It's not really news, so I put this article here:
Whilst many rock historians may debate the origin of the first ever metal mission statement (some new-wave analysts are adamant that Metallica’s Kirk Hammet is ultimately responsible, for example), TotalRock has silently, perhaps even unconciously held one for a matter of years now.
This is because, without even thinking about it, we always attempt to make absolutely sure that none of our loyal listeners will ever fall foul of a metal faux pas at the local guitar emporium - or even the weekly rock soirée.
Imagine the cringe-worthy scenario of sharing a selection of the finest cheese and wines with a member of the metal bourgeoise only to have to admit that you’ve never heard of Iron Maiden – one of the greatest heavy metal bands to exist – it would almost certainly result in a piece of brie hitting the floor… and nobody likes to see good cheese go to waste. And it’s for this reason that we like to make absolutely sure that none of TotalRock’s followers are in any way unsure as to the existance of the British metallers. After all, you don’t want to be humiliated and we don’t want to see good diary products wasted.
One such classic metal moment is clearly 1983’s ‘The Trooper’. Re-released this summer, to celebrate headlining slots at Leeds and Reading festivals and the release of the new ‘Death on the Road’ DVD, it has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of a Maiden gig for over twenty years now. The song single-handedly introduces hermits, nomads and other ne’er-do-wells to the trademark gallop of the heavy metal masters. Basically, if you don’t appreciate ‘The Trooper’ then I hereby challenge you to a duel. In the playground, 4.15pm – be there.
Obviously any person that’s ever seen the Air Raid Siren on stage waving the Union Jack triumphantly to the tune of the song – something that August’s DVD will no doubt show off in full – will not be present for the aforementioned beating of their lives, but there’s still hope for the uninformed as the summer release contains numerous staple Maiden tracks.
Yet ‘Death on the Road’, which contains an entire show from the tour of the ‘Dance of Death’ album, isn’t just about the classic tracks. The on-stage theatrics surrounding the album’s stand-out tracks were almost equal to the musicianship. As Maiden bassist Steve Harris says, “I think when people see songs like Paschendale and Dance Of Death they’ll be blown away by the spectacle. At the same time there are some great moments in Journeyman that I think will surprise a few people. Iron Maiden with acoustic guitars?! I’m really happy with the end result as it captures the dark and lighter moments perfectly.”
So as us Maidenites await the forthcoming releases, in the event that you’re in desperate need of a front row desk in the TotalRock metal academy, stay tuned and we’ll get right on it.
‘The Trooper’ is released on three formats by EMI on the 15th August. The ‘Death on the Road’ DVD will surface on the 29th of the same month.
- Adam Harrold
[a href=\'http://www.totalrock.com/features.php?artist=Iron%20Maiden\' target=\'_blank\']http://www.totalrock.com/features.php?artist=Iron%20Maiden[/a]
Cheers
Whilst many rock historians may debate the origin of the first ever metal mission statement (some new-wave analysts are adamant that Metallica’s Kirk Hammet is ultimately responsible, for example), TotalRock has silently, perhaps even unconciously held one for a matter of years now.
This is because, without even thinking about it, we always attempt to make absolutely sure that none of our loyal listeners will ever fall foul of a metal faux pas at the local guitar emporium - or even the weekly rock soirée.
Imagine the cringe-worthy scenario of sharing a selection of the finest cheese and wines with a member of the metal bourgeoise only to have to admit that you’ve never heard of Iron Maiden – one of the greatest heavy metal bands to exist – it would almost certainly result in a piece of brie hitting the floor… and nobody likes to see good cheese go to waste. And it’s for this reason that we like to make absolutely sure that none of TotalRock’s followers are in any way unsure as to the existance of the British metallers. After all, you don’t want to be humiliated and we don’t want to see good diary products wasted.
One such classic metal moment is clearly 1983’s ‘The Trooper’. Re-released this summer, to celebrate headlining slots at Leeds and Reading festivals and the release of the new ‘Death on the Road’ DVD, it has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of a Maiden gig for over twenty years now. The song single-handedly introduces hermits, nomads and other ne’er-do-wells to the trademark gallop of the heavy metal masters. Basically, if you don’t appreciate ‘The Trooper’ then I hereby challenge you to a duel. In the playground, 4.15pm – be there.
Obviously any person that’s ever seen the Air Raid Siren on stage waving the Union Jack triumphantly to the tune of the song – something that August’s DVD will no doubt show off in full – will not be present for the aforementioned beating of their lives, but there’s still hope for the uninformed as the summer release contains numerous staple Maiden tracks.
Yet ‘Death on the Road’, which contains an entire show from the tour of the ‘Dance of Death’ album, isn’t just about the classic tracks. The on-stage theatrics surrounding the album’s stand-out tracks were almost equal to the musicianship. As Maiden bassist Steve Harris says, “I think when people see songs like Paschendale and Dance Of Death they’ll be blown away by the spectacle. At the same time there are some great moments in Journeyman that I think will surprise a few people. Iron Maiden with acoustic guitars?! I’m really happy with the end result as it captures the dark and lighter moments perfectly.”
So as us Maidenites await the forthcoming releases, in the event that you’re in desperate need of a front row desk in the TotalRock metal academy, stay tuned and we’ll get right on it.
‘The Trooper’ is released on three formats by EMI on the 15th August. The ‘Death on the Road’ DVD will surface on the 29th of the same month.
- Adam Harrold
[a href=\'http://www.totalrock.com/features.php?artist=Iron%20Maiden\' target=\'_blank\']http://www.totalrock.com/features.php?artist=Iron%20Maiden[/a]
Cheers