Signed to EMI/Capitol shortly thereafter, Maiden set out on conquering the rest of the world. 1980's self-titled release quickly became a classic and influential debut, as the band merged punk's energy with metal's riffs, serving as the blueprint for such future hard rock genres as thrash and speed metal. 1981 saw the release of their sophomore effort, Killers, as well as a stopgap live EP, Maiden Japan. But despite worldwide success lurking just around the corner, Di'Anno was either booted from the band or left on his own by the fall of 1981 (he's since admitted that he was partying a tad too hard around the time of his departure from Maiden). As just about any '80s-metal fan knows, Maiden found a worthy replacement in former Samson frontman Bruce Dickinson, and promptly became one of the world's top metal outfits.
In his post-Maiden career, Di'Anno has issued numerous albums over the years, as both a solo artist and as a member of such bands as Gogmagog, Battlezone, Praying Mantis, and Killers. In the mid-'90s, rumors began to surface that Di'Anno might be rejoining Maiden (after the exit of Dickinson in 1993), but the speculation proved to be false, as Maiden hooked up with former Wolfsbane vocalist Blaze Bayley, before reuniting with Dickinson in 1999. By the dawn of the new millennium, Di'Anno was living in Brazil, still playing music (releasing his latest solo album, Nomad, in August of 2000), and overseeing a hotel/restaurant that he owns in England. Although he appeared on only two albums with Iron Maiden, their work with Paul Di'Anno remains among metal's all-time finest. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi