Several online book retailers, including Google, Adlibris, Lehmanns and various Amazon sites, are advertising an upcoming autobiography from IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith. Titled “Monsters Of River And Rock: My Life As Iron Maiden’s Compulsive Angler”, the 288-page book will be released via Ebury, the non-fiction specialists of Penguin Random House.

 

Smith is not the first member of IRON MAIDEN to publish an autobiography. Back in October 2017, singer Bruce Dickinson’s “What Does This Button Do?” landed at No. 10 on The New York Times “Hardcover Nonfiction” best sellers list. It was released in the U.S. via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Smith and Dickinson each left IRON MAIDEN for a few years in the 1990s but returned 20 years ago. The lineup has stayed intact since, with Dickinson and Smith joined by Dave Murray (guitar), Janick Gers (guitar), Steve Harris (bass) and Nicko McBrain (drums). “There’s not that many bands that have been around as long as we have,” Smith told the New York Post earlier in the month. “I left the band in ’89, I had a bit of a break, which was great for me. I appreciate every second of it now, but maybe in the ’80s it was slightly different. I think we really enjoy playing live. It’s hard with the traveling, it’s hard for anybody. It’s unique, the fact that we’ve been together for so long, but I suppose as long as people want to come see us, we’ll keep putting on shows.”

 

Smith has been a major contributor to MAIDEN songwriting, including on the classic songs “2 Minutes To Midnight”, “Can I Play With Madness” and “The Evil That Men Do”. After Smith returned to the group, Dickinson said: “I think everybody was a bit surprised at how much we missed him… I wouldn’t have rejoined IRON MAIDEN if he wasn’t in the band.”