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Apply Reverb to Your Drum Recordings: A Guide to Perfecting Your Drum Mix

September 8, 2024

Reverb can be a powerful tool in drum recordings, adding depth, space, and character to your drum mix. However, using it correctly is essential to ensure your drums don’t sound too muddy or distant...

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Have Fun Playing Your Instrument Again: Tips for Reigniting Your Passion

September 8, 2024

Playing an instrument can be one of the most fulfilling experiences, but it’s natural to feel like you’ve hit a plateau, especially after playing for years. If you’re finding it hard to enjoy...

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Achieving the JPEGMAFIA Unique Sound: A Breakdown of His Mixing Techniques

September 8, 2024

Whether you're a fan of his chaotic beats, distorted vocals, or gritty textures, it's clear that his mixing approach is a key element in creating the signature JPEGMAFIA sound. But how does he do it?

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SXSW 2024: Why Music Creators Shouldn’t Miss This Year’s Festival

February 5, 2024

For an aspiring music creator, attending SXSW in 2024 could be a game-changer for your career. Here are the top 10 reasons why you should make it a priority to attend:

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Maximize Your Music Promotion: Proven Strategies from Industry Icons

September 5, 2024

Promoting your music can be just as challenging as writing it. You've spent time creating songs you're proud of, but now you're stuck wondering how to get your music heard by a wider audience. The...

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Improve Your Songwriting Skills: Techniques to Break Through the Creative Rut

September 5, 2024

Feeling stuck in a rut with your songwriting? You’re not alone. Many songwriters, even the most successful ones, have faced moments where the creative well seems to run dry. The good news is that...

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Promote Your Music On An Independent Budget

September 4, 2024

But the truth is, many successful artists have faced the same hurdles and found creative solutions to reach their audience without relying on big budgets or full-scale...

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Keep Your Rap Lyrics & Flow Fresh

September 4, 2024

Whether it’s bragging about your strength, future fame, or taking on rivals, it can feel repetitive and uninspiring after a while. So, what do you do when you’re tired of writing the same thing...

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How to Start a Band and Get Your First Gig: Lessons from Music Legends

September 3, 2024

Starting a band and getting your first gig can feel like a daunting task, especially when you’re juggling a full-time job and a passion for music. But don’t worry—many famous musicians have been in...

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Find Music Creators Who Share Your Genre Interests: Navigating Online Music Communities

September 3, 2024

If you’ve been searching for musicians who share your passion for breakcore, drum and bass, jungle, or other less mainstream genres on platforms like BandLab, it can be frustrating to feel like...

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Find the Right Manager for Your Music Career—Even If You're Just Starting Out

September 3, 2024

The idea of hiring a traditional manager might seem premature, but finding someone who can handle your online presence and help you network could be exactly what you need to take your career...

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How to Be a Successful Songwriter When You Can’t Play an Instrument

August 26, 2024

If you’re a songwriter who can sing but can’t play an instrument, you may feel like you’ve hit a roadblock in your creative journey. You have the ideas in your head, but you’re unsure how to turn...

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The Story of Iron Maiden

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Photo Source: Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden is one of my favourite heavy metal bands, and is one of my favourite musical groups overall as well. With their theatrical performances, complex musical arrangements and iconic songs, they’re a band that is still very popular almost 50 years after they were first formed. This article will provide a brief summary of the band.

First conceived in London in 1975, the original band members were Steve Harris on the bass guitar (he was also the main songwriter), Dave Sullivan and Terry Rance on the guitar, Ron Matthews on the drums, and Paul Day on vocals. The name “Iron Maiden” was inspired by a neo-medieval torture device with the same name, according to Harris. During the first few years of the band’s existence, there was quite a bit of shuffling around of the band line-up. Paul Day was booted from the group due to his lackluster live performances, Ron Matthews was replaced with Barry Purkis, who was then replaced by Clive Burr, and a number of guitar players came and went. 

By the time the band released their debut album in 1980 (self titled), the members were Harris (still on bass), Dave Murray, Dennis Stratton on guitar, Clive Burr on the drums, and Paul Di’Anno on vocals. Featuring classic songs including “Running Free”, “Phantom of the Opera” and “Transylvania”, the album was quite successful and was number 4 on the UK Albums Chart. Their next album, “Killers”, which was released in 1981, was also very successful and featured hits like “Wrathchild” and “Murders in the Rue Morgue”. However, Paul Di’Anno was fired from the band due to his excessive drug usage after the tour for this album and was replaced by Bruce Dickinson, marking the beginning of a new era for the band. 

The first album with Dickinson (released in 1982), “Number of the Beast”, saw even more success than the last two. With songs like “Children of the Damned”, “Number of the Beast”, and “Run to the Hills”, this album solidified that band’s status as a successful heavy metal band, with the subsequent albums “Piece of Mind” and “Powerslave” furthering this. However, the band experienced some internal conflict in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith temporarily left the band due to creative differences regarding the direction that the band should take.. During this time, Dickinson was replaced by Blaze Bayley and the albums “The X Factor” and “Virtual XI” were produced. 

In 1999,  Dickinson and Smith reunited with the band, marking the return of Iron Maiden’s iconic band member line-up. The albums released after this reunification, which were “Brave New World”, “Dance of Death”, “Final Frontier”, and “the Book of Souls” received very positive feedback and were a testament to the band’s ability to remain creative as the years went by. 

In conclusion, Iron Maiden will go down in history as one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal bands ever. With their amazing live performances, awesome musical story-telling, and overall amazing music, the impact that Iron Maiden has left on the heavy metal community will be felt for years to come.