Reviews (page 12 of 14)
I actually really enjoyed the rocking on this album, would love to hear more of this early hard rock style
Still holds up to this day. You can’t take this out of the Maiden cannon with want it meant to a generation!
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
Transylvania ouf ouf ouf
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.
Probably the biggest surprise so far - I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. Some songs are just pure, joyous fun (“Phantom of the Opera” especially.) I can definitely see myself listing to this one again. Highlights: - Phantom of the Opera - Prowler - Transylvania
Really, really damn good on its own, but every single second I kept thinking "this would be so much better if they had Bruce Dickinson from the start" 4.5ish stars
Fajne, ale są lepsze albumy Iron Maiden.
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.
Liked it - it seems like approachable metal
This is such a 5 it’s not even funny. They did this in 13 days??? And they now think the production and recording was garbage? Well fuck me then. Fuck me for LOVING this sound, this dry, raw, band in a dead little room sound! It’s incredible! Every song seems to outdo the previous one. I had my music stank face on, for this epic 20-minute run, straight from Remember Tomorrow into Strange World. I can only assume that, if they recorded this in 13 days, and they were given as little guidance as they supposedly had, it was immaculately rehearsed beforehand. This kind of music isn’t accidental or thrown together. Now I’m happy I just gave that Motörhead album a 3. This is adjacent but far, far superior. Always got turned off by their gaudy covers so never gave Iron Maiden a shot. A fool I was! A fool! If my friends start wondering about me and why I like heavy metal now apparently, I’ll just put this album on because it’s self-explanatory. An EXTREME hell yes 5/5, made me purchase an electric guitar.
too rowdy for me
3.5
Yeah some good melodies and riffs and stuff but just a bit long
It's not the best Maiden album, but this definitely set the stage for what's to come. Songs with soaring, operatic vocals. Tight harmonies and even tighter rhythm section. I adore this band, but this album feels more like a blueprint than a complete thought. That being said, I loved it and cherished being able to listen to something with distorted guitars for once. Favorite Tracks: Phantom of the Opera, Strange World, Iron Maiden
Just ok
This is a great debut album. They already have their signature sound up and running. Only downside is how short the album is.
Usually dont listen to that much rock, but found this album very good, running free with its punk rock rythm, Phantom of the opera with its varying tempo and strange world with its mellon collic tune is the best of the album. 4.1 for the kit.
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
Growing up with family that frequently played 70s-80s metal means there’s no way I can rate this album anything other than 5.
I thought it was ok actually, rob is wrong
Ruuuuuuuubish
Didn't liked.
Simplistic with periodic peaks that mostly sounded like A Midwest hairband. I like the graphics better than I like the music.
Fan of iron maiden, not a fan of this album.
Surprisingly tons of fun??
This feels like how I imagine metal to be in the 80's. The instruments where amazing in this and I really enjoyed listening but I found the vocals a little hit or miss, but I know Paul Di'Anno wasn't with the band long enough. I think he can sing really well, but when when he gets the heavier vocal styles (like in Prowler), I don't think it works. It's a weird issue, but I personally think he sounds great singing in Remember Tomorrow, Strange World, Iron Maiden and not a fan of it in Prowler, Running Free, Phantom of the Opera and Charlotte the Harlot. In the end, I think I would prefer this album as an instrumental without the vocals; like for Transylvania. Standouts: Remember Tomorrow, Transylvania, Strange World, Iron Maiden
I don’t like rock music, never did, but did find this decent, still won’t give a great score though
Not as good as expected. 5/10
Rock on!
Great album.
Listen to this couple days after hearing The Number Of The Beast is little unfair because you can tell that this record is slightly weaker. Nevertheless another solid dose of metal.
Heavy metal is not my thing so I knew I wouldn't enjoy this one...to me it sounds just samey, with loud guitars and not understandable lyrics. Perhaps some of their later albums will be better, I guess this album is not the only one on this list so I'm giving it a 2.
