Iron Maidens: Royal Mail Celebrates Heavy Metal

Excluded from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Iron Maiden features in a philatelic issue of the Royal Mail. The historic British postal institution has, in fact, created a special set of 12 stamps, dedicated precisely to the heavy metal band. The series of prints will be on sale on the site starting January 12, and will be the fifth dedicated to a musical group, after the one on the Beatles in 2007, Pink Floyd in 2016, Queen in 2020 and the Rolling Stones in 2022.

Iron Maiden Stamps Approved By Queen Elizabeth

A legendary formation, the one led by singer Bruce Dickinson, currently made up of guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers, drummer Nicko McBrain and bassist Steve Harris: all featured on the commemorative stamps. A legend of heavy music who, however, not even last year managed to conquer the prestigious title that commemorates the history of rock, namely the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. So the Royal Mail operation, which also had the approval of Queen Elizabeth before her departure, sounds a bit like compensation, as acknowledged by Iron Maiden’s manager, Rod Smallwood: “it’s incredible to think that His Majesty, can rest in peace, has seen them and granted them his iconic silhouette too”.

Who Are The Iron Maiden

Founded in east London in the mid-1970s by singer-songwriter and bassist Steve Harris, Iron Maiden’s 40-year career has made them one of the most revered and influential bands of all time. With over 100 million records sold, nearly 2,500 live performances in 64 countries and 17 studio albums – including their latest, Senjutsu, released in 2021 – Iron Maiden are still in the hearts of legions of fans today. “We were all absolutely blown away – in a good way! – when we first heard about the commemorative project, and just as virtually speechless when we first saw the stamps,” said Harris. “They look great and I think they really capture the essence and energy of Maiden. We are all very proud that Royal Mail has chosen to honor the band’s legacy in this way and know our fans will feel the same way.”

The 12 Stamps Celebrate The Bands Live Performances

The 12-stamp set celebrates Iron Maiden’s live performances, with a selection of photos from their worldwide tours spanning the 1980s through 2018 and features all of the current members of the band. Including the mascot Eddie: the prints show poses of him, up to the last one in the guise of a samurai warrior, taken from the recent album Senjutsu.

“Few bands in the history of rock music can be called legends – but Iron Maiden are just that – and more,” concluded David Gold, Director of Public Relations at the Royal Mail. “With legions of devoted fans of all ages and from every corner of the globe, they not only changed the way rock music sounds, they changed the way it looks. We expect their fans to love these stamps as much as we do.” The band will be back live in the coming months with their brand new tour The Future Past, with dates across the UK and Europe including Italy: on Saturday 15th July 2023 they will headline The Return Of The Gods festival in Milan for his only Italian date.

This article is originally published on .artribune.com