Iron Maiden

Awesome raw force. Decent songwriting overall with one or two killer hits. One or two quite original songs, with some dope "loose" riffs that are pretty fun to ride alongside

7/10

Buen disco

Interesting album, vocals not my thing. Good solid metal riffs

No va a ser popular la calificación pero en mi opinión no solo no está entre los mejores discos de Maiden, sino que, a pesar de tener un par de canciones fuertes que perdurarían, como que todavía le falta forma y muy a pesar de algunos en mi opinión la banda no fue sí misma realmente hasta que Dickinson llegó, es elemento clave de lo que hace Maiden a Maiden. No es un mal disco, sienta cierto precedente pero habiendo tantos discos realmente emblemáticos, poner este como uno que "debes" escuchar se me hace una exageración. Simplemente checando de manera rápida, tienen 17 discos de estudio... conté 8 discos que se me hacen mejores que este, incluyendo el que salió este año. Curiosidad histórica, tiene Phantom of the Opera, Transilvanya y Iron Maiden... ni cerca de los mejores de la banda ni necesario. Espero que habrá más Maiden, de ser predecibles será Number of the Beast, pero incluso así... este lugar estaría mucho mejor ocupado por Powerslave, Peace of Mind o tantos otros.

Solid

Metal classic - actual score 3.5

Not for me. Too many notes. But the technique is impressive.

Enjoyed this. Phantom of the Opera slapped heavy.

Iron Maiden are hugely popular. They don’t need to add me as a fan. Good luck to ‘em.

Punk, metal and prog all combined - awesome. It includes Phantom of the opera, running free, iron maiden and prowler. Great debut, but not perfect - 3.75

Not something that I'm likely to listen to a lot, but it definitely rocks.

It's hard to imagine that Iron Maiden goes back to 1980 with their debut album. This borders between the iconic British hard rock sound that was emerging from Europe and what would eventually become the sound of later 80s and 90s Heavy Metal. This album is a great little time capsule piece.

Give me Bruce every day

teeter totters just on the right side of cheesey. less comedy than most the maiden stuff i've heard. its made me have the realisation that i'm slowly becoming the middle aged metal man in the pub. I'm basically a pair of stonewashed jeans away.

Not the greatest Maiden album, but decent for its time

Not sure what i'll make of this. At least albums were short in those days! "Prowler" - like it more than Korn, at least. More melodic quite enjoying, not as nasty as the imagery suggests is should be - some tunes in there. "Remember Tomorrow" "Running Free" "Phantom of the Opera" - dragged a bit. "Transylvania" (instrumental) - didn't notice this really. "Strange World": almost a nice song strummy, although the sinigng isn't amazing, of course. "Charlotte the Harlot" - a bit silly. "Iron Maiden" - silly again.

Well this one surprised.me. this is so far removed from what I was listening to in 1980. But I enjoyed it. I think because the guitar wakety was left to a minimum replaced by beautiful 2 guitar interplay. The singing was restrained and the playing was of course skillfull without being too showy. 3.5 🌟

Better than I expected. Wouldn’t say I ever listen again but I have a new respect for Iron Maiden

A somewhat punk-y debut from the heavy metal legends. Di’Anno isn’t my cup of tea but he gives a real punk edge to a good part of the album. The rest of the band shred through with gusto, and overall the music here is pretty great.

G - 3.5 - Great riff and vocals but bit repetitive. B - 3.5 - at first thought it was weird not to have Bruce's vocals but actually pretty good.

Riffs at various times reminded me of Metallica’s black album, Green Day dookie, and System of a Down. Some songs fun but got a little boring. Was probably more exciting when it came out in its own era.

Good sounds, just not my style

Great fun to listen to.

I enjoyed this more than I expected, I liked the drama of it! Sometimes the guitar solos did go on a little bit too long for me. It's funny, I would never have thought I'd like listening to Iron Maiden.

Pretty solid metal album. Rocks hard. I still like Bruce as a vocalist for this band better, but this is definetly a good start for them!

Nor bad, but not great. Not what expected.

Lot's of headbanging going on with this one. What can I say, Iron Maiden rips.

This is not my thing at all, but I can sort of see the appeal. Honestly I thought it would be harder to listen to than it was. Perhaps the instrumentals would be more enjoyable without the vocals?

"Prowler" Heavy. Guitars with interesting double-lead harmonies. Definitely sounds dated, but you hear the nucleus of a sound that defined the new wave of British Metal. Can see how they influenced early Def Leppard. The Drums are killer. Double-kick. Can hear the Geezer Butler inspired bass-lines clearly. "Remember Tomorrow" is good. Interesting changes in tempo and mood. "Running Free" Groovy. Production is sparse, but the drums are driving. Got those strong Thin Lizzy-eque guitars. The lyrics aren't much to write home about. He's runnin' free yeah. He's runnin free. "Phantom of the Opera" Cool how the verse melody matches the guitar riff. Interesting rhythmically and melodically. Ooh, I like this change that starts with "Keep your distance..." The changes make it almost proggy. [Overall ,the production is tinny and thin. Could do with more mid to low end] "Transylvania" Interesting instrumental with the trademark harmony leads on guitars. "Strange World" I like the arpeggios in the intro. The lead guitar over the top is fluid and strong. Like it. Definitely hear a Genesis "Musical Box" influence on this. Has some similarity in feel to a lot of Nursery Cryme. "Charlotte the Harlotte" This is a manly rock song. Almost self-parody. Spinal Tap. "Iron Maiden" An eponymous song. Like "Black Sabbath".

