Reviews (page 10 of 14)
bem cruzão né honestamente eu prefiro esse álbum aos outros que são mais limpinhos das ideia não é ruim não, mas passa meio distante de ser algo revolucionário
caralho, mais rock. novamente, achei que ia ser bem pior. foi divertido, até. tem umas guitarrada boa, uns refrãozim chiclete. heavy metal do fim dos anos 70/início dos 80 era isso aí, né. muita cocaína para tocar guitarra e fé em deus.
Although this style of metal got really played out by the 90s, this is a surprisingly energetic and fresh debut from Iron Maiden. The hard hitting riffs pair with the melodic vocals quite well. There were some interesting prog elements on here as well. You can tell they had a lot of influence from earlier 70s acts such as Zeppelin. Not my favorite but was a pretty cool listen.
I remember this album. It's pretty good - like Kiss but with better guitars.
It has its moments, but doesn't feel as groundbreaking as the heavy acts that came before, or as rich as some that would come on its heels.
A classic I suppose, although there are better Maiden albums, like Killers.. the one that followed
Good, but their best albums came later. The absence of Bruce Dickinson's vocals really subtracts from the album, yet their signature sound is already present in the instrumentals.
It’s somewhere between hard rock and hair rock, unsurprisingly given its release date. Did it influence the latter, who knows. Anyway, it’s got some good galloping riffs and solos, and while I don’t really know their work, it sounds quite ‘Maiden’y’. So I guess there’s some development of what is in my head ‘their sound’. However, they’re totally let down by the singer, just very bland, no wonder they got shot of him. All in all, there’s no good or bad songs as such. File under ‘interesting listen but unlikely again’.
While not even close to Maiden's best albums, you can hear loud and clear, what would be THE Iron Maiden sound, of dual guitars playing searing licks, throughout the tracks.
This record is better than you think it will be.
okii 7/10
There are many more deserving Maiden albums.
Far better than expected! The album shines with captivating vocals and a very catchy sound. While enjoyable, it doesn’t quite sweep me off my feet
Some good songs, some less memorable. Like Paul Di Anno’s vocals but nothing hits peak epic like in their later albums. You can see glimpses of it, just not there yet.
Pleasantly surprised. Particularly enjoyed Phantom of the Opera. More heavy rock than heavy metal.
I don’t want to be disrespectful to Paul Di’Anno—he’s clearly giving his all to the material (and he died just two months ago). But as good as the rest of the band is…it’s clear that Bruce Dickinson was the missing ingredient they needed to be truly great.
It was just ok. Nothing much.
This was alright, but I prefer their later stuff
It was fine. Simpsons: Yes
A band that I've always thought I should listen to more, but have never got really into. Only knew one song on this album. The rest were nice but not very memorable.
Dumb and fun I guess.
I honestly found the repetitiveness of it dull
Honestly pretty basic hard rock. I understand they canned this vocalist and I agree with that decision. Can't wait to hear a later album. Great riffs and a couple good ballads actually
not my favourite Iron Maiden album, but hey, it's IronMaiden.
I've only heard the name Iron Maiden before but this is...well...expected. Metal. Riffs are cool, rhythms too. Still, I don't like that vocal and I don't like the timbre of the drums much. Songs are good themselves. I think its a roughly 3, I'm just...not that into metal. Solo in Phantom of the Opera is cool. Transylvania is very impressive too.
Fun fact: the monster on the cover is named Eddie
The music was what you'd expect, but the vocals were lacking the flair I've come to expect from Iron Maiden. Having only been exposed to Bruce Dickinson's vocals this left me wanting something different. Overall still a decent album.
Not my usual cup of tea but i enjoyed it more then i thought would listen to again
Liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Sounds better today to me than it did back in the day.
Never heard the album before. Interesting. Much more variety than I expected. Some of the songs go on too long. Some of the vocals are solid, some not as great (Strange World) Interesting that one of the highlights of the album for me, the guitars on Phantom of the Opera, resulted in the guitarist getting fired for sounding too much like Queen.
its alrighty
I mean great playing, especially on the guitar and drums. They work fast, but in rhythm. Not my type of music, but one I sure damn respect.
Good for the rock
Otimo album. Ironico ouvir isso hoje e nao achar heavy metal. Assim como Meat Loaf, esse album é facil de ouvir e nada muito fadonho ou paia. 3 estrelas para OS DO ROCK EU SEI QUEM SAO
Iron Maiden is a classic to come back to, most of their music is still solid, not too much fuss just straight rock. 3.3
why are you so mean to her
This is probably the most I've liked an 80's metal album (depending on your definition of metal, I'm not going to dip even a toe into the argument about hair, I dealt with enough of those arguments in college about things that mattered way more than this). It's not thrash! I thought this was more varied and interesting than most metal albums, but I still don't think I'd play this on a whim, nor could I pick out a song that I may add to my rotation. It may be weird to rate this higher than Slipknot, because I have come back to Snuff a couple of times, but I never hated listening to this. Maybe I've just gotten used to metal at this point.
Not much of a metal person at all, however, was pleasantly surprised by this album. It wasn't "heavy" which made me appreciate it. You'll find some phenomenal beats and rhythms throughout this piece of art. I would say "Running Free" is the best track on the album followed by "Phantom of the Opera". I struggle to imagine a scenario where I would find myself listening to this style of music.
This was fine-to-good. 3.4
Debut album by Iron Maiden is an interesting piece. I always dismissed this band as boring and repetitive, and honestly that's quite close to truth. This record, other than terrible vocalist, includes few nice to grrat songs, which probably make it worth listetning to this album. Phantom of the Opera and Transylvania are really good, mostly because they don't really include too much of Paul Di'Anno. Cool record, bad band.
I’m glad Iron Maiden stopped making songs about showing your dick to women on the street? Is that what prowler is about? Fucks sake. The rest of it is very “early thrash”. I liked “phantom of the opera” because it was weirder than the rest but I enjoyed the whole thing for the most part. Bruce Dickinson is a better singer than this guy; glad he ultimately joined. “Transylvania” skips over the singing and it sounds a lot more like than the Maiden I’m familiar with. Everyone else sounds great, the bass lines in particular are relatively simple for this kind of music but they work really well.
