Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain (born 5 June 1952) is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the heavy metal band
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
since 1982. Having played in small pub bands since 1966 from the age of 14, McBrain paid his bills after graduating from school with session work before he joined a variety of artists, such as
Streetwalkers in 1975,
Pat Travers
Patrick Henry Travers (born April 12, 1954) is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career in the mid-1970s.
Early life
Travers was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Soon after picking up the guitar at ag ...
, and the French political band,
Trust
Trust often refers to:
* Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality
It may also refer to:
Business and law
* Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another
* Trust (bus ...
. He joined Iron Maiden (replacing
Clive Burr
Clive Ronald Burr (8 March 1957 – 13 March 2013) was an English drummer. He was a member of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1979 to 1982.
Career
Previously a member of Samson, Burr joined Iron Maiden in 1979. Auditioning and joining ...
), in time to debut on their fourth album ''
Piece of Mind
''Piece of Mind'' is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 16 May 1983 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. It was the first album to feature drummer Ni ...
'' (1983), and has remained with them since, contributing to a total of fourteen studio releases, as well as being the third-longest serving member of the band.
Biography
McBrain was born in
Hackney, London, and first wanted to learn the drums at a young age after watching
Joe Morello
Joseph Albert Morello (July 17, 1928 – March 12, 2011) was an American jazz drummer best known for serving as the drummer for pianist Dave Brubeck, as part of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, from 1957 to 1972, including during the quartet's "classic ...
performing with
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...
on television. At the age of ten, he started to play drums with pots, pans and other kitchen utensils, before, to his parents' dismay, he began drumming on the gas cooker with a pair of knives and chipped off the paintwork. McBrain recalls that he was eleven or twelve before his father bought him his first drum kit, "which was basically one snare, one tom-tom, one cymbal, two drumsticks and a pair of brushes." He soon started playing
Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
and
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
covers with school bands, before he began regularly playing "pubs and weddings" by the age of 14.
McBrain had his nose broken in a fight at school which left him with his trademark flat features.
He never underwent surgery to repair his nose.
After obtaining a degree in engineering at
Southgate Technical College
Barnet and Southgate College is a further education college in North London, England. The current college was established in 2011. It has three main campuses and two other learning centres in the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough o ...
at his parents' request,
McBrain rather paid his rent by undertaking
session work.
His first "proper" band was "The 18th Fairfield Walk", later known as "Peyton Bond", a small pub band, which he decided was "never gonna go anywhere" as they only performed
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
, The Beatles and
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
covers. McBrain soon left to join "The Wells Street Blues Band", which renamed themselves "The Axe" in 1969, a group which played their own material. This band split up after an argument between the singer and the guitarist, and McBrain began playing with Billy Day, a singer and keyboardist, and Michael "Mickey" Lesley, a guitarist, in 1971. At that point, he was known as "Nicky", a nickname given to him by his parents after his
teddy bear
A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff under his aunt Margarete Steiff's company in Germany in the early 20th century, the teddy bear, ...
, Nicholas, until an intoxicated Billy Day introduced him to
Dick Asher
Martin Richard Asher is an American lawyer and former recording company executive. He is currently an affiliate professor of music business and an advisor to the undergraduate commercial music program at Florida Atlantic University.
Biography
D ...
, head of
CBS Records CBS Records may refer to:
* CBS Records or CBS/Sony, former name of Sony Music, a global record company
* CBS Records International, label for Columbia Records recordings released outside North America from 1962 to 1990
* CBS Records (2006), founde ...
, as "Neeko", while they were recording at CBS Studios,
Whitfield Street
Whitfield Street is a street in the London Borough of Camden that runs from Warren Street in the north to Windmill Street in the south. The street is crossed by Grafton Way, Maple Street, Howland Street, Wayland Street, and Goodge Street. Whitf ...
. McBrain liked the name, changing it to ''Nicko'' "so that it sounded more English", and decided to keep it even after leaving the group.
In 1973, McBrain performed on a single by Cockerel Chorus, "
Nice One Cyril", on the label Young Blood.
Also in 1973, McBrain played on a self-titled album by guitarist
Gordon Giltrap
Gordon Giltrap, MBE (born 6 April 1948) is an English guitarist and composer. His music crosses several genres. He has been described as "one of the most revered guitarists of his generation", and has drawn praise from fellow musicians including S ...
