NWOBHM
Iron Maiden Craft Their Most Diverse Album in Years with Senjutsu: Review
The Lowdown: Metal legends Iron Maiden were riding high prior to the pandemic. The band were in the midst of their “Legacy of the Beast Tour” — a career-spanning celebration of the band’s discography. The comprehensive setlist pulled from every era of Maiden — even the Blaze Bayley albums — hitting major highlights as well as obscure deep cuts. Somewhere in the middle of the jaunt, in early 2019, the band found time to hit the Guillaume Tell Studio in France to track the material that would become Senjutsu. Perhaps running through 40 years of songs every night worked as the ultimate songwriting stimulant, because Senjutsu is easily Iron Maiden’s most diverse work in years — no easy task for a band that continues to chiefly operate in a long-since-established heavy metal style. The Goo...
Iron Maiden Release New Album Senjutsu: Stream
Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden have released their highly anticipated 17th studio album, Senjutsu. The 80-plus minute opus was recorded in early 2019 at Guillaume Tell Studio in France during a break in the band’s “Legacy of the Beast Tour.” Later that year, longtime Maiden producer Kevin “Caveman” Shirley strongly hinted that a new album could be on the horizon. Prior to officially announcing Senjutsu, Iron Maiden built the hype with cryptic ARG-style teasers before breaking the silence with an epic music video for the single “The Writing on the Wall” — their first new song in six years. The full album details were then unveiled, including a new “Samurai Eddie” for the cover art. Advertisement Related Video As singer Bruce Dickinson explained in a press release, the songs on Senjutsu are...
Judas Priest’s First Show in Two Years Features Glenn Tipton Appearance and Rarities: Watch
Judas Priest were joined by guitarist Glenn Tipton for the final three songs of their set at the Bloodstock Open Air festival in the UK on Sunday (August 15th). It marked the band’s first live performance in over two years. While still an official member of Priest, Tipton retired from regular touring after revealing he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. However, the guitarist has appeared at occasional concerts over the past few years. Producer Andy Sneap (also a member of thrash acts Hell and Sabbat [UK]) has stepped in as the band’s regular touring guitarist. Tipton took the stage at Bloodstock for the final three songs — a trifecta from the legendary British Steel LP (“Metal Gods,” Breaking the Law,” and “Living After Midnight”). Advertisement Related Video The band’s...
Iron Maiden Announce New Live Album, Begin Work on New Music
Iron Maiden’s “Legacy of the Beast Tour” was an epic occasion. And like most of the band’s high profile tours, it will be immortalized as a live album, with the band announcing Nights of the Dead, Legacy of the Beast: Live in Mexico, which arrives November 20th. The album was culled from Iron Maiden’s three sold-out arena shows in Mexico City in September 2019, during the heart of the band’s lengthy “Legacy of the Beast” trek. Clocking in at over 100 minutes, the tracklist encompasses the band’s setlist from the tour and is a perfect way to relive the experience. Heavy Consequence caught the tour in Brooklyn last year and we came away astounded. Even by Maiden’s standards, it was a massive production, featuring a stage-sized bomber plane, flamethrowers, and twirling guitars. Per its “Legac...
Judas Priest to Headline and Curate 2021 Warlando Festival in Florida
Judas Priest, photo by Steven J. Messina Judas Priest have announced that they are headlining and curating the new Warlando Festival set for September 11th, 2021 at the Orlando Amphitheater in Florida. The band shared the news on its Facebook page, but offered up few details except for the event’s poster, which features the initial lineup: Judas Priest, Sabaton, Lacuna Coil, Soulfly, Mushroomhead, and Uncured. Judas Priest were supposed to co-headline the Rebel Rock Festival with Limp Bizkit this month in Orlando. With that fest postponed to next year due to the pandemic, it appears Judas Priest took matters into their own hands, creating their own Florida festival. In turn, Rebel Rock, now set to take place September 24th-26th, 2021, will no longer feature Judas Priest, but will still inc...
