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Song review: Blood Brothers


Published : 03 Jun 2019 02:23 PM | Updated : 06 Sep 2020 04:04 PM

Artist: Iron Maiden

Album: Brave New World

Released: 2000

Genre: New wave of British heavy metal

Nominations: Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance

Best song ever from Maiden

No matter whether you like to hear heavy-metal or not, you might love the hear the song Blood Brothers by Iron Maiden. And if you are a guitarist you might love to perform this song on stage particularly the ending solo. To me this solo played by Genick Gers is one of the most dramatic, simplest and heart-touching solos in the world of heavy-metal music, Not the fastest, not the most complex one, but definitely one of the best by Genick Gers

Iron Maiden bass player Steve Harris wrote this song, which deals with the death of his father: "Just for a second a glimpse of my father I see." The song also touches on life and what might eventually be beyond it. The image of the departed father shows how the memories of those who left give us a look into life after death: "And in a moment the memories are all that remain, And all the wounds are reopening again." 

As for the music, this song is soft but very powerful at the same time. It is a kind of a ballade, which is in a way very surprising for a metal band but show also that the band is ready to take risks as well as show some "sensibility".

This song has great deal of emotions in it. Steve feels very strongly about it, and the fact that the song was so close to his heart is reflected in that he didn't want anyone to be able to mess it up, so he played the keyboard on it himself. 

Steve Harris also dedicated this song to Ronnie James Dio throughout the 2010 leg of The Final Frontier World Tour, following his death on 16 May. On the 2011 leg of the tour starting in Australia, "Blood Brothers" would then be dedicated to the victims and friends and family of the band members and audience who were affected by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake on 22 February. As the tour progressed, the song was also dedicated to the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, as well as the revolts in Egypt and Libya and, later, the victims of the 2011 Norway attacks. A live performance of the song from 2012's En Vivo! was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance on 6 December 2012.