This album made me realize I do in fact like some metal, just not the screaming more modern stuff. This prog rock metal blend is pretty dope
I really wasn't looking forward to this but it was much, much better than I had expected. Not as good as the album art, not as good as Sabbath, but so much better (IMO) than the metal that came later.
So I didn't enjoy this at all, but I found it less objectionable than I was expecting. You can understand the lyrics! It sounds like music! On the spectrum of metal this was probably quite good. For me, not great. But for metal, pretty good!
Metal was cool!
The following album, Killers is better but this is still quite good.
Energetic 7/10
Better than i always thought😅
Paul dianno sucks. Great music but without THE bruce Dickenson the album isn't all it could be.
fine
I thought Iron Maiden was death metal... this band is awesome.
Not my scene, but it is interesting that I never listened to this before considering how prevalent their fans were in the 1980s. I am told their later stuff is more developed and the singing is better. . . I can see how they influenced later metal genres, but again, this is not my cup of tea. There is a bit of sameness to each song and the tone of the guitars is grating and unpleasant. The singing is British post-punk and pre-hair metal chic. I find it to be unlistenable even as workout music. . .
It was good. Really liked Prowler & Transylvania.
Worst yet
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.
Surprisingly better than I thought. I don't know what I was expecting but that wasn't it
Mal sonido, temas mediocres con, a veces, partes entretenidas
It was fine, probably won't listen again
I don't care for older metal like this
Totally don't like this album at all.
Listened Before? No Album Art: 4 / 5 (Maiden has some of the best art in metal) Album opens on a power riff with Prowler. Is this Dickensen (*nope*)? Doesn't sound as whiny as I'm accustomed to; I like it! Production is super flat and lacks punch, however, which is a damned shame because this song fucking rips after the 2 minute mark. Remember Tomorrow is a bit of a more ballady song that eventually gives way to driving metal bridge and back to the ballad. Reminds somewhat of Megadeth. Clean guitar work. Running Free opens sounding like a punkier cut of that Garry Glitter stadium anthem. This song shows more of a punk origin than most of the others. Transylvania is a solid instrumental jam. Rips end to end. God I wish the mixing wasn't such trash. Love the way it transitions seamlessly into Strange World with the echo effect on the guitar intro and plucked harmonics. Almost feels like a hybrid between PF Echos and Metallica's Nothing Else Matters as performed by Rush. Overall a very proggy sounding song that I can sink in to. Damn, this back half is ripping -- Charlotte the Harlot rips. And then there is Iron Maiden, by Iron Maiden off of their debut album Iron Maiden, which is lead by a gurgling punk bass line and a splashy repetitive guitar riff. A bit messy around the 1 minute mark, but its a jam. Alright... this album rocks. I'm so sad, having heard this to know what Maiden become. This is a beautiful fusion of metal with a punk origin and proggy impulses with a singer whose voice I do not actively detest. Only thing about this that could make it better is if they had a proper producer on the boards to capture the drum and bass better to punch this one up. The flat mixing does none of the instrumentals justice, which is a damned shame. High 4 / 5. Added to Library? Yes Songs Added to Playlists:
Listened to this twice. It's pretty good as far as metal goes, but I was hoping for a bit more from Iron Maiden. Maybe because it's their first album? Either way it was still an enjoyable listen. 3.5 rounding up because it shreds
Listened before? Yes Such a much more raw metal sounds than other Iron Maiden albums. Haven't listened to this one in a few years and I am upset at myself that it's been so long Prowler is just straight metal to start out. Running free and Phantom of the Opera just really get you going with the sustained high tempos and awesome guitar. After that the instrumentals of Transylvania and Strange world are a bit of a cool down before the finale. Charlotte the Harlot is fun to sing along to with the matching guitars and vocals. Iron Maiden is an awesome finish with the classic raw metal sounds that are through the whole album Adding to Library? Yes Songs adding to Playing? Phantom of the Opera, Running Free. Both for snowboarding purposes
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.
