Welcome to another edition of From My Collection. This week, the metal community was rocked by the news of Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain’s retirement from the road after 42 years of touring. It was a rumor that had been circulating for the past few years, and was only accelerated when revealed that McBrain suffered a stroke prior to the kickoff of Maiden’s last jaunt, The Future Past. But alas, here we are at the dawn of a new age: An age in which we will never see the “classic five” ever take the stage again. In honor of McBrain’s legacy and much deserved retirement, we travel “somewhere in time” to 1983 and revisit McBrain’s maiden Maiden voyage, Piece of Mind.
These days, a couple years is how long it takes for Iron Maiden to do a world tour. In the early ’80s, that was the span of time it took for them to go from NWOBHM underdogs to a household name. Despite ongoing personnel shifts (Adrian Smith in for Dennis Stratton, Bruce Dickinson in for Paul Di’Anno), the band soldiered onwards, refining their sound and metal as a whole with each subsequent release. Come 1982, the band released their magnum opus, The Number of the Beast, to universal acclaim. Aided by the help of MTV and its devilish cover art, NOTB quickly became a platinum selling smash, with hordes of young metallists all around the globe eager for more Maiden.
And just when it looked like Maiden had settled on a stable lineup once and for all, one who was so musically locked in that if you took away any one member, you’d jeopardize losing the magic altogether, they faced yet ANOTHER personnel change. Drummer Clive Burr was fired for his offstage activities affecting his onstage performances (see Paul Di’Anno). Burr would claim his dismissal was unfair, and clean up his act enough to play with French metal pioneers Trust for the next year. Ironically enough, filling Burr’s spot behind the drumkit? None other than the very drummer Burr replaced in Trust, Nicko McBrain.
By 1982, McBrain was considered a veteran amongst hard and heavy circles. His career dated back to the late ’60s, during which he began playing drums for local bands and on various sessions. Come 1975, he’d find himself holding down the beat for Roger Chapman and Charlie Whitney’s post-Family band, Streetwalkers. After their dissolution, he’d join the mighty Pat Travers Band, before making his way to France and joining Trust during their most creatively fruitful period. Similar to the likes of Cozy Powell and Aynsley Dunbar, McBrain was a journeyman drummer, hopping from band to band and looking for a home. Little did he know he’d find that home in 1982, and reside there comfortably for the rest of his days.
Come the arrival of McBrain into the fold, Maiden quickly got to work on their fourth album, Piece of Mind. The album largely doubles down on the progressive leanings foreshadowed on NOTB tracks like “Children of the Damned” and “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, while simultaneously showcasing Maiden’s now signature energy and even boasting some proto-power metal moments. Upon revisiting Piece of Mind, it’s no wonder that the likes of Helloween and the reinvented Running Wild lurked just around the corner. Most importantly, McBrain fit Maiden like a glove, adding his own unique style to the Maiden sound without radically deviating from their core ethos. All the more amazing is how Maiden let “the new guy” open the album.
To this day, the opening drum riff to “Where Eagles Dare” has to be one of the most iconic in metal history, certainly neck and neck with Cozy Powell’s intro to Rainbow’s “Stargazer” and Lee Kerslake’s intro to Ozzy Osbourne’s “Over the Mountain”. From there, we’re treated to a classic slice of Maiden metal majesty. Dickinson’s vocals explode out of the stereo. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith’s guitars duel with expertise precision. Harris’s basslines lock in with McBrain, establishing the foundation for one of metal’s most iconic rhythm sections. It’s as perfect of a Maiden song as one could ask for, and it’s only track one on side A.
From there, we have Dickinson’s sole lone writing credit on the album, “Revelations”. Tackling the struggles of man vs. nature through the spiritual lens of Christianity, Hinduism, and occultism, “Revelations” seemed to be an all to relevant song for Maiden in 1983, especially as they were being attacked by religious fanatics for their allegedly “satanic” leanings, the likes of which they always dismissed. Musically, it fuses the galloping NWOBHM sound of Killers and NOTB with a strong progressive disposition, which will be explored further on later tracks.
Although I haven’t yet tackled Maiden for a Top 10 Bruce Dickinson Era Songs list, if I were to, there’s no doubt “Flight of Icarus” would make the cut. Equal parts melodic and epic, in the span of just a little under 4 minutes, Maiden ever so succinctly tell the tale of Icarus: The Greek mythological figure who attempted to fly, but got too close to the sun. Dickinson gives what may be his greatest vocal performance ever, exploring his full range and delivering said passages at full power. Just like “Where Eagles Dare”, it’s prime Maiden. Any other band attempting such a song would sound clumsy by comparison, yet Maiden makes such an ambitious tale an arena singalong anthem.
Side A closes with the most aggressive and straightforward NWOBHM-esque track on the album, “Die with Your Boots On”. By 1983, the NWOBHM was starting to wind down. Many of the scene’s staples had carved their own success, separate from the movement that spawned them, or had folded altogether. Maiden fell into the former category, kissing goodbye the humble pubs of their homeland in favor of US megadomes. That said, you simply can’t kill the fire if it’s burning inside of you. “Die” sounds like a throwback to Maiden’s debut, in all its forceful, unrelenting glory. Throw in an uplifting lyrical message and you’ve got another bonafide classic.
As we flip over to side B, we’re greeted by what might be Maiden’s signature song, “The Trooper”. What can be said about this one that hasn’t been said already? If you were to make a list of, not necessarily the “greatest” metal songs of all time, but rather the most iconic metal songs of all time, “The Trooper” has to be on there. Loaded with gallop riffs, war themed lyrics, and a huge shout-along chorus consisting of one word (“Wooooooaaaahhhhhhh!!!”), one might argue it singlehandedly lays down the foundation for euro power metal, in all its majestic glory.
I mentioned earlier how Piece of Mind helped lay the foundation for “prog Maiden”. This becomes all the more evident on side B, starting with “Still Life”. The way the song twists and meanders with its cryptic atmosphere and virtuosic interplay, is most certainly an early example of prog metal Maiden. It’s a shame more don’t talk about its brilliance. Speaking of brilliance, “Quest for Fire”, anyone? If “Icarus” is my personal favorite of this opus, then “Quest for Fire” might just be my second favorite. Dickinson’s harmony-laden chorus is absolutely goosebump-inducing, and the impactful delivery screams proto-power metal mania.
“Sun and Steel” is yet another underrated number. It was co-written by Dickinson and Smith, although something tells me Smith did the lion’s share. His knack for melody is legendary, and this one carries itself in a way that it could be a prototype for Caught Somewhere in Time, save the synths and “ulterior motives”. Rounding it all out is the 7 and a half minute epic, “To Tame a Land”. Initially titled “Dune”, as it was based on the novel of the same title, “To Tame a Land” sees Maiden yet again going the suite route, but with even greater confidence than before. By no means am I arguing this to be a better song than “Hallowed”, “Children”, “Phantom of the Opera”, etc. However, at this point, Maiden are more used to these longform pieces than they were even a year earlier. Think of it as a proto-Seventh Son moment.
To virtually nobody’s surprise, Piece of Mind was a smash hit. The band quickly embarked upon their first headline arena tour of the States, and have been playing these 20k cap venues ever since (save for the Blaze Bayley years). Although in the years that followed, Piece doesn’t seem to have the same cult following as NOTB, Killers, Powerslave, or even Somewhere in Time, it is, no doubt, a Maiden masterpiece, thanks to the magic of Bruce, Adrian, Dave, Steve, and “the new guy”, Nicko. Thanks for everything, mate. Enjoy your retirement!
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