Former Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton has shared his reflections on the band’s new feature documentary, “Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition“, voicing concern over how the film handles the group’s foundational years and its narrative framing of former vocalist Blaze Bayley.
The film, directed by Malcolm Venville and produced by Dominic Freeman, launched a limited theatrical run on May 7, 2026, mapping out the heavy metal icons’ five-decade career. Dennis Stratton attended the world premiere on May 5 at Cineworld Leicester Square in London and later watched the film a second time during a visit to Belgrade, Serbia.
Speaking with the “Paulieflix” YouTube channel, the guitarist explained that while the project serves as a fantastic piece of history for the global fanbase, certain creative choices left him disappointed.
A major point of contention for Dennis Stratton was the film’s editorial tone regarding the mid-1990s, the period when Blaze Bayley took over fronting the band following the departure of Bruce Dickinson. Dennis Stratton, who met Blaze Bayley for the first time on the red carpet at the London premiere, felt the documentary placed undue blame on the singer for the band’s shifts in venue scale.
“I’d never met Blaze [Bayley, former Iron Maiden singer] before until we got on the red carpet [at the London premiere], and Blaze was in front of me. And he turned around and we had a hug, and we had some photos done together. And we said, ‘We finally meet after all these years.’ And we had a long chat. It was great. But at the same time, watching the film, I felt really sorry for Blaze, because the way it was narrated, it was as if the minute Blaze joins the band, they go downhill. People start burning records. People start talking about this devil cult, and then they’re playing clubs. And I thought, ‘Hold on a minute. This is, this is angling towards… ‘ It sounds like that Blaze is getting the blame for the band going downhill, which it was nothing like that. Blaze did — I think it was three albums, really good albums. As Steve [Harris, Iron Maiden bassist and founder] said to me on the phone, he contributed towards them albums. So you gotta take your hat off to Blaze for walking into the boots of Bruce [Dickinson, longtime Iron Maiden vocalist] and then trying to pick up where Bruce left off. It’s a killer job,” he stated (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
The guitarist added that the documentary’s framing of Bruce Dickinson‘s 1999 reunion felt structured to create an instant contrast rather than a balanced representation of the band’s timeline.
“And the way that was portrayed was, like, ‘Oh, now they’re playing in clubs.’ And then the punchline was when Bruce came back and Steve said, ‘Why do you wanna come back?’ He went, ‘Because I’m fed up playing small shows. I wanna play big shows.’ So it was as if the minute Bruce came back, the band was massive again. It didn’t sort of like jell in a friendly kind of way, if you know what I mean,'” he continued.
Dennis Stratton performed with the rising New Wave of British Heavy Metal act from December 1979 until October 1980. He played a significant role on Iron Maiden‘s seminal 1980 self-titled debut album, Iron Maiden, contributing guitar work and harmonies to enduring tracks like “Phantom Of The Opera,” “Running Free,” and the band’s self-titled anthem, “Iron Maiden.”
He emphasized that his observations are not born out of resentment, but out of a respect for the intricate musical changes that occurred during the band’s formative years.
“I don’t want the Maiden family or the Maiden fans saying ‘it’s sour grapes’ or ‘he’s got the hump because he’s [not in the band].’ I haven’t. It’s a film for the fans. I’m proud of what I did in Maiden first couple of years, and also what I took into it and working on them early songs. Because, yes, in 1979, it’s said many times that the band was very punky and very aggressive, and that’s how we liked it. But you still had to have a bit of class, and that’s when separating them guitars and adding a couple of little vocal harmonies, that’s when you start making the songs a bit more interesting, not so punky, not so raw. And that’s what I’m pleased about. The fact is we’d worked on them first two albums, and I think they’d come out pretty well. So, as I say, the film’s fantastic for the fans, but for me, [it’s] just a little bit sad that they rushed through the early days, that’s all,” he concluded.
The release of Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition arrives as Iron Maiden continues their massive, two-year “Run For Your Lives” world tour, which recently featured a homecoming performance at London Stadium. The tour will also anchor the upcoming EddFest celebration in Knebworth Park.
Founded by Steve Harris in 1975, Iron Maiden has evolved into an unmatched global force, generating 17 studio albums and selling over 100 million records. Alongside historical footage, the documentary features perspective from high-profile cultural figures including Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich, and Chuck D, with promotional art crafted by Spanish illustrator Alberto “Akirant” Quirantes.
