Iron Maiden Pays Tribute to Robin Williams

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Submitted by S.J. Mitchell on Mon, 08/24/2015 - 08:01

Iron Maiden is arguably one of the most innovative and influential metal bands in existence. Despite little support from radio or television, they are still considered one of the most successful bands throughout heavy metal history. Known for frontman Bruce Dickinson's piercing vocals, and the bands lengthy musical interludes, their songs often contain dark themes, such as 'Hallowed be thy Name', or historical context like 'Aces High' and 'Alexander the Great'.

According to NME, Dikinson spoke to an Italian publication about what song from the new album BOOK OF SOULS, was his favorite. Unfortunately, the publication was not credited in their article.

"My favourite song is one I didn’t write," Dickinson explained. "It’s 'Tears of a Clown', which talks about Robin Williams. I ask myself how could he be so depressed when he always seemed to be so happy."

Robin Williams, tragically, took his own life after years of battling anxiety and depression. He had discovered, shortly before the incident, that he had become affected by Parkison's as well. Known for his crazy, off-the-cuff, comedy Robin brought laughter and joy both on-stage and on-screen. In the 1998 comedy-drama PATCH ADAMS, Williams plays Dr. Hunter 'Patch' Adams, a real doctor for which the movie is loosely based on. In the movie, he develops a medical clinic for children, built around his philosophy of treating patients with humor and compassion. While the movie was poorly received by critics and Dr. Adams, it was a box-office success and received 2 Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture and Best Actor.

In the most unexpected of tributes, 'Tears of a Clown' was written by guitarist Adrian Smith and bassist Steve Harris and can be found on the second disc of the album. The full tracklist for BOOK OF SOULS, to be released on September 4th, 2015, can be seen below.

Disc 1
1. If Eternity Should Fail (Dickinson) 8:28
2. Speed Of Light (Smith/ Dickinson) 5:01
3. The Great Unknown (Smith/ Harris) 6:37
4. The Red And The Black (Harris) 13:33
5. When The River Runs Deep (Smith/ Harris) 5:52
6. The Book Of Souls (Gers/ Harris) 10:27

Disc 2
7. Death Or Glory (Smith/ Dickinson) 5:13
8. Shadows Of The Valley (Gers/ Harris) 7:32
9. Tears Of A Clown (Smith/ Harris) 4:59
10. The Man Of Sorrows (Murray/ Harris) 6:28
11. Empire Of The Clouds (Dickinson) 18:01