10 Greatest Rock Bands With More Than Two Guitarists
3. Iron Maiden
When it comes to guitar partnerships, they don't come much bigger or better than Adrian Smith and Dave Murray of Iron Maiden.
Murray has played on every single Maiden studio release, whilst Smith joined in time for their second release, Killers. Their tight playing style, willingness to rotate lead duties, and those sweet, sweet harmonies have made them a stellar example of a guitar duo; a duo that was broken up when Smith parted ways with the band in 1990.
Though they were a key member down, Maiden needed to carry on, so they recruited seasoned metal guitarist Jannick Gers to replace Smith. They carried on as a two-guitar band until 2000's Brave New World, which saw the triumphant return of Adrian Smith.
Vocalist Bruce Dickinson also re-joined the group for this album, which is a cool fact, but not important to this story.
Rather than kicking Gers out in favour of their old friend, the lads decided to carry on with a trio of guitarists, making their already huge sound even bigger. You could argue that they don't need three guitarists, but when have Iron Maiden ever turned down an opportunity for excess?