Descifrando el sonido de las leyendas del heavy metal Iron Maiden

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Collage of books and films on history, mythology, and films

Desde su álbum debut en 1980, la banda británica de heavy metal Iron Maiden ha deslumbrado al público mundial con su sonido característico y sus épicas actuaciones. La banda ha vendido más de 130 millones de álbumes en todo el mundo.

Pero el observador casual podría no reconocer que el material original de muchas de las canciones de Iron Maiden se puede rastrear hasta diversos temas, incluida la historia, la mitología y las películas.

Únase a nosotros ahora mientras hacemos un viaje a través de los archivos de Iron Maiden para descubrir la historia detrás de la canción en el Catálogo de la Biblioteca Pública de Los Ángeles.


Cover image for Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

Iron Maiden produced an epic, 8-minute song about the Macedonian Conqueror who brought Greek culture to the east on their 1986 album Somewhere in Time. This definitive biography of the military genius details the man behind the myth with breakdowns of epic battles and key events in Alexander's lifetime. Iron Maiden will be performing their "Alexander the Great" song for the first time for American audiences on this tour.

Cover image for Mythology

Mythology

In 1983, Maiden broke barriers in the heavy metal genre with their song "Flight of Icarus," based on the ancient Greek myth of Icarus. While escaping from the island of Crete with waxen wings, Icarus flew too close to the sun and plummeted to earth. Read about Icarus and countless other gods and heroes in this easy to read volume by renowned scholar Edith Hamilton.

Cover image for The Crimean War: A History

The Crimean War: A History

A longtime staple of the Iron Maiden set has been the rousing number "The Trooper," based on an infamous historical incident, the Charge of the Light Brigade, where a British Cavalry unit was destroyed by Russian artillery. In this comprehensive history of the Crimean War, author Figes lays out the infamous battle and other points in this three-way conflict between Britain, Russia, and the Turks.

Cover image for Where Eagles Dare

Where Eagles Dare

In this action-packed World War II epic, Allied officers Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton lead a daring expedition behind enemy lines in the Bavarian Alps. This film inspired the rousing 1983 Maiden song of the same title.

Cover image for The Prisoner, a Televisionary Masterpiece

The Prisoner, a Televisionary Masterpiece

Iron Maiden sampled a famous voiceover by actor Patrick McGoohan for their 1982 song, "The Prisoner," based on the famous and critically acclaimed British television series. Following the exploits of a former government intelligence agent exiled to a strange village inhabited by political prisoners, The Prisoner is regarded as one of the best television series ever. Featured in this volume are essays about the series and an interview with McGoohan.

Cover image for The Duellists

The Duellists

Iron Maiden was inspired to release its song "The Duellists" in 1984 based on the Ridley Scott film chronicling a decades-long feud between two French officers in the Napoleonic Era. Based on a short story by Joseph Conrad, The Duellists features beautiful cinematography and memorable performances by Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel.

Cover image for Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan

Uniting nomadic tribes and forging one of the largest empires in all history, Genghis Khan is a figure shrouded in controversy. Iron Maiden even wrote an instrumental ode to the Mongolian Warlord on their 1981 Album, Killers. Author Lange attempts to separate the myths from the man in this biography.

Cover image for Dune

Dune

Iron Maiden, ahead of Hollywood, wrote their epic "To Tame A Land" based on the groundbreaking science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. However, the band could not title the song "Dune" due to a dispute with Herbert. Despite the controversy between the late author and the band, the song remains a beloved deep cut in the Iron Maiden archives.

Iron Maiden tocará en el Kia Forum en Inglewood el martes 8 de octubre, con el invitado especial The Hu.