Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain Reveals He Suffered a Stroke in January

Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain shared he suffered a stroke in January.

McBrain disclosed this news in a message across Maiden's social media channels. He wrote, in part, " ...Thank the Lord it was a minor one referred to as a TIA. It left me paralyzed on my right side from my shoulder on down."

He added that he's "somewhere near 70% recovered" and is "concentrating on getting back to 100% fitness."

Maiden manager Rod Smallwood said in his own statement, "The rest of the band and l think that what Nicko has been able to achieve since his stroke shows incredible belief and willpower and we are all very proud of him...We honestly did not know if he would be able to play a whole show until band rehearsals started in May and there was just so much support for him from the band and then genuine relief for all when we saw he was going to be able to do it!"

Maiden is set to headline the Wacken Open Air festival tomorrow (August 4) in Wacken, Germany. In October, the iconic metal band is one of six artists booked for Power Trip. The event runs October 6-8 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., which is the site of Coachella. Maiden plays night one along with Guns N' Roses.

Power Trip made headlines in July when Ozzy Osbourne announced he was pulling out of the event. The Prince of Darkness cited his ongoing health issues as to why he was no longer performing at Power Trip. He shared a lengthy statement saying, in part, "Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I’m just not ready yet and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-assed."

Judas Priest is taking Osbourne's place at Power Trip, performing on night two with AC/DC. The event's third and final day features Metallica and Tool.

As Iron Maiden’s third album (and first with singer Bruce Dickinson), ‘The Number of the Beast,’ hits its 40th anniversary, the question on everyone’s mind is... how the HELL has this band not been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Go to any major rock festival in the U.S. this year (or any year), and nearly every band on the bill owes Maiden a debt (and they all probably have worn out their share of Maiden cassettes, CDs and t-shirts).

The band has released a handful of classic albums, including The Number of the Beast. And with their most recent two double(!) albums, The Book of Souls and Senjutsu , they've shown that there's still more gas in the tank. Here, we rank their classics, starting with their debut album, going all the way up through 2021’s excellent Senjutsu. And here's hoping that the Rock Hall does the right thing and puts Maiden on the ballot in 2023 (in the meantime, they'd better induct Judas Priest this year). 

The album’s title track was the one that parents and religious “leaders” were sweating (and moaning) over, but had ‘The Number of the Beast’ LP been released today, “Run To The Hills” might have gotten more attention. It depicts the colonization of America, and the first verse comes from the perspective of Native Americans. The first lines: “White man came across the sea/He brought us pain and misery.” A later verse includes the quote “the only good Indians are tame.” The song has been played so many times, and the repetition may have dulled the lyrics to those who have heard them over and over. But listen to them carefully, they’re as hard-hitting as the music (no mean feat) and are as thought-provoking as the best metal and rock and roll lyrics.