. This is notable not only as McBrain's album debut, but also because Giltrap in 1978 released an album called ''
Fear of the Dark
Fear of the dark is a common fear or phobia among children and, to a varying degree, adults. A fear of the dark does not always concern darkness itself; it can also be a fear of possible or imagined dangers concealed by darkness. Some degree ...
'' and used a font for his logo that is quite similar to the one used by Iron Maiden.
In 1975, he began playing with
Streetwalkers, before joining
Pat Travers
Patrick Henry Travers (born April 12, 1954) is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career in the mid-1970s.
Early life
Travers was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Soon after picking up the guitar at ag ...
, singer
Jenny Darren
Jenny Darren is a British rock singer. Her initial claim to fame was that the Pat Benatar hit "Heartbreaker (Pat Benatar song), Heartbreaker" was written for her. She is known for her bluesy rock voice, on such tracks as "Ladykiller", and the Buk ...
, McKitty and then the French band,
Trust
Trust often refers to:
* Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality
It may also refer to:
Business and law
* Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another
* Trust (bus ...
, with whom he met
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
for the first time, while touring together in 1981. In 1982, the band asked McBrain to replace
Clive Burr
Clive Ronald Burr (8 March 1957 – 13 March 2013) was an English drummer. He was a member of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1979 to 1982.
Career
Previously a member of Samson, Burr joined Iron Maiden in 1979. Auditioning and joining ...
, and as news of Burr's departure had not yet been announced, McBrain made his first appearance with Iron Maiden on German TV disguised as
Eddie
Eddie or Eddy may refer to:
Science and technology
*Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle
* Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...
. He formed a close partnership with bassist
Steve Harris, and completed what many critics consider the band's "definitive" line-up, releasing a series of gold and platinum selling albums throughout the 1980s.
While the band's line-up went through several changes during the 1990s, McBrain remained in Iron Maiden, and since the return of
Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith (born 27 February 1957) is an English guitarist 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.
Smith grew up in London ...
and
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958) is an English singer who has been the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1993 and 1999–present. He is known for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and energetic stage ...
in 1999 the group has undergone a resurgence in popularity, and are now considered by some as "bigger than ever".
When he's not recording and touring with Iron Maiden, McBrain often plays with side projects including a band called McBrain Damage which played Iron Maiden covers. In March 2017, he was a guest drummer with the
8G Band on
Late Night with Seth Meyers
''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' is an American late-night news and political satire talk show hosted by Seth Meyers on NBC. The show premiered on February 24, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. Airing weeknights a ...
.
McBrain writes all the drum parts for Iron Maiden's songs. He received only one songwriting credit on an album, for "New Frontier", from 2003's ''
Dance of Death'', which expresses his opposition to
human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy (or clone) of a human. The term is generally used to refer to artificial human cloning, which is the reproduction of human cells and tissue. It does not refer to the natural concepti ...
, arising from his religious beliefs. He had previously received two songwriting credits for non-album tracks: 1984's "Mission From 'Arry", which was actually a recording of a backstage argument with Steve Harris, and 1992's "Nodding Donkey Blues", which were B-sides of the singles "
2 Minutes to Midnight" and "
Be Quick or Be Dead
"Be Quick or Be Dead" is a song by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released as the first single from their ninth studio album, ''Fear of the Dark'', on 13 April 1992. The single peaked at 2 on the UK Singles Chart and in Finland while reac ...
", respectively.
Drumming style
McBrain's drumming has been an important element of Iron Maiden's sound from 1983's ''
Piece of Mind
''Piece of Mind'' is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 16 May 1983 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. It was the first album to feature drummer Ni ...
'' onwards, with guitarist
Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith (born 27 February 1957) is an English guitarist 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.
Smith grew up in London ...
remarking that, "he always had the chops and the technique, but in Maiden he really exploded, to the point where a lot of stuff we did after he joined was then founded on his playing, all those busy patterns he does, displaying tremendous technique." As described in detail on the band's 2004
documentary, ''Piece of Mind'' opening track, "Where Eagles Dare", famously displays McBrain's ability to use the single drum pedal very quickly, plus his rapid tom fills.
He is often considered among the best and most influential heavy metal/hard rock drummers of all time.
In the 2008 ''
Live After Death
''Live After Death'' is a live album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, originally released in October 1985 on EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in the US (it was re-released by Sanctuary/Columbia Records in the US in 200 ...
