Elaborate storytelling and theatricality have been hallmarks of heavy metal for about as long as the genre has been in existence, yet few can claim to have taken these two concepts so close to their logical conclusion as the flagship fold of the NWOBHM: Iron Maiden.
Even in their humble beginnings at the dawn of the 80s, complex compositions delving into the strange and fantastical were a frequent staple of a band that counted itself among a plethora of British bands that otherwise exuded a working-class, everyman approach to rocking harder and faster than their 70s predecessors.
In the years since, progression in both style and lyrical pursuits has been as constant a part of Iron Maiden's career as their continual adherence to traditional heavy metal practices, with their 2024 tour dubbed Future Past conjuring up several deep cuts and fan favorites from their mid-80s Sci-Fi opus Somewhere In Time to go with their obligatory fan favorites and highlight entries from their latest and 2021 studio album Senjutsu.
This November 1st, the Future Past Tour made its way to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, filling it to its 21,000-person capacity effortlessly at a time when such crowd draws are reserved for pop, rap, and country acts.
The anticipation felt by all in attendance was already at its peak when Mongolian folk metal sensations The Hu took the stage to warm up the masses. Boasting a large arrangement of 8 members decked out in warrior's attire, including two percussionists laying down a massive battery of sound beneath a mishmash of Mongolian folk instruments and electric guitars, they drew a boisterous response from a capacity crowd, the majority of which were not familiar with their repertoire.
As they cycled through a battle-hearty 9 song set that included such crushing metallic entries as "Tuurugdul", "Black Thunder" and their banger entry "This Is Mongol", one couldn't help but be in awe of the raw power and force displayed through the choir of throat-singing chants that accompanied the pummeling drums and crunchy guitar grooves, to speak nothing for the physical gesticulations on stage by each part of the whole.
It was a riveting reenactment of the music that preceded the conquests of the Mongolian Golden Horde, and fit seamlessly with the theatricality of the headliner that was soon to follow.
Iron Maiden took the stage to the usual barrage of elation and deafening cheers as the familiar hook of UFO's "Doctor Doctor" rang out from the PA system and the curtains began to draw. Upon the unveiling of a gargantuan banner and a raised platform reaching across both sides of Nicko McBrain's drum set, adorned with Sci-Fi murals and LED images, the familiar sounds of 1982's Blade Runner theme rang out. This auditory and visual crescendo reached its peak with the pre-recorded intro of the opening song "Caught Somewhere In Time", and exploded into a celebration of metallic thunder as the entire band rushed onto the stage and ushered in the rest of this gallop-happy anthem with their instruments.
The spectacle that unfolded on stage with each successive entry was a master class in choreographed showmanship with an organic sense of flow, spearheaded by the powerful pipes and brilliant crowd work of vocalist Bruce Dickinson. His futuristic goggles and flowing coat could have been best described as an amalgam of a bounty hunter and a Jedi knight, and though now standing 66 years of age, Dickinson effortlessly plowed his way through several entries from Maiden's glory days like "Stranger In A Strange Land", "The Prisoner", "Can I Play With Madness" and "Heaven Can Wait".
The rest of the band were no slouches in terms of their instrumental performance or their on-stage antics either. Guitarist Janick Gers wailed away tirelessly at his axe during several prominent solo sections on newer entries like "The Time Machine" and "Hell On Earth" while doing his signature guitar tosses and gymnast-inspired calisthenics, though his brilliant acoustic contributions to "Death Of The Celts" proved the most memorable moment.
That said, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith enjoyed the lion's share of lead guitar duties and outdid themselves via several dueling solo battles, the high marks being hit on the epic exchange heard on "Caught Somewhere In Time" and the aforementioned "Heaven Can Wait", while Smith painted the airwaves with splendor during his acoustic guitar work at the introduction of "The Writing On The Wall", and stole the guitar spotlight during the night's closer "Wasted Years"
One would naturally be remiss not to note the extravagant display put on by bassist and band mastermind Steve Harris, whose rapid-fire work at the 4-string was a constant rival to the technical high-jinks put on by this outfit's three previously noted guitarists.
Alongside making a furious ruckus at the bottom end of the arrangement on the gallop-steeped encore performance of "The Trooper" and pounded out a series of pummeling power chords to further darker the punchy riff work of "The Time Machine", Harris explored the stage in as animated and adventurous a fashion as Dickinson, save for an auspicious moment where a massive (and assumedly animatronic) cyborg Eddie came out on stage and proceeded to have a laser gun fight with the latter.
But when all is said and done, the most inspirational part of Iron Maiden's show was the performance turned in by elder member and drummer Nicko McBrain. Having recently recovered from a massive stroke and essentially retraining his limbs to do things that many men half his age would find difficult, his work at the kit was an exercise in precision and good-natured enthusiasm, never missing a single beat while keeping that signature smile on his face.
Even when wheeling through the odd-timed military snare beats and elaborate twists and turns of the highly progressive deep cut "Alexander The Great", a song that had never been played live before this tour despite the continual lobbying of a loud plurality of Maiden's fan base, Nicko was continually on point. It underscored the triumphant character of a band that has been at the helm of heavy metal for the better part of 50 years and one that has ironically proven timeless while seemingly obsessed with the concept of time.
Special thanks to Jonathan Smith for his writing contributions to this article.
