Book excerpt: Formed in East London by bassist Steve Harris in 1975, Iron Maiden are one of the most popular heavy metal bands ever. It didn’t start that way though. Killers –The Origins of Iron Maiden traces their humble roots and the personnel changes that plagued them as the band strived to find the winning formula Covered here are the legendary Soundhouse Tapes, the two acclaimed Paul Di’Anno fronted albums – the self-titled 1980 debut and 1981’s Killers – and the commercial breakthrough with 1982’s The Number Of The Beast, which marked Bruce Dickinson’s debut, and its highly acclaimed followed up Piece Of Mind, which cemented Iron Maiden’s status as the world’s biggest heavy metal band. This unique book is the first to focus on Iron Maiden’s important formative years. It includes a foreword by Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal and an afterword from ex-Judas Priest frontman Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens.