“Although it might not feel natural, when you translate what he does for guitar, it sounds different”: Adrian Smith on how Steve Harris is the secret to Iron Maiden’s triple-guitar attack – and the prog instincts driving their sonic evolution

Adrian Smith and Steve Harris of Iron Maiden lock in onstage as they perform Long Beach in 2003. Smith plays his Olympic White Fender Strat. Harris is on his trusty Precision Bass.

The signs were there from the very beginning that Iron Maiden were not going to be just another NWOBHM band.

They had the gnarly logo. They had Eddie, their undead mascot, and in Derek Riggs, Eddie's creator, they had found the artist to give them the visuals to match their sound – and what a sound.