JIMI HENDRIX

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Born Johnny Allen Hendrix (later changed to James Marshall) on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington. Learning to play guitar as a teenager, Hendrix grew up to become a rock guitar legend. He had a difficult childhood, sometimes living in the care of relatives and even acquaintances at times.
His mother, Lucille, was only 17 years old when Hendrix was born. She had a stormy relationship with his father, Al, and eventually left the family after the couple had two more children together, sons Leon and Joseph. Hendrix would only see his mother sporadically before her death in 1958.

In many ways, music became a sanctuary for Hendrix. He was a fan of blues music and taught himself to play guitar. At the age of 14, Hendrix saw Elvis Presley perform. He got his first electric guitar the following year and eventually played with two bands—the Rocking Kings and the Tomcats. In 1959, Hendrix dropped out of high school. He worked odd jobs while continuing to follow his musical aspirations.
Hendrix enlisted in the United States Army in 1961 and trained at Fort Ord in California to become a paratrooper. Even as a soldier, he found time for music, creating a band named The King Casuals. Hendrix served in the army until 1962 when he was discharged due to an injury.
After leaving the military, Hendrix pursued his music, working as a session musician and playing backup for such performers as Little Richard, Sam Cooke, and the Isley Brothers. He also formed a group of his own called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, which played gigs around New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood.
In mid-1966, Hendrix met Chas Chandler, a former member of the Animals, a successful rock group, who became his manager. Chandler convinced Hendrix to go to London where he joined forces with musicians Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell to create The Jimi Hendrix Experience. While there, Hendrix built up quite a following among England's rock royalty. Members of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, and Eric Clapton were all great admirers of Hendrix's work. One critic for the British music magazine Melody Maker said that he "had great stage presence" and looked at times as if he was playing "with no hands at all."
Released in 1967, the band's first single, "Hey Joe" was an instant smash in Britain, and was soon followed by other hits such as "Purple Haze" and "The Wind Cried Mary." On tour to support his first album, Are You Experienced? (1967), Hendrix delighted audiences with his outrageous guitar-playing skills and his innovative, experimental sound. He won over American music fans with his stunning performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967, which ended with Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire.
Quickly becoming a rock music superstar, Hendrix scored again with his second album, Axis: Bold as Love (1968). His final album as part of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Electric Ladyland (1968), was released and featured the hit "All Along the Watchtower," which was written by Bob Dylan. The band continued to tour until it split up in 1969.

Source:http://www.biography.com
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SEX PISTOLS

This incandescent UK punk group came together under the aegis of entrepreneur Malcolm McLaren during the summer of 1975. Periodically known as the Swankers, with lead vocalist Wally Nightingale, they soon metamorphosed into the Sex Pistols.
With a line-up comprising: Steve Jones(guitar), Paul Cook (drums), Glen Matlock (bass) and Johnny Rotten (vocals).
The group signed to EMI Records which released their first single, 'Anarchy In The UK'.


From Rotten's sneering laugh at the opening of the song to the final seconds of feedback, it was a riveting debut. Soon afterwards, the group was dropped from EMI in a blaze of publicity.

By February 1977, Matlock was replaced by punk caricature Sid Vicious. The following month, the group was signed to A&M Records outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. One week later, A&M cancelled the contract. After reluctantly signing to Virgin Records, the group issued 'God Save The Queen'. The single coincided with the Queen's Jubilee. It rose to number 1 in the New Musical Express chart. A third single, the melodic 'Pretty Vacant' proved their most accessible to date. They hit again with 'Holidays In The Sun' and the UK chart-topping Never Mind The Bollocks - Here's The Sex Pistols.

A troubled tour of America fractured the Pistols' already strained relationship. In early 1978, Rotten announced that he was leaving after a gig in San Francisco. The group then went to Rio to be filmed playing alongside train robber Ronnie Biggs.

Vicious, incapacitated by heroin addiction, could not make the trip, but Jones and Cook were happy to indulge in the publicity stunt. Another controversial single 'Cosh The Driver' was backed with Vicious's rendition of 'My Way'.

McLaren's movie titled The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle continued the mythology. Vicious recorded a lame version Of Eddie Cochran's 'C'mon Everybody' before returning to New York.

On 12 October 1978, Sid's girlfriend Nancy Spungen was found stabbed in his hotel room and Vicious was charged with murder. While released on bail, he suffered a fatal overdose of heroin and died in his sleep on the morning of 2 February 1979.

Virgin Records continued to issue the desultory fragments of Pistols work that they had on catalogue. The unholy saga ended in the High Court a decade later in 1986 when Rotten and his fellow ex-Pistols won substantial damages against their former manager. In 1996, the original line-up reformed and toured.
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD

Lynyrd Skynyrd (pronounced ) is an American rock band, formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The band became prominent in the Southern United States in 1973, and rose to worldwide recognition before several members died in an airplane crash in 1977, including lead vocalist and primary songwriter Ronnie Van Zant. The band reformed in 1987 for a reunion tour with Ronnie's younger brother Johnny Van Zant as the frontman and continues to record music today. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006.

History

Early years
In the summer of 1964, teenage friends Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, and Gary Rossington, formed the band "The Noble Five", which then changed in 1965 to "My Backyard", when Larry Junstrom and Bob Burns joined in Jacksonville, Florida. Their early influences included British Invasion bands such as Free, The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles, as well as Southern blues and country & western music. In 1968, the group won a local Battle of the Bands contest and the opening slot on several Southeast shows for the California-based psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock.

In 1970, roadie Billy Powell became the keyboardist for the band, and Van Zant sought a new name. "One Percent" and "The Noble Five" were each considered before the group settled on Leonard Skinnerd, a mocking tribute to a physical-education teacher at Robert E. Lee High School, Leonard Skinner, who was notorious for strictly enforcing the school's policy against boys having long hair. The more distinctive spelling was adopted before they released their first album. Despite their high school acrimony, the band developed a more friendly relationship with Skinner in later years, and invited him to introduce them at a concert in the Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum.

The band continued to perform throughout the South in the early 1970s, further developing their hard-driving, blues-rock sound and image. In 1972, Leon Wilkeson replaced Larry Junstrom on bass, but left just before the band was to record its first album (Wilkeson rejoined the band shortly thereafter at Van Zant's invitation). Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King filled in as bass player, later switching to guitar after the album's release, allowing the band to replicate the three-guitar mix used in the studio.