'' DVD, Steve Gadd, McBrain's then drum technician, comments that, on the
World Slavery Tour
The World Slavery Tour was a concert tour by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden in support of their fifth album, ''Powerslave'', beginning in Warsaw, Poland on 9 August 1984 and ending in Irvine, California on 5 July 1985.
Background
The tour w ...
, some drummers would refer to McBrain as an 'octopus' after witnessing the way in which his stamina gives him the ability to use all of his large signature drum kit in concert.
McBrain often employs the back end of his left hand drum stick to allow for more powerful "snare hits". He is known for not using a double bass pedal, with Bruce Dickinson commenting that he refused to use one on "Where Eagles Dare", considering them 'undrummerish'.
He claims to have only ever used a double pedal once on "Face in the Sand", from ''
Dance of Death'', preferring to use a DW 5000 Accelerator single pedal. Since switching to the DW pedal in 2000, McBrain plays barefoot, stating that it gives him "more freedom."
Steve Harris remarks that "...he can play all kinds of music. Drummers from other bands sit round the back of him to see what he's doing, but he's got his kit set so he doesn't even look at what he's hitting half the time". After McBrain joined the band in 1982, Harris also noted how much easier playing with McBrain was for a songwriter, with Adrian Smith claiming that, "Steve loves playing with him.
hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
used to work for hours going over these bass and drum patterns."
In 1988, McBrain collaborated with Andrew Chapman on a book entitled ''Iron Maiden & Nicko McBrain's Rhythms of the Beast'', which was published by
Warner Bros. Music
Warner Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publisher, music publishing company and a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group. Warner Chappell Music's catalogue consists of over 1.4 million compositions and 65,000 composers, with offices in ove ...
in 1990. The book featured complete transcriptions of McBrain's drum work on twelve classic Iron Maiden songs, including six live versions as recorded on the band's 1985 album ''Live After Death''. After selling internationally for several years, the book was taken out of print. Used copies are occasionally found for sale online.
In 1991, McBrain released an instructional drum video, entitled ''Rhythms of the Beast'' (not related to the above book of the same name), which was re-released on DVD in 2010. The video features McBrain demonstrating his technique, and covers tuning, soloing and parts of the drum kit.
In 2020, McBrain was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame.
Equipment
McBrain is a long-time user of
Paiste
Paiste (English pronunciation: , ) is a Swiss musical instrument manufacturing company. It is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. is an Estonian word that means "shine".
Apart from cymbals and gong ...
cymbals
and currently plays
British Drum Company drums, moving from Sonor Drums and having previously endorsed
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
.
For ''
A Matter of Life and Death'' he used his
Ludwig metal shell LM 402 snare drum which was purchased in 1975, making it the oldest drum in his kit.
He endorses his own signature line of drum sticks made by
Vic Firth
Everett Joseph "Vic" Firth (June 2, 1930 – July 26, 2015) was an American musician and the founder of Vic Firth Company (formerly Vic Firth, Inc.), a company that makes percussion mallet, percussion sticks and mallets.
Biography
Vic Firt ...
.
As of 2016, McBrain also uses
Remo
Remo Inc. is an American musical instruments manufacturing company based in Valencia, California, and founded by Remo Belli in 1957. Products manufactured include drum kits, drumheads, drums, and hardware.
History
Drummer and founder Re ...
drumheads, Sonor hardware, an
LP cowbell and a
DW 9000 single pedal.
In 2016, McBrain played on a
Sonor
Sonor is a German musical instrument manufacturing company headquartered in Bad Berleburg. Established in 1875, it is one of the oldest percussion companies in the world. Sonor currently manufactures drum kits and hardware.
Apart from drum ki ...
SQ² Custom drum kit made of beech, with a snare drum of birch.
In 2010, McBrain used a
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Elite drum kit.
While touring in 1986–87, he played a Sonor Phonic Plus High Tech drum kit.
In 2022, McBrain announced his new endorsement with the British Drum Company (or BDC).
Personal life
McBrain is married to Rebecca McBrain (née Dempsey) and has two sons: Nicholas (born 1983) and Justin (born 1992).
He lives in
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...
.
McBrain converted to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
in 1999 after an experience in the Spanish River Church, near his Boca Raton home.
