The Iron Maidens | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | Heavy metal |
Years active | 2001–present |
Labels | Powerslave |
Members |
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Past members | |
Website | theironmaidens |
The Iron Maidens are an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 2001 [2] as an all-female tribute act to English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. [3] The band currently consists of drummer Linda McDonald, bassist Wanda Ortiz, lead vocalist Kirsten Rosenberg and guitarists Nikki Stringfield and Shani Kimelman.
The Iron Maidens were originally formed in June 2001 by lead vocalist Jenny Warren and bassist Melanie Sisneros, formerly of the Iron Maiden tribute band Wrathchild. [4] Drummer Linda McDonald and guitarist Josephine Draven, both formerly of Phantom Blue, and guitarist Sara Marsh, joined Warren and Sisneros shortly afterward to form the band's first lineup. [5] [6] Sisneros left the band in 2002 to pursue other interests and was replaced by Wanda Ortiz.
In 2003, the band started work on their debut album. The project was delayed when Warren gave notice of her departure from the band to focus more on her personal and child's needs. [7] After Warren's departure, new vocalist Aja Kim made her debut in the band and helped complete the album ( World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden ), which was released in June 2005. [8]
After the album's release, Draven left the band. In February 2007, Heather Baker joined to replace Draven. In May, the band released its second album Route 666 , which features a guest appearance by Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell. [9]
In summer 2008, Heather Baker and Aja Kim left the band to pursue solo careers. [10] The two were replaced by guitarist Courtney Cox and vocalist Kirsten Rosenberg (formerly of the Maryland-based cover band HighWire). [11] In January 2010, Marsh, who was ill, was taken off some of the Japanese tour shows and did not rejoin the band. [12] Baker rejoined the band to temporarily fill in Marsh's spot for a handful of shows. [12]
In August 2010, The Iron Maidens released a DVD of their Japan tour titled Metal Gathering Tour Live in Japan 2010 . [13] [14]
Upon Marsh's departure from the band, former members Elizabeth Schall and Heather Baker would return briefly to fill in the vacant Murray position (2009–2010). For tours 2010–2014, the role of Dave Murray would be shared between artists Nili Brosh, Nita Strauss, and Nikki Stringfield. In 2014, the band approached Nikki Stringfield to become a permanent member in the Murray position.
Nita Strauss (Ibanez), Courtney Cox (Caparison) and Nikki Stringfield (Schecter) are the first female artists to have their own signature guitar with their associated guitar companies.
In June 2014, Nita Strauss was hired to replace Orianthi as Alice Cooper's touring guitarist for the remaining 2014 tour dates. She has toured with Alice Cooper since that time. [15]
On September 8, 2015, the group announced that long-time guest guitarist Nikki Stringfield had been officially added as a permanent member of the band. [16]
Rosenberg and Stringfield appeared as contestants on the August 3, 2017, episode of the music game show Beat Shazam . [17]
In August 2023, Courtney Cox announced that she was leaving The Iron Maidens to take up a full time role in Burning Witches. [18]
Former members / fill-in members
Paul Andrews, better known by his stage name Paul Di'Anno, was an English heavy metal singer who was the lead vocalist for Iron Maiden from 1978 to 1981. In his post-Maiden career, Di'Anno issued numerous albums over the years, as both a solo artist and as a member of bands such as Gogmagog, Di'Anno's Battlezone, Killers, Rockfellas, and Warhorse.
Adrian Frederick Smith is an English guitarist and singer best known as a member of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, for whom he also writes songs and performs backing vocals both live and in the studio.
Phantom Blue was an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1987. Phantom Blue were the first and only female artists to be signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records, only three months after forming.
"The Evil That Men Do" is a song by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It is the band's seventeenth single and the second from their seventh studio album, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988). The single debuted at number six in the UK charts and quickly rose to number five. The single's B-sides are re-recordings of "Prowler" and "Charlotte the Harlot" which appear as tracks number one and seven/eight respectively on the band's debut album Iron Maiden.