Would have been 5* with Bruce Dickinson.
finally, some good fucking music. By far not their best record though, in many parts quite rough and not yet the maiden-style, that i appreciate the most. Won't convince many people of the band i'm afraid, but nice to see this kind of music in this list as well, after all the pop/HipHop-stuff
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
8.67453264/10, I like how they have already found their iconic sound
Banger fo sho
Solid album 7.5 out of 10
Maiden rulz!!!!!
Outstanding 80s metal album. Nice range of songs, much more accessible than I was expecting.
Love me some Iron Maiden. Still prefer Bruce on vocals though.
Was pleasantly surprised at how good this album actually is. I never really got into Iron Maiden, and while a lot of the songs feel "more of the same", there is still a unique musical quality and "theatrical funness" to this for what is considered "metal".
Prowler - strong start. Would be a nice song for driving. Remember Tomorrow - a bit too droning in the beginning, picks up about halfway through, only to put me back to sleep again. Optional, imo. Running Free - kinda mindless and middle of the road groovin. Good background tune. Could picture it used during a montage. Phantom of the Opera - seven and a half minutes of headbanging, start to finish. Transylvania - starts a little basic but quickly builds to a pretty fun instrumental ride. Strange World - the guitar solo really carries this song. not a bad tune, just a bit boring and oversaturated with guitar effects. Charlotte the Harlot - mindless. kinda forgettable. Iron Maiden - might have the catchiest chorus of the album. Overall not bad but I think I would have loved it more if it were all instrumentals?
rocks hard. liked most of the songs
It's ok. No big hits, decent music. 2/5
Played this several times in the background while working- one track stood out: 'Stone cold sweat', so I stopped to look what it was. Discovered it was actually a Thin Lizzy track which Spotify automatically recommended because the Iron Maiden album had finished! I think that tells you all you need to know. Silly overblown semi-operatic metal music.
metal (fire emoji)
Heard it. Not my thing.
Metal isn't really my thing but it wasn't horrible. There were a couple songs I liked: Remember Tomorrow, Running Free, and Transylvania
This is super close to 5 stars, and maybe with a few more listens it could get there for me. Not what I was expecting at all, I love it when heavy metal vocalists actually can sing. I assumed based on the name and album art this would be more screamo or death metal but it wasn't that at all. Fantastic metal album.
While guitar heavy at points, the majority of tracks are my sound. Standouts include Prowler, Remember Tomorrow, Running Free, Phantom Of The Opera, and Strange World.
Rockiger als gedacht und teils sogar etwas punkig!
Not their finest work but phantom of the opera is one of my favourites!
My first record & review. I never got to submit a review for this as I hit the number prior to the written review. But they’ve added a much needed edit feature to this generator. Iron Maiden was one of the first metal acts that I started to listen to. The Number of the Beast was the first record I checked out and I loved it. Then I checked this record out. It’s fantastic but you definitely hear the youthfulness of this record. It’s crazy to hear where they started and to where they are now… or perhaps a better way to look at it is where they started and how they’ve matured and improved throughout their career.
Pretty solid hard rock/metal album, putting it in my album rotation! I like metal albums that take the time to breathe rather than 100% energy 100% of the time, and this definitely checks that box for me. The standout tracks for me are Charlotte the Harlot, Prowler, and Iron Maiden. 8/10
I liked it, not a huge fan of the "newer" Iron Maiden albums but this one was very enjoyable. Not too over the top. All around very solid if a little too mundane.
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.
Solid end to end
Ikkje da beste til Maiden, men Prowler-riffet e jævlig bra
Ganske bra egentlig.
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.
Liked it a lot! Sounds like the moment classic rock took a hard turn, but it's still pretty simple and melodic. Not super crazy about dude's voice, but it sounded better to my ear by the end of it.
Favorite songs: Strange World, Running Free
I can appreciate the instrumental aspect but as someone who was not around for the advent of Iron Maiden it doesn't feel special but expected. The wiki article provided great context for the creation of their sound.
I didn’t know I would love this album as much as I did. I thought it would be too heavy for me but I actually really liked it! I’m going to be positive and optimistic because we’ve been getting good albums lately.
