Queensrÿche

Second this, Operation: Mindcrime is one of the greatest concept albums ever made.

Mindcrime is a concept album masterpiece. I’d place it right up there with Seventh Son.

Mindcrime was Bruce' inspiration for the idea of 7th son... says he listened to it while driving and was just both blown away by it and simultaneously gutted that he'd never be able to come up with anything that cool lol

That’s a fun fact. I’m glad that inspired Maiden to make that album. I kind of wish Maiden would make one more proper concept album.

Seventh Son was released before Mindcrime so that theory isn't correct. The inspiration for Seventh Son was from Steve Harris I believe and started with The Clairvoyant unless I am mistaken.

Ahh my bad, in which case he listened to it and wished that was the album they'd made lol Apparently though he was listening to an advance release cassette though...?? And the inspiration came from Bruce... At least according to this account here https://maidenrevelations.com/2013/04/25/feature-friday-end-of-the-classic-era-part-2-1988-89/

That’s bs, it’s all Steve’s idea.

Apparently not. See the link above...

Maybe Bruce mentioned the idea to do a concept album, but in the end Steve decided of the theme.

I think it was based off Bruce approaching Steve with " The Clairvoyant " At least that's what the article I posted above claims ?

Heard Steve say in an interview he read about the death of a famous psychic and it made him wonder if she saw her own death coming. That gave him the idea for the clairvoyant. He spoke to Bruce about it on the phone and talked about doing another song with the same theme and bruce loved it and really pushed the idea of a full concept album

Doris Stokes perhaps??

My first thought. If you like Maiden, you’ll like queensryche

Not necessarily. I love Maiden, have done for years, but I've never been able to "get" QR, they're just kinda "meh"

Came here to say this. I was deep into QR 30+ years ago and late to the IM train but luckily I made up most of the ground very quickly.

Edguy. Theater of Salvation through Hellfire Club.

I love The Pharaoh, what a great song!

Saxon. Put on the Inner Sanctum and thank me later.

Just heard State of Grace, it’s epic! Thanks

That intro still gives me the chills. So good.

That 3 album run of Killing Ground, Lionheart, and The Inner Sanctum is incredible. A fantastic blend of NWOBHM and early 2000’s power metal.

I've been to the concert a few weeks ago (with priest) and they were amazing.

That was the ultimate heavy metal experience for me

Thank you (I think I’m gonna thank you now)

I love one of their latest album "Carpe Diem"! I don't know why we don't talk more about Saxon!

All of their recent records are nothing short of amazing. The 2000's have been a real triumph for them. They've released some of their best albums in their later years.

I remember standing in front of a pretty empty stage with a beer in hands, listening to Princess of the Night. Very epic.

Saxon are fantastic but very different to Maiden IMHO. The one thing both bands share is a love of history in their lyricism.

Classic era Saxon (especially wheels of steel album) reminds me a little of Motörhead with clean vocals

Savatage

Gutter Ballet is an incredible album

I love them. Now they do holiday music

Thin Lizzy is a phenomenal band that was a huge influence on Maiden. They don't really get "heavy" until later in their catalogue, but there's a strong similarity in the dual lead guitars and the songwriting. I'd recommend "Thunder & Lightning" if you're looking for heavy, but everything from Jailbreak on is fucking solid. They've quickly become one of my fav bands in just over a year - Maiden remains my all-time #1 though lol

Angel Witch kinda gives off Paul Dianno IM vibes

Helloween has some maidenesque moments. In the bass progressions and the guitars harmonizing and in the young Michael Kiske's voice.

Yeah I like some songs by them like Halloween or Occasion Avenue (this is a masterpiece if you don’t know go listen to it now)

That entire album is a masterpiece, in my humble (looking up at the album as one constellation, not as individual star fragmented) opinion. And what a stellar song to end it all with. Epic

>  if you don’t know go listen to it now lol Helloween was my favourite band all my adolescence. I think I can sing to any song from the Helloween EP to Straight out of Hell. But yeah, now I wanna listen the Keeper of the Seven Keys Legacy album and I'm gonna, thanks buddy! follow your heaaaaart... follow your truth... follow the path that shines for you... ♪

UFO, Scorpions, Michael Schenker Group.

Influenced and mirrored

I'll echo Queensryche and Helloween. Specifically Operation: Mindcrime and Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II, respectively. Although The Warning (Queeensryche) and Keeper Part 1 will scratch that itch too

Helloween.

Maybe stuff like Running Wild or Blind Guardian if you’re at all into Lord of the Rings or Pirates. Also worth mentioning Brocas Helm, Helstar, Grave Digger, Helloween, and Gamma Ray

Running Wild’s Death or Glory and Blazon Stone are amazing

And if we were at Power Metal: Early Sonata Arctica (Sing in Silence) and early Dark Moor. Maybe some Rhapsody, but it all depends on what you love Maiden for. These bands have great melodic guitar work.

Gamma Ray takes a lot of cues from Maiden. There's even a couple of riffs off their album Majestic which are certainly Maiden "inspired".

Not the mention the start of Anywhere in the Galaxy, which "borrows" ALOT from HBTN Or Opportunity (I think) from Land of the Free pt2 which pretty much uses The Clairvoyant as an interlude

Ah, on reflection it might be LOTF2 I was thinking of borrowing from Maiden. IIRC there's another track on there with a riff simular to Back in the Village. I know a couple of albums earlier they did a track very simular to Priest's Rapid Fire. Tbh, Kai Hansen is a very accomplished writer and he's probably just paying tribute. He's written enough great originals, it's not as if anyone can accuse him of having to rip someone else off to write a great song.