In 1970, the band auditioned for Alan Walden, who would later become their manager on the newly formed Hustler's Inc. Walden worked with the band until 1974, when management was turned over to Pete Rudge.

Peak years (1973?1977)
In 1972 the band was discovered by musician, songwriter, and producer Al Kooper of Blood, Sweat, and Tears, who had attended one of their shows at a club in Atlanta. They changed the spelling of their name to "Lynyrd Skynyrd", (pronounced 'l?h-'n?rd 'skin-'n?rd) and Kooper signed them to MCA Records, producing their first album "Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd". Released January 1st, 1973, the album featured the hit song "Free Bird", which received national airplay, eventually reaching #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and is still considered a rock and roll anthem today.

Lynyrd Skynyrd's fan base continued to grow rapidly throughout 1973, largely due to their opening slot on The Who's Quadrophenia tour in the United States. Their 1974 follow-up, Second Helping, was the band's breakthrough hit, and featured their most popular single, "Sweet Home Alabama" (#8 on the charts in August 1974), a response to Neil Young's "Alabama" and "Southern Man." (Young and Van Zant were not rivals, but fans of each other's music and good friends; Young even wrote the song "Powderfinger" for the band, but they never recorded it. Van Zant, meanwhile, can be seen on the cover of Street Survivors wearing a Neil Young t-shirt.) The album reached #12 in 1974, eventually going multi-platinum. In July of that year, Lynyrd Skynyrd was one of the headline acts at The Ozark Music Festival at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Missouri.

In 1974, Burns left the band and was replaced by Kentucky native Artimus Pyle on drums. Lynyrd Skynyrd's third album, Nuthin' Fancy, was released the same year, though guitarist Ed King left midway through the tour. The album has the lowest sales and Kooper was eventually fired. In January 1976, backup singers Leslie Hawkins, Cassie Gaines and JoJo Billingsley (collectively known as The Honkettes) were added to the band. Lynyrd Skynyrd's fourth album Gimme Back My Bullets was released in the new year, but did not achieve the same success as the previous two albums. Van Zant and Collins both felt that the band was seriously missing the three-guitar attack that had been one of its early hallmarks. Although Skynyrd auditioned several guitarists, including such high-profile names as Leslie West, the solution was closer than they realized.

Soon after joining Skynyrd, Cassie Gaines began touting the guitar and songwriting prowess of her younger brother, Steve. The junior Gaines, who led his own band, Crawdad (which occasionally would perform Skynyrd's "Saturday Night Special" in their set), was invited to audition onstage with Skynyrd at a concert in Kansas City on May 11, 1976. Liking what they heard, the group also jammed informally with the Oklahoma native several times, then invited him into the group in June. With Gaines on board, the newly-reconstituted band recorded the double-live album One More From the Road in Atlanta, Georgia, and performed at the Knebworth festival, which also featured The Rolling Stones.

Both Collins and Rossington had serious car accidents over Labor Day weekend in 1976 which slowed the recording of the follow-up album and forced the band to cancel some concert dates. Rossington's accident inspired the ominous "That Smell" - a cautionary tale about drug abuse that was clearly aimed towards him and at least one other band member. Rossington has admitted repeatedly that he's the "Prince Charming" of the song who crashed his car into an oak tree while drunk and stoned on Quaaludes. Van Zant, at least, was making a serious attempt to clean up his act and curtail the cycle of boozed-up brawling that was part of Skynyrd's reputation.

1977's Street Survivors turned out to be a showcase for guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines, who had joined the band just a year earlier and was making his studio debut with them. Publicly and privately, Ronnie Van Zant marveled at the multiple talents of Skynyrd's newest member, claiming that the band would "all be in his shadow one day." Gaines' contributions included his co-lead vocal with Van Zant on the co-written "You Got That Right" and the rousing guitar boogie "I Know A Little" which he had written before he joined Skynyrd. So confident was Skynyrd's leader of Gaines' abilities that the album (and some concerts) featured Gaines delivering his self-penned bluesy "Ain't No Good Life" - the only song in the pre-crash Skynyrd catalog to feature a lead vocalist other than Ronnie Van Zant. The album also included the hit singles "What's Your Name" and "That Smell". The band was poised for their biggest tour yet, including fulfilling Van Zant's lifelong dream of headlining New York's Madison Square Garden.

Plane crash (1977)
Main article: Convair 240 N55VM crash
On Thursday, October 20, 1977, just three days after the release of Street Survivors, and five shows into their most successful headlining tour to date, Lynyrd Skynyrd's chartered Convair 240 ran out of fuel near the end of their flight from Greenville, South Carolina, where they had just performed at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium, to LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Though the pilots attempted an emergency landing on a small airstrip, the plane crashed in a forest in Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray were all killed on impact; the other bandmembers suffered serious injuries.

Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the tragedy, reuniting just once to perform an instrumental version of "Free Bird" at Charlie Daniels' Volunteer Jam in January 1979. Collins, Rossington, Powell and Pyle performed the song with Charlie Daniels and members of his band. Leon Wilkeson, who was still undergoing physical therapy for his badly broken left arm, was in attendance, along with Judy Van Zant, Teresa Gaines, JoJo Billingsley and Leslie Hawkins.

Hiatus (1977?1987)
Rossington, Collins, Wilkeson and Powell formed The Rossington-Collins Band, which released two albums between 1980 and 1982. Deliberately avoiding comparisons with Ronnie Van Zant as well as suggestions that this band was Lynyrd Skynyrd reborn, Rossington and Collins chose a woman, Dale Krantz, as lead vocalist. However, as an acknowledgment of their past, the band's concert encore would always be an instrumental version of "Free Bird." Rossington and Collins eventually had a falling out over the affections of Dale Krantz, whom Rossington married and with whom he formed the Rossington Band, which released two albums in the late 1980s and opened for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour in 1987-1988.

The other former members of Lynyrd Skynyrd continued to make music during the hiatus era. Billy Powell played keyboards in a Christian Rock band named Vision, touring with established Christian rocker Mylon LeFevre (who, like Skynyrd, had once opened for The Who). During Vision concerts, Powell's trademark keyboard talent was often spotlighted and he spoke about his conversion to Christianity after the near-fatal plane crash. Pyle formed The Artimus Pyle Band in 1982, which occasionally featured former Honkettes JoJo Billingsley and Leslie Hawkins.

