In a recent interview with Crowcast , Blaze Bayley , former vocalist of Iron Maiden , spoke about his experience playing heavy metal while grunge was all the rage. The musician recounted that the most turbulent period was between 1995 and 1998, when they were trying to launch the albums The X Factor and Virtual XI , while the public and the media had turned their backs on them.
“When I was in Maiden, we were at war with grunge, man,” said Bayley. “Grunge was trying to kill us. The British media thought the sun rose right out of some bands’ asses and they wanted Maiden dead. We went to the valley of death – we played in Seattle at the height of grunge and it was one of the most horrible shows we ever did. There were people looking at us like we were some kind of dinosaur and they were thinking, ‘Why haven’t they died yet?’”
Despite the discomfort at the time, Bayley is now at peace with the situation, seeing grunge as a passing movement compared to the durability of heavy metal. “We were fighting for the existence of real heavy metal. And where are they now? Metal is forever because it’s in the hearts of the fans,” he continued. “I’m sorry, but grunge was modern. And the best thing about what I do is that it’s not modern. I’m always unpopular, and that’s why I’ve lasted so long. I’m small, but if I were really popular, I’d peak and then disappear.”
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