Not my thing
#412. Honestly Iron Maiden without Bruce Dickenson is a pass for me. The music is good, but it's just not enough to do it for me. 3/5: fine
6.5/10
Iron Maiden's first album, where you can still hear some of their punk influences from earlier, but it's clear what's about to come. Iron Maiden is already forging its path but is searching for a style. The production isn't ideal, Paul Di'Anno is still a bit shaky, songs like "Prowler," "Running Free" and "Iron Maiden" really pale in comparison to what's yet to come, BUT... There's also a lot of positives here. And I think those positives win on this album. Bandleader Steve Harris colours every moment beautifully with his bass guitar and ensures he almost occupies a third solo guitarist position. From rousing rocking to melodious pinging to intense soloing on the masterpiece Phantom Of The Opera. "Strange World" is secretly one of the other favourite songs on this album. Strange, because the band itself doesn't seem to be very charmed by it. It's dreamy, psychedelic and bluesy with a beautiful solo by Stratton (who preferred to play this kind of stuff than the metal songs themselves) and hits the right note. Even Di'Anno sounds vulnerable and pure here. This psychedelic metal is unfortunately a sub-movement that has lost out to increasingly harder metal on the one hand and commercial hair bands on the other. "Remember Tomorrow" and "Transylvania" are the other stand-out tracks. Iron Maiden will get so much better. The songs will get smarter, the lyrics will get better and the vocals will all grow a lot, especially when they switch to Bruce as front-man. But the youthful energy and the joy of playing is still shining through here enough to enjoy this a lot. 3,5*
Cool stuff.
Love!!!
I may like the original singer better than Dickenson. I definitely like the crunchier sound of the band better.
Iron Maiden’s brutal debut is a classic.
Never actually listened to the debut album, it's interesting to hear Maiden with a different singer. They seem overall less polished than they do later on too, it's a pretty cool sound though. They definitely still rip on guitar. There are a surprising number of ballads on this album. Also after a full album... switching singers was definitely the right move, this dude is just an okay singer.
In the past, I’ve spent many a year resisting Iron Maiden whatever phase I’ve moved in, from 70’s prog-purist to indie scene kid to 21st century poptimist. “The Number of the Beast” changed all that when I heard it a few months back. It forced me to confront the dazzling instrumental performances of the band, those sugary harmonised guitars, and the all-timers like “The Prisoner”, “Run To The Hills” and “Number of the Beast”. Arriving two years earlier, this self-titled debut isn’t quite as refined or effortless, but it still boasts plenty of the same. The band were unhappy with its production for being too raw and muddy, which is interesting given that there’s much more clarity here than many of the other metal albums I’ve heard. “Prowler” is a strong opener, “Running Free” is a classic, driving, “me against the world” kind of hard-rock song, and I appreciate “Strange World” for bringing a more subdued, reflective energy. “Phantom of the Opera” also deserves a shout-out for its delusions of grandeur and ridiculous-yet-sublime triplet break. But to my ears, the record’s greatest strengths are most apparent on the breathless instrumental “Transylvania” and of course the mission statement of “Iron Maiden”: they’re both frenzied workouts for all involved, boasting top-notch musicianship and memorable hooks to boot. The instrumentalists are undeniably strong, so many of the best moments on this record are when they’re left to do their thing. As much as I like Paul Di’Anno’s vocals, it feels as though the magic Maiden formula truly clicked into place with Bruce Dickinson’s voice slicing above the instrumentals like razor wire. Also, while the vocals are perfectly fine here, many of the lyrics (“I’m sixteen and I’m running free,” “see the ladies flashing all their legs and lashes”, just about all of “Charlotte the Harlot”) stray into cornier territory, leaving a lot to be desired. In short, this is a solid debut album with some excellent performances and standout moments, but it just doesn’t quite hit as hard for me as their other effort on this list.
I’ve consciously avoided iron maiden, but the raw punkiness of this album was a pleasant surprise. Not sure what to think lyrically…looking at you..Charlotte the Harlot
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I was expecting. Quite diverse styles across the record. Particularly enjoyed the closing track.
Iron Maiden’s debut album is an energetic and enjoyable listen that showcases the band’s raw talent and sets the foundation for their future work. The guitar work and musicianship are solid, delivering aggressive riffs and dynamic drumming. However, it lacks that special factor or standout qualities that would elevate it to a higher rating for me. It’s a fun album but doesn’t leave a lasting impression compared to other classics in the genre.
It's obvious why "Ted" Theodore Logan and Bill S. Preston, Esq., loved Iron Maiden.
It´s just real solid classic metal but I like it. 🤘 I listened to the original 8 tracks edition and for me the later on the remastered edition added "Sanctuary" is not missing. favourite: "Prowler", " Remember Tomorrow", "Running Free"
A good example of 80s metal and a pretty decent debut album as well. I didn't enjoy this as much as their other entry in this challenge, 'The Number of the Beast', but it's still an ok album. It sounds like Iron Maiden were still trying to find their sound here, which is fair enough for a debut. According to Wikipedia, they were constantly fighting producers who wanted them to sound more like punk bands or Queen. That stubbornness probably paid off with early examples of what would become their signature sound, such as 'Running Free' and the title track.
Wissenslücke geschlossen
surprised that i didn’t dislike it as much as i thought i would 👍
Pretty good album from start to finish.
You know, early metal is not really my thing. I found the slower songs to be quite good and I never thought I would enjoy this album but it surprised me.
Not familiar with this album, although there are a few Maiden songs I like generally. This starts out way rawer than I was expecting (good thing) but maybe too much guitar noodling for my taste. The boys was figurin' it out, but it's really split between the 70s and what Iron Maiden turned into. The production isn't there for the operatic stuff and when it gets arena rock-y it's at its worst. The glimmer of the future was probably pretty exciting back in 1980 but I don't think it's great.
