Di'Anno slates first Maiden album

Former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'Anno has slated the sound of the band's self-titled debut album, branding it "fucking awful."

But he still looks back warmly at the 1980 release and its follow-up Killers, which he recorded before leaving the band in 1981.

Di’Anno is currently touring Europe with Greek pick-up band Sorrowful Angels, and he’s working on an album with German outfit Architect To Chaos.

He tells Rock Overdose: “Iron Maiden was always a heavy metal band with a punk kid – that was me – but the sound of the first album was fucking awful.

“There were some of the best songs on the first album, and on the second one. Somebody should re-mix that. It would sound fantastic with a really good sound behind it.”

The vocalist last year announced he was “pulling the plug” on his career – but later said he only meant he was going to stop playing Maiden tracks live. Now he adds: “I’m going to get my knee fixed up at some point – it’s absolute agony every day, but it’s okay because the crowd don’t want to fucking see me, they want to hear the voice.

“Once the album is out we’d be happy to come out on the road and tour around the world again.”

Maiden are the cover stars of the latest edition of Metal Hammer, on sale now. They headline Sonisphere on the weekend of June 4-6.

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Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.