I saw so many horrible documentaries about artists, especially rock bands, that I was quite sceptical about Maiden’s Burning Ambition.
To my surprise, it was not all that bad.
Arguably, Iron Maiden is one of the most successful heavy metal bands in the world. The band has released 41 albums, including 17 studio albums, 13 live albums, 4 EPs, and 7 compilations. They have also released 47 singles, 20 video albums, and 2 video games. They have sold over 130 million copies of their albums worldwide and received over 600 certifications. Maiden performed 26 tours. According to Wikipedia, as of October 2019, the band had played 2,500 live shows.
Probably for a die-hard fan, the documentary contains nothing new, but for everybody else, it’s a fair and well-put-together history of the band’s now 51-year career.
What have we learned?
Although this is Steve Harris’ band, and Maiden had three singers, there is no Iron Maiden without Bruce Dickinson.
What didn’t I like about it?
The whitewashing of Blaze Bayley. Steve Harris isn’t capable of admitting that he was an idiot for pushing Bruce out the door and bringing in an incompatible bloke, such as the ex-Wolfbane singer. I’m only guessing, but the only reason for hiring Bayley was that from very far he looked like Bruce. His “voice,” however, is like the bark of a starving stray dog. What makes the whole thing even more terrible is that they brought in a couple of fans praying for Bayley’s contribution to the Maiden legacy. I tell you what that contribution was. From stadiums, they get back to playing small clubs, and the two albums recorded with Bayley are the lowest-selling materials of the band. And no, it was not Nirvana and the grunge wave of the 90s; they were horrendous and practically inaudible. While not all the songs were horrible, Bayley’s singing choked them. As the documentary shows, fans hated his performances. The only positive thing about the Bayley ear was that it was relatively short. They should mention Bayley only briefly, as an unfortunate accident of who he was.
You see, I wasted most of this review on talking about a nobody.
Unfortunately, he’s not the last fuckups of Harris. In December 2024, Nicko McBrain retired from touring, and Harris brought in his drinking buddy from his barn project, British Lion drummer Simon Dawson, as Nicko’s touring replacement. The guy can’t drum. He cannot play straight and makes a mess of every song. It’s painful to listen to him butcher all those Maiden classics, including the Clive Burr-era songs. For god’s sake, get a real drummer in, asap!
I wouldn’t mention Dawson, but he was introduced at the end of the documentary.
By the way, I wonder why Dennis Stratton wasn’t mentioned at all? I know the answer, he’s not on Harris’s Christmas gift list. Got it.
Bruce is 67, Steve is 70, Dave Murray is 69, Adrian Smith is 69, and Janick Gers is 69. They might be too old for rock’n’roll, but what about heavy metal? Bruce is still performing very well, and except for Dawson, the band sounds honourable. How long can they still do it without becoming embarrassing? It’s hard to say. The old fans are still there for them, but I am curious if they can reach out to the younger generation. Are the old classics still appealing to teenagers?
After the conclusion of the current Run for Your Lives World Tour, the band will take a year-long break from touring in 2027. What 2028 holds, we don’t know. Many bands are considering retirement, just as some bands have come back haunting.
Links:
Iron Maiden official website
Iron Maiden films
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