Rock and Roll Garage

For a few decades now, it can be said that the two biggest Heavy Metal bands in the world that are still touring and recording new material are Iron Maiden and Metallica. The success of the British group reached another level after vocalist Bruce Dickinson replaced Paul Di'Anno and recorded their best-selling album, The Number of the Beast (1982). Over the years, a minor rivalry between the two bands was fueled by fans, and Dickinson has commented on Metallica a few times. Bruce Dickinson's opinion on Metallica Bruce Dickinson had already said good things and bad things about the American band but he likes their music and recognizes their importance to Heavy Metal. He even interviewed the band's co-founder and drummer Lars Ulrich back in 2008 on his BBC radio program Friday Rock Show (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage). During that show he even praised "Cyanide", one of the tracks of their album "Death Magnetic" (2008). “This is actually a great record. But I do think that management needs their head examined for their choice of first track. ‘Cyanide’, man. That track, that has got legs on it and balls on it and everything else. That’s a great track!” Bruce Dickinson said. Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield were big fans of Iron Maiden in the early days before they formed Metallica. Both of them had the chance to meet the band's leader and founder Steve Harris in the early 80s in the street when he was talking to fans of the band. Bruce once said Iron Maiden is better than Metallica https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlUL1MGvY6w&pp=ygURY3lhbmlkZSBtZXRhbGxpY2HSBwkJsgkBhyohjO8%3D Although the members of both bands are fans of each other, Bruce once provoked the bands and the fans saying Iron Maiden was better than Metallica. "I got into trouble for saying we’re better than Metallica… and, it’s true! They might be bigger than us and they might sell more tickets than us. They might get more gold-plated middle-class bourgeousie turning up to their shows. But they’re not Maiden," he said in an interview with Metal Hammer in 2011. A few years later, in 2017, the musician was asked by Rolling Stone about that previous statement. He explained that he said that about the American band to "set things and provoke" and noted they are good friends. “We have a great relationship with Metallica. I did not tell you to hit Metallica. I told the rest of the world, to say it loud and clear, ‘We’re back and for real! And it’s so worth it that I’ll even say shocking and provocative things like that. So why do not you come to our show and try to find out if we’re better or not. I doubt you have the guts. It’s my job. That’s what I do”.” "(...) (To help to promote 'Brave New World') I went, 'I know how to do this. I can blow up this bubble and I’m going to say that we’re better than Metallica. That’s going to fuckin’ piss everybody off.' But I said it because I knew it would piss everyone off. I knew it wouldn’t piss Metallica off, because they’re Metallica. What do they care?" Bruce Dickinson said. Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame back in 2009 and Iron Maiden still isn't part of the hall. Bruce Dickinson said Metallica took things to another level Metallica is one of the few Metal bands who were able to reach a bigger audience, including people who are not into Metal or Hard Rock at all. That wouldn't have been possible without their self-titled 1991 album, which is also known as the "Black Album". Talking to Classic Rock in 2022, Bruce Dickinson said that Iron Maiden and bands like Judas Priest and Pantera reached a 'crossroads' where they had the chance to step up. But they didn't have the courage to do so, something that, in his opinion, Metallica did. “Ourselves, Judas Priest and Pantera all reached a crossroads where we had the chance to really step up to the next level. But none of us had the balls to do it. Metallica did, though. You have to give them huge credit for grabbing the opportunity when it came up, taking the risk and deservedly reaping the enormous rewards. You cannot underestimate their achievement with this album.” “It’s one of those seminal albums that just gets it right. It’s extremely well-produced. Every note on that album is totally under control. I admire how they did it, and what they did with the songs. It was very effective: it undoubtedly did help push metal into the mainstream." "I know it wasn’t Mutt Lange who produced it. But Bob Rock had that similar thing where the producer was very much in control. We could never do an album like that, because we’re not that under control, and we don’t want to be. With us, the wheels would fall off the bus and we’d end up firing the producer!” Bruce Dickinson said. Metallica sold an estimated amount of more than 125 million records worldwide, five million less than Iron Maiden.

Bruce Dickinson’s opinion on Metallica

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Bruce Dickinson’s opinion on Metallica

Johnny Van Zant believes his brother’s spirit led him to join Skynyrd

Lou Gramm wants to continue to tour as Foreigner’s special guest