In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris talked about being influenced by punk.

He said:

“No, some people mistook us for playing punky stuff, but we actually didn’t like punks at all. The punks back then couldn’t really play their instruments like the later ones.”

When asked about playing fast, he said:

“I think we were just naturally fast artists because of that adrenaline. It’s not like we sat down and said, ‘Oh, we’re going to play fast.’

“You start with the adrenaline and get onstage and it was even faster than it was when you recorded it. Sometimes it can get a bit out of hand, but the energy at a gig can be really quite amazing at times. It was never premeditated.”

On songwriting:

“I grew up loving history. It was one of my favorite subjects at school, so a lot of it stems from that.

“And it’s just a fascination with the awful things people are capable of doing to each other and the positions normal everyday people get put in that they wouldn’t normally have to deal with. I have respect for anybody that has to go and do whatever they have to do to protect their country.”