In 1980 Allen Collins' wife Kathy died of a massive hemorrhage while miscarrying their third child. He formed the Allen Collins Band in 1983 from the remnants of the Rossington-Collins Band, releasing one tepidly-received album, but many around him believed that the guitarist's heart just wasn't in it anymore. Most point to his wife's death as the moment that Collins' life began to spin out of control; he spent several years bingeing on drugs and alcohol. In 1986 Collins crashed his car while driving drunk near his home in Jacksonville, killing his girlfriend and leaving him permanently paralyzed from the chest down. Collins eventually pled no contest to DUI manslaughter, but was not given a prison sentence since his injuries made it obvious that he would never drive or be a danger to society again.

Reunion years (1987?present)
In 1987, Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited for a full-scale tour with crash survivors Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson and Artimus Pyle and former guitarist Ed King. Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny, took over as the new lead singer and primary songwriter. Due to Collins' paralysis from the 1986 car accident, he was only able to participate as the musical director, choosing Randall Hall, his former bandmate in the Allen Collins Band, as his stand-in. As part of his plea deal, Collins would be wheeled out onstage each night to explain to the audience why he could no longer perform (usually before the performance of "That Smell," which had been partially directed at him). Collins was stricken with pneumonia in 1989 and died on January 23, 1990.

The reunited band was meant to be a one-time tribute to the original lineup, captured on the double-live album Southern By The Grace Of God/Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour - 1987. The fact that the band chose to continue after the 1987 tribute tour caused legal problems for the survivors, as Judy Van Zant Jenness and Teresa Gaines Rapp (widows of Ronnie and Steve, respectively) sued the others for violating an agreement made shortly after the plane crash, stating that they would not "exploit" the Skynyrd name for profit. As part of the settlement, Jenness and Rapp collect nearly 30% of the band's touring revenues (representing the shares their husbands would have earned had they lived), and hold a proviso which forces any band touring as "Lynyrd Skynyrd" to contain at least two members of the pre-crash lineup. Since Collins, Wilkeson and Powell are now dead, Ed King unable to tour due to ongoing heart problems, and Pyle on the outs with the others leaves Gary Rossington as the Skynyrd standard-bearer.

Wilkeson's long time friend Byron "Red" Glover, was Skynyrd's fill-in guitarist and functioned as a substitute when needed. During several concerts, Red was dragged up on stage by Wilkeson to play with the band.

The reconstituted Lynyrd Skynyrd has gone through several lineup changes and continues to record and tour today. Leon Wilkeson, Skynyrd's bassist since 1972, was found dead in his hotel room on July 27, 2001; his death was found to be due to emphysema and chronic liver disease. He was replaced in 2001 by Ean Evans. The remaining members released a double album called Thyrty which had songs from the original line up to the present. Lynyrd Skynyrd also released a live DVD of their Vicious Cycle Tour and on June 22, 2004, Lynyrd Skynyrd released the album Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour. On December 10, 2004, Lynyrd Skynyrd did a show for CMT, Crossroads, a concert featuring country duo Montgomery Gentry and other genres of music.

In the beginning of 2005 Hughie Thomasson left the band to reform his disbanded Southern Rock band Outlaws. On February 5, 2005, Lynyrd Skynyrd did a Super Bowl party back in Jacksonville with special guests 3 Doors Down, Jo Dee Messina, Charlie Daniels and Ronnie and Johnny Van Zant's brother Donnie Van Zant of .38 Special. On February 13 of that year Lynyrd Skynyrd did a tribute to Southern Rock on the Grammy Awards with Gretchen Wilson, Tim McGraw and Keith Urban. On May 10, 2005, Johnny and Donnie Van Zant released a country album called Get Right with the Man which featured the hit single "Help Somebody". In the summer of 2005, lead singer Johnny Van Zant had to have surgery on his vocal cord to have a polyp removed. He was told not to sing for three months. On September 10, 2005, Lynyrd Skynyrd performed without Johnny Van Zant at the Music Relief Concert for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, with Kid Rock standing in for Johnny. In December 2005, Johnny Van Zant returned to sing for Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The band performed live at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, as a part of their 2007 tour. The concert was recorded in high definition for HDNet and premiered on December 1, 2007.

On September 9, 2007, former Skynyrd guitarist Hughie Thomasson died of a heart attack at his home in Florida. Mark "Sparky" Matejka, formerly of the country music band Hot Apple Pie, joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2006.

The band in 2008
On November 2, 2007, the band performed at Gator Growl, the world's largest student-run pep rally, in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium - also known as "The Swamp." The event's 50,000 person attendance marked the largest crowd that Lynyrd Skynyrd had ever played in front of in the United States, until the July 2008 Bama Jam in Enterprise, Alabama where more than 111,000 people were in attendance.

On January 28, 2009, keyboardist Billy Powell died at age 56 at his home near Jacksonville, Florida. Powell called 911 at 12:55 a.m., complaining of shortness of breath. He had previously missed his doctor's appointment on the day before his death; the appointment was for a checkup on his heart. The EMS responders found Powell unconscious and unresponsive, with the telephone still in his hand. Rescue crews performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at 1:52 a.m. Although a heart attack was suspected, and it was originally reported that an autopsy was to be performed, none in fact was ever done.

On March 17, 2009, it was announced that Skynyrd had signed a worldwide deal with Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records and will release their new album God & Guns September 29 of that year. They will tour Europe and the United States in 2009 with Peter Keys of the 420 Funk Mob on keyboards and Robert Kearns of The Bottle Rockets on bass in place of Ean Evans who died at age 48 on Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at his home in Columbus, Mississippi, succumbing to the cancer.

Recognition

Honors
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the group #95 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
On November 28, 2005, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that Lynyrd Skynyrd would be inducted alongside Black Sabbath, Blondie, Miles Davis, and the Sex Pistols. They were inducted in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan on March 13, 2006. Lynyrd Skynyrd had been nominated 7 times.