The weird dividing line between the hair metal and metal metal.
I appreciate this era of metal because it gave rise to the extreme metal I enjoy today. Nevertheless, it's just too over the top for me to really come back to this more frequently. Other than that, it's a decent album.
Enjoyed this more than I assumed I would. Less corny than I thought.
Sometimes I forget how musical Iron Maiden is. They have sophisticated, rockin' riffs that genuinely set them apart from the other cheesy proto-metal acts of the era. The lyrics, on the other hand, are inescapably bad.
Not my favorite. But still pretty good.
First off, RIP Paul Di’Anno. I believe there is no such thing as a coincidence since this album was generated for this project just days after his passing. Sometimes a band is firing on all cylinders and puts out some of their best material on their first record. This isn’t that necessarily. This record lays the groundwork with the ebbs and flows of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Funny enough this record kind of sounds like Iron Maiden trying to be Judas Priest but I’m pretty sure the influence actually worked the other way around. Di’Anno has his moments, but is definitely no Bruce Dickinson. “Prowler” is a pretty weak opener. Musically and vocally it sounds like something your local bar band would open their set with. Overall there are some very solid tunes throughout including “Remember Tomorrow,” “Running Free,” and “Strange World.”
This was better than I expected. I'm not into metal, but these guys can play. Steve Harris is a "beast" on bass, even on this early album.
Fast, fun and extremely over the top. Relentless galloping rhythms, nonstop riffing, harmonized dual guitar attack, shredding solos, wailing vocals, songs that veer wildly between proto-thrash/hardcore and pop- prog. Time has taken the edge off and made this seem somewhat kitschy, but it's still a good headbanging time 🤘
Respect Iron Maiden but this album as a whole is pretty meh.
Woke up ready to thrash. Hell yeah
completely silly but loads of fun
Liked it more than I thought I would. Still not my style but I enjoyed the energy.
Pretty good I have to say! After the Number of the Beast came up on here, I went back and listened to a good chunk of their albums, and I enjoyed pretty much all of them, some more than others -- and sometimes depending on my mood -- but I was fairly underwhelmed by this one. I liked it more this time around, but they have far better works than this. Still prob like a 3.5
This is above a three for me but not quite a four. Liked it more than I thought I would. The album art is trash.
3.5
There are only two Iron Maiden albums on this list, which makes this one a baffling choice. It’s not BAD, but it’s also not at all indicative of what the band would become. If you really wanted to represent the pre-Bruce Dickinson era, Killers is a legitimately good album. This is perfectly fine but I can’t imagine it’s anyone’s favorite.
Charlotte notes: Charlotte the harlot! It’s me! Remember Tomorrow 10/10 song Charlotte didn't listen to it all, only 4 or so. Charlotte star rating = **** (4/5) Kathryn notes: I like Strange World the most. Its impressive just not really my vibe?? Liked how it was shorter tbh. I don't think i could've listed to a longer album. Some parts were groovy throughout but very intense. I don't think the lyrics rlly spoke to me but some of the guitar solos sooo impressive! Kathryn star rating = * (1/5) Katherine notes: did not listen :( work/shagging !! Average star rating between us = 3/5
I liked this more than i thought i would. That being said, I think Black Sabbath eats Iron Maiden's lunch. There are some cool and memorable riffs on this but other spots just aren't for me. Also not huge on the vocals. If I could go 2.5 I would, but I'm willing to bump up to a three
It was alright. I wasn’t bilen away like the Doors but you cant argue that the Music was good. It just wasn’t that much for me
I get why it’s legendary, but I mostly couldn’t get into it. Not for me.
Those guys shred that guitar. Vocals weren’t the best though
Standard hair metal
Not the earliest Heavy Metal nor remotely the best, only deserves a spot on the list as it serves as the debut for one of the greats of the genre. Every song was alright 6/10 Fav tracks - All -2 Least Fav - Running Free
I typically don’t like this type of music. On my first listen, I appreciated this record, but I didn’t expect to revisit it. After a long day with kids, I had a few beers and found myself turning it back on. It rocks.
It is short. It is listenable. As a huge Ryan Holiday fangirl, I wanted it to be a hidden gem for me. The songwriting is good, intro, to bridge, to chorus with melody and metal. Lyrics are that 70's mystical, reality questioning storytelling. It's fine.
je comprends que ça ai été une grosse influence pas vraiment mon style mais quand ça part en power metal j'aime bien quand meme avec les guitares qui chantent (phantom of the opera)
Heavy metal sounds all the same :-).
too heavy
Only album with Dennis Stratton on guitar and this album art is abysmal butttt Transylvania and Strange World were incredibly fun to listen to. Hot take but Sanctuary and Phantom of the Opera aren't that good. Wouldn't revisit much but for being self titled and their first studio album it's cool to see what they were trying to do
Iron Maiden has never been my thing, but I can appreciate what they were doing.
All triplets and shuffles all the time. A classic head bangers ball. Lighter and more bluesy than the later Maiden I seem to recall.
Surprised, have not liked maiden in the past but enjoyed this, Transylvania was especially good Album did sound dated though
Totally caught off guard by how good this was. Now I'm questioning my very identity. Am I an Iron Maiden fan?! Hard to get over how bad the cover art is; the music is so much better.
3.5 if I could give it. Liked this better than the other one. Far more enjoyable than I expected.
I liked it more than I thought I would, it was less metal and more rock than I was expecting. But there were a lot of very long instrumental segments which I was not very into. It’d be good to add a song or two to the Halloween playlist
Listened Before? N Well, it's something pretty good. It's not Iron Maiden good, but that's a high standard. Switching from the singer on this album to Dickinson on the next may be the single greatest upgrade an established band has ever made. This one isn't terrible, and the music ROCKS, but the themes and vocal work are sub-standard for Maiden. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Prowler
Super rad :) music from an era my fam didn’t share with me. I’m happy to find it and love it.
Pretty good. Not as heavy as I thought it would be but lots of fun. Nothing really stood out but I'll give it another listen for sure.
I don't really get it. Is it very serious? I liked Megadeath, that was fun. Metal is weird.
Iron Maiden's debut. Certainly not as strong as Number of the Beast, and honestly I'd imagine they have better albums in their catalog that could take this spot. Not bad by any measure, but I'd need a little more to love this. Favorite tracks: Prowler, Transylvania, Strange World. Album art: Is this the first Eddie, or is this pre-Eddie? No idea, but seems to be the same art style. Say whatever you will about their music, if you're into metal or not, but the commitment to this art style and the sort of covers they have is super cool. 3/5
- chloe 3/5 - Ross 6/10 - Good riffs - lacking vocalists - it feels overshadowed by their later work - it was enjoyable passive album. Good for listening to whilst you do something else. - done toe tapping riffs
it was kinda cool
Sounds like the intro to an anime
Disappointing so soon after the previous Iron Maiden album on here which was good. Bit too self-indulgent on the guitar solos for me.
Enjoyed the instrumental guitar tracks
It's ok. I think they improve on this formula in their later efforts.
Surprisingly decent. I couldn't listen to it regularly, but I did enjoy it.
Good band but not my favorite.
i still consider myself a newbie when it comes to metal, classic or otherwise, but i enjoyed this one. it's not my favorite metal album i've ever listened to in my limited time exploring the genre, but it's solid enough. for my taste, it's not as rough around the edges as i would like but the musicianship here is good and the production sounds pretty great. overall, i just sort of wish it had a little bit more oomph to the sound, which is what i tend to like in metal. but overall, solid!
highs are pillars of early metal but as a whole this feels half-baked and too steeped in 70s hard rock to really fly 6/10
Maiden kenne ich, aber das komplette erste Album hatte ich noch nicht gehört. Zeigt aber schon wohin die Reise geht, melodiöse Riffs und 2-stimmige Gitarrensoli. Solides Debut.
Man this rocks. Running Free could be the archetype of Rock Songs. It’s hard to imagine a world where Iron Maiden is a new band, with one album. But definitely if I lived in that world and heard this I would say “Whoa what is this! This rocks!”
I half like Iton Maiden and then they do that guitar sound I don’t like in metal music.
Interesting that the authors of the 1001 Albums To Listen To Before You Die would pick this one over, say 'Piece of Mind' or 'Powerslave.' Nothing wrong with the first album, mind you. It's a sturdy collection of songs and is a foundational text of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Original vocalist Paul Di'Anno has nowhere near the range of Bruce Dickinson, but his scratchy, guttural sound matches the musical chops of the band at the time, though bassist and founder Steve Harris was already casting his gaze very far into the horizon. Not that they couldn't shred and up the irons; they were already experimenting with progressive rock-inspired song structures and movements with the required virtuosity on songs like "Phantom of the Opera." Maybe the first album wouldn't serve as anyone's entry point to Iron Maiden (at least in 2024) or NWOBHM as a whole, but it's still satisfying to hear the start of the steady progression the band would take on their musical trajectory. The visual language, however? Formed on day one. A sign of something special. B+
Less heavy than I expected, which wasn't a bad thing. I love the sound of an electric guitar. Softer singing than I expected too. Some of the longer instrumentals didn't have a lot going on but overall decent. Highlights: Prowler Running Free
So there's 3 good songs on here but fuck Paul Dianno. This is like like telling everyone to check out the Chicago Bulls before Michael Jordan... okay.
Didn't hate it. Didn't love it. Won't remember it tomorrow probably. 3/5
I have a confession to make : despite growing up in a hick town in the 1980s, I have NEVER listened to Iron Maiden! I was too busy with Phil Collins and Bryan Adams and Friday Night videos and didn’t turn my attention to them, as I thought they were heavy metal and I didn’t do heavy metal (that was those guys in the 3/4 sleeve rock T-shirts with that creepy Eddie splashed on the front). Object lesson in staying in your lane and ‘finding’ only those cultural bits that look familiar. Too bad for me - they’re pretty okay, with lots of Van Halen and even Chili Peppers guitar riffs and lyrics and stage antics tame by subsequent standards. I probably won’t seek them out too often, but I won’t turn away from them so quickly next time either.
This was quite a week.....I'm behind on these reviews. So I will be uncharacteristically succinct. I first heard maiden in grade 5 when the senior kids brought their albums into our boot room at school. The music shattered my little mind and the album artwork forever recalibrated my aesthetic preferences. My parents had the "Piece of mind" album and I've been a maiden fan ever since. But this first album I really didn't listen to or care about, 'cause I prefer Bruce Dickinson as a vocalist. So hearing this, now, is wild. A mix of Kiss and punk influences, with seeds and premonitions of their signature literariness and epic guitar arcs to come. Not my fave, but that's not the point. The branches make more sense now that I've returned to the roots.
Literally the first time I’ve ever heard Maiden(I know) and I was pleasantly surprised. I can see how they influenced so many, and were spoofed in countless ways ( spinal tap, school Of rock, the darkness). This album is Actually more punk than I thought they’d be (probably because it’s their first and only one with that singer). I listened to the number of the beast after this and that seems to be their more classic sound but I did find myself enjoying this more than I thought I would.
Played this while training and it was okay.
