced Dream Theater. How many people remember hearing Iron Maiden on WKLS 96 Rock in Atlanta back in the day!? Don't let the hog slip out. #manneurysms

2023  ·  Released September 3, 1984  ·  Iron Maiden's most progressive album

Might very well have been the most progressive heavy metal album of 1984 — full stop. Half the songs ended up on Live After Death. Aces High with Churchill's speech intro on the YouTube album version. 2 Minutes to Midnight: actually about airplane dogfights in WWII, not religion or washing your car. The Doomsday Clock is currently set to 90 seconds to midnight — which is less than 2 minutes, in case the math threw you. Those album art hieroglyphics (HAIL to Derek Riggs). Rime of the Ancient Mariner: 13 minutes, one poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the most progressive thing Maiden had done to this point. Get your tattoos at a place that plays metal to avoid a "paisley sleeve."

2022  ·  Released October 14, 1985  ·  Metal Nerdery's first-ever Live Album Dive

"Everything tastes better live!" — Willard, WKLS 96 Rock. Arguably THE finest live concert album experience in all of metal — if not in all of existence. The cassette version of this dive includes the elusive Side 4 from Hammersmith Odeon, which went missing from the CD release and only resurfaced on the 1995 Castle re-release. The gear required to put on an Iron Maiden World Slavery Tour show was staggering — read that inlay card. A 331-day tour. You cannot hear the original versions of the songs and NOT think of the Live After Death versions. #harmonyshits. Assemble your pre-show relaxers and micro Pringles and join us.

August 2024  ·  Released April 11, 1988  ·  "The heart of prog Maiden"

The magnum opus of progressive Maiden — based on Orson Scott Card's novel "Seventh Son." Steve Harris with distortion is almost as weird as Slayer with keyboards. The intro of Moonchild sounds like Van Halen's "Cathedral." Can I Play with Madness has a lot of cowbell. The Clairvoyant: "Dude, this should be your favorite song." Only the Good Die Young: the killer closer with Steve Harris's isolated bass solo. "Adam is to Maiden like I am to Sabbath." The outro is a beautiful cascade of multi-layered harmonies fading into minstrel and lute sounds. Measure from the middle back. French Toast and Waffle Dust. That's the good stuff.

July 2025  ·  The 1982 Head-to-Head

1982: Michael Jackson releases Thriller, Survivor and Olivia Newton-John are battling on the Billboard charts — and Iron Maiden and Judas Priest both release two of the most iconic albums in metal history in the same year. Number of the Beast (March 22, 1982) vs Screaming for Vengeance (July 1, 1982). Track by track: Invaders vs The Hellion/Electric Eye ("You've gotta play those two together"). Children of the Damned vs Riding on the Wind. Hallowed Be Thy Name vs Devil's Child ("I almost feel like this isn't even fair"). The final score? All 7's. The banana helps it go down. Nudity now doesn't mean what it meant back in the day. "Priest? PRIEST?!"

2019  ·  State Farm Arena, Atlanta  ·  The Legacy of the Beast World Tour

Metal Nerdery's review of the Legacy of the Beast Tour stop in Atlanta — one of the most elaborate, theatrical, and visually spectacular Iron Maiden productions ever staged. The Legacy of the Beast tour built an entire immersive world around Eddie across different eras of Maiden history: World War II fighter pilot Eddie, Cyborg Eddie, Undead Eddie, Mummy Eddie. The setlist was designed as a journey through the Maiden catalog rather than a straightforward greatest hits run — and it delivered. The verdict: everything about it was enormous. Bruce Dickinson is still the best frontman in the history of heavy metal. Up the Irons.