On March 13, 2006, Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 21st annual induction ceremony. The inductees included Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, Ed King, Steve Gaines, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson, Bob Burns, and Artimus Pyle (no post-crash members of the band were inducted, nor were any of the Honkettes). The current version of Skynyrd, augmented by King, Pyle, Burns and former Honkettes JoJo Billingsley and Leslie Hawkins, performed "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird" at the ceremony, which was also attended by Judy Van Zant Jenness and Ronnie's two daughters, Teresa Gaines Rapp and her daughter Corinna, Allen Collins' daughters, and Leon Wilkeson's mother.

Tributes
In 1994, various country music artists united to record a Skynyrd tribute album titled Skynyrd Frynds.
Ronnie Van Zant's widow, Judy Van Zant Jenness, operates a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute website for the educational purpose of sharing the original Lynyrd Skynyrd band's history, as well as Freebird Live, a live music venue in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
The Drive By Truckers dedicated their album Southern Rock Opera to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Progressive metal band Dream Theater pay tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd on their live album Once in a LIVEtime, whereby the song "Take the Time" is modified to include the solo from "Free Bird".
Members

Main article: List of Lynyrd Skynyrd band members
Current members
Johnny Van Zant ? lead vocals (1987?present)
Gary Rossington ? guitars (1964?1977, 1987?present)
Rickey Medlocke ? drums, guitars, backing vocals (1970?1971, 1996?present)
Mark Matejka ? guitars, backing vocals (2006?present)
Robert Kearns ? bass, backing vocals (2009?present)
Michael Cartellone ? drums (1999?present)
Peter Keys ? keyboards (2009?present)
Touring members
Dale Krantz-Rossington ? backing vocals (1987?present)
Carol Chase ? backing vocals (1987?present)
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JUDAS PRIEST

Judas Priest is one of the most enduring and successful band in Heavy-Metal history. All began in 1969 in Birmingham, ENGLAND, where guitarist Kenneth Downing and bassist Ian Hill decided to start a new band; by 1971, with vocalist Alan Atkins and drummer John Ellis, the group began playing live shows. Over the course of the year, Ellis was replaced by Alan Moore, who left until 1972 and was replaced by black drummer Chris Campbell. After a year of constant gigging, both Atkins and Campbell departed in May of 1973, Downing and Hill enlisted the help of vocalist Rob Halford and drummer John Hinch, the quartet recorded a demo that landed them a deal with Gull Records; the next year Glenn Tipton joined as second guitarist completing the five-piece line-up.
In September of 1974 Judas Priest released its long-awaited debut album, "Rocka Rolla", to little attention.

Hinch left the crew shortly before the band started to work on their next album, 1976's "Sad Wings Of Destiny", which was recorded with re-enlisted drummer Alan Moore.
A year later, the group lost Moore for the second and final time; Judas Priest enlisted the help of a new drummer, Simon Philips and returned to the studio to record their third LP, "Sin After Sin", which was issued on CBS Records with Deep Purple's Roger Glover producing; this was the band's first U.K. top 40 album. With Les Binks settled behind the drum kit, the band departed for their first American tour where they played as an opening act for Led Zeppelin.
In the spring of 1978 the band released "Stained Class" which cracked the Pop Albums chart in the United States.
The next album, "Killing Machine", generated two British hit singles: "Take On The World" and "Evening Star"; in America their fifth studio-LP was issued in 1979 under the name of "Hell Bent For Leather" as the record company considered the British title too violent; the U.S. edition included an extra-track, the cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Green Manalishi"; the disc eventually reached the #128 position on The Official U.S. Pop Albums chart. Before the year's end Judas Priest released the live-album "Unleashed In The East" and replaced Binks with drummer Dave Holland; the live-set hit #70 on the U.S. Pop Albums chart and went platinum.
The following year the band released "British Steel", which crashed into the top 5 of the Official U.K. Albums chart and reached the #34 spot on the U.S. Pop chart; the record yielded two British smash singles, "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight"; most of 1980 was spent on the road touring with acts like Def Leppard, Scorpions and Rainbow.
In the spring of the following year the quintet recorded "Point Of Entry", in America the album duplicate the chart performance of its predecessor and its single "Heading Out To The Highway" hit #10 on The Mainstream Rock chart; another single, "Hot Rockin", found more success in Britain.
The year 1982 saw the release of "Screaming For Vengeance", the record rose to #17 in the United States, the band's highest charting album to date, it included the minor hit "Electric Eye" and the Mainstream Rock top 5 hit "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" helped pump album sales to over a million copies; the record was an huge hit in Europe where reached the #11 spot in their native England.
The follow-up, "Defenders Of The Faith", appeared two years later, the album went on to rise to the top 20 of both The Billboard Top 200 and the National U.K. charts.
"Turbo" followed, trailed in 1986 by the Mainstream Rock top 30 hit single "Locked In"; the full-length disc hit #17 on The Billboard 200 Albums chart and went on to sell over a million units. During the year Judas Priest toured America several times, they decided to release "Priest...Live!", the set climbed into the top 40 of The Billboard 200.
With their next album, "Ram It Down", they returned to the harsh Metal sound but failed to retain their original fans, the record hit #31 on The Billboard Top 200 chart and inched into the top 30 in Britan.
In 1989 Holland left the group and was replaced by drummer Scott Travis who joined in time to record "Painkiller"; this album was issued in autumn of 1990 and reached the #26 position on Billboard's Top 200 spawning the Active Rock top 30 hit "A Touch Of Evil".
That same year, the parents of two fans who committed suicide after listening "Better By You, Better Than Me" from the 1978's "Stained Class" album, dragged Judas Priest into court to defend themselves in a multi-million dollar lawsuit; after three-years court battle the band was declared not guilty.
Rob Halford left the group in 1991, thus began a collaboration with Pantera and later fronted Black Sabbath, finally embarked full-time on his solo project.
In 1997, the veteran Heavy-Metal group resurfaced with 29-year-old vocalist Tim 'Ripper' Owens; their new effort, "Jugulator", reached #82 on The Billboard Top 200 and ascended into the top 50 of the British Albums chart.
Another three and a half years passed before the quintet returned with their next release, "Demolition", but the album was a commercial failure.
Rumors of Halford's return to the group began circulating, the reunion was officially announced during 2003.
Halford, Tipton, Downing, Hill and Travis released "Angel Of Retribution", in March of 2005, the album achieved a career-best peak of #13 in U.S. and included the Active Rock top 30 hit single "Revolution".

