Dylan Gers – son of Iron Maiden guitarist Janick Gers – has released his debut single, Moon Rise.
A far cry from the galloping, full-throttle electric guitar work of his father's legendary metal outfit, the track is considerably more minimalist, with a sparse electric guitar-and-vocal arrangement driven by enveloping, reverb-soaked cleans and subtle lead work.
A notable highlight comes when Gers offers up a soft and emotive solo from the 1:18 mark, channeling contemplation with a carefully curated set of notes. Check it out below.
“Writing this was an interesting task,” Gers says, “as before I had never written a song – I just played my guitar and I was happy. The next thing I knew I had Moon Rise completed. I was trying to find a way to let myself be heard and that was only through music at that time.”
Dylan Gers isn't the first child of an Iron Maiden member to dip their toes in the musical pond. Frontman Bruce Dickinson's two sons have pursued their musical passions; first Austin, who fronted metalcore outfit Rise to Remain until their breakup in 2015, and now fronts As Lions; and Griffin, who was the vocalist of now-defunct English metalcore band SHVPES.
In other Maiden-related news, Bruce Dickinson revealed earlier this year that the band have plans to perform their latest album, Senjutsu, in its entirety on a future tour.
“We all appreciate that that is something that really diehard fans will probably love and other people will go, ‘Hmmm, I'm not gonna go see that,’” he told Chris Jericho in January. “So the answer is you play smaller venues so that they sell out with just your diehard fans. ‘Cause it's a musical thing to do – it's a musical thing.”
