Bruce Dickinson Shares A Big Influence For Him Before Recording The Iron Maiden Album The Number of the Beast

Iron Maiden album
The Number of the Beast album art: Label: EMI, Artist: Derek Riggs/ Bruce Dickinson photo: samuelviani (Wikimedia Commons)
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The Iron Maiden album The Number of the Beast celebrated its 40th anniversary as of last week. The Iron Maiden album is not just a monumental achievement for that of the band, but for metal as a whole. Among the many reasons it is one of Maiden’s most popular records is because it is the first to feature current Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson.

In a new interview with Heavy Consequence, the Iron Maiden frontman shared what his biggest influence was prior to recording the Iron Maiden album The Number of the Beast. Specifically, the Iron Maiden frontman talks to what album was a really big influence on him before The Number of the Beast was born. You can find what Dickinson had to say below:

“I think the last album – well for me anyway – the last album that really was a big influence on me, before The Number Of The Beast was born is probably [Rising by Rainbow]. You know, when you got to hear Ronnie [James Dio] in full, full throat, and Blackmore playing his pants off, and ‘Stargazer’, and you’re going, ‘Oh, my God, nobody’s done this in metal before! Wow, this is just incredible! Here’s somewhere to go.’ And then Ronnie joined Sabbath and, of course, Heaven And Hell is another classic. So, I think that Maiden, the The Number Of The Beast album, offered a kind of a bridge between the two worlds, you know?

“And, of course, we were very young, and we played very fast. And we were very aggressive. And we were like ‘ahh!’ which those other, slightly older classic bands didn’t have because it wasn’t who they were. But Maiden was a different animal. We were so fierce and snarling and snapping at everybody, and it was great.”

We recently wrote a feature that covers six cool details you may not know about The Number of the Beast album. You can check it out by clicking on the link below!

Iron Maiden Album ‘The Number of the Beast’ Turns 40 + Six Things You May Not Know About It

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Words by: Michael Pementel