Judas Priest's long-delayed new disc will be released in mid-June; their upcoming first conceptual album is based upon the life and predictions of the 16th century French prophet Nostradamus.
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DEPECHE MODE

FORMED: 1980, Basildon, England
Composition of Sound was formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex, by guitarist/vocalists Andy Fletcher and Martin Gore and keyboardist Vince Clarke. After recruiting David Gahan, the group abandoned their guitars for synthesizers, changed the band's name, and became an all-electronic band entitled Depeche Mode. For this unusual approach, Depeche Mode earned a loyal London following, and within a year of their formation, were signed to Mute Records. Depeche Mode's first single "Dreaming of Me" was a minor U.K. hit. It was followed by "New Life", which climbed to No.11, and by "Just Can't Get Enough", which cracked the British Top Ten. Speak & Spell, Depeche Mode's debut album, was released in November of 1981.

Signed to Sire Records in the U.S., Depeche Mode found initial exposure for their music with club audiences. "Just Can't Get Enough" became a major dance hit, receiving airplay on American alternative radio stations. After a tour of England and Europe, Vince Clark left Depeche Mode to form Yazoo. Alan Wilder then joined the band as the group released its fourth single "The Meaning of Love". A second hit album titled "A Broken Frame" was then released in 1982. In 1983, Depeche Mode released "Construction Time Again", which contained the dance favorite "Everything Counts".
With the release of "People Are People" in 1984, American audiences discovered what their European counterparts had known since 1981. "People Are People" was Depeche Mode's first North American success, which Depeche Mode built on with their fourth release "Some Great Reward". "Catching Up With Depeche Mode" and "Black Celebration" followed in the next two years. It became evident with the "Black Celebration" album that Depeche Mode were starting to, as Martin put it, "make harder sounding records". But "Black Celebration" was not an easy album to make; Martin had a very fixed idea of how he wanted it to sound. The songs on this album reflect on how painful it was for Depeche to record this album. As Dave put it, "If there was ever a time that Depeche Mode would break up, it would have happened during the making of Black Celebration". Depeche also showed a distaste for corporate manipulation; when Sire flipped the "Stripped" single - which Depeche had spend three weeks perfecting - to take advantage of it's B
-side, "But Not Tonight", (a throwaway song that was recorded in one day), the band's displeasure was evident. Following the Black Celebration Tour, their most successful American tour to that date, the band followed it up with "Music for the Masses".
Released in 1987, Depeche Mode went with David Bascombe as their new producer, wanting a fresh start after almost aborting the "Black Celebration" sessions. "Strangelove", the album's first single, had no less than 14 different remixes. "Music for the Masses" itself had struggled to reach the UK Top Ten, and "Little 15", released only in Germany, scraped no higher than number 60, as a foreign release. But still, Depeche Mode continued to have higher concert attendance figures than album sales. After an extensive world tour, Depeche Mode played their 101'st concert at a sold out Pasadena Rose Bowl in front of 70,000 fans. A live album and video, entitled "101" was then released in 1988, warming fans up for Depeche Mode's breakthough album "Violator".
"Personal Jesus", the first single from this album, was a huge success, becoming one of the largest selling CD singles in U.S. history, and gave Depeche Mode their first U.S. gold single. Then followed "Enjoy the Silence", a massive hit, which has become Depeche Mode's trademark song. Depeche even whipped 17,000 fans in L.A. into a near riot at a in-store autograph signing to promote the release of Violator. As fast as the ticket offices opened, the demand for the "World Violation Tour" swamped them. In New York, Depeche sold 40,000 tickets for their Giants Stadium show within 8 hours and 48,000 tickets to the Dodger Stadium show in L.A. were sold within one hour of going on sale. But not all was well, frayed nerves, the wear and tear of touring, and internal battles caused Depeche Mode to part company at the end of the Violator Tour, not knowing if they were ever to work together again.
Dave re-located to L.A. while the other members concentrated on their families. But in 1992, when Dave felt he didn't want to make another "dance" record with Depeche, Martin sent a demo comprised of "electrifying, bluesy" songs for the next album, which Dave described as "a total relief, soaring, majestic, beautiful". Not only did these songs match Dave's dreams, it equalled them. Dave had now felt that Depeche was pushing the limits of their music further, which he had been wanting for a few years now.
In 1993, after a three year period between albums, Depeche Mode released "Songs of Faith and Devotion", a much more rock oriented approach to their music. This would be the first Mode album that would utilize live drums, as well as outside musicians. With "I Feel You" as the first single, and a much anticipated album release, SOFAD debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top 100 and on the British charts as well. It was the first truly "alternative" album to ever achieve this distinguished double. It remained on top for just one week, and by November, it had slipped so swiftly that "Rolling Stone" had spotted the album in the bargain bins. But none the less, Depeche set out on a extensive 14 month world tour, leading the band to such places as South Africa, Australia, Hong Kong, and South America. Even with the quick demise of Songs of Faith and Devotion, Depeche Mode continued to sell out shows in North America and Europe.
The band has somewhat become a permanent attraction, in which album chart positions don't affect their concert attendance figures.
On June 1st/1995, keyboardist/drummer Alan Wilder decided to leave Depeche Mode, stating unsatisfactory internal working conditions as the reason why he left the band. Fletch, Martin, and Dave continued on as Depeche Mode and they completed recording a new album with producer Tim Simenon in London. On February 3/1997, Depeche Mode released their first single in more than three years; "Barrel of a Gun", along with it's b-side track "Painkiller". Depeche Mode released their new album, "Ultra", on April 14/1997, debuting at Number 5 of the US Billboard Record Charts.
The album gained platinum status in Spain, Sweden, Germany, France, and the UK, along with gold status in Italy, Hong Kong, and Canada. Deciding not to tour in support of 'Ultra', Depeche Mode spent from November of 1996 to July 1997 promoting the album, giving over 250 interviews, along with playing live on various television shows in Europe and the US. Other promotional appearances included playing live on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' on May 15/97, as well as answering questions on a live Internet broadcast from the House of Blues. Along with this, Depeche Mode unveiled their own website, www.depechemode.com. The band conducted two album launch parties, one at Adrenaline Village in Battersea on April 10/97, and the other at the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles on May 16/97. The band played the same song set for both shows, consisting of four tracks from Ultra (Barrel of a Gun, It's No Good, Useless, and Home), along with Never Let Me Down Again.
In September of 1998, Depeche Mode returned to the studio to work on a few new tracks, which were to be included on the 2 disc singles compilation "The Singles 86>98". Containing the new track "Only When I Lose Myself", the compilation also included 20 other tracks, consisting of all the bands releases from Black Celebration to 1997's Ultra. Deciding not to pass up another opportunity to tour, and the fact that all band members were now ready to take up touring again, Depeche Mode embarked on an extensive 4 month tour of Europe and North America, their first in five years. This tour marked the first time that the band have ever played live to audiences in Latvia, Estonia, and Russia, ending their 18 year wait for the band to play a concert in their countries.
The setlist heavily consisted of the band's singles from 1986 to 1998, but also included a few old surprises, like Somebody and Just Can't Get Enough. The tour marked a few firsts for the band, not only did they played for the first time in Russia, but the band also performed at the "1998 KROQ Almost Acoustic X-mas" in Los Angeles, and on the "Late Night With David Letterman Show" in November. After ending their tour in Anaheim on December 22, 1998, Depeche Mode are currently working on a new album with producer Mark Bell, and we should be expecting a release sometime in the Spring of 2001. Stay tuned!!!


