DI’ANNO: A Harrowing Journey

DI’ANNO: IRON MAIDEN’S LOST SINGER (Blu-ray)

2026 / 96 min

Cleopatra Entertainment

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the ‘banger😺

In this case, the ‘lost’ of the title does not mean forgotten…at least among die hard Maidenheads. Not to date myself, but yours truly has been one since high school, when I spotted Iron Maiden’s second album, Killers, at a local record store, its gloriously hideous cover practically daring me to listen to it. Which I did, and…mind officially blown. 

These were the days before Bruce Dickinson (if that name doesn’t ring a bell, why the hell are you reading this?). Until then, it was a lean & mean Paul Di’Anno belting out the songs. And he was good, too.

Then he was gone, just as Maiden was about to break big. Di’Anno didn’t just lose-hold of the brass ring. Mostly by his own hand, he chucked that ring so far he’d never find it again. Following his firing, he spent the rest of his life shitting in his own nest with one lousy decision after another, both musically and personally. Unrecognizable from his glory period, Di’Anno spent his final years in a wheelchair before dying in 2024. But God bless him, he never stopped trying to make music, even if few were actually listening anymore.

Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer is an unflinching documentary that’s sometimes difficult to watch, yet undeniably fascinating. The film largely focuses on his final years and the severe health problems he was dealing with. By this time, he’s financially strapped, grotesquely overweight and, most significantly, in dire need of a knee surgery he can’t afford on his own. Di’Anno candidly talks about his situation, while holding out hope that he’ll someday be able to walk again. He doesn’t come across as particularly sympathetic, nor does he try. He’s well aware of his personal shortcomings and makes no apologies for them.

Di’Anno’s past is summarized throughout the narrative, from his brief time in Maiden through numerous other failed musical projects and personal problems, which mostly serve to confirm that he’s always been his own worst enemy. Friends, ex-bandmates and relatives are interviewed as well, offering their own insights and experiences with the singer’s volatile personality (which, of course, was often fueled by drugs). All he’s lost over the years makes his present predicament all the more tragic. Concert footage of Di’Anno in his wheelchair, croaking out Maiden classics in small clubs with a band of hired hands speaks volumes about his determination, but it’s also kind of depressing.

However, the most shocking parts of the film are those focusing on his health, which are really tough to watch. With financial help from a dedicated fan and Iron Maiden themselves, Di’Anno finally gets the surgery he needs, which is shown in gruesome, graphic detail. My stomach even did a couple of flip-flops during those scenes. I’ll say one thing…it was certainly brave of him to allow filmmakers to document what a trainwreck he’d become.

For Maiden fans such as myself, seeing his final years documented in such grim detail is a harrowing experience. Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer is easily the most disturbing music doc I've ever seen, but compulsively watchable for the same reason.

EXTRA KIBBLES

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HALLOWED BY THEIR NAME Is A Maiden Voyage

HALLOWED BY THEIR NAME: THE UNOFFICIAL IRON MAIDEN BIBLE (Book)

By Martin Popoff

2025 / 666p (naturally)

From Schiffer Publishing

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Banger😺

When this arrived, my first thought was that it would break every bone in my foot if I happened to drop it. This is a massive, meaty volume, as any biography about heavy metal legends should be. 

And Iron Maiden aren’t just legendary (to say nothing of hugely influential), their brand is still culturally relevant. My own daughters probably couldn’t name a single one of their songs, but they sure as hell know the band’s iconic logo and mascot, Eddie (as would anyone else who regularly ventures into Hot Topic). As for their headbanging ol’ Dad, he’s been a die hard fan since Maiden’s first album…way back in 1980, before most Americans had even heard of them.

I’ve also read numerous books about Iron Maiden, but none as comprehensive as Hallowed By Their Name. I suppose it’s not quite a biography in the purest sense, since it focuses almost exclusively on the band’s musical career, album by album, along with the massive tours in between and numerous line-up changes over the years. Anyone curious about Steve Harris’ childhood are advised to look elsewhere, since the closest the book dives into anyone’s personal life is when it influences or affects the band. And as the “unofficial” part of the title indicates, a majority of the stories and anecdotes are culled from various interviews over the years, from band members to roadies to important figures like manager Ron Smallwood.

Still, it’s a fascinating read. After a lengthy introduction that charts Maiden’s tumultuous rise from playing British pubs to being the poster boys for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), every album and tour (Iron Maiden to Senjutsu) is chronicled in enough detail to sate even the most hardcore fan. Concurrently, the chapters keep tabs on careers of notable former members, such as perpetually troubled Paul Di’Anno (RIP), and current lead singer Bruce Dickenson’s solo projects. During the course of this nearly 50-year journey, author Martin Popoff also discusses the ever-changing musical climate and Maiden’s status and relevance within it. 

Speaking of the author, Popoff is a prolific and engaging music writer who focuses almost exclusively on rock & metal. I’ve read some of his other books, all which reflect an exhausting amount of research, so there’s no disputing his knowledge of the genre. While I’ve enjoyed his previous biographies, I sometimes took issue with the overt subjectivity he’d frequently interject, writing as though his own critical assessments reflect a general consensus. Although some of his personal opinions about various songs/albums pop up in this one from time to time, he mostly lets his subjects tell a majority of this story. Besides, Mr. Popoff, everybody knows Powerslave is their greatest album (see what I did there?).

I can’t say I’m crazy about the cover, but inside, Hallowed By Their Name is a thing of beauty. Hundreds of photos are included throughout its glossy pages, as well as promotional material and, of course, plenty of Derek Riggs’ iconic artwork (by the way, this is the second Iron Maiden book I’ve read where Riggs comes across as kind of a dick). Capping things off are the complete discographies of Iron Maiden and various band members’ solo/side projects. 

Epic in length and aesthetically gorgeous, Hallowed By Their Name is a terrific book about one of metal’s greatest bands. I think even the most knowledgeable Maiden fans will find much that’s revelatory. And I did happen to drop it once while reading. Luckily, I missed my foot, but it hit the floor hard enough to scare the shit out of my cats.