VERY important note: one of the few bands to pull off the holy trifecta of: 1) releasing an album 2) which is simply entitled as the same name as the band 3) which ALSO contains a song with said same name. PUT RESPECT ON THESE LEGENDS. I vastly prefer prime-era Maiden fan - starting with Number of the Beast through Somewhere In Time - but it's definitely interesting to revisit the Paul Di'Anno (singer) albums (...stirring up memories of being a little kid during the first year of MTV - they'd often televise an old Maiden concert from this era..). They're almost a punk-metal blend here and while nowhere near as progressive (and nerdy) as what they'd become, it's pretty awesome to hear their start. Although "Strange World" could almost have been a b-side from Rush's "Caress of Steel." As for the vocals... no offence to him - Di'Anno isn't anything like his successor Bruce Dickenson who is legendary and I think Bruce added so much more to the music that wouldn't have been possible with Paul. But looking/listening to this as almost a different band works in this context of a young band putting themselves together. Was clear they made the right move replacing Di'Anno but on this album they were able to put together a few classics that carried through the Bruce era in live shows. Legendary start to their career - and that twin guitar attack is a tasty teaser of what was to come over the next decade. 7/10 4 stars.
1. prouuler - 1.5 2. remember tomorro - 1 3. running free - 1 4. phantom of the opera - 1 5. tranzylvania - 1.5 6. ztrange uuorld - 1.5 7. charlotte the harlot - 1.5 8. iron maiden - 1.5
I don't even like Iron Maiden, but that album was surprinsigly good.
decent
Ahead of their time I reckon. Obvious influence on Ride the Lightning
Fast-paced metal. Pretty good
Classic. Not amazing, but it's classic.
Fantastic album, great energy, loads of catchy parts
Really fun album to listen to - an enjoyable one for a friday afternoon.
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.
I’ve never given Iron Maiden a chance, I can see the appeal but still not for me.
I was expecting to be bored and that was exactly what I got. What a piece of crap
7/10, enjoyable with a couple of misses.
Easier listening than expected.
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
Iron Maiden, the band, are not entirely my cup of tea but I will die on the hill that number of the beast is a classic. Unfortunately this isn't. The stand out moments on this album are flittering and never stay long enough for a song. As an example the song phantom of the opera has two interesting sections but it's book ended by parts that sound half baked. The album on the whole is half baked. Most songs have a lick or two that sound like what iron Maiden become but it struggles to get out of second gear. The opening track the prowler, has a lick which I was humming to after listening to the album but it faded away into obscurity so never even became an ear worm. Iron Maiden by Iron Maiden is at best bronze maiden and likely only for the Maidenheads or people from Maidenhead.
Liked it. Relisten!
faves: Phantom of the Opera, Transylvania, and Strange World! Love Iron Maiden, big flashback to summer 2020
Sounds quite dated and also is quite dated; Sound of metal has evolved big-time; Still great for its age
Durge
classic iron maiden, a real bop!
I never really got into Iron Maiden it was another one of those bands my friends were into that I didn't feel a need to dive into. This album was such a blast, not even sure what I was expecting but so enjoyable. Fave tracks: Running Free,Phantome of Opera, and Strange World
I've been a Maiden fan since my pre-teens, just about, but I was always somewhat of a Bruce Dickinson supremacist, and didn't spend much time with their earliest albums. That was probably a mistake, because this really slaps! 🤘 I still prefer Dickinson over Di'Anno, but it's not like he's awful, and everything else I love about the band is in full effect, right from the get go. Fave tracks - "Phantom of the Opera" is probably the most iconic. Love the cinematic languor of "Strange World", and "Remember Tomorrow" stood out to me on the most recent listen, too...
Better than Judas Priest but not my cup of porridge
Iron Maiden does hair metal in such a unique way it’s hard not to love it. It’s prog rock in nature but then they just shred and turn it into something special. As debuts go this is top notch, but they also did better work after this album. Phantom of the Opera is an absolute beauty and Running Free is a classic. I do love the self titled track at the end too, that’s a sleeper. I want to push this to a 5 but we will get so much good hair metal I have to be conservative for now.