Source: http://www.depeche-mode.com/story.htm
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METALLICA

Οι Metallica είναι ένα Heavy Metal συγκρότημα από τις Η.Π.Α.. Ιδρύθηκαν τις 28 Οκτωβρίου του 1981. Με πωλήσεις 57 εκατομμυρίων άλμπουμ στις Η.Π.Α. (RIAA Total Sales), και 40 εκατομμύρια άλμπουμ εκτός των Η.Π.Α. το τελικό νούμερο των πωλήσεων φτάνει περίπου τα 100 εκατομμύρια δίσκους. Το συγκρότημα ειναι ενα απ' τα πιο επιτυχημένα heavy metal συγκροτήματα στην ιστορία ενώ γενικά κατατάσσεται 18ο, με βάση τις πωλήσεις, στην ως τώρα Αμερικάνικη μουσική ιστορία.

Αφου έπαιξαν σημαντικό ρόλο στην εξέλιξη της Heavy Metal μουσικής, ειδικά της Thrash Metal, (οι Μetallica θεωρούνται οι επικεφαλείς των "τεσσάρων μεγάλων" του Αμερικάνικου Thrash Metal, στους οποίους περιέχονται οι Megadeth, οι Slayer και οι Anthrax) στα μέσα της δεκαετίας του 1980, το συγκρότημα απευθύνθηκε σε ένα πιο πλατύ κοινό από τις αρχές της δεκαετίας του 1990 και μετά, αλλάζοντας τη μουσική του νοοτροπία, στρεφόμενο προς πιό Rock ήχους. Επίσης θεωρήθηκαν πρωτοπόροι στο Speed Metal με την κυκλοφορία του παρθενικού τους άλμπουμ,του Kill 'em All.


Τα μέλη του συγκροτήματος στην επίσημη ίδρυσή του το 1981 ήταν οι Τζέιμς Χέτφιλντ (James Hetfield - η ρυθμική κιθάρα και η φωνή του συγκροτήματος), Λαρς Ούλριχ (Lars Ulrich - ο ντράμερ του συγκροτήματος), Ντέιβ Μαστέιν (Dave Mustaine - ο σόλο κιθαρίστας του συγκροτήματος και μετέπειτα ηγέτης των Megadeth) και ο Κλιφ Μπάρτον (Cliff Burton - ο μπασίστας του συγκροτήματος). Το 1983 τα υπόλοιπα μέλη του συγκροτήματος έδιωξαν τον Μαστέιν και στη θέση του πήραν τον Κερκ Χάμμετ (Kirk Hammet).

Ωστόσο, στις 27 Σεπτεμβρίου 1986, ο Μπάρτον σκοτώθηκε σε αυτοκινητικό δυστύχημα στη Σουηδία. Ένα μήνα αργότερα, τη θέση του πήρε ο Τζέισον Νιούστεντ (Jason Newsted), o οποίος αποχώρησε το 2001. Ο σημερινός μπασίστας του συγκροτήματος είναι ο Ρόμπερτ Τρουχίγιο (Robert Trujillo).
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IRON MAIDEN

Οι Iron Maiden έχοντας γίνει πλέον κλασσικοί, είναι ένα από τα σημαντικότερα και πιο επιτυχημένα bands του 80’ και έχουν κάνει το όνομά τους συνώνυμο με τη heavy metal μουσική...
Τι να πρωτοπεί κανείς για τους Iron Maiden; Εχοντας κάνει το όνομά τους συνώνυμο με την heavy metal μουσική και την ποιότητα που τους ξεχώριζει διατηρούν ακόμη και σήμερα τη λάμψη τους.Έχουν παίξει σε μερικά από τα μεγαλύτερα φεστιβάλ του κόσμου έχοντας πάντα εξαιρετική ενέργεια, πάθος και ποιότητα στις live εμφανίσεις τους.

Πολύ επιτυχημένη και η μασκότ τους, ο Eddie εμπνευσμένη από horror-movies και σχεδιασμένη από τον Derek Riggs, τους ακολουθεί παντού και υπάρχει σε όλα τα εξώφυλλα των άλμπουμ τους.

