Reviews (page 10 of 13)
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.
J'étais vraiment pas dans le mood, je voulais de la pop girlie 🩷👄🌷 mais en fait j'aime bien ça va? En fait j'aime surtout la première musique mais ça a set the mood Bon par contre mon problème c'est que j'aime pas quand ya pas de parole, toutes musique et tout genre confondu jsp pk j'aime pas, donc dsl les puristes mais j'ai skippe certains titres 🤭 donc on va dire 2.5 pour le général mais 3 pour les morceaux non skippés
C'est très étrange Iron Maiden sans Bruce Dickinson. Je crois que j'avais jamais écouté cet album. Ya un peu de punk et ça marche pas trop, j'ai jamais associé IM à ce genre là. Bref, trop pressée d'avoir Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.
C'était bien, j'ai été surpris en vrai.
While I'm not a big Iron Maiden fan, this was a really good album.
No downloads.
Man kann's hören, aber es gefällt mir nicht besonders
Awesome album that really flows from song to song. Musically it was very technical. I’ve listened to a lot of their other albums and I can’t say this is close to my favorite but for the time and its influence it’s very cool.
Not a metal fan, so surprised to have enjoyed this as much as I did. Respectable debut.
2.75
More variety in songs than I expected. Not something I'm going to seek out to listen to again though
Bands that would have never existed without Black Sabbath. It's got it's place in time, but it's not a timeless album. I can hear how this album is well placed between Black Sabbath and the underground LA metal scene of the 80s that brought out the Big 4 of the era.
Better than i expected, not exactly my type of music but iconic of course.
Really enjoyed the punk sensibilities. I see a lot of people complaining about the “paint by numbers” aspect of the music, but where do you think everyone else got the numbers from?
Catchy riffs, great drums, but not too impressed withbthe vocals. Seems very progressive for 1980. Some great songs, some more mediocre.
I didn't think I would like this at all, but it was ok.
Mi unuafoje aŭskultis Iron Maiden. Ĉi tiu albumo ne estis malbona. Mi efektive surpriziĝis. Mi ŝatis kelkajn kantojn, precipe Strange World.
Good start for a brilliant metal band.
Was never an iron maiden fan but had a good time with this one.
An album I don't think I'd ever heard before! Was a good one to work to, definitely felt some similarities to Zeppelin & even Metallica, but which was the chicken and which was the egg I'm not sure. I enjoyed some of the more subversive guitar riffs. Don't think I'll go out of my way to revisit this one.
The metal continues! This is the most straightforward, foundational metal you can get. It’s concise too, each track drives home the point with efficiency. Thematically and lyrically, there are no surprises here, just met expectations. I dig it.
Pretty alright. Not my cup of tea though
I had “Number of the Beast” on heavy rotation in high school but never listened to much of Maiden’s other material or knew much about the band. It’s definitely weird not hearing Bruce Dickinson’s voice, but the vocalist does an adequate job. This early album obviously has a lot of the typical metal flourishes and sound that the band would become famous for, but it’s interesting that the first few tracks have a hardcore punk and even a prog rock vibe at times (The second track sounds a lot like Rush in spots). By the third track the metal sound seems to firmly take hold with the guitars shredding at lightning speed and the relentless march of the drums only being interrupted for impressive fills. “Transylvania” is a cool instrumental piece and has a classic Maiden sound. “Strange World” is a nice power ballad with shades of Zeppelin—even the lyrics wouldn’t be out of place on a Zeppelin album. The change of pace keeps the album from feeling repetitive, which can occasionally be an issue for me when listening to metal. I could’ve done without the song “Charlotte the Harlot”—the track’s lyrics are … yikes (the opening track isn’t much better). Manly-man metal, amirite? The closing/title track starts out with a bit of a punk drumbeat, but this song also has the classic Iron Maiden sound (though it has an interesting bass breakdown in the middle with a pretty funky vibe). Overall I really enjoyed this album, but I greatly prefer the Dickinson version of the band.
Fast, hard drum Lots of fast guitar Vocals remind me of early punk
As a Maiden fan, I prefer the Bruce Dickinson albums more. Powerslave and Number of the Beast are much better albums in my opinion.
Surprised by how much I liked it. Sounded like inspiration for GnR Appetite for Destruction. Without heavy metal imagery, album doesn’t sound that heavy.