His wife, Rebecca, had been asking him to attend with her, and upon entering the church, McBrain soon found himself crying as he experienced a "calling". Recounting the tale, he said "I just sat there thinking, 'I didn't drink last night... why can't I stand?' I had this love affair with Jesus going on in my heart."
In 1988, McBrain appeared as a guest on ''
The Sooty Show
''The Sooty Show'' is a British children's television series, created by Harry Corbett, and produced for the BBC from 1955 to 1967, and then for ITV from 1968 until 1992. The show, part of the ''Sooty'' franchise, focuses on the mischievous adv ...
'', in which he played drums with
Sooty
Sooty is a British children's television media franchise created by Harry Corbett incorporating primarily television and stage shows. The franchise originated with his fictional glove puppet character introduced to television in 1955, with the ...
and
Sweep
Sweep or swept may refer to:
Cleaning
* Sweep, the action of using a brush to clean
* Chimney sweep, a worker who clears ash and soot from chimneys
* Street sweeper, a person's occupation, or a machine that cleans streets
* Swept quartz, a cleani ...
. In reference to his appearance on the show, McBrain's drum kit has since been decorated with a Sooty puppet, which is often dressed accordingly with the band's corresponding tours.
McBrain has a pilot's licence, for which he has a twin engine rating.
In 2003, McBrain was arrested prior to an Iron Maiden show in
Wantagh, New York
Wantagh ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, New York, United States. The population was 18,871 at the time of the 2010 census.
Wantagh is known as "The Gateway to Jones Be ...
. While pulling into the venue's VIP parking lot, an attendant asked for McBrain's credentials. Following a misunderstanding, McBrain threatened to drive into the attendant, and did so twice, injuring the attendant on the second attempt. McBrain was arrested and charged with third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment. He was released on an appearance ticket, allowing him to perform in the show.
In 2009, he opened a restaurant called Rock 'N' Roll Ribs in
Coral Springs, Florida
Coral Springs, officially the City of Coral Springs, is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is located approximately northwest of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Fort Lauderdale. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. C ...
. The restaurant received positive reviews on an episode of ''Check, Please! South Florida'' and was awarded "Best Ribs of 2012" by ''
New Times Broward-Palm Beach
''New Times Broward-Palm Beach'' is a news website that until 2016 also published a weekly print newspaper; it is part of the Voice Media Group chain. The original paper split off from the ''Miami New Times'' in 1997, under the auspices of th ...
''.
McBrain is a fan of snooker and has attended the
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker. It is also the wealthiest, with total prize money in 2022 of £2,395,000, including £500,000 for the winner. First held in 1927 Wor ...
s at the
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre (often referred to simply as "The Crucible") is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England which opened in 1971. Although it hosts regular theatrical performances, it is best known for hosting professional snooker's m ...
,
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
.
He also enjoys playing golf in his spare time, along with his bandmate
Dave Murray, and is a friend of Swedish golfer and Florida resident
Jesper Parnevik
Jesper Bo Parnevik (; born 7 March 1965) is a Swedish professional golfer. He spent 38 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking in 2000 and 2001.
Early years and amateur career
Parnevik was born in Botkyrka, Stockholm County, a ...
, whom he met at
Ullna Golf Club Ullna Golf & Country Club is a golf club situated 20 km north of Stockholm on the shore of Lake Ullna in the municipality of Österåker, Sweden. The premier championship venue in the region at the time, it hosted the Scandinavian Enterprise Open o ...
in Sweden.
![Jaguar XJ, GIMS 2018, Le Grand-Saconnex (1X7A1206)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Jaguar_XJ%2C_GIMS_2018%2C_Le_Grand-Saconnex_%281X7A1206%29.jpg)
Since he is a lifelong enthusiast of
Jaguar Cars
Jaguar (, ) is the luxury vehicle brand of Jaguar Land Rover, a British multinational car manufacturer with its headquarters in Whitley, Coventry, England. Jaguar Cars was the company that was responsible for the production of Jaguar cars ...
, the manufacturer built a custom
XKR-S model to McBrain's specifications in 2012. In March 2018, ''Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works'' revealed a customized
Jaguar XJ
The Jaguar XJ is a series of full-size luxury cars produced by British automobile manufacturer Jaguar Cars (becoming Jaguar Land Rover in 2013) from 1968 to 2019. It was produced across five basic platform generations (debuting in 1968, 1986, 1 ...