Τα πρώτα χρόνια
Στις 25 Δεκεμβρίου 1975 δημιουργούνται οι Iron Maiden από τον μπασίστα Steve Harris.Ανάμεσα σε άλλους έχουν επιρροές από Deep Purple, Ufo, Thin Lizzy. Ο Harris εμπνεύστηκε το όνομα από την ταινία “ The Man in the Iron Mask” και το “Iron Maiden” είναι ένα όργανο βασανισμού που χρησιμοποιούνταν το μεσαίωνα. Εκείνη την περίοδο γράφει και τα τραγούδια “Iron Maiden”,”Wrathchild”,”Prowler”,”Transylvania”, “Purgatory”.Ενώ στα φωνητικά ξεκίνησε ο Paul Day, μετά από λίγο απολύθηκε γιατί δεν είχε την κατάλληλη σκηνική παρουσία. Έχοντας τον Dennis Wilcock (έναν fan των Kiss) πίσω από το μικρόφωνο οι Maiden γίνονται πιο θεατρικοί στη σκηνή καθώς ο Wilcock έκανε αρκετά κόλπα κατά τη διάρκεια των συναυλιών. Εμεινε λίγο καιρό στη μπάντα αλλά αυτός που έμελλε να γράψει ιστορία στο συγκρότημα, ήταν ο κολλητός του φίλος ο Dave Murray!Ο Tony Moore (ο μόνος επίσημος keyman στην ιστορία των Maiden) έπαιξε μαζί τους μόνο μια φορά σε μια συναυλία, στο Bridgehouse το 1977. Λίγο αργότερα αποφασισμένος ο Harris ότι τα keyboards δεν ταιριάζουν στους Iron Maiden, αποφασίζει να συνεχίσει με την μπάντα σαν κουαρτέτο. Έχοντας τον Dave Murray, αλλά μη μπορώντας να βρουν ένα δεύτερο ικανό κιθαρίστα, οι Iron Maiden ηχογραφούν το πρώτο τους demo στις 21 Δεκεμβρίου 1978 στα Spaceward Studios για 200 λίρες. Διακρίνοντας ποιότητα στη φωνή του Di’ Anno, o Harris τον φέρνει στο group. Αργότερα, στις 10 Νοεμβρίου 1979, το κυκλοφορούν σαν βινύλιο (Soundhouse Tapes) και γίνεται ανάρπαστο! Την ίδια χρονιά ο μάνατζερ Rod Smallwood ακούγοντας το demo των Maiden αποφασίζει να συνεργαστεί μαζί τους, κάτι που θα σημάνει την έναρξη της ανόδου των Maiden προς την κορυφή. Το Δεκέμβριο του 1979 οι Maiden έχοντας ως τώρα σύνθεση Paul Di’Anno-φωνή, Steve Harris-μπάσο, Dave Murray-κιθάρα,Doug Sampson-τύμπανα, υπογράφουν συμβόλαιο με την ΕΜΙ αφού πρώτα έρθει ο Cliff Burr στα τύμπανα. Το Φεβρουάριο του 1980 το συγκρότημα γίνεται πιο γνωστό κυκλοφορώντας το πρώτο της single “Running Free” (Νο 34 στα UK charts) και ακολουθεί το ντεμπούτο ομώνυμο άλμπουμ τους “Iron Maiden” (Νο 4 στα UK charts).Στις περιοδείες κάνουν support στους Kiss και τους Judas Priest και συμμετέχουν στο Reading Festival, επιβεβαιώνοντας την άνοδό τους.

Τα χρυσά χρόνια
Στις 21 Νοεμβρίου 1981 ο Adrian Smith (παιδικός φίλος με τον Murray) παίζει την πρώτη του συναυλία με τους Iron Maiden στο Brunel University στο Uxbridge.Με παραγωγό τον μεγάλο Martin Birch (Deep Purple, Rainbow, Black Sabbath) κυκλοφορούν το Φεβρουάριο του 1981 το “Killers” (Νο 12 στα UK charts) και κάνουν την πρώτη παγκόσμια περιοδεία τους με επιτυχία. Ο Di’ Anno αρχίζει να χειροτερεύει στις live εμφανίσεις του όσο το συγκρότημα αποκτάει δόξα. Δείχνοντας αυτοκαταστροφική διάθεση απολύεται από τους Maiden. Το Σεπτέμβριο του 1981 ο Bruce Dickinson είναι πλέον επίσημα ο νέος front-man των Maiden. Στις 26 Οκτωβρίου παίζουν την πρώτη συναυλία με τον Bruce στα φωνητικά στη Μπολόνια της Ιταλίας. Το Μάρτιο του 1982 κυκλοφορούν το “Number Of The Beast” (No 1 στα UK charts), ένα από τα κλασσικότερα άλμπουμ όλων των εποχών! Την ίδια χρονιά γίνεται και η παγκόσμια περιοδεία τους με επιτυχία σε Αμερική, Αυστραλια και Ιαπωνία. Στην Αμερική ο δίσκος λογοκρίνεται και οι Maiden θεωρούνται σατανιστές. Έχοντας πλέον στην σύνθεσή τους, τους Bruce Dickinson-φωνή, Steve Harris-μπάσο, Dave Murray & Adrian Smith-κιθάρες και Nicko McBrain-τύμπανα (που αντικατέστησε τον Cliff Burr το Δεκέμβρη του 1982) έγιναν η μεγαλύτερη heavy metal band των 80’ς. Κυκλοφόρησαν το καταπληκτικό “Piece Of Mind” το 1983 όπου ξεχώρισαν τα “Trooper” και “Flight Of Icarus” που έγιναν και singles. Ακολούθησε τα πολύ καλό “Powerslave” το 1984 που ξεχώρισαν τα “Aces High” και “2 Minutes To Midnight”.Η μπάντα έκανε την παγκόσμια περιοδεία “World Slavery Tour” και ακολούθησαν 193 εμφανίσεις σε 13 μήνες σε πολλές χώρες. Ήταν από τις μεγαλύτερες περιοδείες που έγιναν ποτέ στην ιστορία της μουσικής.
Iron Maiden: Οι Θρύλοι Του Heavy MetalΠειραματισμός
Κυκλοφορούν το “Live after Death” το 1985, και έπειτα το “Somewhere In Time” το 1986 όπου πειραματίζονται και περνούν νέα στοιχεία στη μουσική τους προσθέτοντας βάθος στον ήχο τους. Από αυτό το άλμπουμ ξεχωρίζει το “Wasted Years”. Ακολουθεί το “7th Son Of The 7th Son” το 1988 στο οποίο χρησιμοποιούν για πρώτη φορά keyboards σε studio άλμπουμ. Γίνεται μεγάλη επιτυχία (έφτασε Νο 1 στα UK charts) και οι ίδιοι κάνουν και ταυτόχρονα πολλές τεράστιες περιοδείες σε όλο τον κόσμο. Σ’ αυτό το σημείο το όνομά τους είχε γίνει συνώνυμο με το heavy metal.

Αναστάτωση
To 1990 ο Janick Gers αντικαθιστά τον Adrian Smith (που έκανε ένα σόλο άλμπουμ με το δικό του group, τους ASAP) στην κιθάρα και οι Maiden κυκλοφορούν το “No Prayer For The Dying” το 1990. Αν και το άλμπουμ δεν ήταν κακό, ο ήχος του ήταν πιο τραχύς και πιο “ξερός” από τα προηγούμενα. Ξεχώρισε το "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter” το οποίο μπήκε και στο soundtrack της ταινίας “Nightmare on Elm Street 5”.Ακολουθεί το εξαιρετικό “Fear Of The Dark” το 1992. Για πολλούς ήταν το τελευταίο καλό άλμπουμ των Maiden και μετά από αυτό άρχισε η πτώση τους. Εν τω μεταξύ ο Bruce Dickinson είχε αρχίσει τη σόλο καριέρα του ηχογραφώντας το “Tattooed Millionaire”. Ενώ συνεχίζουν με επιτυχημένα live και κυκλοφορούν τα “Real Live/Dead One” και “Live At Donnighton” το 1993, η metal κοινότητα και οι φανατικοί οπαδοί τους συγκλονίζονται από τα νέα ότι ο Bruce Dickinson θα αποχωρήσει από την μπάντα. Ο Dickinson δίνει το αποχαιρετιστήριο show του με τους Maiden στις 28 Αυγούστου 1993, το “Raising Hell” που μεταδόθηκε ζωντανά από το BBC.
Η αλλαγή
Ο Dickinson αποχωρεί το Σεπτέμβρη του 1993 από τη μπάντα για σόλο καριέρα και οι Maiden ψάχνουν μερικούς μήνες τον αντικαταστάτη του. Ερχεται στους Maiden ο Blaze Bayley σαν αντικαταστάτης του Bruce Dickinson δίνοντας διαφορετική χροιά και στυλ στη φωνή των Maiden. Οι Maiden κυκλοφορούν με αυτόν τα πολύ μέτρια “X-Factor” το 1995 και “Virtual XI” το 1998 αφήνοντας ανάμεικτα συναισθήματα στους οπαδούς τους. Μάλιστα το τελευταίο ήταν το χειρότερο άλμπουμ των Maiden όσο αφορά τις πωλήσεις και τα charts. Ανάμεσα βγάζουν και ένα best of άλμπουμ το “Best Of The Beast”. Η αλήθεια είναι ότι όσο και αν προσπάθησε ο Bayley ποτέ δεν κάλυψε πλήρως το κενό του Dickinson. Από μερικούς φανατικούς της μπάντας δεν έγινε ποτέ αποδεκτός και συνέχισαν να περιμένουν την επιστροφή του “μεγαλειότατου”.
Επανένωση έως σήμερα
Οι Dickinson και Smith οι οποίοι είχαν βρεθεί μαζί στη μπάντα του Bruce Dickinson, επιστρέφουν στους Iron Maiden το 1999 κάνοντας την περιοδεία “Ed Hunter Tour” και κυκλοφορώντας ένα pc game το “Ed Hunter”. Λίγο αργότερα κυκλοφορούν το άλμπουμ “Brave New World” το 2000 που έτυχε θερμής κριτικής από το κοινό. Το μεγάλο comeback έγινε και έτσι οι Maiden κερδίζουν την όποια φήμη έχασαν τα τελευταία έξι χρόνια. Ακολουθούν πάνω από 100 συναυλίες σε όλο τον κόσμο που ολοκληρώνονται με το επικό live CD/DVD “Rock In Rio” το 2002 που ήταν η μεγαλύτερη συναυλία που έπαιξαν ποτέ οι Maiden με το κοινό να ξεπερνά τις 250.000. Στις 8 Σεπτεμβρίου 2003 κυκλοφορούν το κάπως διαφορετικό “Dance Of Death” και το 2005 το live CD/DVD “Death On The Road” από την εμφάνισή τους στο Dortmund στη Γερμανία. Ακόμη για να γιορτάσει τα 30 χρόνια του το γκρουπ κυκλοφορεί το ντοκυμαντέρ-DVD “The Early Days” και κάνει και την αντίστοιχη περιοδεία “Eddie Rips Up The World“. Στην τελευταία τους εμφάνιση στο Ozzfest στις 20 Αυγούστου 2005 η Sharon Osbourne τους έκλεισε το ρεύμα και τους πέταγε αυγά φωνάζοντας Ozzy! Ο λόγος ήταν επειδή είχαν εισπράξει περισσότερα χειροκροτήματα! Πριν λίγο καιρό, για την ακρίβεια το 2006, επανέρχονται με το δυνατό “A Matter Of Life And Death”. Θέμα του ήταν ο πόλεμος και η θρησκεία. Όπως συνηθίζουν ακολουθούν επιτυχημένες περιοδείες σε Β. Αμερική και Ευρώπη που παίζουν τραγούδια κυρίως από αυτό το άλμπουμ. Το Δεκέμβριο του 2006 ηχογραφούν ένα live άλμπουμ στα Abbey Road Studios το “Live From Abbey Road”. Τελείωσαν την περιοδεία “A Matter of Life and Death” με ένα live στο Λονδίνο στο Brixton Academy στις 24 Ιουλίου 2007 για να βοηθήσουν τον Cliff Burr σε ένα πρόβλημα υγείας. Επανέρχονται με την παγκόσμια περιοδεία “Somewhere Back in Time” που είναι σε εξέλιξη και θα έχει το σκηνικό του Powerslave. Επίσης θα κυκλοφορήσουν και το κλασσικό DVD “Live After Death” μέσα στο 2008. Οι Iron Maiden έχουν ψηφιστεί τέταρτοι μέσα στα 10 καλύτερα Heavy Metal Bands όλων των εποχών σύμφωνα με το MTV! Σύμφωνα με τα λεγόμενα του Steve Harris οι Maiden θα βγάλουν συνολικά 15 άλμπουμ… Οπότε έχουμε να περιμένουμε ένα ακόμη…

Δισκογραφία

Iron Maiden (1980)
Killers (1981)
The Number of the Beast (1982)
Piece of Mind (1983)
Powerslave (1984)
Somewhere in Time (1986)
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)
No Prayer for the Dying (1990)
Fear of the Dark (1992)
The X Factor (1995)
Virtual XI (1998)
Brave New World (2000)
Dance of Death (2003)
A Matter of Life and Death (2006)
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