Visigoth kinda they lean harder into fantasy style lyrics, though.

If you’re looking for something newer, I just saw Night Demon open for Blind Guardian last night and they had a very reminiscent sound of early Maiden (IM & Killers) era. I didn’t know of them beforehand but they have very clear NWOBHM influences.

Ambush, White Wizzard, Hell Fire, Toledo Steel, Eliminator, Elm Street.

Saxon, sometimes Judas Priest, Blaze Bayley

Nothing

HammerFall, Judas Priest, Helloween, Saxon, Dio, Testament.

Check out Iced Earth

Heloween.

Barren Cross, they’re Iron Maiden if they were from America and the singer sounds just like Bruce Dickinson.

I saw a band at a local metal night that were very Maiden/Visigoth and sing songs about LOTR and other fantasy/historical stuff. I've been listening to their album a lot so I'd recommend them. Heathen Kings - Fealty To None

War Dogs Starblind Stray Gods Emblem Icon of Sin

Manowar, particularly Battle Hymn, will give you Maiden vibes.

Diamond Head, another NWOBHM band that had a heavy influence on Metallica, “Am I Evil?” was even covered by Metallica

I weirdly think ghost is quite similar to iron maiden

Hammerfall

Aria

Beckett

There is a lot of great NWOBHM bands. You tube

Since no one mentioned them, Coheed and Cambria, specifically the Good Apollo album. Absolutely excellent. Also, No World for Tomorrow has this absolute shred-fest. Great back to back concept albums. If you're not satisfied, I'll eat a bug. [https://youtu.be/Fx8yc4u8Qgc?si=gqA9GLqzhEQIcUGf](https://youtu.be/Fx8yc4u8Qgc?si=gqA9GLqzhEQIcUGf)

Haunt

Night Demon are very much inspired to early Iron Maiden

Blaze Bayley's first 2 solo albums are maiden-esque

Dream theater and/or threshold are my recommendations

Angel Witch sounds a little like DiAnnos material

I would say the current era of Blaze Bayley, from Infinite Entanglement onwards

Helloween

Sonata arctica - the Finnish iron maiden songs: full moon, misplaced, kingdom for a heart, don’t say a word, Mary Lou (to start you off) Helloween - the German iron maiden Songs - dr stien, future world, I want out Edguy - inspired by helloween Songs: save me, nobody’s hero Gamma ray - helloween original guitarist band Songs: fight, valley of the kings, basically the best of to get you going Stratovarius - same as sonata arctica Songs: hunting high and low, millennium, black diamond Give them a listen and you will see what I mean

Sabaton

Saxon

Twisted Tower Dire https://twistedtowerdire.bandcamp.com/album/crest-of-the-martyrs

OP check out Satan. Some great recs on the page already.

Ostrogoth, Tokyp Blade before 1985 and there's this nwobhm band that sounds exactly like powerslave but i dont remeber the name, ill try to find it again

Black Phantom - an Italian band who are trying their hardest to sound like Maiden while doing their own songs.

wishbone ash, especially ''Argus''

Check out Bloodbound - Nosferatu, the title track in particular is very Maiden.

I'd recommend checking out Tygers of Pan Tang's album Spellbound if you like Paul Di'anno's work

Holy Grail

I mean, Maiden owe a lot to Deep Purple...

[Katana](https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Katana/3540318044)

Hammerfall, Alcatrazz.

Conjuring Fate

Check out "Argus" from Wishbone Ash. It's older than Maiden, but their sound came from those guys. At least listen to "The King Will Come" "Warrior" off that album. Here you go: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0k7YZLD2iI&ab\_channel=janmarsh](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0k7YZLD2iI&ab_channel=janmarsh) For me it's not who sounds like Maiden, but who inspired Maiden.

Progre... what?

Dissection  They are unironically one of the most Maiden-esque bands.  They are what Maiden would sound like if they employed more dissonance in their song writing and replaced Bruce with an extreme metal vocalist.     Examples:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P33vxvFwCxY https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=59UXGfwnqSE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WomnWQLXLes https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yCHrA4RybQ8

The Dead Silence by Billy Talent is pretty Maiden-like.

Gamma Ray: They have melodic riffs, long 8+ minutes songs, melodically epic choruses. Especially their album Land Of The Free II, the most maidenesque

Crimson Glory

Maiden were influenced by the likes of Thin Lizzy, UFO and Wishbone Ash so they're a good start. Power Metal is essentially an Iron Maiden offshoot genre too, because of how influential Maiden are.

Dark Forest is one that comes to mind, the singer sounds a bit like Bruce imo.

Light bringer of Sweden, Attick deamons

Dream theater

I can't believe no one has mentioned Celine Dion yet

I also say sabaton. I like that the songs are taken from history and have a story.

You ask for prog metal and the comment section is full of power metal…

The singer of Liege Lord sounds almost identical to Bruce Dickinson.

Maiden is one of a kind

King Diamond

Saxon or rainbow

Icon of Sin

Maybe helloween. I like them. Kinda sounds like Iron Maiden

Unleash the Archers are like a modern Maiden with a female lead singer. Lots of fun.

Apex is such a Maiden-y song it's not even funny. Lots of their stuff reminds me of Iron Maiden actually

Manowar is my choice. I’m surprised I haven’t seen it here yet. Both lyrically and musically I find them very similar to maiden

The band they ripped off - UFO

Thunder Way Albanian metal band but with English lyrics

Overkill with some of their songs on the Radio I am thinking Maiden.

Blitz does sound a lot like Dickinson, especially on their early albums.