Pierwsze moje zderzenie z zelazna dziewica, bo jedyne co widzialem wczesniej, to ze kazdy szanujacy sie kuc musi miec przynajmniej jedna koszulke z takim szkieletorem mumiowym, ktore wlasnie zdobia okladki ironow, a wiec spodziewalem sie darcia ryja, napierdalania w gitary na lubu dubu, ale nie zastalem tego, pozytywne zaskoczenie wokalem jaki zastalem, gitarki nie sa maltretowane, nie wiem jak to sie nazywa, ze tak szybko brzkadaja te gitarki, ale mozna bylo uslyszec wlasnie takie klasyczne brzdakanie, sa takze wolniejsze kawalki, prawie ze ballady jak u czornego sabata, chociaz takie ciezkie brzmienia nie sa moim gatunkiem muzycznym, to nie bawiem sie zle sluchajac albumika, na plejke leci strange world oraz prowler

3.2 - Solid elements of speed metal, maybe mashed through an Atari filter. Definitely corny at parts, esp. "Charlotte the Harlot." Shredding guitars throughout, which overall make this a righteous affair.

Wow, this was nowhere near as bad as I was expecting! I think I’ve avoided IM because of their album covers, and by the time they came out in ’80, metal was so in my rearview mirror. After listening, over the last few weeks, to quite a few talented singer-songwriters with hopeless voices, it’s good to hear Di'Anno’s raspy voice. The guitar riffs are cliched, but the songs have energy and the 2 proggy-balads are nice. I can see the youths going crazy for this. A solid 5 out of 10.

Having trouble accessing album

1980, heavy metal, nicht ganz mein Ding aber geht ganz gut

i can see why people love it. I guess Its just not pulling me in very much

I’ve listened to tons of bands that have named Maiden as an influence, and have never listened to them myself. It was like I knew what was going to happen next every step of the way. Also, Tenacious D could easily re-record this album and I don’t think anyone would notice.

I'm more of a Judas Priest guy, but I enjoyed it enough. First track got me into it, then the first ballad was alright. Think it fell apart with that Phantom of the Opera one.

As I said yesterday - this was enjoyable and FUNNY. Men taking themselves seriously but actually singing in funny voices with mad over the top guitar solos. It was a great start to the day though

best goed, maar iets te hardrock naar mijn smaak

Great stuff - Had no idea they were such amazing musicians.

Not really my style of music, but it turned out to be very good music for focusing!

That was fun. Again? Nah.

Not as heavy as I expected considering Black Sabbath came 10 years before. Pretty good

Not as good as the Dickinson-era when it comes to vocals. The production could use a bit more base, some of the songs feel a bit flat. Overall pretty good.

No es lo mío pero es una bandota cómo no.

farofa

Buen disco, Buena banda, siempre quise ir a uno de sus conciertos en su avión privado con escenario. Su cerveza aguanta también jaja

Great

It was ok....

Surprisingly Queen-like, I enjoyed it.

Pretty hardcore, brah. Strange world surprisingly chill

I now understand jack black's origin story. Objectively very musically talented first album

1. Strong opening track, vocals are pretty nice. Reminds me a bit of Schism by Tool. Goes ham at 1:45. 2. Opening riff is really cool. Cool bassline. 3. Drums and bass are so good. 4. Overall rhythm of the track is really cool, I like how the main riff follows the lyrics. 5. Not bad. 6. Song overall is amazing, I love the bass a lot and guitar with weird effects. Favorite on the entire album. 7. Riff is nice, so is the bass. 8. Pretty cool, really liked the riffs.

Good to start with something I wouldn't normally listen to. Not really my thing but did find myself enjoying it. Strange World was probably favourite track. Listened in a few sittings as I was doing other things

Not a huge fan of metal, but this at least was not screaming.

Pretty cool as far as metal bands go, the way they play on different riffs and transition to very different sounds makes me think of classical music.

Production is rough even for early 80s metal but there are some really good songs on this. Probably falls out of my top 3 prime Maiden records, though.

Interesting to see the genesis of the band. It's okay.

pleasent . noice almost . but nothing popping out

As I told Nathaniel, I heard inspiration in this album for the later-to-come Tenacious D. Very rock n roll for the 80s and beyond era. Made me want to smash a guitar into a TV and then light the curtains on fire.

Bit disappointed as I expected more based on the name and their legacy. It wasn't bad however I found it in-between sounds, not really being either and thus kinda average

Kovaa rockia vaikkakin orkesterilta löytyy parempiakin levyjä

Pleasantly surprised. This was their first album and, whilst still hard rock, there was restraint and control here. Can’t fully get behind the genre still, but stronger than I thought it would be and I’m still thinking of some of the tracks the next day.

Banger

It was okay. I liked some of the guitar work on the longer songs. 3.5

The fact that heavy metal is called heavy metal continues to confuse me. Iron Maide is good at it I suppose. Wish the 9-track version was on streaming. Don't really get it, but was a fun listen. Satisfying song lengths.

a nEWwwww StraagNNGE Worllld!!