Favourite Song: Remember Tomorrow
Nice album, very consistent (a bit too much). Hard rock essential vibe
Consistent album but not my style
I get it. People love Iron Maiden. Maiden has never been my type of metal. And even then the Iron Maiden I DO like has Bruce singing. For who they are and what they did (do) this album gets 3 stars, but more so because Maiden walked so future metal bands could run
I feel like I’ve said this for every metal album. I’ve had so far, but metal really just has not been my thing. I’ve always kind of felt this way about metal, but my hope is that this project would show me the best of the best and help me understand why it’s so beloved by people who love it. That hasn’t really happened, which is a bummer because I see how passionate metalheads are about the genre. This album may have moved the needle a little bit. It still would not say that I’m a fan of metal, but this kind of metal album from such an iconic band does check a few boxes for me. For one, it’s still moving into metal from hard rock, so there’s a lot of elements here that are more hard rock than metal. Van Halen-type solos, high energy, but not always high stakes in these songs, and just an overall attitude that is less “I’m gonna kick your ass, beware of the evil that lurks in the darkness” kind of energy and …more literally anything else. One of my main issues with metal to this point has been that it is so high stakes all the time, and it’s exhausting. But this one is not so in your face all the time. And that’s something. I really appreciate about it. Overall, I liked this. I appreciated that it was shorter than other metal albums I’ve had so far as well. If the other Iron Maiden album I’ve had was a 3, this is 3.5. But I still round that down to 3 because I didn’t like it THAT much to give it 4. Also “Charlotte the Harlot” is a great song name and you can’t convince me otherwise. Standout Tracks: Prowler, Transylvania, Charlotte the Harlot, Iron Maiden
It’s always interesting to hear a band’s first album, especially one that has changed rock music and been prominent for so long. It’s clear that they were starting to break away from the 60’s and 70’s hard rock lumbering with quick licks and some intense guitar, but they also weren’t quite ‘pedal to the metal’ quite yet. A good start for a journey into Iron Maiden, but ultimately it left me wanting more.
I had a good time
What is this prog-metal? Not as bad as I feared but I think I liked their other album I've heard better
Another Iron Maiden record that exceeded my expectations - they’re 2/2 now, and one of the surprise hits from this generator project. I just find them very listenable - heavy without being a racket, technical without being overly showy, and much more tuneful than many of their peers. Even the ham-fisted lyrics (half blood and hellbeasts, half prostitutes and hedonism) don’t detract from the enjoyment. For all that, I wouldn’t describe any of these 8 tracks as outstanding, so I’ll go for 3.5 stars.
Not a huge metal fan but this was not bad.
Quite good rock. But as a whole album not so interesting.
Interesting to hear them before Bruce.
Skillful but not that distinct or interesting to me.
Prowler feels a bit familiar, maybe the riffs or the fact that it might have been played in a movie or tv show I've watched. It's a good opening song to the album. Remember Tomorrow, while seemingly not as popular as other songs on the album was actually quite nice to listen to. The guitar work on the album is pretty good and probably the reason I'd listen to this again if I were to want to. Not super memorable to me otherwise. Maybe just not quite my style. 3.25
I love iron maiden, so yeah I'm biased. All the same, not my favorite album of theirs.
I prefer their later albums
solid heavy metal. period
Early Iron Maiden without any of the hits, but with all of the energy. Condensed into 8 tracks of solid Heavy Metal. Honest and straightforward. 3.5/5
Not as heavy as expected
Strange world
Not bad. Occasional signs of the greatness that is to come in later albums.
Synes de lyder meget mere generiske uden Bruce Dickinson, stadig udmærket men goofy musik. Meget overrasket over at Phantom of the Opera sangen blev lavet 10+ år før musicalen, vidste slet ikke den var i den populære bevidsthed at the time
God rockplade, lidt mindre fjollet end den anden Iron Maiden plade vi hørte
Den her plade må have eksploderet nogle hoveder i 1980. Virker lidt tam når man sammenligner med pladerne med Bruce Dickinson.
first listen meh
What is there to say about this album? I honestly don't know. It was good, not great, but also not mediocre. A solid 3. That's what's to say about this album.
Not my cup of tea in general but some face melters in there where you have to say, fair enough
Once would questions why the eponymous Maiden album is one of the 1001 albums when arguably Killers would be the better of the Mk 1 albums and Number of the Beast being probably the most notable. I can only assume its participation is on the bases of Maiden being one of the founders of New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Which pisses all over Judas Priests chips as they were holding down the fort between the likes of Deep Purple & Black Sabbath and the upstarts of Maiden, Saxon, Leppard et al. However seminal tracks such as Running Free and Phantom of the Opera remain mainstays of Maiden shows and provided the template for all Maiden offerings. Never really my bag after the get rid of Dianno.
Okay, prefer newer stuff
I love some of the sounds on this album, but ultimately it felt like a lot of the same aside from the ballads, which didn’t feel like anything special to me. I’m sure part of this is unfamiliarity with the genre, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the ranking goes up in the future.
Found it really hard to decide between a 3 and a 4 on this one. It was much less hard and heavy than I expected and I really enjoyed it overall. Some terrific guitar work and great changes of pace and rhythm. Definitely glad to have discovered it and will be a lot more excited and open minded when Iron Maiden (surely) reappear in the challenge.
Rough and ready raw debut Maiden.
Good album
Expected to hate it. Didn’t.
Surprisingly good!
I don’t know. Ok
Great debut - 2 or 3 songs probably still in every setlist till this day. Apparently Steve Harris was always that good.
Surprisingly enjoyed this album a lot. I find much of Maiden’s work a little too screamy. This was actually the perfect heavy metal album. Still not something I’ll continue to listen too over and over again but I’ll listen again here and there
Not a bad album, but far from the best of iron maidens albums and in comparison it must be almost embarrassing for them how amateurish and poor the production and art is when put up against their later albums. 3/5
Kind of did my head in in one listen, but I guess that's partly the point. I didn't hate this as much as I expected to, and enjoyed the time signature changes. The Iron Maiden t-shirt was standard issue for half the males in my high school.
Pre-Dickinson Maiden - this singer isn't as good, I don't think. Some fun bits here though, overall reasonably enjoyable
# 265 : I'm not into the real heavy stuff, but this wasn't too bad. Favourite track : Running Free
6/10 So 80s metal does indeed seem to be the sweet spot of the genre for me. Liked this Very listenable, some of the key aspects of metal but infused with hard, classic, prog rock Liked the tempo changes Prepared to be a bit silly and over the top, which is good, rather than self-serious Best: Phantom of the Opera
You sure don’t expect to get slut-shamed by Iron Maiden?!
Ahh still not really, thanks though!
Bon mais sans plus.
Didn’t care for the first two tracks as much as the remainder of the album. But in all it was ok
Aldrig lyssnat på Iron Maiden. Så det här ska bli kul. Tänker på dokumentären jag såg på TV om två killar som åt, sov och levde i symbios med Maiden. Tror inte de fick ligga så mycket. Hur som.. Gillar första och andra låten. Dock är sången förskräcklig. Någon slags gnäll-skrik-bröl sång så jag förstår varför jag ej lyssnat. På Transylvania slipper man sången. Otroligt skönt. Strange World överraskar med bra sång. En 4a för musiken och en 2a för sången blir en 3a totalt.
Thrash metal har jag alltid haft svårt att klicka med. Det känns mekanisk skickligt men utan känsla. Inte dåligt alltså. Men inte heller så bra i mina öron.
Bueno, no está mal. Un 3. Transylvania y Phantom of the Opera.
I like the sound, good band and good guitars
classic. rock. not my favorite.
Meh.
Okay Phantom of the Opera and Transylvania kind of slap in a corny way. Strange World total wtf why did you put this here moment on the album.
I'm not saying I didn't enjoy this but it was a little underwhelming. I forget that metal is ballady hard rock sometimes which just isn't my thing.
This is not really my kind of metal, but I appreciate the proggier bits. Overall not my cup of tea but not offensive.
I didn't love nor hate it. The artwork is horrendous and that definitely put me off, looking like a teenager's idea of cool and edgy. I was expecting something less approachable but it still didn't grab me in a positive way. 31/05/24
100th album woop woop. Wasn’t my jam, but this was first Iron Maiden album I’ve ever heard
Don't hate it, don't really like it either. Another album I don't really care about. So this gets the dreaded 3 stars.
Mam the vocals are weak in this. It shreads it's loud it's very old school metal let down by weak vocals
An o.k. metal album from back in the day. Few standout tracks but not bad. 3/5.
Was okay. Thought the drums were great, but some of the guitar parts were boring. 3/5 Might listen again
Better than I was expecting. I preferred the instrumental songs but this was fun and energetic all around.
Running Free is absolutely the highlight here. The rhythm and drum fills tickle my brain. I wonder how much variance there will be in Iron Maiden albums, considering this was their first, and their output was pretty prolific
My first time listening to Iron Maiden. Didn't blow me away but I also didn't beg for it to be over.
Mids
Not the classic lineup, but the seed of a rock monster was planted.
Not normally a band for me. I hate heavy metal and this is a fantastic example of heavy metal. Track 1 Prowler really suprised me. I loved it. Favourite song: Prowler Least favourite: They are all ok Album artwork: I love the cover
Really surprised about it, but I it's a great one! Super fun, energetic, the band has the best sound. Steve Harris is a great bass player, which is always fun, and a very good song and riff writer. And awesome guitar work as well!
So good. But not as amazing as their other album.
Thought I would not like it but I really enjoyed some of the songs
Since I've never ever really chosen to listen to Iron Maiden, this was a valuable part of my musical education. It seems to be right on the edge between 70s and 80s heavy metal. I liked it more than I feared, but I never really connected to it either.
This is not my thing, never has been. It just does not appeal. On the other hand, about half way through I thought that at least I can tolerate it. Within about 5 minutes of that thought, my mind started screaming “when will this boredom end?!?”
3.5 I had no idea there was an Iron Maiden before Bruce Dickinson, so imagine my surprise when I turned this on and heard a voice that was definitely not his!! I kinda dig this version of IM! Grimier, punkier! I especially really love the first three songs on this album! But overall I really enjoyed listening to this!
It‘s ok
A bit loud but not bad 6/10
6/10 - lifting while listening to this album was a great idea. The more upbeat songs worked really well for the grind. I think the faster the song is the more I like it when it comes to Iron Maiden. Like the slow songs are kinda mid to bad. Phantom of the opera is the best song
Fuck off album generator <- wrote that before I listened. Leaving it because why am I being made to listen to 2 Iron Maiden albums in less than a week. That being said, this album was actually fine; thought I'd hate it like I do most other metal stuff, but I guess it was a bit more melodic or laid back or something because I really didn't mind most of it 6/10
Liked some of the songs, some have pretty cringey lyrics
Not the most remarkable album although it hints at what was to come in a good way. Would love to have loved this album - but I don’t. It’s kind of small sparks of genius, but most of it is pretty forgettable album - in sharp contrast to some of their later records.
Very good musically, definitely not my preferred stuff but enjoyable none the less.
1980? 1980???? Not my fav but still fun
I’m just a teenage dirtbag, baby Listen to Iron Maiden, baby, with me, ooh
The quality of the production is abysmal, but despite that, one recognizes immediately the Iron Maiden sound, even without Bruce Dickinson. But you can see the origins of "Run to the Hills".
I’m just not a huge fan of the 80s/90s metal, this album surprised me in the fact I didn’t hate it. Nothing on it demanded a repeat listen but as I was listening I enjoyed it and was rocking out a few times. Some really good riffs and guitar work.
Love Iron Maiden. Love the Bruce Dickinson version more. This sounded like rough cutsl
Wow!! This still rocks decently hard, but not like blowing my mind man
Eh, not too much into metal. I know their significance and appreciate that.
I’ve actually never listened to Iron Maiden but know the name. Was expecting a much harder sound. So there was stuff to like even if it wasn’t completely jam. 3/5
Kinda meh all around but okay
6/10 I had fun with this. I don't know why I keep getting the edges of the catalogs. Iron Maiden is a fine album, but that's it...fine. 4-8-2024
I've been enjoying the metal recs from this list, and I've learned to judge the albums not by the fast-paced, heavy stuff which is uniformly great but the slower ballads. There is a necessity to them -- no album can keep up a fast pace and not feel flat -- but there is a risk, too. For one thing, the ballads can be very boring, or expose the kinda dumb lyrics. Probably the worst situation is where it's also just so theatrical that you feel like you're not at all on the same page. Basically, I came away from Iron Maiden thinking I might prefer a live album.
Mjög þétt og gott fyrir það sem það er en höfðar ekki til mín sterklega. Rennur saman í eitt.
