The Inside Track: Iron Maiden

Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci is an unabashed Iron Maiden superfan. Here’s his guide to getting the best out of the metal maestros...

“Dream Theater bassist John Myung and I go back a long way. He turned me on to Iron Maiden after playing me The Number Of The Beast album when we were both young teenagers.

“What did I love about the band? Everything. When I first heard them I was starting to get into guitar playing myself and was totally enthralled by the harmonies Adrian Smith and Dave Murray came up with. I really loved that duelling style they had, too. But there was a lot more to Iron Maiden than that. They had incredible songs, there was a sonic quality to their records that was amazing and, of course, the band’s album artwork was spectacular. That drew young people like me straight in.

“Once John had introduced me to The Number Of The Beast’ I went back and checked out the two previous albums, Iron Maiden and Killers, and got heavily into the band. By the time Piece Of Mind came out in 1983 John and I knew every Maiden song and how to play them all. You can’t underestimate the impact and influence Maiden had on all of my friends.

“At the time we were never seen without a Maiden T-shirt on! I remember going over to John’s house one day. His mother came up to me, saying, ‘I’m very worried about John. He keeps wearing these T-shirts that are promoting evil.’ I tried to calm her down by saying that Iron Maiden was a band, that we were simply fans of their music, and that we definitely were not into Satanism! That was pretty funny.

“I first saw Maiden on the World Piece tour. I think it was at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island [on 25 August 1983]. The band was huge at that time. It was simple. If you were into metal, then you were a Maiden fan!

Seeing the band live was an incredible experience. They had such a vast stage set and were such dynamic live performers that It really was like nothing else. And then there was Eddie, of course. Watching the big monster stalking around the stage was awesome. No other band had anything to match Eddie’s powerful image. I always enjoyed the way he was incorporated into all of the band’s artwork. That attention to detail distinguished Maiden from the rest of the competition.

“Dream Theater were so lucky to tour with Maiden on their Final Frontier American tour in the summer of 2010. The first night was in Dallas and when we arrived for the show Maiden made us feel really welcome. We’d met the guys several times before, but just in passing, and they’d always come across as being super nice. But the acid test was going out on the road with them. That’s when we realised how genuine they are as people. No tantrums, no ego trips. The guys were so helpful.

They were doing arenas on those dates and sold a load of tickets. Being a Maiden fan myself, I know how dedicated their supporters are. But the band gave us every opportunity to perform at our best. You got the impression they really wanted us to do well. Maiden gave us a lesson in how to treat the fans and the support act. I’d like to think we’ve followed their example.

“My highlight of that tour was when we played at Madison Square Garden on 12 July. I was standing on that iconic stage on my birthday, playing to thousands of people. Maiden gave me that chance and that’s reason enough on its own for me to adore them!

“I’ve loved Maiden for so many years now it’s unreal. They’ve inspired me by showing me how to do things property. When I first started playing in bands I really looked up to them. I wanted to be just like them. Having had the pleasure of getting to know them a little, all I can say is that they deserve all the success they’ve had.”

The All-Time Classic – The Number Of The Beast (1982)

“How can I not go back to where it all started for me? This was the first Maiden album I ever heard and its title track hooked me immediately. If you love metal, then you have to appreciate what this album means to the genre. Every song is utterly brilliant, but if I had to choose one that stands out, then I’d go for ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’. I so wanted to be able to play like that. Dream Theater actually performed the whole of The Number Of The Beast album live in Paris in 2002 and we subsequently released a recording of it on our own label, Ytsejam Records.”

The One For Connoisseurs – Piece Of Mind (1983)

“I have a lot of affection for Piece Of Mind. It’s got a lot of deep cuts that perhaps don’t get as much attention as they deserve. That’s why I’d choose this as an album that even some Maiden diehards tend to overlook. I still remember hearing ‘Flight Of Icarus’ on the radio for the first time. It made a massive impression on me. What you hear in the lyrics right across this record is the way Maiden could fashion a story that went beyond the superficial subject matter of a lot of rock songs. That certainly Inspired the way I like to write with Dream Theater.”

The One To Avoid – The X-Factor (1995)

“When I say this is the one to avoid, I don’t want anyone to think The X-Factor is an awful album. Maiden probably put as much energy and passion into this recording as any other in their career. But for me, Bruce Dickinson is the Maiden singer. When he left the band in 1993 and Blaze Bayley came in, well I didn’t think it was right. I could also have chosen 1998’s Virtual XI album in this category for the same reason. That album also featured Blaze and not Bruce. Without Bruce’s vocals, somehow nothing really sounded quite as it should. This isn’t an era I like to visit when I listen to Maiden.”