I never have really listened to Iron Maiden until now, but I was under the assumption that they were a "harder" or more aggressive band, but this album does not give me that impression.

I didn't mind it, but wow heavy metal isn't really very heavy, is it

Iron Maiden sounding like Iron Maiden albeit rougher about the edges.

Bättre än när Bruce sjunger iallafall!

alright

Not for me. Some interesting instrumental pieces here and there, but nothing to make me want to come back. I like the big songs by them, but this album had none of the blockbusters. Not the biggest metalhead and this one doesn’t catch my interest much.

Not bad for a first album

Not a fan. Nothing against the band but not a fan of the genre.

good

Herregud, nej! Detta var rent ut sagt dåligt. Möjligtvis kan Transylvania komma undan med att vara ok men resten... Absolut inte. Jag gillar inte Paul Di'Anno på sång, Maiden för mig är Bruce Dickinson. Jag är inte överförtjust i den här typen av 80-tals hårdrock, det finns i sådana fall bättre än detta.

boring

1 - 6/10 2 - 4/10 3 - 6/10 love the drums; the first lyrics remind me of thoroughfare 4 - 5/10 5 - 4/10 nice bass 6 - 4/10 7 - 3/10 8 - 4/10

Mostly just a bunch of annoying heavy electric guitar riffs.

It's just OK. I've heard all their studio albums (don't ask) and they're just... fine, two-dimensional, sometimes a bit shit. Not unlistenable, just not a sound I have much interest in or emotional resonance with. NWOBHM in general just has little appeal for me. The most fun thing about Iron Maiden's discography is the ever-changing, ever-ugly Eddie artwork – just aesthetically repulsive in a strangely compelling way. They're better with Bruce Dickinson but it's not a bad beginning.

On hearing the first song I thought “more new-wave heavy metal noise – no thanks”. As the album went on though I supressed my inbuilt aversion to later than original “real” heavy metal and gave it a chance. I quite liked the Transylvannia/Strange World piece but thought Phantom of the Opera sounded like a missed opportunity with weak transitions between sections and a general amateur feel about it. I should probably hear the album a few times to do it justice really as I’ve never paid any attention to Iron Maiden putting them in the same bracket as Metallica, Def Leppard, Saxon etc etc. It just doesn’t have the same instant effect that Black Sabbath, Led Zep et al had on first hearing them – but then I was slightly younger (!) and had more time and patience perhaps. No - I don’t think I really want to invest any more time on this lot, other than further albums which may crop up doing this thing of course. It could have been a lot worse though.

I was kind of disappointed, took itself too seriously to be any fun and unfortunately it was all pretty forgettable. I am doubting now if I will enjoy any British Heavy Metal.

Metal is not my jam, but I liked this more than I’ve liked any other metal so far. Far superior to Metallica and Rage (not metal I know, but a band I don’t like). There’s substance here. I think I prefer British metal over American metal.

Uneventful slogs. 1.5/5

Yeah... I think the biggest issue for me is the 80s butt-rock vocals. "Remember tomorrow" was easily my favorite track on the album purely because the vocals were much more "restrained" and melodic as opposed to the constant 80s high-energy gargle. The instrumental breaks were pretty good especially with the dual guitar solos (like in "Phantom of the Opera"). It's very clear to hear the prog-rock influence but it's masked by the mixing and screechier guitar and vocals. Favorite Tracks: Remember Tomorrow Phantom of the Opera Least favorite: I forgor 3/10

Boring chord progressions. Drums sound cool, but the lack of dynamics drag them down. In general, the album lacked dynamic range. I think in general I don't really care for heavy metal guitars. They sound like they're trying too hard to be heavy, like it's kinda cringe. I liked the unison between the vocals and guitar in Phantom of the Opera. And in general that song went on more of a journey than the others. I like the storytelling nature of Strange World. Those two felt unique, the rest sort of blended into background noise. I guess heavy metal is too close in proximity to so many better genres. I prefer most other *metals*, besides hair metal. And it has occasional prog-ish classical influences that just ain't prog enough to get me prog-pogging. We are two-for-two on listening to albums that feel like genre identifiers. Giving my thoughts on this album especially feels like just giving my thoughts on the genre as a whole. Idk, not very stand-out-y. Favs: Phanton of the Opera, Strange World Leasts: Running Free 2/5

I've never been a Maiden fan, and this debut album does not change my mind This is original Maiden before they figured out their signature formula for metal, and its not a recipe that appeals to me

wont be mad at anyone for liking this, but it's not my style

Not very heavy metal - I was slightly disappointed

Wasn’t my style but didn’t hate it.

Wel sick maar beetje té voor mij

it was meh not alot to say 5/10

I prefer their later work like powerslave and the seventh son

Childish Heavy Metal

Nothing really stood out

Very middle of the road album for me, I didn't hate any songs, but none stuck out either. True 2.5, rounded down since I can't pick one as a favorite.

The Good: We get a maiden! The Bad: Finding out what an Iron Maiden is… The Ugly: Album Name = Band Name… Gonna keep it brief. There were 3 songs that I recognized instantly, and they were fine to listen to… however, unlike their album The Number of the Beast, I really wanted this album to be over and done with… Don’t know if that has to do with this singer… Don’t know much… 2* that could be 3, but ain’t….

