The Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson is currently promoting his new album “The Mandrake Project” and he is touring all over the world with his own band. So he has been talking a lot with the press lately and in an interview with Qobuz (Transcribed by Blabbermouth) the musician talked about some bands including Black Sabbath.
He praised their entire discography and said that the bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler and the guitarist Tony Iommi were who made Black Sabbath consistent. Because they still made great albums with the band with different singers and drummers.
Bruce Dickinson says Geezer and Iommi made Black Sabbath consistent
“I was a kid and got this album (Sabbath Bloody Sabbath), and I was still a virgin, which made me open it up and go, ‘Oh, my God. Look at those women.’ But what a great record. What a great album. What a great comeback album.”
“But, yeah, the first two records are amazing. Well, no, I mean, ‘Vol. 4’ was incredible as well. What a consistent band. And it’s Geezer and Tony. I mean, if you look at all the people, all the different vocalists, not just Ozzy, they’ve all been (great). ‘Born Again’ — great album. Everybody goes, ‘Oh, forget that one.’ No, it’s a great album,” Bruce Dickinson said.
The Sharon Osbourne x Iron Maiden story
Well, there is some animosity between Sharon Osbourne and Iron Maiden, because when the band performed at Ozzy’s festival Ozzfest back in 2005, Dickinson would “slag Ozzy” each night during their set. That obviously made Sharon furious and she simply hired people to throw eggs at them during their show.
“We’ve known those guys since the 80s and we offered them the show. They were getting paid $185.000 dollars each night. Everything they wanted they got. They would go on stage and Bruce Dickinson, each night would slag Ozzy. (He would) Say really disrespectful things about him and Ozzy is the schmuck that is paying him!”
“So I’m thinking to myself ‘Let it go on. Just carry on your little shit’. So on the last night in L.A, I’ve got 200 hispanic kids, loaded them with eggs. They had peanut butter, they fucking pelted the shit out of them. Then I went on stage and I said ‘Look, don’t fuck with us. Don’t be disrespectful, this is what you get.” In the same conversation with Howard Stern she pointed out that she knew for a long time that the Maiden members were “trouble”.