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 Iron Maiden |
A soldier faces what he knows will be his final battle in "The Trooper." A pilot takes to the skies in "Aces High." A battle-weary warrior deals with the psychological aftermath of the "Fortunes of War."
The Iron Maiden musical catalogue is littered with songs exploring the glory and the horror of war. The theme is nothing new to the band. With their latest release "A Matter of Life and Death," the rock veterans have dedicated an entire album to the subject matter which today, seems rather appropriate considering the state of the world.
"In Britain, you grow up with the backdrop of war and also all the terrible things that happened in Northern Ireland. I grew up watching that on television. It is a big part of your psyche here," Iron Maiden lead guitarist Adrian Smith told JAM! Showbiz down the line from England.
As they sat down to plot out the album, Smith says the band didn't plan on the war theme. It just came about naturally as the songwriters collaborated, bounced ideas off each other and discussed the things that weighed heavily on their minds.
"Expressions and words just come into your head when you hear a piece of music when you are writing. The themes just sort of suggest themselves and sometimes almost write themselves too," Smith explained. "The music we came up with was quite powerful. We just needed some big themes and so with all the stuff that is going on in the world today, it seemed relevant."
Taking into account the heated subject matter, the songs themselves are not preachy in tone. After listening to the album, you aren't left with the feeling that you have had a front row seat at a sermon. If you are looking for debates on weapons of mass destruction or the upper class versus the lower class in times of war, you won't find them on "A Matter of Life and Death."
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Instead, the band humanizes the theme by delving into the experience of being a soldier no matter where it is you call home, and the far-reaching implications that even distant conflicts can have on us all.
"First and foremost, music is an art and you don't want to be preaching at people. 'A Matter of Life and Death' is observation and comment set to music," said Smith. "It is probably the only good thing about getting older. You gain a bit more of a wider view of things and you get more philosophical, which is great for lyric writing."
Having been with Iron Maiden since 1980, Smith left the band in 1990 to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Janick Gers.
"I think at the time, I felt a bit stifled. I had been in the band since I was quite young and grew up in the band. It reached a point where I couldn't grow any more. In a band, you need a 110 per cent commitment and enthusiasm. I needed a break as well. I had a young family and I wanted to spend time with them. I basically spent nine to ten years on the road. I was a little burned out," Smith recalled.
In 1999, Smith rejoined Maiden adding another veteran guitar to their line-up.
"It is fantastic to come back. It is marvelous to have the opportunity again. When you are older, you appreciate these things more," said Smith.
Not all of the tunes on "A Matter of Life and Death" are about "guns sending flak" or "the smell of acrid smoke." "The Pilgrim" and "For The Greater Good of God" explore the impact of religion. "Out of the Shadows" is about mankind moving forward and learning from the mistakes of the past.
The track that stands out above all the others though is "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg." Actually two songs fused together by Steve Harris and Dave Murray during the songwriting process, "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" is narrated by a man who is tortured by lost spirits or souls that are driving him mad. Well before the album's release in North America last week, the secret of who Benjamin Breeg might be has fascinated fans.
The mystery deepened when research on the Internet revealed a site containing a relative's personal journals and pleas for any information on his missing cousin: Benjamin Breeg. One such posted lead is a painting done by Breeg that suspiciously contains the face of the band's mascot, Eddie, in the background and the cover of the promotional single shows Eddie digging at the grave of Benjamin Breeg. The tombstone's inscription is in Romanian and translates to mean "Here lies a man about whom not much is known." Most fans have surmised that Benjamin Breeg is in fact the fictional Eddie and the whole thing is a clever publicity stunt to coincide with the release of the album.
"Steve (Harris) wrote the lyrics so you will probably have to ask him. He probably knows who this Benjamin Breeg is. It is a bit of a mystery, isn't it?" said Smith coyly when asked if he had any clues to offer.
Throughout the years, Eddie, the demonic, skeletal mascot, has become as synonymous with the band as their melodic, symphonic sound. That fact has never been lost on Iron Maiden.
"I don't even think we could do a show without him now. He is a big part of the band. We are all about music but Eddie bridges the gap between the band and the fans. I think a lot of kids are fascinated with the Eddie character. They are drawn into that then they listen to the music and become fans. That is what a good logo is all about. It draws attention to the band and then it is up to the music to hook people or not." said Smith who promises Eddie will faithfully make an appearance during their World Tour which begins October 4th in Hartford, Connecticut.
Maiden has scheduled three dates in Canada. They will play on October 9th in Quebec City, October 10th in Montreal and October 16th in Toronto.
Iron Maiden's North American tour dates:
04/10/2006 Hartford, CT - New England Dodge Music Center
06/10/2006 Boston, MA - Agganis Arena
07/10/2006 Camden, NJ - Tweeter Center At the Waterfront
09/10/2006 Quebec City, QC - Colisee Pepsi Arena
10/10/2006 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
12/10/2006 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
13/10/2006 East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena
16/10/2006 Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
17/10/2006 Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
18/10/2006 Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
21/10/2006 Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre