Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

Released: 1988
Genre: Heavy Metal / Progressive Metal / NWOBHM
Members: Bruce Dickinson – vocals • Steve Harris – bass • Dave Murray – guitar • Adrian Smith – guitar • Nicko McBrain – drums • Producer: Martin Birch

Iron Maiden’s seventh studio album and their first full-blown concept record, built around prophecy, clairvoyance, good vs. evil, and the folklore surrounding a “seventh son of a seventh son.” It also marked a major sonic shift, bringing keyboards prominently into Maiden’s sound while keeping the twin-guitar attack intact. The album was released April 11, 1988 and recorded at Musicland Studios with longtime producer Martin Birch.

Essential Tracks: “Moonchild” • “Infinite Dreams” • “Can I Play with Madness” • “The Evil That Men Do” • “The Clairvoyant” • “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son”

Cultural Facts:

• Steve Harris said the concept began partly after he started thinking about famous British psychic Doris Stokes and whether someone supposedly able to foresee events could foresee their own death. That idea developed into the album’s storyline about supernatural sight and destiny.

• Harris was openly influenced by progressive-rock bands like Genesis, Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and saw the nearly 10-minute title track as a chance to push Maiden further into that territory.

• The album produced four UK Top 10 singles, an unusually strong run for a heavy-metal album: “Can I Play with Madness,” “The Evil That Men Do,” “The Clairvoyant” and the later live single “Infinite Dreams.”

• Maiden’s 1988 tour culminated in a massive headline appearance at Monsters of Rock at Donington, attended by about 107,000 people. The day also became tragic when two fans died during the festival.

• This was near the end of one of Maiden’s defining lineups. Guitarist Adrian Smith left after the Seventh Son era, making it the last studio album with the Dickinson–Smith–Murray–Harris–McBrain lineup until Brave New World in 2000.

For Fans Of: Judas Priest • Dio • Queensrÿche • Helloween • progressive-era metal