Maybe because it there debut album its not that much 4.2/10 has some potentials

80's heavy metal not my jam

I'm not a metal fan so this did nothing for me and can't say I enjoyed much of anything here.

forced to sit through another 80s heavy metal album. wasn't made at Remember Tomorrow at all. A different sound form what I expected and even though i wasn't totally in love with it, it was nice to have a surprise. Everything else was exactly how I expected. It all runs together. These riffs do absolutely nothing for me

Middle school pap. No.

Entiendo que sea iconico pero me aburrio muy rapido 3/10

Not my vibe

Heavy metal del Origen…aunque me extraña no escuchar la tradicional voz del cantante.

Iron Maiden can absolutely shred which is what makes this album incredibly disappointing. They're barely holding it together with crappy amps, crappy guitars, crappy production and an absolutely painfully bad lead singer. It's telling that only a couple of years later, with Bruce in the band, they were suddenly metal fucking royalty, outriffing everyone else in the scene. There's some good tunes here but overall this is pretty awful.

Gear: ZMF Auteur Classic LTD Shedua Artwork: 👹🪥🌃 Production (2015 Remaster): ⚡🕰️💩 Music: 🪓🔁🗿 Rating: 🦾🦾(🦾)/5

There is a thin line between heavy metal and Rush and that line is called Iron Maiden. Drummer is good. The rest, meh.

not my style ale oksik

Better than I expected to be fair. It's not horrible, and at times it's pretty fun, but it's still a load of widdling guitars and all the subtlety of an air horn in the face.

I want this to be my vibe but it's just not. Thanks to my high school boyfriend for forever ruining Iron Maiden for me...

Just not for me.

I don’t love it or hate it, I never gelled with Maiden, you can definitely hear the through lines for the gutter of the genre, but ultimately find the songs uninspiring in a modern context. If I could I’d give it 2.5

[Album #5] Honestly really bored me. not for me. the first few songs were fine, i didn’t like them but they were fine, but then it just kept going. felt longer than 37 mins. i didn’t think i was going vibe with this and i didn’t. i’m not the biggest metal fan and definitely not early metal. like a 1.5-2/5 for me.

Thrash-tastic

Not my favorite metal album ever, but not terrible either.

Not my thing. Definitely my cousin’s.

A bit harsh but meh and repetitive. Didn't hate it until suddenly I did

Well, I laughed a lot at the lyrics, typical of the 80s. Fortunately they band changed for the better with time!

Not much for me, personally

Weirdly chilled out. I just can’t get into it though. Just feels so silly.

Edit: I ended up getting two Iron Maiden albums in a row. Downgrading this one because it’s not as good as the other

I'm guessing this was chosen because it was influential to a whole genre of music? It's almost good most of the time. Tiptoeing right on the line of hair/glam metal and what Iron Maiden would eventually become. but, man, Transylvania and Charlotte.... brings it down several notches.

First thought was “ugh,” but I listened for the first time and it wasn’t as bad as I expected. But that cover art is UUUGGGLLY.

not my style, great album. (PERSONAL RATING: 2,4

Remember Tomorrow is great if you took all the screamy bits out of it. on the whole the album is not as bad as I was expecting. Still lots of rapid frantic screamy vocals and guitar, but at least some variation. Strange World is head and shoulders the standout track, but I had pretty much had enough after that. Will not listen to it again. 2.5 stars

Metal

More jagged and punky than expected, but ultimately marred by some infuriating vocal tics and a generally over theatrical approach. I actually liked the production which the band have criticised. Not really for me but appreciated giving it more of a listen.

Never really listened to Iron Maiden before but I thought it would be more "metal", was more of a classic rock sounding album.

Eipä oo tullu tätä ekaa rienaa ikinä kuunneltua, ja nythän se selvis miksei. Ei se ihan lähde lentoon. Laulukin on melko väkinäistä.

Ei tämä ihan samalla lailla iskenyt kun se edellinen Iron Maiden. Itse kyllä paljon enempi Dickinson-mäen miehiä mitä tulee Maideniin.

sıradan geldi. listeme girecek şarkısı yok.

done

solid

Not very memorable

Review - do you really need to hear a pre Bruce Dickinson Iron Maiden album? I can now confirm "no". This album was ok. Two of the songs were quite good. But it doesn't need to be heard. Rating - 5/10 Need to hear? NO

Just not my kind of music

it's fine. Definitely skilled musicians making fun music, but I get bored with it.

Meh. Not my cupa

Couple of decent tunes but largely meh

I actually kind of like Iron Maiden, but this is not nearly as good as the later albums to me. Though my memory is based entirely on high school me listening to it at Danny's house

Apparently I am not a metal person.

Of all the iron maiden albums that you could choose from you pick this?

kinda only half listened to this tbh i know at this age im not gonna like metal

Not bad

Fav: Iron Maiden 2/5

Sounded like an album from a band still finding their feet. The production suited the more thrash/punky tracks, but not so much the prog/safe metal numbers

Did you know these guys can play guitar? They certainly seem on a mission to show that as much as possible on this album. Songs really drag on with self-indulgent solos- the overall sound is ok, but just didn’t do anything interesting for me.

Phantom of the Opera

Didn't do much for me. Not a fan of the singing. I listened an hour ago and honestly can't remember what it sounded like. Maybe exciting at the time and influential, but now is just generic 80's metal. Pretty cool bass playing saves it from the bottom. Some fun and unexpected tempo changes. Just 2 stars, not interested.

Not offensively bad, but not particularly good either

Wasn’t crazy about this one

The drumming is very good.

A thoroughly grotty album, very much of its time.

Iron Maiden’s take on metal is gloriously cartoony, and I love it... But this album shouldn't be on the list.

nah

Disliked this less than the other Iron Maiden album we've had so far. There were points where I could hear prog rock influences which I think makes sense given how dramatic and overblown it gets to in the later record. Probably still not for me because it lacks any real edge to my ear but still interesting.

I would describe myself as a casual Iron Maiden fan, and that would probably come as a big surprise to my family, particularly my parents considering how many Eddie posters festooned the walls of my teenage bedrooms. Even today my wife and kid probably think I am a much bigger fan than I am because of my adoration of what would probably be described as their "greatest hits." And the reason for that is back in those years when I was listening to a lot of heavy metal I couldn't afford a lot of cassettes so I bought Live After Death, which contained all the Maiden songs I thought I needed and I wore that thing out. Much later on, I actually got some of the albums those songs were on, but I wasn't as into heavy metal as I had been before, so I didn't really listen to them a lot other than the songs I already loved. Anyway, I am sure it is blasphemy to certain elements of the fanbase, but I never really cared for the Paul Di'Anno version of the band. The roots of the instrumental genius are obviously here, but it just doesn't sound like Iron Maiden to me if Bruce Dickinson isn't wailing over the top of it. And songs like "Remember Tomorrow" and "Strange World" don't sound like Iron Maiden at all. So listening to this is kind of like listening to Pete Best-era Beatles for me. (Some of) the ingredients are there, but the recipe isn't quite done yet.

Iron Maiden is a popular British heavy metal band, and this is their debut album. I suppose if you’re into heavy metal this is a good album, however that is not my favorite kind of music. None of the tracks here are memorable (or enjoyable) in my opinion.

Noooo. One Iron Maiden album was enough. Honestly, it's fine, I don't even hate it, but completely uninteresting to me.

I've never listened to this band on purpose before. I liked it.

I was so scared of their album covers when I was little. Do not like heavy metal guitar solos.

It wasnt bad as I was expecting, but not as good as I would hope. Some incredible musicianship, but just not my genre of heavy metal.

i only like the hits, sue me

Expected to be like so fast loud and wall of sound, it's like boring and I don't know how to feel about it. The "rock singer voice" doing like so.much lifting. This is all so.much slower than I expected 2 right now. Just kinda amazingly un remarkable... This a 1 if not for the vibe

This is kind of bad

Its just really nothing special, i'l partially blame my low rating on being ill but like its just alright really, wouldnt go out of my way to listen to it

I'll grant Iron Maiden this: at the very least, their debut is more 'rock' than 'metal' - if you peer closely, you may even be able to locate some traces of the burgeoning indie scene (real closely). The issue is I don't like 'rock.' I don't care to be the guy who distinguishes 'rock 'n' roll' from 'rock,' or 'hip hop' from 'rap,' but there's a truth to the pedantic differences. It's as if the genre that Zeppelin invented and Sabbath dissected would struggle to go pop and to go avant-garde almost immediately. Besides a few exceptions, my taste for this music stops with those two. 'I'm running free, yeah / I'm running free.' It tries desperately to be pump-up music that's technical & operatic, but it's just uneventfully dumb and only powerlessly impressive.

Not really my bag

I'm not really into Iron Maiden and this isn't even good Iron Maiden

I've never really been a metal guy, and while that's slowly started to change, Iron Maiden's debut didn't really do it for me. I can see the appeal, but only if I turn my head and squint.

Similarly to reggae, every year I think "this will be the year I finally start to enjoy metal" and every year, it doesn't happen. And every year, I try out a different Iron Maiden album. It just has not clicked yet. There are sections of this self-titled that I like but it falls off me like water on a duck's back. 28 Years Laterer: The Bone Temple made it seem really awesome though so I'll be back with hope in my heart. Favorite Tracks: Prowler, Running Free, Strange World

I like the heavy metal, but I've never liked IM, especially with this first singer. I remember the first time I heard them when Killers came out. My 2 buddies loved it. I was "Meh" Sorry Metalers, I give it a 2, only 'cause it is in my genre and i have heard worse.

heavy Metal, 1980 > 2

Not my thing at all but not as bad as i expected

Not as hard to listen to as I feared it would be but still not really my thing. Favourite song: Prowler Least: Transylvania

not for mee

,5

boring

Not something I’d listen to regularly

Feels more influential than essential. By chance I got this only days after The Number of The Beast, obviously the fuller version of this vision.

This album does not exist for people like me. It was less worse than I imagined though.

Ever since I got to album number 1000, I’ve been trying to guess what album I’d get next, and today, I finally got one right, and I get to review the second Iron Maiden album on this list. I was doing a little research on this album, and until today, I wasn’t even aware that Iron Maiden had any other lead singer other than Bruce Dickinson. I’m not incredibly familiar with a lot of Iron Maiden’s broader discography, but Bruce Dickinson is definitely one of my favorite things about their music, so I have no idea how I’m going to feel about this debut album of theirs. Will this surpass the four-stars I gave The Number of The Beast? There’s only one way to find out! I wasn’t really into this self-titled debut from Iron Maiden. There were some pretty fun guitar riffs sprinkled throughout this album, but overall, I thought it lacked originality, and other than the guitar riffs, there wasn’t anything about this album that made it unique or fun to listen to. I thought “Prowler” and “Transylvania” were the best songs on the album, and while the rest of the album wasn’t unlistenable or anything, the majority of these songs just didn’t click for me. There might be some cool guitar playing or a nice bit of drumming, but rarely was the sum greater than the parts on this album. I guess the answer to the question of ‘how much will I miss Bruce Dickinson?’ turned out to be ‘quite a lot, actually.’ What a bummer that my last album of 1980 was a letdown.

