Editing Iron Maiden (section)

===Claims of Satanic references===
The 1982 release of ''[[The Number of the Beast (album)|The Number of the Beast]]'' created some controversy for the band. The artwork and title track led to Christian groups in the United States branding the band as [[Satanism|Satanists]], encouraging people to destroy copies of the release.{{sfn|Young(1)}} The band's manager, Rod Smallwood, later said the groups initially burnt the records, but later decided to destroy them with hammers due to fear of breathing in the melting vinyl's fumes.{{sfnm|1a1=Eagle Vision|1y=2001|2a1=Young(1)}} The protests were not restricted to the US, with Christian organisations preventing Iron Maiden from performing in Chile in 1992.{{sfn|Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles|2011(2)}}

The band have always denied the notion they are Satanists, with lead vocalist, Bruce Dickinson, doing so on-stage in the ''[[Live After Death]]'' concert video.{{sfn|EMI|2008}} Steve Harris has since commented that, "It was mad. They completely got the wrong end of the stick. They obviously hadn't read the lyrics. They just wanted to believe all that rubbish about us being Satanists."{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=228}} Harris has also said that "[[The Number of the Beast (song)|The Number of the Beast]]" song was inspired by a nightmare he had after watching ''[[Damien: Omen II]]'',{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=224}} and also influenced by [[Robert Burns]]' "[[Tam o' Shanter (poem)|Tam o' Shanter]]".{{sfn|Eagle Vision|2001}} The band's drummer, Nicko McBrain, has been a born-again Christian since 1999.{{sfn|Godscare}}