This album surprised me - a little more melodic than I am accustomed to. Vocals were strong and the drum fills and lead guitar were obviously incredibly strong. Feel like I might revisit this one again.
Solid album but not really my genre. 3.5
Not my kind of thing but I can definitely appreciate it for what it is— does make me want to dance and… dare I say… head-bang?
I'll admit this has some nostalgic value for me, even if I can't say I enjoy a full album of metal. I do prefer the early Di'Anno sound at least.
Not a metalhead but this wasn't bad!
Worse that Number of the Beast in pretty much every way, and the singer is not very compelling. Makes sense they replaced him shortly after this. I did enjoy Transylvania into Strange World, and the album is still fun, but not the highlight of Iron Maiden.
Unexpectedly good.
It's ok, not great. Probably 4/10
I mean, I think I like more of their later stuff more. Phantom of the Opera was a whole journey so I don't know how I feel about this.
Ik bereidde me voor op het ergste, al met al is het nog redelijk braaf, achteraf gezien. Het varieert tussen melodieus vingervlug gitaarspel en ouderwets beuken en raggen. Waar al dat gedoe met zombies, doodshoofden etc. nou voor nodig heb is me ook niet helemaal duidelijk, het is het soort ding waar ik op afknap. Maar muzikaal is dit best uit te houden.
I really wanted to like this one more, and hopefully in time I'll gain a greater appreciation for it. It's still a solid album with some awesome performances but overall it doesn't do enough for me to give it a higher rating. Fav songs: -Prowler - Phantom of the Opera
Nicht so meins
Its Fine
not my bag - but sounded alright. At least I have a better understanding(?) of heavy metal
I thought I would absolutely hate this and I didn’t. Still not my favorite, but much more listenable than I was anticipating. I particularly liked Charlotte the Harlot.
This was more prog-rock to me instead of heavy metal, so I actually liked a fair chunk of this. Decent guitar and drumming throughout. Didn’t love the singer. If it had been released in 1970 it might have made it to our basement card games in high school but can’t be sure about that.
Better days to come once Dickinson took over the lead mic.
Good running album - consistent
Modestly entertaining but largely forgettable metal.
me gusto lo heavy, fast paced y punkish
Mmmmm. No es para mí, no soy una señora rockera pero está bien
Let’s rock baby!!!
It's different than I thought it would be, and I don't really know what I mean by that. There are a couple slow songs, which I didn't expect. It also kind of sounds like an exact meld of 70s rock and the hair rock that was big in the early 80s. The singer is not great. Very limited. The instruments are good, hard rock fun, if a bit rudimentary - especially the drumming. I guess the best way to describe the music is that they won't be on anyone's top ten lists for their individual instruments, but they sure know how to have a good time. This is a solid album. I've known of Iron Maiden, but they were a bit before my time so I never listened to them. Much better than I expected, I'd even say I enjoyed most of it, but I can't see ever listening to it on purpose. If that's not the quintessential 3 star rating, I don't know what is.
Surprisingly melodic! I really enjoyed the unique song structures and movements n many of the songs. I can hear that they laid a foundation for many bands to come like guns and roses. I can also hear their connection to past music like Led Zeppelin. Listening to the album redefined my u informed idea of Iron Maiden.
I'm not a fan of Iron Maiden by any stretch. I find their particular brand of metal to be quite hackneyed and cheesy. However, this album was the best I've heard of them. There's a couple of weak tracks, notably "Charlotte the Harlot", but there's enough here that I enjoyed. Some of the early tracks reminded me more of the heavier Deep Purple stuff, so that was decent. As the album goes on it evolves into what I'd always considered a more stereotypical Iron Maiden sound. Not enough here to make me an Iron Maiden lover, but it's softened my hatred by a good amount.
Good
You can catch an inkling of the eventual greatness, but this is a rough album. Quality is not great, and it doesn't have the same polish in structure that most of their collection has. Talented, but rough. Fav track: Prowler
I bought this album when I was 15 and loved it…… not so much now but still a classic
Iron Maiden Obviously not my type of music but I don’t mind Iron Maiden. Actually I just like Run to the Hills, that’s a great song. Didn’t know that Bruce Dickinson wasn’t an original member. Musically it was kind of what I thought, although with more groove and variance than I expected. Definitely more melodic than I thought it would be. All the elements are there though, aggression, speed, double bass drumming, loudness, bad lyrics and a lurid album cover You can see the influences of the early metal bands like Black Sabbath and the classic rock bands like Led Zep, as well as the theatricality of Queen. Feels like the heavy elements of classic rock stripped out, refined and concentrated down a heavy metal path, rather than bands who take heavy metal and refine that into even more heavy metal and lose any sense of tune melody or enjoyment, eg Pantera. It feels like they want to write songs and make them heavy metal, rather than just wanting to write noise. I like the harmonies on Phantom of the Opera and there are some nice backing vocals here and there too. Phantom probably my stand out track. Strange World is just a straight ahead power ballad. Although I might rarely chose to, I’d quite easily listen to this again. Heavy metal is not really my genre but if I was forced to listen one heavy metal album then I’d be happy with this. I’ll go 3, it’s not as good as some albums I’ve given 3 to, but for a heavy metal album 3 feels like the right score. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Whelming
For the most part, the general manic frenzy that I typically want from heavy metal is missing on this one. Charlotte the Harlot and Iron Maiden combine to resuscitate an otherwise mediocre album.
I had way more fun with this than I expected. Apparently Iron Maiden hated punk but you wouldn't know by listening to this. Oddly, the prog rock sections were the weakest on the album for me. 3/5. Perhaps I judged medieval torture methods too harshly.
Ni echt
Not a huge Maiden fan and hadn’t listened to this before. I am a fan of dual lead guitar parts which Maiden do lots of and very well. I enjoyed listening to this but probably won’t be listening to it again any time soon
Loud guitars and teenage angst. Not too cliche or repetitive. I liked it, but wouldn't seek it out again.