Some fun guitar parts, but I won't go back and listen again. Some problematic songs in their attitude towards women - "Prowler" and "Charlotte the Harlot".

whatever

Can do a maiden greatest hits but lost interest in this

Didn't hate it like I expected to, a lot more soft arpeggios than I expected, still not really for me though.

Probably closer to a 2.5 to me but I'll round down

If 'Number of the Beast' didn't change my opinion of the NWOBHM movement or Iron Maiden's work, this album didn't even stand a chance to do so. First of all, it feels incredibly weird to not hear Bruce Dickinson voice in a Iron Maiden project, and as much as I don't like his singing, at least it is way more fun and makes Paul Di'Anno sound way flatter and boring in comparison. The rest I think is in the same line: fast riffs and solos followed by melodic sections. However, I believe there's nothing as memorable or interesting as in the project I mentioned. Thankfully for me, this album is 37 minutes long and has a lot of changes of tone inside the songs. These traits made it easier for me to sit through, but ultimately, it felt a bit boring.

It's alright, but not really for me.

Very uninteresting, but not unlistenable. That's about the best I can say for it.

#221/1001. Before listening I was remembering myself as a 10-12 year old aspiring guitar player and a metal fan, who put bands in top order. Ordering was heavily based on band images, logos and album covers. I think the top three were WASP, Kiss, Iron Maiden. Listening to the music itself was much more difficult: the record were quite expensive, the library didn't have anything, the only places where LPs were sold were basically music sections of department stores or muisic (instrumebt) shops, and listening possibility in them was minimal. Copying tapes from friends was the norm, but then again not many people were in to hard rock /heavy metal then. It eased out a bit when we got cable TV to our town -Sky Channel and Hesdbanger's Ball, yeah! But as for Iron Maiden (the band and this album) - I think I had only Powerslave on tape, and have heard Prowler and Running Free, I'm pretty confident they would have dropped out of my top 3...too proggy and melodic? Listening to the debut now gives me a bit conflicting feelings: I have left heavy and hard rock behind and while there is some nostalgia, I don't have any reasons to go back and dig my childhood favourites. Then again the album seems like a start of something new (yes they called it NWOBHM), can't but think that the punk / new wave movement came and went and somehow allowed some room fir this music to emerge as well (although the band clearly stated they hated punk and punks). But no, in the end nothing too go back or forwards to for me in here.

So cheesy! Music was okay as long as that dork kept his mouth shut.

Proto-metal. This is an album that makes sense to have on the list. I was surprised that it is somewhat melodic. I like the title track and found the whole thing listenable. Not really my thing but I see its value.

Rocking around the Christmas tree…

Noisy

Went to see Maiden when they toured the year after this was released. Hated the gig. When the 1001 assigned it to me 45 years later I listened hoping that time had lessened my loathing of metal. It hasn't. Next.

It's fine. It's a good metal album, but doesn't really stand out to me. Cover art is great, though.

Before listening: I don't think I've ever heard a song from them before. Ngl, it doesn't look very interesting to me. Not entirely looking forward to this, but it's on the list and I'm gonna try my best to have an open mind, Listening Notes: 1. "Prowler" Well, lyrically I hate the vibes. I'm always shocked when I listen to old Punk and Metal and it's as tame sonically as it is. Like, I've listened to harder sounding stuff than this from time to time. 2. "Remember Tomorrow" - Better than the first song, but just okay overall 3. "Running Free" - Dad Rock, I'm bored :( Second half's guitar is good tho 4.Phantom of the Opera" - the rhythm structure of the lyrics is interesting. I think I like this one well enough, a little background music sounding due to all the guitar solos, but overall a little fun. 5. Transylvania" - I've not read Dracula yet :( I did get to Frankenstein finally this year, it was so good. Oh, the song is fine too. Don't hate it, don't love it 6. "Strange World" - Cool guitars, interesting vibe. Yeah, I really like this one, best song so far. It's weird and creepy in an atmospheric way, instead of a sex pest way. Good song 7. Charlotte the Harlot - Well...the guitars and melody are cool. I hate it otherwise. 8. Iron Maiden - I'm just bored. It feels like roller-coaster theme park commercial music Debating on giving this a 2 or 3. I think I want to reserve 3's for albums I liked more than this. This was mainly just kinda boring to me, sorry lol. I did really like Strange World tho, Phantom of the Opera was cool but I don't see myself returning to it. 2.5, i guess

I enjoyed the riffs and stuff but something about his voice was throwing me off. Overall a good album though

It was ok. Did not love it.

Maybe I’m too old for this. It just seems uninspired and formulaic. Great musicians, excellent technique, but it doesn’t make me feel like wow or like I want more.

