How To Play The Mercenary By Iron Maiden

Learn how to play The Mercenary by Iron Maiden, from the album Brave New World.

The Mercenary is from the album Brave New World, the twelfth studio album Iron Maiden, released on 29 May 2000. It was their first studio release since the return of longtime lead singer Bruce Dickinson (who left in 1993) and guitarist Adrian Smith (who left in 1990) in 1999, as well as the band’s first studio recording as a six-piece, as Janick Gers, who replaced Smith in 1990, remained with the band.

Brave New World peaked at No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart, and has since been certified Gold. In the United States, it debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard 200.

Reviews for the album were generally positive. Critics were especially warm towards the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith to the band compared to the previous two releases which featured Blaze Bayley on vocals. Kerrang! described it as “truly towering. Majestic. Bombastic. Titanic. So gloriously in-yer-face you can almost feel its hot breath up your nostrils.” Sputnikmusic described it as “one of the band’s top albums; alongside the likes of Powerslave, Somewhere in Time, and Piece of Mind” and “definitely the easiest album to get into since the band’s glory days.” Classic Rock stated that, while “it may not take too many strides forward,” it “certainly succeeds in reeling back the years to Iron Maiden’s heyday.”

AllMusic were slightly more critical of the album, describing it as “no Number of the Beast”, although going on to say that “as comeback albums go, its excellence was undeniable”, and likewise giving the album a positive rating.

The Mercenary is played in standard tuning in the key of Em.

I have included a backing track for The Mercenary and also the tabalature for the guitar parts. Guitar solos for the Mercenary are played by both Dave Murray and Adrian Smith.

The Mercenary was written by Janick Gers and Steve Harris.

Here is the tablature for Dave Murray:

Here is the tablature for Adrian Smith:

Backing track including Dave Murray:

Backing Track Drums & Bass only: