IRON FEAR

Rip It Up, Issue 179, 1 June 1992, Page 12

IRON FEAR

Recently, Iron Maiden guitarists Dave Murray and Janick Gers visited Auckland for the first time and were keen to have a look around, meet some of the locals and go to a pub to check out a band or two (the farewell gig of Rumblefish at the Gluepot). Although bewildered by the early shut down of their hotel bar and TV, they appeared to enjoy themselves and insisted that the whole band would be back here later in the year.

Meanwhile, Maiden fans should keep a look out for Fear of the Dark, due out in mid-May. Dave Murray was happy to talk about the new album. "We finished it a couple of weeks ago and it's being mixed at the moment," says Murray. 'We recorded it at Steve (Harris)'s house, he had the studio built in his barn and ifs a full-blown digital studio. We had access to the best equipment available so we've used everything to its fullest potential. 'We've got a completely different sound on this album compared to the previous ones. This barn is, like, 15th century and what they've done is built another floor in so you go up the spiral staircase and you're playing pretty much in the roof. Ifs brilliant, great atmosphere. Some of the stuff on this album has got a very medieval renaissance feel to it so you get into the vibe, transported back to the 14th or 15th century. Ifs eerie. We've experimented a lot with different sounds, there's a lot of light and shade happening in the songs. "In the past Steve has written stuff

like 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' and 'Mother Russia' and the 'Fear of the Dark' track is along those epic lines. It's a really spooky song, Bruce is almost half talking, half singing some of the lyrics. If you put your headphones on and sit in a dark room listening to this track you'd be screaming, freaking out. The whole theme around the album is kind of like the old gothic Hammer horror movies." By all accounts Fear of the Dark should be the best metal Maiden have made for many years, more structured than the disappointing No Prayer For The Dying. This is Janick's' second recording with the band, but the first to include his songwriting. "Janick has brought new blood into the band, a lot of enthusiasm and it rubs off on everyone else," affirms Murray. "The band's full of energy and is really into it. When he came in it was like plugging into the wall, he really charged the band up. On No Prayerthe songs were already written so it was like go in, keep it real live and basic as far as the guitars go. On the new album Janick has co-written some stuff with

Steve and Bruce, so really the writing has been quite a collaboration and it shows. Twelve songs is the most we've put on an album and everyone's thrown in ideas." Having the studio at his home has meant Steve Harris can be more involved in production duties, but before the studio was built, he set up his famous Horse and Cart bar. "You've got to have your priorities right," laughs Murray. "There's no point putting a studio in first and not having a bar. I guess it's the ultimate toy, really, have a pub built on the side of your house. The vibe is amazing, you got the pool table in there, massive TV and he's actually got a till as well, but it doesn't take any money. Had some great parties there and it's nice when recording or

rehearsing to be able to pop in for a drink." The band are eager to get the beast back on the road in what will be the most extensive tour they've ever undertaken. "We're going to start the tour in June and go right through to the middle of November, then stop for a couple of months and go out again next year. In the meantime we're going to record as many shows as possible where the acoustics are going to be good and release a double live album after the tour. Obviously it's like a new band again now with Janick so it's a good time to do a live album and also have a video of a concert." Did Bruce Dickinson's solo outing Tattooed Millionaire affect the band at all?

"No, in fact he's just starting <: ; ' another one at the moment. I think it's very healthy because he's got so many ideas and energy so having the solo thing is just another outlet for him. Everyone in the band will end up doing a solo album at some point. Have you got a particularly favourite Iron Maiden album? "I really liked Piece Mind and Somewhere In Time, but Seventh Son because it was a concept piece and there was something special about it. Maybe because the studio where we recorded it in Munich was where some of my favourite albums had been recorded. Deep Purple's Come Taste The Band and Stormbringer, some Queen albums, it was like 'shit, this it where it happened'. It had a bit of magic

about it, but I like to judge each album on its own merits and I've always felt good about our albums when they were finished." Are Fender Strats your most preferred guitar? "Yeah. Actually Janick uses straight Fender Stratocasters where I've been using Jacksons which are the Strat shape. In fact Fender have just come out with some guitars now that are exactly the same as the ones as I've been using. They've got like the Floyd on it and humbuckers so on the next tour I'm going to start using those. I've always been a Fender fan, they're easy to throw around. You can throw them out a window and they don't break!" What's your on-stage set up? "I use Marshall 100 s, the ones that go up to 20, Spinal Tap ones. I use these because you can overdrive them and I use a couple of effects like wahs, chrome pedals and a couple of delay things and that's it really." What is the backwards message at the start of'Still Life'? 'We did that because in America we were getting a lot of flack from religious and parental groups and all that bullshit. In fact it's Nicko doing an Idi Amin impersonation in a rastafarian accent. We put it on backwards just as a joke." What do you think of some of the newer bands around now, like Nirvana for instance? "I like Nirvana. A lot of the thrash bands I don't particularly care for because I like melody. Nirvana's a good band, but I'm still pretty much a fan of the 70s, still lost in the past. There's a band called Kings X that I like, Extreme, the Cult, Wolfsbane... I'm always open, I love to hear new bands, but I still listen to my old favourite albums, that feeling, that edge, you can't beat that really."

GEOFF DUNN