Good music but just not my type 2/5

Remember Tomorrow and Strange World i enjoyed quite a lot. 2.3/5

Not what I expected, at best: corny, at worst: boring. Insert Wheatus joke here.

No, thank you.

not nearly as good as their later stuff honestly

I'm giving this album a 2 but I have nothig bad to say about it. I can see why it's considered a classic, I can see why so many people love it. I just really hate heavy metal with a burning passion.

The better end of hard metal, but thats like saying my favourite type of herpes. Some tunes compared to others but lacks any light and shade.

Appreciate the craft, still feels so overwrought. The awkward, dorky love child of Yes and Led Zep.

While I appreciate the musicianship this isn't my type of music. This reminds me of spotty teenage boys with patches on their denim jackets.

Very repetitive

Kinda nice, I guess. Somehow the early works never really do it for me, but most tracks are pretty good.

Thankfully this isn't as cringey as The Number of the Beast, but it still feels very juvenille. The raw production values is what saves it. It has an almost gritty punk feel to it - something that you feel wasn't achieved on purpose. But the core Iron Maiden tackiness is still lurking under the grounded production sound: songs that feel like a first draft, guitars racing to the end of the fretboard because no one told them they didn’t have to, a lack of substance. It's not terrible, but it's not good either.

Holt mich einfach nicht ab, ich erkenne, dass es gut ist

Vibes: 2/5 Instruments: 4/5 Production: 3/5 Emotional Value: 2/5 Storytelling: 1/5 Album Cover: 0 Stand Outs: Phantom of the Opera, Charlotte the Harlot Overall Rating: 2.2

I find with so much metal….the playing may be great, the actual songs don’t do much for me.

The band shows obvious potential on their debut, but it doesn’t quite click for me. The main weak point is Paul Di’Anno’s vocals, which feel limited and rough in a way that drags several songs down rather than giving them character. Still, there are bright spots — 𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢 is by far the standout, the first moment where Iron Maiden’s melodic twin-guitar interplay and dramatic songwriting truly break through. Overall, you can hear the blueprint of what the band would later become, but for now it’s more promise than payoff.

Heavy Metal is so overrated. 1.5/5

This album is kind of a lot to deal with on a Monday morning, but it woke me up, I guess.

Boring…

The picture on the cover looks like an anorexic Donald Trump having a bad hair day. Is this the best thing about the album? Quite possibly. I would have considered scrapping a 3 after listening to "Strange World" unfortunately the album ended with the title track "Iron Maiden " This track is a virtual caricature of a bad heavy metal song. 2 star

No private session used for Spotify. Iron Maiden was lumped into the bin of satanic bands that I tended to avoid when I was in junior high and high school. This wasn't as heavy as I expected and seemed more hair metal than heavy metal.

fantastic thematic unity between their sound and visual style but not very interesting music

I fell asleep listening to this

This did not sound anything like I thought it would. After I finished the album, I listened to the most recent Iron Maiden release. "Total Eclipse" from 2022 sounds like what I expected Iron Maiden to sound like. Maybe they were finding their voice when making the s/t, but the vocals are so boring. I like the instruments, but I'm actually shocked they had a 50-year career following that boring first release. Their scary imagery does not match the tame vocals

Not bad by any means, but not necessarily my preferred style.

So cringey.

YES ...men det är inte så bra. Det är lätt att se var de är på väg (som band och som genre), men det betyder inte att den förtjänar sin plats i kanon.

Except for strange worlds, i found myself wishing that i was listening to black sabbath. Ewwww. I wonder how modern music manages to sound so much punchier. Nirvaaannnaaa. TWO!

Geht so

Running Free Phantom of the Opera Iron Maiden

not my jam, but bearable

Expected to like this more than I did. First track kinda banged but overstayed its welcome. Didn’t know they had a vocalist before Bruce. Would have been better with Bruce.

Too heavy and obnoxious for my general liking, not a big fan of Iron Maiden

Metal Goes Pop vol 1

Not great but ultimately much more fun and less annoying than I expected, high 2 low 3 Fav song: Phantom of the Opera

80s training montage music.

Hate heavy metal. 2/5

Ok. Not really for me but had its moments.

By the time this was released I had moved on from this type of music. I knew of it but avoided it and have done so ever since. Chance today then to perhaps listen to the album in full. Which I did but found despite its brashness, my mind wandering. Cannot think of any circumstance again when I would play this or any other Iron Maiden album. 2/5 27/9/25

Not my kind of metal.

I just don't like metal.

point8.

too hard for me

Did not like heavy metal when I was younger. This did not move the needle.

Raucous, no surprise there obvs. But I feel that even if I knew this album intimately I would struggle to sing along 😐

Yeah, okay, maiden minus Dickinson is definitely not worth listening to

Najgorszy z albumów maidenów, bo na wokalu inny gość. Dickinson ma jednak niepowtarzalny wokal

Hella hard. 2/5

Bless their hearts.

I’m not the biggest fan of Iron Maiden fan at the best of times, but I’m definitely not into pre Bruce Dickinson Maiden. There were some decent instrumentals across the album, but I just find their variety of metal quite dull and overblown.

Iron Maiden has never hit for me. I feel like I *should* like them (love a bunch of their peers), but they're just not for me. Cover art is always amazing though

Good instrumentation, I’m not going to purchase the album- but won’t turn it off either

Early Iron Maiden pre- Dickinson is not great. Kind of slow and boring

but boring

It was ok

As far as metal goes, this was fine, though a bit insipid.