Series III for McBrain.
In 2015, McBrain stopped drinking alcohol after seeing an interview in which he had had too much wine and has remained sober to this day.
In 2018, he also launched a musical instrument store named Drum One in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, England. The retailer specialises in
drum kits
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player ( drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsti ...
and related merchandise. To promote the launch of the store, McBrain conducted an interview with
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
drummer
Ian Paice
Ian Anderson Paice (born 29 June 1948) is an English musician, best known as the drummer and last remaining original member of the rock band Deep Purple.
He is often cited as one of the greatest drummers of all-time. He remains the only membe ...
.
Discography
;Cockerel Chorus
* ''
Nice One Cyril'' (1973)
;Gordon Giltrap
* ''Giltrap'' (1973)
;Streetwalkers
* ''Downtown Flyers'' (1975)
* ''
Red Card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction.
Red card may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers
* Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or d ...
'' (1976)
;Pat Travers
* ''Makin' Magic'' (1977)
* ''
Putting It Straight
''Putting It Straight'' is a rock album by Pat Travers. It was released in 1977 on Polydor Records.
The songs were listed on the back cover of the album in a different sequence than on the original LP pressing. Some later CD versions had the ...
'' (1977)
;Jenny Darren
* ''Jenny Darren'' (1980)
;Trust
* ''Marche ou Crève'' (Original French Release)/''Savage'' (English Language Version) (1981)
;WhoCares
* "
Out of My Mind" (2011)
;Solo
* ''Rhythms of the Beast'' (instructional drum video) (1991)
;Iron Maiden
* ''
Piece of Mind
''Piece of Mind'' is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 16 May 1983 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. It was the first album to feature drummer Ni ...
'' (1983)
* ''
Powerslave
''Powerslave'' is the fifth studio album by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 3 September 1984 through EMI Records in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in North America. It was re-released by Sanctuary and Columbia ...
'' (1984)
* ''
Somewhere in Time'' (1986)
* ''
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
''Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'' is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 11 April 1988 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. Like '' The Number of the ...
'' (1988)
* ''
No Prayer for the Dying
''No Prayer for the Dying'' is the eighth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It is their first album to feature Janick Gers on guitar, who replaced Adrian Smith. Smith left the band during the pre-production phase, unhappy ...
'' (1990)
* ''
Fear of the Dark
Fear of the dark is a common fear or phobia among children and, to a varying degree, adults. A fear of the dark does not always concern darkness itself; it can also be a fear of possible or imagined dangers concealed by darkness. Some degree ...
'' (1992)
* ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' (1995)
* ''
Virtual XI
''Virtual XI'' (pronounced "Virtual Eleven") is the eleventh studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 23 March 1998. It is the band's second and final album with Blaze Bayley on vocals. It also marks the first album to ...
'' (1998)
* ''
Brave New World
''Brave New World'' is a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hierarch ...
'' (2000)
* ''
Dance of Death'' (2003)
* ''
A Matter of Life and Death'' (2006)
* ''
The Final Frontier
''The Final Frontier'' is the fifteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 13 August 2010 in Germany, Austria and Finland, 17 August in North America, 18 August in Japan, and 16 August worldwide. At 76&nbs ...
'' (2010)
* ''
The Book of Souls
''The Book of Souls'' is the sixteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released in 4 September 2015. It is the band's first studio double album, and also their longest to date, with a total length of 92 minutes and 11 s ...
'' (2015)
*''
Senjutsu'' (2021)
;Smith/Kotzen
* ''
Smith/Kotzen
Smith/Kotzen is the name of a musical collaboration between musicians Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden and Richie Kotzen of The Winery Dogs.
Their self-titled debut album, released on March 26, 2021, was described by the Ultimate Classic Rock as a m ...
'' (2021)
Notes
Literature
*
*
External links
Nicko McBrain's DrumOne*
*
Nicko McBrain InterviewNAMM Oral History Library (2018)
{{DEFAULTSORT:McBrain, Nicko
1952 births
Living people
English rock drummers
English heavy metal drummers
Iron Maiden members
Trust (French band) members
English people of Scottish descent
English people of Irish descent
English expatriates in the United States
People from Hackney Central
People from Chipping Barnet
English Christians
Converts to Christianity
Stretch (band) members
Streetwalkers members
Blues rock musicians