Another album from my teenage years, though this was already sounding very dated in the late 80s when I heard it. Interesting debut for the band that once Bruce joined did 40 albums that sound the same. Some of the standard features of Maiden are apparent straight away, Steve Harris's bass sound and gallop, twin guitar attack and fast pace. Also nicking ideas for songs from books. Still sounds like a funny mix this one and it's successor 'Killers', Paul Diano's voice was not much cop but at least a bit punky. That against the more expansive slow bits in 'Remember Tomorrow' or 'Strange World'. These are definitely a band I grew out of but it was nice to reminisce for a bit. Mostly good fun, fast paced, slightly punky sounding metal.
I liked this more than The Number of the Beast! A mix of songs that I was neutrally positive about and a few that caught my attention- especially Prowler and Strange World. I also think it's really good that Iron Maiden have a song called Iron Maiden on their album Iron Maiden.
Early Maiden, not the biggest fan, liked the newer stuff more
Very solid album, other than Fantom. Didn’t know 80s heavy metal was still so listenable. L added Home Sweet Home to her liked songs playlist. (2.8*s)
Some really theatrical musical moments in this album. Definitely impressive. I’m just too vocal-focused to really enjoy Iron Maiden.
You can feel the pull of 70 classic rock and 80s hair bands Great scales
I don't hate this and I thought I might. Solid music for cleaning to.
Prowler Remember tomorrow Phantom of the Opera Strange world Charlotte the harlot
Weird without bruce
Enjoyed more than I thought I would.
Oh boy! I consider myself a metal head and Iron Maiden is one of my favorites. I was very happy to see this one pop up. I prefer the albums with Bruce but appreciate the rawness of the first two and as a bass player, "Phantom of the Opera" pushes all my buttons.
Didn't think i would like this very much as I am not generally a fan of heavy rock music and I put Iron Maiden in this category. I was pleasantly surprised listening to this album. Some good guitar sounds and vocals I could understand and weren't too 'screechy' 😅 Overall not a bad listen
Algunas canciones me han gustado, como Running Free o Transylvania.
Fast, fun, will listen again
Rough voice, I'm pretty unsure about how to score vs Bruce "Age" of Iron Maiden .... 3/5
Bruce Dickinson’s vocal are so distinct that listening to these guys without just feels like a cover band (appreciating that this was pre-Bruce) Some hints of what was to come make this worthwhile though.
I liked this without being blown away. As Nick said, the vocals sounded weird without Bruce
Dig the music. The singing isn’t my thing.
Solid album. Innovative group.
Geht.
I thought it was alright, don't remember that much more ngl
I don't know enough about heavy metal to know if this is particularly good.
But my style but respect
I know that it's probably just me on this island, but I prefer everything about this record to The Number of the Beast. Di'Anno is a much more palatable vocalist; the guitar histrionics are slightly more subdued; the production is a bit grungier. With the bombast dialed back across the board, it gives the band's raw energy a lot more room to shine. Their riffs, tightness, and overall attitude are so damn strong. 3.5/5
This was a bit of a surprise in terms of how it sounded. I think I've listened to one Iron Maiden album in my life and it was definitely one of their later albums. In my mind there was the lazy 'this is all heavy', but to me it wasn't super heavy at all. There were parts that were heavy, but there was a lot more melodic parts of songs that i anticipated there would be. And i quite enjoyed all that sort of thing. Now am i going to stick it on after the three listens I've given it today? probably not, but i wouldn't actively hate it. Its decent, enjoyable, probably a 3/5
Who doesn’t love a bit of Iron Maiden. I’d actually never listened to this album, but it still felt familiar.
Familiar with several Iron Maiden songs but none from this album.
Sitting somewhere between Kiss and 80’s hair metal, it’s pretty fun to listen to. Some good guitar solo work.
I just don't see listening to this again. Good guitar work and I'm sure this is top of this style of music. Just not for me.
It sounds exactly how you expect it would. Do we really need multiple iron maiden albums on this list
it was alright pretty basic early metal album. 3.5/5
Feel like they were caught in between Sabbath and Metallica. I like the riffs. Real high energy, but the vocals seem a little light, compared to the heavy guitar. Never could get into them, but this album wasn't too bad.
Not the biggest heavy metal fan, but this is fine. I enjoy Iron Maiden every now and then. I think “Charlotte The Harlot” is probably my favorite song on the album, but they all blended together a bit.
It's not Iron Maiden's best, but some excellent tracks remain here. Prowler is a strong opener, and Phantom of the Opera is also a very enjoyable 7 minutes. Iron Maiden as a finisher would have been better were it not preceded by Charlotte the Harlot, which was pretty forgettable.
Never listened to iron maiden before … not bad. Still not my thing
not their best but it still kicks ass
Eh, it’s fine.
Not my favourite maiden album but a good listen nonetheless. Always slightly disapointed with the production value of maiden recordings, and this one more so.. Slightly disappointed that phantom of the opera wasn't a cover...
It's good, but every track is about twice as long as it needs to be. Solid 3 - enjoyed it but I've no inclination to put it back on
Super high energy, have to be in the mood for it but was a fun intro into iron maiden
Great early metal album, vocals and lyrics leave much to be desired
3 aunque aturde mucho
Once metal became a defined genre all the albums in the genre started to sound the same to me. This album might be a prototype of the sound I quickly tired of. A metalhead, I am not.
fave track: prowler final thoughts: started off really strong and there's some stuff i really like about it but overall prolly not something i am going to come back to often
it was ok, defo enjoyed a a decent amount of tracks on here! i also adored the bass utilage on here, elevated the whole sound. i wish it was more adventurous but it's a great debut nonetheless
Now I know where subsequent generations of metal and alternative artists have drawn inspiration from. Very cool album with raw killer drive, great chromatic riffs and other hecky metal attributes that have become classics. And, of course, super lyrics.
Eh, its okay. Its tolerable music to listen to, but none of these songs made me go WOW. I didn't check my Spotify once to look what song was playing.
3.5
This really surprised me. I like this album more than I thought I would.