Was surprised at home many of these songs I knew - and how melodic a bunch of them were.
3.5, not my genre but still pretty good.
Metal and fun!
I’ve never really given the pre-Bruce era of Maiden much of a chance so this was a pretty nice surprise. It’s a strong debut for sure and clearly hugely influential. Songs like Prowler and Phantom of the Opera clearly show the direction the band would end up taking, but in other places it does seem like they’re still looking for their sound - I can’t imagine Remember Tomorrow on a later Maiden album. Not that that’s a bad thing, it’s a really good song and it’s interesting to hear some of their other early influences that didn’t stand the test of time It’s not hugely consistent and there were a few songs I didn’t care too much for. Still deserves a place on this list, and the noteworthy absence of stronger Maiden albums (Powerslave / Seventh Son / Somewhere in Time) is more an issue with only including two of their albums on this list rather than this being one of the two that were chosen - no matter what two you went for, it would always feel like an underrepresentation
Long time ago😂
J'aime bien mais pas jusqu'à en porter un t-shirt
This holds its own as a debut release but I kinda wish I didn't hear the 2015 Remaster and could listen to the raw original. It's solid for the time but also pretty typical as far as lyrics and guitar riffs go. I won't judge it too hard because I actually like metal, but its too "rock" for me.
Certainly a classic metal album. Would be a fun one for a romping out in the desert offroading, shooting, and boozing.
Dope. Boys being boys in the 80s. Grab a drink, shave your face and have a great time evidently. Surprised how much i liked it. Melodic and well assembled. I expect this is the album i would like the most but is entirely plausible I've been missing out on IM my whole life can't say i know a single song Bam. 3.20 stars
3.
Sometimes the guitar is quite nice, but the bass sounds terrible on this album.
Prefer iron Maiden with Bruce and Adrian. Also makes the live versions from these songs better
Some parts are a bit too much. But not bad at all.
It didn't anoy me at any moment. Don't recall much more. Can imagine this can grow on you.
So far, I’m leaning 3 stars; some of the songs are fun, but I’m not a fan of this type of music in general. Musically fun stuff. Prowler - Fun beat; creepy subject matter. Pass on listening to it again. Remember Tomorrow - Slightly more relaxed than I expected from an Iron Maiden album. Fun track I wouldn’t mind hearing again. Running Free - Banger. My favorite album on the track with that drum/bass line. Phantom - Fun song, but runs a bit too long. Transylvania - Fun instrumentals; pass for me. Strange World - Similar in some respects to Remember Tomorrow. Charlotte - Nope, not for me. Iron Maiden - Doesn’t seem to fit the rest of the album. Decent song, not something I would want to hear again.
lotsa Maiden in the 1st 50 also...
Ótimo álbum, um bom prelúdio para o Killers
Iron Maiden by Iron Maiden.
Solid from the get go, if a little bread and butter basic in its construction. Likewise the lyrics are pretty lightweight.
3.3/5 - Its smooth and authentic. Big guitar and fast drums. I like it for the most part. Never been a metal guy though, and its kinda comes across as Glam southern rock. I can get behind the overzealous glam elements, but the overall southern sound is lost on me. Talented group, and I totally see the appeal. Their influence on modern music is certainly well deserved. But its not really for me.
Well yes, terrible cover art, so expectations were low. But this was more proto-metal with elements of punk and 70s rock. So I quite enjoyed it.
Couldn't listen to all - but did like 'Remember Tomorrow' track. Never listened to Iron Maiden before so happy to have tried it out! I get how the guitar thing could be hypnotic- but mainly a bit too heavy for me!
Not have as rocky and unintelligible as I remember 😁 Quite musical and acceptable to listen to in company.
Listened to Phantom of the Opera. Very fast, frenetic guitar, with vocals doubling the guitar part. This would be a good soundtrack song for someone in an action movie desperately trying to break out of the ropes tying their hands together behind a chair, then escaping and running to safety.
Extra star for the drummers restaurant Rock and Roll Ribs. Set the ground work for what was to come in metal and thrash but even they have better later.
Coll
listen to iron maiden babey with me oOoOooOoOoh
Pretty decent but iron maiden have better stuff
Probably the most raw Iron Maiden album. Steve Harris may disagree but there are punk vibes on this album. Overall it's decent but I would put Powerslave in the book over this one.
Classic early metal, a couple songs with heavy guitar riffs that melt ears. Couple songs that could be considered skips during a casual listen. 3.35/5.
Next 5 songs played by my Spotify Algorithm: Sepultura - Dead Embryonic Cells Alice In Chains - Dam That River Pantera - Fucking Hostile Megadeth -Angry Again Black Label Society -Stillborn
I always liked the album artwork more than the band. From the looks of them, I think that they should be heavier, but you can't judge an album form it's cover I guess. Did enjoy Phantom of the Opera.
Sin más, la verdad que es bastante cortito. Diría que la que más me ha gustado es "Strange World". Seguramente no me lo pondría yo mismo de fondo, pero no me molestaría si Spotify me lo clava en el aleatorio.
This is definitely an Iron Maiden album! As a guitarist, it's fun to listen to for some shredding, but I've don't feel any deeper appreciation for this than that.
3.5
Yeah some good melodies and riffs and stuff but just a bit long
This is my first Iron Maiden record, full disclosure. Is this what metal used to sound like? It's so melodic, almost clean. I like a lot of the riffs, the bass sounds great (imagine, being able to hear bass on a metal album), and it has compelling soloing. I didn't find this to be an overwhelming musical experience or anything, but I did enjoy it and could see myself revisiting in the future.
Essential Tracks: Iron Maiden Phantom of the Opera Transylvania
Hat Spass gemacht. Musste die ganze Zeit lachen, weil mich die Musik an Taylor Hawkins von The Darkness erinnert hat.
Would be a 3.5 if I could
Not their best work. Running Free and Phantom are the best songs. Solid for its time. 3/5
I thought it was ok actually, rob is wrong
Simplistic with periodic peaks that mostly sounded like A Midwest hairband. I like the graphics better than I like the music.
Not as good as expected. 5/10
Metal was cool!
Better than i always thought😅
Paul dianno sucks. Great music but without THE bruce Dickenson the album isn't all it could be.
Called dentist office, loan servicer, and Comcast.
This was fun- felt like studying history even. I don't love classic metal but there's always some respect and appreciation for the pioneers of a genre I hold dear. Phantom of the Opera, Transylvania, Strange World, and Iron Maiden were standouts. On the vocals- they aren't the best by any means but they aren't horrible to my ears. The vocalist can certainly carry a tune in an inoffensive way IMO. The album instrumentally, though, is where they shine. Wonderful riffs, KILLER drumming, and an overall sense of unity. Not one thing felt off instrumentally. Solid album, 3/5.
Totally not what I expected. Way more melodic (is that the right term? I dunno). And not super heavy or thrash. I guess this is a good album to see the transition from regular old rock to heavy metal? Band complained about production values. I listened to 2015 remaster. It's not bad but kinda flat.
It was fine, probably won't listen again
Second time in as many weeks where I ran to Iron Maiden. The highs were higher on the last one but as a whole I like this album a bit more. The singer is definitely different unless something insane happened to his throat hole. Going 3.5 but rounding down. Just don’t think most Iron Maiden is something I’ll come back to.
A bit more glam rock-ish than I anticipated. A bit Jazzy some times with small solos and the instruments almost calling back and forth.
Honestly, can’t say I really cared for it. I mean there were some good guitar parts, and some good energy, but overall, meh. Something about the vocals I didn’t care for even though I usually like lots of vocal fry. Most notable, the songs were too damn long. There were many times I liked a song, and then it kept going. And going. And going. I think if each song was like cut in half, I could maybe give it another star
Heard it. Not my thing.
Despite it being pretty hard rocking and having a few all timer tracks, this has always been one of my least favorite Maiden releases. I still like it, but generally I like them MORE theatrical.
It's alright. I enjoyed it a little more than I thought I would, but I just don't like "old" metal that much. Of course I'm generalizing here, but a lot of it just feels sort of outdated to me with the existence of newer bands.
Favorite songs: Strange World, Running Free
decent
Fast-paced metal. Pretty good
I was never able to play Steve Harris's runaway basslines on 'Phantom of the Opera'. Envy of his calloused digits (but mostly Paul Di'Anno vocals) marks this down for me.
