One of the defining traits of Iron Maiden is their use of double and triple guitar harmonies. You could say they popularized the concept and many newer bands we

One of the defining traits of Iron Maiden is their use of double and triple guitar harmonies. You could say they popularized the concept and many newer bands were inspired by it. My favorite Maiden song section is the solo/post-solo part in Brave New World (live at Rock in Rio 2001). I think the success of Iron Maiden comes from the combination of theory, performance, lyrical content, image, live ambiance and a very charismatic frontman. A better example of a band with music theory as the cornerstone of their music is Tool. I keep discovering new things in songs like Schism even after listening to them hundreds of times.