Lots of guitar noise, and not much else going for it.

Tolerated it better than I thought it would, but still not my thing.

Long time dince I’ve listened to any Maiden and i must admit the style of remember tomorrow shocked and jarred slightly. I much prefer the Bruce Dickinson era Iron Maiden as i’m not a fan of Di’Anno’s vocal style. That said ‘Prowler’ and ‘Phantom of the opera’ are great tracks.

Mijn favoriet: Phantom of The Opera. De bridge in het liedje zit goed in elkaar en vond ik leuk om te luisteren. Niet helemaal mijn muziek, maar na dit album waardeer ik het wel al meer.

I don’t like the galloping sound.

Just not my kind of music in any way. I can get why people like it, and understand its relevance, but it’s not for me.

not all 1001 can be good

I always used to think I hated Iron Maiden. Turns out I was right. This album gets an extra star for not having Bruce Dickinson on it.

Oh, this is what my parents meant when they said my music sounds like noise! Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" (yesterday's album) isn't my usual genre, but I genuinely enjoyed it. I didn't really like "The Stooges" and "Meat is Murder" (which kicked off my list), but I could see their merit. This one is leaving me cold in ways the others didn't. It really tested my commitment to listening to things all the way through and not cutting them short. I made it, but kind of by tuning it out by the end.

Too many ballads for me

A bit boring

I've been a Maiden fan since I was a teenager in the 80s. This is not my Iron Maiden, though. It sounds so wrong to have anyone but Dickinson's voice going along with that (still recognizable) music.

Knew the Band’s name but none of the music…wish it stayed that way.

I used to listen IM back in public school. Probably would skip this album though if I was in the mood for them.

Too much screaming

I have never liked this Maiden album. I always think it is very novice material

Not bad but just my taste, respectfully.

Not into metal.

A really okay album. Probably a 2.5 for me that I must round down. The production is really bad and I felt like I couldn't hear the words, not that it added anything when I could. For the type of music I felt it lacked energy. Frequently found myself bored but thankfully a guitar solo would usually start.

I'm tired pretending that I give even a little shit about hard rock album #347.

Kaksi ulottuvuutta: Prowler (viihdyttävä) ja Phantom of the Opera (kiusallinen). Kokonaisuudessaan kuunneltava levy, jota en usko enää kuuntelevani. 2,5

I can see the musical talent, but this wasn't my thing in the 80s, and it's not my thing now. The first couple tracks were all right, but for the just pay the melodies didn't do it for me.

Def prefer their other album over this debut one.

It was alright. Never gave them a listen because im not a fan of 80s hair metal. Though, I must say, the guitars on this is crazy. Not sure if ill listen again but i did like some tracks.

Mal mixé et chiant comme la pluie : deux étoiles

Not a massive Iron Maiden fanso their debut wasn't something I was overly keen on. I think some of their later work is much stronger, but you can see where a lot of the ideas and the DNA of future Iron Maiden came from through this album. Not my cup of tea, but essential for the journey of Iron Maiden.

Not my cup of tea. To be honest, a bit boring. There's better heavy music than this shite.

Cool but not for me

pretty good. idk if i’m super into hard rock

I don't really know what all the fuss is about?

I remember when this was released and the older Jr High kid down the road forced me to listen to it. In grade school I had never heard music this aggressive before. I will say it was cutting edge, it created its own genre, their influence would grow over the next decade and this was the start of a long career. And their album covers started with this one and kept the Eddie theme right on thru to today. That said, this isn't their best album or the one I would say is a must-listen. They'd add Bruce Dickinson and become one of the biggest bands in the world a year or two later. "Number Of The Beast" or "Piece Of Mind" were better offerings. The # of listens is staggering, the least popular song ("Charlotte...") has 7M listens while the most popular ("Phantom...") has over 54M. Some parts of the vocals are cringe-worthy, getting Dickinson to take the reins is the best move they ever made. 3 stars mostly for influence and longevity. Best Song was "Running Free", the rest was crap including "Phantom..."

Metal with a bit of proggyness mixed in. Not my thing.

What a horrible album cover Mid album sorry Prog stuff is corny as hell punk stuff sounds like it wishes it were punk

Not so my type. But not bad music, just not for me. I can appreciate it and see how it might be the best thing they listened to. This is just so loud for me.

Grimy, and not in a great way. I don’t generally love the aesthetics, the vocals, or the song writing, but the production is amazing for 1980 and the musicianship is apparent. Standout track is “Phantom of the Opera”

Didn’t like Iron Maiden when this came out while I was in college and 45 years later I still don’t like it. Hard pass

I once wore an iron maiden t-shirt when I was 12 and an older girl who was a "rocker" told me, real iron maiden fans would beat me up, because I'm not a real fan. This shit isn't heavy enough for someone to be telling a girl this.

More cheese and corn than a Taco Bell, but the lead guitars are cool

I thought I would hate this album after seeing that it had influenced early Metallica - but it actually wasn’t that bad. I actually quite enjoyed some of the songs, namely Prowler & Remember Tomorrow. Alas, this style of music won’t ever be my cup of tea really and can’t see me listening again. 2/5

Thought this was better than Number of the Beast. Still sucked tho.