Prowler - liked the guitar, vocals were good. I didn't really like the song's topic. Strange World - I liked this song MUCH better than the first one. It is pretty slow, and with the intro I almost felt sad. The vocals fit perfectly. This song is either about vampires, getting high, or being in a happy dream-like state. Charlotte the Harlot - I liked this one a lot. It's about a prostitute. I really liked the transition in the middle, and I found myself swaying a bit during the chorus. :] Remember Tomorrow - I liked this song a lot
Liked it. Relisten!
Sounds quite dated and also is quite dated; Sound of metal has evolved big-time; Still great for its age
B- Prowler 3 Remember Tomorrow 5 Running Free 3 Phantom of the Opera 3 Transylvania 3 Strange World 3 Charlotte the Harlot 2 Iron Maiden 3 I'm not usually a heavy metal fan, but this was quite good. Remember Tomorrow was FANTASTIC.
Soaring solos, righteous riffs, voracious vocals. This is certainly better than hair metal, unfortunately it kind of influenced it. I probably would have enjoyed the hell out of this if I were 14 when it was released. Honestly, I don’t mind it now. 3.4
Solide, un peu daté mais efficace !
Never been a huge fan but it was ok.
It was pretty good but didn't make me want to listen to more.
Probably not something I'd listen to again, but better than my expectation was for a heavy metal album.
More enjoyable than I expected!
Iron Maiden’s first album shows a band that is finding their sound. The galloping guitars are present though the songs aren’t quite as developed as they come to be on later releases. Overall, this is a decent British metal album with some more interesting proggy elements.
A nice change as I don't often listen to Rock. I like the amount of guitar showcased in all the songs. I like Transylvania the best.
2.5
I surprised myself by liking this more than I thought I would. I can see how influential they are. I prefer these vocal to those of Bruce Dickinson and they haven’t descended into the caricature almost joke band they became with all the Eddie nonsense May even listen again
I was really surprised by how much I liked this album, since I don’t like metal. I’m sure I will re-listen to this some time.
Quite enjoyed this tbh
Some really fun shreds on here. While still not really my thing, I'm quite happy headbanging along to this and don't find it nearly as grating as a lot of its ilk. Three and a half. Fave track: Remember Tomorrow
Not as good as their later stuff with Bruce Dickinson. Not sure why this would make the book?
There were some parts that I enjoyed and were pretty decent! Mostly didn’t do much for me though.
Rock!!! 3/5
Solid debut album by a solid metal band. Guitar work on Strange World was the highlight. Vocals always leave something to be desired form IM.
Meh
While I wouldn't say I'm an IM "fan", there are several of their songs I have continued to enjoy over the years (decades!). That said, as this is an album with their original singer (Paul Di'anno), it's not really quite up to IM standards. Some great tunes on this album, to be sure - some even considered classic IM tunes - but without Bruce Dickinson's stellar vocals, it's just OK. But the musicianship, as always with IM, is top notch. Would give it a 4, but the disappointment over the vocals drops it down to a 3. Sorry, Paul - Bruce makes you sound like an angry high-schooler.
Bueno, no está mal. Un 3. Transylvania y Phantom of the Opera.
As a latecomer to Iron Maiden, I'm still kind of amazed at how beautiful some of this is? It's all a good listen though none of it set me on fire.
This is a solid debut
It has a really cool sound for sure, it’s just not really my type of music.
Det fint nok, men meget motorcykel rock
This was okay! I wasn’t thrilled to get this as my first, but the point is to try new things. Heavy metal is just heavy on guitars and drums, with excellent musicianship. I mean, the graphics and the lyrics are probably a bit sus. I listened on my phone, in the car, so I’ll pop my buds in later and crank it up!
o álbum fartou-me uma beca porque tou farta de iron maiden em geral mas surpreendeu-me pela positiva
Standout: Sanctuary
The riffs, the solos, the intros everythings is so raw, powerfull, hard and rapid. The intro in Phantom of the opera is just mind blowing Its heavy metal at his purest form, with a little bit of punk, its a very raw album comparable to Paranoid of Black Sabbath in my book. Overall a very good album, first time listen to it and for a debut its very impressive.
melhor do que imaginava
Pretty solid, probably my fav Iron Maiden album so far