Is Iron Maiden Progressive?

On a boxing forum I post at, a bunch of idiots love to act like music experts. You know, Quiet Riot weren't influential, Guns N Roses is the greatest band ever, Dimebag sucks, etc...

Well, now they're saying that Maiden is a progressive metal band. Their justification:

1. Long songs.
2. Time changes.
3. Going from heavy parts to melodic.
4. Progressive lyrics (whatever that means).

I find those reasons to be laughable. So, is Iron Maiden progressive? I say absolutley not. They may have some progressive-leaning tunes, but I see them as a straight up heavy metal band.

Thoughts?

Idiots like this keep me laughing for weeks - I bet none of them are over 15, and they shop at Hot Topic regularly.

- Check out some of the "Dave Mustaine vs. Kirk Hammet", "Dimebag vs. Mustaine" debates at YouTube - That had me rolling for weeks!!

Stuff like "Scru u, u f*cking idiot, Dimebag is tha man, n u kno it, u looser" ..just the funniest drivle ever

I'd say that Maiden have become more progressive over the years (especially on the albums since Dickinson re-joined the band) but they're still not what I would consider a full-on "progressive metal" band.

hell no

I've always considered them more classic metal.Some of the tunes could lean toward progressive but all in all I'd say straight up metal.

thrasher73 wrote:

I've always considered them more classic metal.Some of the tunes could lean toward progressive but all in all I'd say straight up metal.

i agree with you

ThrashedOutCobra33 wrote:

thrasher73 wrote:

I've always considered them more classic metal.Some of the tunes could lean toward progressive but all in all I'd say straight up metal.

i agree with you

Thank you kind sir

You are so dearly welcome

I would say sometimes they lean prog but they are no prog metal band. To me they are classic heavy metal. Long songs dont make one progressive and maidens arrangements are not even close to being in the prog camp.

Alex

They have changed and progressed over the years, but thay are certainly not a progressive metal band.

Those people make me laugh. No, Iron Maiden is not a progessive metal band.

Lots of bands have prog elements Maiden is one of them but take a listen to Killers or Piece of Mind it don't sound like prog-metal to me


Oh and what does song length have to do with being progressive

If you compare Priest and Maiden, Maiden looks progressive, but if you compare Maiden and say Dream Theater, you see Maiden are def. not prog metal.

Mglaffas81 wrote:

Idiots like this keep me laughing for weeks - I bet none of them are over 15, and they shop at Hot Topic regularly.

- Check out some of the "Dave Mustaine vs. Kirk Hammet", "Dimebag vs. Mustaine" debates at YouTube - That had me rolling for weeks!!

Stuff like "Scru u, u f*cking idiot, Dimebag is tha man, n u kno it, u looser" ..just the funniest drivle ever

ha those youtube punks make me laugh for some reason the best insult they can ever come up with is "ur gay" or "u want a dudes dick" they don't seem to understand the phrase "To Each His Own"

Thankfully Youtube introduced the "Spam" button so when ever I see one of those arguments I just mark as spam

thrasher73 wrote:

I've always considered them more classic metal.Some of the tunes could lean toward progressive but all in all I'd say straight up metal.

I totally agree. Well put.

I consider A Matter of Life and Death to be prog. Seventh Son and Somewhere in Time are prog-leaning. Other than that, perhaps the odd tune is prog. But, for the most part Maiden is, as Eyesore said, straight-up metal.

One thing to note: even those albums that might be considered prog are still heavier and more direct than bands like Dream Theater. I'd say those albums are a blend of prog and traditional.

Either way, Maiden rules!!

I remember reading an old interview with Steve Harris and he said that he thought Iron Maiden were a "dark/heavy progressive rock band" more so than a heavy metal band.

Take from that what you will!

No doubt Iron Maiden has a huge leaning towards all things Jethro Tulled and Spooky Toothed!

They are more progressive these days but definatly not prog. Maiden is Maiden and thats all that needs to be said .

spectrefate wrote:

If you compare Priest and Maiden, Maiden looks progressive, but if you compare Maiden and say Dream Theater, you see Maiden are def. not prog metal.

you basically summed up my thoughts.

Hallowed be thy name, hallowed be thy name, hallowed be thy nameeeeeee
caught somewhere in time, caught somewhere in time, caught somewhere int timeeeeeeeee
seventh son of a seventh son, seventh son of a seventh son, seventh son of a seventh soooon

That much about Iron Maiden being progressive - nice chorueses indeed.

______________________________________________

Can Dream Theater be a progressive band just because they're technical? What kind of "progress" did they establish? Did they move the music forward like Atheist or Cynic did for example? Don't think so.

They're very much influenced by prog ala Genesis, Gentle Giant, Yes, Rush (by Dickinson's own admission) but an actual progressive band they are not. Admitting so also admits that regular heavy metal is very simple, basic, straight forward 3:50-average music. Maiden's song lengths, time changes, heavy/melodic changes and "progressive" lyrics (i.e. not the usual beer & pentagrams stuff) is just the same as Metallica, Megadeth, Black Sabbath...heck, even Slayer...are they progressive?

Infact, those four elements are nearly what defines a lot of heavy metal and makes it unique.

They definitely have progressive leanings at points, especially with some of their more recent output, but they're far from being Dream Theater. They're still just balls out, heavy metal.

Smindas wrote:

They definitely have progressive leanings at points, especially with some of their more recent output, but they're far from being Dream Theater. They're still just balls out, heavy metal.

Yea, what he said!!

Quote :

They may have some progressive-leaning tunes, but I see them as a straight up heavy metal band.

Roger that, captain.

emptytomb1 wrote:

Quote :

They may have some progressive-leaning tunes, but I see them as a straight up heavy metal band.

Roger that, captain.

True dat.