The relationship
between metal and punk has always been contentious. The
first wave of bands that fell under the heavy metal umbrella are often cited as having been
ushered out not by the next generation of headbangers, but by punk
rock.
Being born years
after the fact, I can only speculate that the simplicity and ferocity
of punk rock must have struck a chord in the hearts and minds of
those dis-interested in the lengthy drum solos and jazzy jams that
many metal and hard rock bands were evolving into. Put simply, punk
rock wasn't about building on the established – it was about
tearing it down, and starting again.
However, the history
of music is never linear, and just as punk was destroying metal's
position in the mainstream, the next generation of metal bands were
already beginning their crusade. All in one year, The Sex Pistols,
Motörhead, and NWOBHM's champions Iron Maiden were formed, but it
took the latter a few years to find their feet.
By the time of Maiden's debut, the fusion of punk and metal wasn't completely unheard of. Motörhead
perhaps embodied the concept, and lay out the blue-print for the
likes of Venom, Tank and Warfare. However, many of the metallic elements that the first wave of metal bands had to offer were stripped back in favor of a balls-out approach. This was all about to change when punk rock singer Paul Dianno was drafted into the Iron Maiden fold.
With Dianno behind
the mic, Maiden's blend of The Who, Deep Purple and Yes was injected
with a dose of unpolished, raw tenacity. The sound on Maiden's debut
was abrasive and coarse, but unmistakably metal. Stratton and
Murray's guitar harmonies litter the album, forging a criss-cross of
spider-webs throughout. The late Clive Burr's shuffling, head-shaking drum beats stand-out on the record to this day, with himself and Steve Harris' bass lines forming a crucial part of the albums make-up, especially on tracks like Running Free, possibly one of the best Iron Maiden songs recorded.
Curiously, the
self-titled stands out as a unique entity within the Maiden chronology, less representative of the legacy the band would forge (Killers marking the appearance of a lot of the band's trademarks), and more so of the bands they would inspire, at least in the
immediate. The sound of NWOBHM is encapsulated in the
album – dancing between the boundaries of prog, melody and attitude
all at the same time. Whereas you might want to look to Venom for the
origin point of extreme metal, Maiden are definitely a turning stone
for the more melodic side of things.
Burr would go on to appear on two more Maiden records, Dianno would cut one more, and this
marks Stratton's only album with the band, but the songs continue to
resonate to this day. Whilst Prowler and Sanctuary may not have had
the lasting-power as cuts from other Maiden albums, they still remain enjoyable. The majority of
this album is classic – Charlotte The Harlot and Remember Tomorrow
displaying the bands range, whilst Transylvania and The Phantom Of The Opera allowing the band to show off their chops. Of course, the most
enduring moment of the record comes in the form of Maiden's
self-titled anthem, the chorus sounding a warning to headbangers
everywhere that Iron Maiden make good on to this day – Wherever you are, Iron
Maiden's gonna get you, no matter how far!
No comments:
Post a Comment