26 January 2011 - 7:23When Awesome Gets Awesomer

Once upon a time, there was a young heavy metal band from Britain called Iron Maiden. They were and still are (very) awesome.

They were awesome before hair bands like Poison and Motley Crue pretended to be as metal as Maiden was. And Maiden still remains awesome even after the so-called “metal” flavor of the day bands have long since become a distant memory. And their awesomeness prevails to this day over the modern day shite that sounds like dogs barking at heavy metal filing cabinets filled with crap and monkeys that are falling down the stairs.

What makes them so awesome? Besides a giant dead guy named Eddie that not only graces their album covers? Who also roams the stage during concerts? They rock harder than any other band in history. Maiden has always been Maiden *(except between 1993 and 1999). They have never tried to be anyone else  They don’t take themselves too seriously. And they invented the harmonized guitar riff. Sure, the Allman Brothers had that nice little noodly lead line in Jessica, and Steely Dan had that nice little peck on the cheek of a guitar solo in Reelin’ in the Years, they all fall miserably short when compared to how awesome THE TROOPER is.

In case you didn’t click the links above (you really ought to), here is the quick visual reference:

Jessica

THE TROOPER

OK now that we have that straight….

Maiden’s awesomeness prevailed for a very long time, and they ruled supreme over they who would call themselves “metal“. But one day, there was a disturbance in the force: due to creative differences, Adrian Smith (awesomest – and my personal favorite – Maiden guitar player) left the band, and was replaced by Jannick Gers (awesomest named Maiden guitar player). In 1993, “The Air Raid Siren” Bruce Dickinson left the band because it wasn’t quite as awesome without Adrian. From that point on, there is a black hole in Maiden’s repertoire, and one that I will never recognize as part of their body of work.

*Much like when Nigel Tufnel left Spinal Tap, and they had to resort to Jazz Odyessy.

Fortunately, Adrian and Bruce came to their senses in 2000, and released one of the very best Maiden albums ever, Brave New World. And you know what? They even kept Jannick Gers. So wait, that’s one… two… no THREE guitar players? I listen to it thrice weekly at a minimum. In fact, I’m listening to it right now.

Yeah.

Awesome got a glimpse of just how awesomer awesome can be.

So what am I prattling on about?

You will see next week.