Its about 3 in the morning and i found myself listening to "Face in the Sand" and suddenly a wave of nostalgia crept in. I remembered the days when our class was symmetrically split into two groups not by their views on some political issues, but by the supremacy of their respective favourite bands. On one side the old school rockers Metallica, and on the other "Up the Irons" Iron Maiden. I know i may be trying to answer a question that may never be answered, but hell, Carpe Diem Baby!!!
Why Metallica, you may ask, but if you do a simple search on Google as i did, youll find that there are a billion other people to answer that question for you. To cut things short, the line between these two bands is thinner than the hair on Bruce Willis's head. Both bands are arguably the legends of the metal genre, the first tier in a head-bangers quest to the ultimate... head-bang.
Iron Maiden are a relatively unheard of band when compared to Metallica, every teenage kid who wants to be cool in school would say their favourite band is Metallica and would walk around with t-shirts splashed with the faces of James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, even though they didnt know the first thing about Metallica or rock for that matter. Not that Iron Maiden doesnt have its share of a massive fan following but it just doesnt reach the zenith that Metallica conquered a long time ago.
The distinctive voice of Bruce Dikinson added to the flavour of Maidens songs. Dickinson's recorded debut with Iron Maiden was 1982's The Number of the Beast, an album that claimed the band their first ever UK Albums Chart number 1 record. Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, etc. had all run their course by 1980, or were deep into decline. Iron Maiden spearheaded what was termed 'the new wave of heavy metal'. The guitar was clean and fresh, the vocals had a certain drama about them and the songs covered lyrical ground that made metal fans swoon like the times when Frank Sinatra was still singing his amorous tunes. Iron Maiden were refreshing the metal world after the pomp and ridiculousness that Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin had become. They had their fair share of controversies through the ages, especially when it came to band members running amock, but they held their course and are still going strong.
A peek at the Guitar World magazine would list out the top 100 guitar solos of all time according to the general public. Metallica - 3, Iron Maiden - 0. The landslide victory in this poll could only be credited to one man, Kirk Hammett. Throughout Metallicas crusade into the metal world, Hammett made a name for himself as nothing less than a guitar god. Although most of his solos were purely pentatonic, his speed was close to light itself. Even after major setbacks like bassist Cliff Burtons death and Jason Newsted leaving the band, the band still thrives of its never-dying support from fans across the globe and the fresh talents of bassist Robert Trujillo. St. Anger, the bands latest album came under a lot of criticism for its nu metal feel, and rumours that Metallica had lost their roots. Not that im complaining, but St. Anger did have its weak points, but atleast it showed that the band was trying to keep with the ages and its fans. The sheer volume and range of the bands music made them leap head and shoulders above the rest. The hard-hitting vocals of James Hetfield and the crazy carefree drumming of Lars, maintained Metallicas position at the throne of the Gods of Metal.
The two bands are definitely right there at the top of the metal ladder, the punkiness of Iron Maiden and the thrash of Metallica. A Hobsons choice of sorts but in the end, being the ardent follower of Metallica that i am, my decision has to tilt towards the Masters of Puppets.
“Sleep my friend, and you will see that dream is my reality.” - James Hetfield
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