Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
The Track That Altered Iron Maiden’s Future
For Iron Maiden, 2025 has been monumental, even by their own towering standards. The heavy metal legends are celebrating their 50th anniversary with the massive Run For Your Lives world tour — now extended into 2026 — and preparing to release a deluxe coffee table book, Infinite Dreams, arriving October 7.
Frontman Bruce Dickinson has been part of that legacy for 44 of those years, stepping in as lead singer in 1981 after Paul Di’Anno was dismissed for failing to meet the demanding standards set by bassist and band leader Steve Harris.
In the latest issue of Metal Hammer, Dickinson and Harris reflect on Maiden’s five-decade journey, from the early club gigs to why the band refuses to ever play Glastonbury. During the conversation, Bruce revisits the moment he decided to join — and the Di’Anno-era track that ultimately convinced him.
Before joining Maiden, Dickinson fronted Samson, a band from the NWOBHM scene that Iron Maiden once supported at a legendary 1979 show at London’s Music Machine. Watching from the wings, Bruce recognized both the power and the shortcomings of the group. “I remember thinking, ‘Bloody hell, this is something else,’” he recalled. “But with Paul, I thought, ‘Yeah, he’s good — but what if I were singing these songs?’”
Two years later, the opportunity arose. Despite both of Di’Anno’s albums — 1980’s self-titled debut and 1981’s Killers — breaking into the UK Top 10, his self-doubt and offstage behavior ultimately led to his exit. By September 1981, Dickinson had already been tapped as his replacement.
The track that sealed the deal for him? The title cut of Killers. “It reminded me of discovering Deep Purple when I was 15, except updated,” Bruce told Metal Hammer. “It had that same energy.” Alongside Wrathchild and Remember Tomorrow, Killers became one of the key songs he performed at his audition — and the rest is history.
In the same conversation, Bruce Dickinson dismissed online rumors claiming he had never crossed paths with Paul Di’Anno until the late singer appeared at an Iron Maiden concert in Zagreb in July 2022 — just two years before his passing in October 2024.
“That’s complete nonsense from the internet,” Dickinson said. He explained that Samson, his former band, recorded their 1981 album Shock Tactics in the very same studio where Maiden were working on Killers. “There was a bar, and we’d all hang out together,” he recalled.
Reflecting on the night Di’Anno attended the Zagreb show, Bruce said some people were hesitant about the reunion. “Everyone was asking nervously, ‘Do you want to see Paul?’ And I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t I? Of course I want to see him.’”