Best Film/Video – Maiden England (1989)

“I have to say that the Maiden England live video had a big impact, not just on me, but on all of Dream Theater. We’d just released our debut album, When Dream And Day Unite, a few months earlier and what we saw in this video was everything we wanted to be. We were a very young, very ambitious band, and this video was pretty much the blueprint for where we hoped our career might go. It was all so brilliantly shot and the fact that Steve Harris directed it himself was really cool. Maiden England absolutely represented the kind of life I hoped to lead.”

The Rarity – ‘Cross-Eyed Mary’ (Single B-Side, 1983)

“Most Maiden fans might be surprised that I’d go for the B-side of ‘The Trooper’, one of the band’s best singles. But if you think about it, how many people who bought that record even bothered to play the flip side, let alone realise that ‘Cross-Eyed Mary’ is a Jethro Tull cover?

“So while ‘The Trooper’ was a big single, I think ‘Cross-Eyed Mary’ has been unfairly ignored. Back in the days of vinyl singles it often happened that the B-side never got played at all, so if you’ve never heard this song, I strongly urge you to check it out. It’s a really great cover version that proves Maiden always had progressive influences in their music.”

John Petrucci’s Iron Maiden Playlist

‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ (from The Number Of The Beast, 1982)

“As far as I’m concerned, this is the key song on The Number Of The Beast. it’s a true epic and I still love listening to it even now. There’s so much depth here, and the way Maiden build up the atmosphere is significant, showing how they can accentuate every bit of drama in both the words and the music. I never get tired of listening to ‘Hallowed...’ it’s a major high point from a classic album.”

‘Wrathchild’ (from Killers, 1981)

“If you’re a bassist, then surely this is the song you want to learn before any other. Steve Harris’s bass line right at the start of the song is simply incredible. I don’t think anything has ever really been able to match it and it still sends shivers down the spine every time I hear it. Straight away it makes you want to put your foot on the monitor and really go for it – in that time-honoured Steve Harris fashion!”

‘Two Minutes To Midnight’ (from Powerslave, 1984)

“This brings back a great memory for me. Just before the release of Powerslave, one of my local radio stations announced that they’d be playing this song for the very first time on a specific night... at two minutes to midnight! I was at a party and at two minutes to midnight everything stopped. We all gathered round the radio to hear this new Maiden song, because we were all so pumped up and excited to hear what the band were up to. I wasn’t disappointed by what I heard that night and neither were any of my friends. I still love the song to this day and because of how I first heard it, it will always have a special place in my heart!”

‘Where Eagles Dare’ (from Piece of Mind 1983)

“For some reason that I can’t explain, this song really sticks in my mind as a total Iron Maiden classic. There’s something about ‘Where Eagles Dare’ that makes it stand out for me. There’s no particular reason why it means a lot to me; it just does. Sometimes when we’re soundchecking in Dream Theater someone will break into the riff from ‘Where Eagles Dare’ and we’ll all pile in. It’s great fun.”

‘Phantom Of The Opera’ (from Iron Maiden 1980)

“As soon as I discovered the debut Iron Maiden album I started trying to learn how to play ‘Phantom Of The Opera’, but it took me ages to get to grips with the time changes. it’s a track John Myung and I used to love playing in our teenage years because it’s so exciting. What a song, what a fabulous riff. This is early Maiden in their prime.”

Three Tracks To Avoid

‘Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter’ (from No Prayer For The Dying, 1990)

“I never like criticising anything by Maiden, because I’m sure they put lots of work into all their compositions. But even the title of this one seems odd to me – though I’m sure it made sense to them. The actual song feels more like something AC/DC would do. It doesn’t have the Maiden groove, and for me the mix seems wrong as well. it’s not that the song is bad, but in my view it’s just not right for Iron Maiden.”

‘Sign Of The Cross’ (from The X-Factor, 1995)

“I have to admit to a bit of bias here, because I could never quite accept Blaze Bayley as Maiden vocalist instead of Bruce Dickinson. When you listen to this song it doesn’t really work. All those monks chanting isn’t what I want from Iron Maiden and the whole track is really disappointing. Would it have worked with Bruce? We’ll never know.”

‘Futureal’ (from Virtual XI, 1998)

“I am not trying to knock Blaze for the sake of it by choosing another song from his era, but when I first heard ‘Futureal’ it didn’t make much impact on me. My attention kept drifting and I quickly forgot what the song sounded like. Even now I can’t tell you how it goes – and that really says everything.’’