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.
Iron Maiden is one of the cheesiest bands I've ever heard and I really appreciate that about them. This album shreds and most every song on here is super fun.
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.
Never truly got into Maiden growing up so it was fascinating to hear the pre-Dickinson beginnings of the band. A lot more 80's hair metal influence in their debut than I would've thought but I've liked the outcome. Personal favorites are 'Remember Tomorrow', 'Running Free' and 'Transylvania'.
It was pretty good but didn't make me want to listen to more.
Not my favorite album by them but it is still Iron Maiden
Pure heavy metal. \m/
Pretty darn cool.
Power metal is one of my least favorite kinds of metal.
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.
Not an Iron Maiden fan but this album, especially for a debut, is phenomenal!
It was fine!
Excellent 70s style metal album. Not really my wheelhouse, but a fun listen. I hadn’t every listened to Iron Maiden before, but I’m a fan now.
4.0
Great balance of melody and heavy riffs that attaches you to every song on the album. Vocals just add that extra cherry on top
Better than I thought it would be, wasn't expecting much but was quite pleasantly surprised. Probably wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it again, but also probably wouldn't skip over it.
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.
Full modern metal in 1980. That is something.
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
Multiple Iron Maiden on this list? I can abide by one, but MULTIPLE? How do you name yourself after a medieval torture device, than go on to make the pillowy-softest metal music known to man? One soft serve cone out out of five 🍦
This is one of the few times when it's really worthwhile to pick up the remastered version instead of the OG release.
I've only listened to this a few times in the past because of the lack of Bruce. It's a solid debut but not as memorable to me as later albums, but this still packs a good punch and has some nice raw production. Kind of fun hearing them figure out their sound and try a few different things, resulting in a few really classic songs. 3.8
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
Was tossing between a three and a four, but honestly just had a lot of fun listening to this in the car. Melodic, theatrical, well engineered, a bit silly. Never had delved much at all into this band and I can see the appeal - I’m sure there’ll be other records of theirs to show up so I’m sure they’ll also be fairly fun as well. Three and a half. Fave track: Phantom of the Opera
heh, kyllähän se on selvä homma kun laitetaan äänenvoimakkuus 1001albumkuuntelusta normaalikuunteluun... vähän tärisee kalvot enemmän... rautaa vai rokkia? molemmat heh..... produktio tosiaan ei tällä b'ndillä koskaan ollut mitään tiptoppia mutta tämä tosiaan vielä huonommasta päästä... dogshit... muutama uusi biisi myös, erittäin hyviä ja joitain heikompia myös. eriittäin influentiaalinen heh nostetaan neljästä viiteen objektive...influentilaaalisuudestsa aina puhutaan niin hehe... Phantom Of The Opera
Love the guitar solos, solid debut front to back
Not as good as their later stuff with Bruce Dickinson. Not sure why this would make the book?
After the first listen I turned the volume up for the second. And up again for the third. All of which made my wife query whether I was 16 still... I'm not quite old enough for this to have been my introduction to Iron Maiden - that was Piece of Mind, with a side helping of The Number of the Beast. So, although I listened to a fair amount of Maiden during my school days I never really explored this album. I knew a few songs from some of the live albums and have played this album maybe a couple of times randomly - although I'm much more likely to end up listening to Killers. But this was an enjoyable album to delve into and it's one I'll listen to again for sure. Particularly enjoyed Iron Maiden and Charlotte the Harlot - they've really gotten into the stride by the end of the album - and Phantom of the Opera is always good value. I've not really listened to this version of Running Free before - the live album from the 1985 album was my only real previous exposure to it and that has the bass play the lead rhythm rather than those drum. Those drums. And the damned swing of it. A bit of a revelation. The closeness fo Antmusic, recorded later the same year, is bizarre. So, yeah, I enjoyed that. Is it 5 stars? Probably not - there are better Maiden albums, although I get why this is here as the break point for NWOBHM. It's a 4, but, heck, I enjoyed it.