Judas Priest Announce 50th Anniversary Photo Book
Judas Priest are commemorating their 50th anniversary in style with a 648-page coffee table photo book. Titled Judas Priest – 50 Heavy Metal Years, the title is available in four editions and available for pre-order starting September 11th. The book is a true testament to Judas Priests’ half-century run as one of the most influential and visually captivating metal bands of all-time. The photography was curated by David Silver, Ross Halfin, and Jayne Andrews and features “unseen, unpublished photographs” by Ross Halfin, Neil Zlozower, Mark Weiss, Fin Costello, Oliver Halfin, and more. The photographs will be linked by an accompanying history of the band written by Mark Blake, allowing the book to work as a photo documentary of sorts. “I’ve photographed Judas Priest from 1978 until now and o...
Hellfest 2021 Lineup: Deftones, System of a Down, Faith No More, Judas Priest, Puscifer, and More
France’s Hellfest Open Air has announced its 2021 lineup, and it features 90-percent of the bands who were scheduled to perform at the 2020 edition of the festival before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Deftones, System of a Down, and Faith No More will still headline, as they were slated to this year. The fest will take place June 18th-20th in Clisson, France. The festival wrote in a Facebook post: “Hellbangers, a little ahead of usual, here’s the lineup of the 2021 edition! 90% of the groups have reconfirmed their presence for next year, and as you know, they are particularly impatient to find you in Clissonese lands!” The statement continued, “Unfortunately, 13 bands scheduled for the 2020 edition could not confirm their presence for 2021: Incubus, Mastodon, Infectious Gro...
Metal Trump Sings Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills” and It’s Terrifying: Watch
YouTuber Lars von Retriever has done it again! For his latest “Metal Trump” video, he has cut up the president’s dialogue to match the Iron Maiden classic “Run to the Hills” — and the results are frankly terrifying, albeit impressive. Given Trump’s flippant remarks, stubborn denial, and generally abhorrent reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, the songs refrain — coming from Trump’s mouth — hits a little close to home: “Run to the hills/ Run for your life“. Iron Maiden wrote “Run to the Hills” for 1982’s The Number of the Beast as a historical concept piece about the genocide of Native Americans and indigenous people by North American settlers. “White man came across the sea/ He brought us pain and misery,” sings frontman Bruce Dickinson in the original track. Odd words coming out of Trump, t...
Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith Unveils Upgrade to His Signature Jackson Guitars
Jackson has brought key updates to Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith’s new San Dimas SD and SDM signature models. The physical demands of Smith’s fast and melodic fretwork in Iron Maiden forced Jackson to outfit the signature San Dimas models with a bevy of customizations and mods. Each took into account Smith’s style of playing and even Iron Maiden’s “relentless touring regimen.” The guitar is not only customized to Smith’s technical abilities, but his lifestyle as a busy, traveling musician. Both the SD and SDM models tout lightweight alder bodies and bolt-on maple necks, which feature a hand-rubbed urethane back finish that looks decadent and makes for fluid playability. The neck is also supported by a pair of graphite-reinforcement truss rods that “refuse to budge, no matter the envir...
Iron Maiden, KISS, and System of a Down Headline Virtual Download Festival
Iron Maiden and KISS (photos by Kevin RC Wilson) / System of a Down (photo by Raymond Ahner) Iron Maiden, KISS, and System of a Down will headline the virtual Download TV festival, which will stream on YouTube and social media June 12-14th. All three bands were set to headline this year’s Download Festival, a massive annual UK heavy music gathering that was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The virtual fest promises footage from prior Download appearances, socially distant performances, interviews, and exclusive content from the bands that were initially slated for this year’s lineup. The weekend schedule will be divided into day and evening programming. The day content “celebrates the spirit of Download Festival” and the evening will feature two to three hours of “tailor-made prog...
Iron Maiden Postpone All 2020 Shows Due to COVID-19 Pandemic, Reschedule Many Dates for 2021
Iron Maiden have postponed all 2020 touring plans as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. The legendary UK metal band has rescheduled many of the European dates of its ongoing “Legacy of the Beast Tour” for 2021, but canceled festival appearances have not been rescheduled. The band was supposed to begin the first leg of the 2020 tour on May 1st in Perth, Australia, with shows in New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, Dubai, and Israel to follow. Those dates have not been rescheduled yet, though the band hopes to return to those countries “in some guise, in the first half of 2022.” European shows in Moscow, Weert, and Zurich have also not been rearranged thus far. Iron Maiden’s manager Rod Smallwood issued a statement on the band’s website in regards to the postponements and cancellations: “I hope...
