Steve Harris Defends Iron Maiden’s No Prayer For The Dying

Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris has stepped up to defend the band’s eighth studio album, 1990’s No Prayer For The Dying, reflecting on its stripped-down approach and the one major change he would make to the record in hindsight.

Speaking to Metal Hammer, Harris described the album as “a really strong album” that emerged after a run of increasingly grandiose tours and releases. He noted that the record was slightly influenced by Bruce Dickinson’s solo album, Tattooed Millionaire, which was also released in 1990.

“There are a couple of songs on there where he sings a bit rougher,” Harris said. “I was thinking I could write something where he could sing with that gruff delivery as well.”

Looking Back at No Prayer For The Dying

The band recorded the album in a converted barn on the grounds of Harris’s house using the Rolling Stones Mobile studio in an effort to capture a live sound. Looking back, Harris revealed the singular change he would make to the sessions.

“We probably should have put audience noise on it, because it would have sounded more like a proper live album—we did that with the Tailgunner video, and it made a big difference,” he said.

Harris also addressed criticism aimed at the epic track Mother Russia, stating that he was aiming for a Sergei Prokofiev vibe that he felt he got, regardless of the negative reviews. Unbothered by external criticism, Harris added, “If someone says they don’t like something, that makes me embrace it even more. You’ve got to believe in what you do, don’t you?”

Where the Album Sits in Maiden’s Catalog

No Prayer for the Dying followed 1988’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son and marked several changes at once: guitarist Adrian Smith left the band, replaced by Janick Gers, and Maiden deliberately moved away from the increasingly elaborate, concept-driven sound of the late ’80s. Recording in a converted barn at Harris’s own house with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio was itself part of that reaction — a push for a rawer, more live-sounding record after several years of studio polish. It’s often ranked among the more divisive entries in Maiden’s catalog by fans and critics.