Shaping what was to come. Solid 4 only for Harris writing. Once Bruce, Nikko, Adrian came in it was the perfect group
So well put together and way better listening than you would Expect
Cool
Prowler // Remember Tomorrow // Phantom of the Opera // Strange World // Charlotte the Harlot // 4-4.5/5
Prowler: Pretty generic metal song- 5/10 Remember Tomorrow: A big improvement from the first track- 8/10 Running Free: Fun song, kind of just sounds like a knock off Rolling Stones song- 6/10 Phantom of the Opera: Great switch ups, fun song- 7/10 Transylvania: Instrumental track, kind of generic- 5/10 Strange World: Really good track, good lyrics, nice to throw in a slower more psychedelic track in the mix, my personal favorite song on the record- 8/10 Charlotte the Harlot: Not good- 4/10 Iron Maiden: Not good- 3/10 Some of it was pretty good, some of it was not pretty good. Overall score: 5.75
There were some parts that I enjoyed and were pretty decent! Mostly didn’t do much for me though.
strange world surprised me alot liked many song and its a good album to revisit too
Rock!!! 3/5
Probably been somewhat predisposed to this thought after reading the Wikipedia entry but the production does fall pretty flat. So much fat riff potential that feels lost in the mix somehow
This album is just as exciting to listen to as it was when it first got released. I've always loved the punk edge that Paul brought to Maiden's music. This and Killers aren't perfect but they're total classics in my book.
The beginning of great things to come! Nothing like Powerslave or Number of the Beast, but still some great bangers in there!
Catchy, rebellious and wild songs all the way through for the debut album by the legendary Iron Maiden.
Another one I just can't enjoy, no matter how hard I try.
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.
I’m not super familiar with metal (yet, first album), but compared to the other metal I do know, I liked this one a lot. A good few of the songs sounded closer to rock to me than to something like Metallica. Particularly liked Charlotte the Harlot.
Banging album! Classy early metal, riffs for days!
Meh
Maiden have much better albums than this that I’ll rate highly on this list. The Number of the beast and power slave. Therefore this one really doesn’t need to be here, But appreciate die hard Maiden fans will enjoy this one.
eh, its okay, not really my thing.
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.
I like a lot of different metal but this doesn't do it for me.
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.
Anybody else picturing Daley Thompson exploding out of the blocks as 'Phantom of the Opera' kicks in? That Lucozade advert was top tier. Fascinating to hear the birth pangs of both Iron Maiden and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Although they became more sophisticated, I think this version of Maiden - lean, mean and streetwise - beats the more ponderous later iterations. DiAnno is not a great singer compared to Dickinson, but he has more edge and attitude. You can also hear some hangovers from Maiden's influences. 'Strange World' is a bit of an oddity, sounding like those moments when heavy rockers like UFO or the Scorpions would go all spacey. You can also hear the seeds of musical tendencies that would be amplified in later albums; multi-part songs are mercifully rare here, but the joins are obvious - they pretty much stop and start again - an aspect of their sound I've found increasingly irksome as years roll on. Basically, Maiden have been in one of the most prolonged creative tailspins in metal history, but this? Great stuff. 'Running Free' is one of their best songs, and 'Prowler' might just be their very best (in the conversation with 'Wrathchild', says I).
Oh man. Ministry and Iron Maiden back to back? Crazy, list. Crazy. This is definitely not the record I return to when listening to this band which I love, but I very much like the record. I'm a Dickinson guy, but it's a little like saying you're a Bon Scott or Brian Johnson person. In some ways, it's a little irrelevant given how much of AC/DC's sound is made up by the entire rhythm section. Same thing for Maiden. They get more and more progressive, and the songs get longer and longer, as these years go by... but their hallmark sound is certainly in abundance on this record. The things that make them Iron Maiden are here, regardless of who's singing. That said, yeah I really love the vocals and hearing a version of the band that's a little less polished. There's a bit of excitement and energy to the whole endeavor that isn't always at the forefront of a lot of Maiden records. And then songs are just good. There's a handful of tunes here that they played when I saw 'em in the 2010s, and I'm sure they've been on the setlist forever and will never leave. With good reason! This is pretty damn great.
