The Shadow of a Pagan Sacrifice

Crackling fire, the wooden figure of a man burning... - You will have guessed it, today I am going to focus on the song "The Wicker Man" (Brave New World, 2000) and the film of the same name it is based upon, released in 1973. The more I am looking at this, the more I …

Old Testament, New Testament, and the Archive of Dickinson’s Lyrics

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSINThe Bible, NIV, Daniel, 5 In case these four words puzzle you, you are in good company. The same happened to king Belshazzar. These four words are nothing but the original "writing on the wall." The song "The Writing on the Wall" (Senjustu, 2021) is no less complex than the eponymous inscription …

Chess in Music

The title of the single “Stratego” (Senjutsu, 2021) reminds of the game of the same name, which is a version of chess in the meaning that it is played by two, is coined by strategy, and involves pawns inspired by elements of war. It was also a picture of this board game which was used …

Guest Article: The Ides of Icarus and Alexander: Iron Maiden & Greco-Roman Antiquity

I am very happy to say that Dr. Jeremy J. Swist of Brandeis University has kindly contributed to this blog. Not only is he literate in Latin and Ancient Greek, as he teaches both languages as a lecturer at university, he is also an expert in the reception of antiquity in heavy metal. His research …

Who Are the Evil Forces at Belshazzar’s Feast?

Is the band mascot Eddie, an undead creature close to a zombie, good or bad? Eddie was somewhere in the middle right from the start. He is clearly very threatening on the cover of Killers (1981) and still he is meant to embody this moment of redemption for the underdogs and outsiders that is firmly …

Children of the Moon, or: More Questions than Answers

The song "Moonchild" (Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, 1987) has two namesakes, the novel by English occultist Aleister Crowley (1917) and a Spanish song called "Hijo de la Luna," the son of the moon (well, I count this as close enough to be a namesake). All three share one plot element, the sacrifice of …

A Brave New Era for a Band and a Nightmarish Vision of the Future

The album Brave New World (2000) is subject to a curious contradiction. The release of the album was one of the finest hours for fans of Iron Maiden, the long sought for reunion of the band which brought about the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith. The title choice thus seems fitting to describe …

The Metamorphosis of a “fantôme”

The "Phantom of the Opera" (Iron Maiden, 1980) is not only a Maiden song, but most of all is it known as one of the most successful musicals world-wide (Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1986). Lesser known is the text the song and the musical are based on, Gaston Leroux' novel Le fantôme de l'opéra (1909-1910). It …

A Faustian Pact

I've recently read the question what the song "The Educated Fool" (Virtual XI, 1998) was about. Considering that it is safe to say that the respective album is not exactly a favourite of Maiden-dom, to put it mildly, it still seems to be of interest enough to raise questions about the lyrics, a fact which …

Legacies, Blake on Stage, and the Horror of the Inquisition

The Tate Britain has recently opened a new exhibition room dedicated to the "Legacy of Blake" (https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain/display/spotlights/ancients-and-moderns-legacies-william-blake) - which made me smile, thinking of the "Legacy of the Beast" (tour, 2018 - 2019 and mobile game of the same name of Iron Maiden). (And no, the very unfortunate author has missed the opening of said …