'Iron Maiden: Flight 666': Heavy metal’s finest goes airborne in inspired documentary

Buffalo News ^ | April 17, 2009 | Jeff Miers

[wastedyears]

If you’re looking for “Spinal Tap” jokes, you won’t find them here. Sure, that “mock-umentary” did a great job nailing the vacuous hilarity at the heart of bloated ’80s heavy metal, and it made just about every rock documentary that followed in its wake seem like at least a bit of a joke.

Iron Maiden, however, has never fit the accepted mold, nor followed the rules. And with its brilliant new “road movie” “Flight 666,” the band shows no sign of doing so — now or ever.

[wastedyears]

[cmsgop]

VIVA LA EDDIE!!!!!!!

[Captain Beyond]

This is cool to hear. I bought their first album based on the cover alone. And was I pleasantly surprised when I played it. "Running Free", "Charlotte the Harlot", "Iron Maiden" and "Prowler" blew me away. It was guitar heaven.

Then Killers came out and I was locked in my room for 3 weeks trying to figure out their's and Judas Priest's licks from "Hell Bent for Leather", "Unleashed In The East" and "British Steel" albums on guitar. I mean "Another Life", "Drifter", "Wrathchild", and "Twilight Zone" the leads were just awesome.

Heavy Metal was soaring back then to new heights.

[wastedyears]

It literally soared to news heights, thanks to Maiden.

I have countless hours learning Iron Maiden songs, some by ear, plenty by guitar tab. I can play a full setlist and a half or two with all the songs I know. Add in half a song or a couple licks, and the number doubles easily.

[Randy Larsen]

Must Check Later!

[Captain Beyond]

I love Maiden and they definitely upped the bar but the HM scene exploded in the 80’s due alot of bands emerging in their own right. There was a lot of bands that was driving it and putting out some really good music at the time such Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Motorhead, Van Halen, Ted Nugent, Saxon, Kiss, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot, Ozzy, Black Sabbath with Dio, Whitesnake, Y & T, Scorpions, Helix, etc. The list goes on and there is a lot of credit to go around back then.

With the British invasion, the LA scene exploding, and MTv videos Heavy Metal music took off big time. And when record producers saw people were digging it they started signing everybody and product was every where. I think as it happened a lot people discovered a whole lot of good music they had been missing due just listening to top forty radio. Mall record stores like Record Bar, Tower, Turtles, Sams Music, etc started carrying stuff they never thought of in a million years that would sell and everybody was like "Wow what is this?" and was trying new stuff to listen too. Guitar stores and music shops started carrying all kinds of sheet music, plus tab music coming out at the time, for these bands so people were learning the tunes and not just plunking away by ear in their bedrooms.

[Mind Freed]

I guess I should clarify a little. I'm not against ALL heavy metal. I know how you feel, because people do that with me and hip hop. They hear a couple of hip hop artists and think that everyone is the same. Those lyrics are actually very good. I just don't think that things like the title of this documentary are good fun. It's a sign of something very evil and shouldn't be played around with.

I'm not saying they're satan worshipers, just stating my opinion on the subject of how they choose to market themselves.

[wastedyears]

It's Flight 666: The Movie, not just 666. Flight signifies something about aircraft. Yes, the first group ever to take a modified Boeing 757 passenger/cargo around the world on a tour. They flew 50,000 miles, to 5 continents, playing 23 concerts in just 24 days. They sell out shows in just hours, not a few weeks or days.

[John Will]

Black Metal is where they play up the Satan and Evil as much as possible.

[Captain Beyond]

I have countless hours learning Iron Maiden songs, some by ear, plenty by guitar tab. I can play a full setlist and a half or two with all the songs I know. Add in half a song or a couple licks, and the number doubles easily.

Congrats and good job on taking the time to learn Iron Maiden's songs some of them are not easy. They can really increase one's understanding of music. Way to go. :)

[wastedyears]

From Phantom of the Opera, to Alexander the Great, Paschendale, Rime of the Ancient Mariner and pretty much everything in between.

[wastedyears]

Something like this (LOL)...

[John Will]

http://www.ruthlessreviews.com/reviews.cfm/id/1322/page/top____most_ridiculous_black_metal_pics_of_all_time.html

[wastedyears]

Scottish pirate metal Alestorm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7sHLjI1sQE

[cschroe]

So I cracked open the liner and let her read some of the lyrics.

Just curious what her reaction to "Hang the Pope" was. :)
Nuclear Assault was crazy fun (no wonder given the lineup), broke my nose in the pit at a show in DC back in the day.

[cschroe]

Soon you may be listening to Slayer...

when I think of my fave metal bands, I can't lump them all in one big pot. Maiden, Priest, Saxon, and the great NWOBHM bands are one thing, the California big hair party bands like Crue, Ratt, etc another, then there's the whole explosion of speed/thrash that was led by Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, and other subgenres of metal.

for me, when it comes to just all out metallic assault, give me a Slayer Reign in Blood tour show - best one I saw was with Overkill opening, front row center at the Warner Theatre in DC. Next to that, I'd take Destruction in a small club!