Femme Fatale was an American hard rock band. Originally from Albuquerque, the band moved to Los Angeles and released one studio album before disbanding. Lead vocalist, Lorraine Lewis, restarted the band in 2013 with an all-female line-up.
Linda Ann McDonald is an American musician best known as the drummer of the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens. In addition, she was a member of the Ozzy Osbourne tribute band The Little Dolls and the cover bands Valley Dolls, Crabby Patty and Unholy Pink. Prior to those works, McDonald was the drummer/co-founder of the all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue from its inception in 1987 to its demise in 2001.
The Iron Maidens: World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden is the debut album by American all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens. The album features selected tracks originally performed by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Michael Kenney, keyboardist for Iron Maiden, appears as a guest musician on the Japanese import version.
Route 666 is the second album by the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens and the first under their Japanese label Powerslave Records. It is also the first release featuring guitarist Heather Baker. Produced by Bob Kulick and Brett Chassen, Route 666 is a CD/DVD package, with the DVD featuring the band's live performance at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, CA, on March 12, 2005. Most notable are the guest appearances of Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell and Iron Maiden keyboardist Michael Kenney.
The Root of All Evil is a Japan-only EP release by the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens. It includes three new cover recordings of Iron Maiden songs and a dance remix of "The Trooper." This was the band's last recording to feature lead vocalist Aja Kim and guitarists Sara Marsh and Heather Baker, who left the band.
Full Blown is an EP release by US all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue. Following the release of the live album Caught Live!, lead vocalist Gigi Hangach departed from the band, leaving drummer Linda McDonald as the sole founding member.
Jenny Warren is an American singer, best known as the co-founder of the all-female tribute band the Iron Maidens.
Melanie Sisneros is an American bassist and a member of four bands: Crescent Shield, Whole Lotta Rosies, Hangar 18 and Mz Led. She is also a former member of the bands Sinergy, The Iron Maidens and New Eden.
Elizabeth Schall is a female American singer, songwriter and guitarist, and founder of the death metal band Dreaming Dead and grindcore band Cretin. Prior to that, she was a guitarist of the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens and the death metal band Winterthrall. She is married to fellow death metal musician Leon del Muerte.
Jojo Draven is an Indonesian-born American musician and film score composer. She is a cast member of the Blue Man Group. She has worked as sole touring musician with illusionist Criss Angel. She was also the guitarist for the Shrapnel Records/Geffen Records recording artist all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue and was the co-founder and original member of the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens.
Courtney Cox is an American guitarist and former member of the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens and currently the lead guitarist for heavy metal band Burning Witches.
Kirsten Rosenberg is an American singer, currently with the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens. She is also an animal rights and veganism advocate, as well as a former co-owner of Sticky Fingers, an all-vegan bakery in Washington, D.C.
Metal Gathering Tour Live in Japan 2010 is a Japan-only live video by the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens. Recorded live during their tour in Japan in January 2010, it was the band's first release with new lead vocalist Kirsten Rosenberg and new guitarist Courtney Cox, and also the last to feature guitarist Sara Marsh, who was released from the band after this tour.
Nikki Stringfield (born 1990) is an American heavy metal musician. She is the current guitarist for The Iron Maidens, Femme Fatale, and Heaven Below, as well as the former guitarist for Before the Mourning.
Nita Strauss is an American rock musician. She is currently a touring guitarist for Alice Cooper, has also been a touring guitarist for Demi Lovato and has a successful career as a solo artist. Strauss is regularly featured on the covers of worldwide print magazines including Guitar World and Guitar Player, was the first female signature artist with Ibanez guitars, and became the first female rock solo artist in 32 years to hit number one on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.
Harmonies for the Haunted is the debut EP for American heavy metal musician Nikki Stringfield. Released on 30 October 2019, the album was produced by American musicians Jesse Billson and Patrick Kennison.