This is a solid debut
Pourquoi pas ça ressemble pas trop au hellfest ou au moins a l'idée que je m'enf aisait. plutot du rock classique
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 album shreds in all the best ways.
I am just not into heavy metal.
Maravilloso
Seminal Maiden, fantastic and familiar.
Not for me
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!
A blast from my past, literally. Where it all started and still stands up today. Primitive production but the rawness adds to the excitement
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.
There's a lot of solid thrash riffage going on here, it's good headbanging music but it kinda all blends together for me. The one problem I have it is all kinda feels a bit soulless in a way, like everything sounds good on a technical level only. Phantom of the Opera is good though.
melhor do que imaginava
Pretty solid, probably my fav Iron Maiden album so far
8/10 Fave track: Running free
Hell yeah brothers. Iron Maiden, am I right men?
alfa length, alfa album prowler, remember tomorrow
Alfa Maiden
Decent enough
3/5. I get it. I’m not that much of a hard rocker though.
A good romp from early Iron Maiden, what a way to get into the band.
Classic shredding metal.
Ik vind dit album beter dan The Number of the Beast omdat de zang minder kut is, zowel qua zangstijl als het feit dat de zanger wat vaker z'n snaveltje houdt. Ik vind het wel grappig om in de andere reviews te lezen dat de Maiden-liefhebbers dit dan weer niet-Maiden-genoeg vinden. In dat geval blijf ik bij de conclusie dat ik een beetje een hekel heb aan Iron Maiden, maar dit album is wel lekker.
It's amazing how the bass almost takes the lead over the album. Prowler is a great fast-paced song to start the album, and while it's fast, it doesn't mean the other songs are also like that; while there are some slow and calm ones, and even some stranges I can't explain, there are also the instrumental, wich is really good.
Legendární, okamžitě rozpoznatelný styl - jak hudby, tak albumového artu. Jsou tak známí a profláklí, že jsou už pevně zaintegrováni do představy stereotypního macho taťky s pivním pupkem, co grilluje maso na rodinné sešlosti. Iron Maiden je prostě epitom "dad rocku", což znamená, že já opravdu nejsem v cílové demografické skupině. Nevím v jaké životní situaci bych musela být, abych si IM pustila jen tak... možná kdybych byla na nějakém metalhead srazu a jen z respektu, že jsou takoví pionýři a razili cestu hodně specifické estetice punkových kostlivců na motorkách s cigárem v hubě. Ale teď už k hudbě, mým uším zní prostě všechny jejich písničky úplně stejně. Všechno to má dost podobnou náladu, hodně se flexí kytarovými riffy, což ok, chápu, ale je to docela repetitivní a po nějaké době mě to začíná dost nudit. Na můj vkus jsou některé písničky až moc dlouhé, texty nic moc, takové všechny na jedno brdo. Album je ale celkově dobře ucelené, estetika a záměr je jasný, je to produkt své doby a nesmrtelná metalová klasika. Respektuji, jaký dopad to mělo na všechny ostatní metalové skupiny a ve své době to musel být dost nářez. Já v tom však už slyším známky stáří, nepřestálo to tok času. Nejlepší písničky: Remember Tomorrow (text je fajn, hudebně trochu vybočuje), Prowler (overall vibes, dobrá reprezentativní písnička) Nejhorší písničky: Charlotte the Harlot (yucky text) Hodnocení: 5/10 (respektuji ikonický zvuk, ale je to docela nudný ngl)
Not as good as number of the beast
Ikkje da beste til Maiden, men Prowler-riffet e jævlig bra
I am, in general, NOT a fan of Iron Maiden. So I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Usually I dislike the wailing operatic vocals and the pseudo-classical guitar harmonies. This is much rougher and punkier. Parts reminded me of Motorhead, early Metallica, Deep Purple - it feels like a rock band rather than an AI fed a copy of the Simarillion and a Bach symphony. It's not a 5 - if you wanted a great metal album you can find much better options - but as someone who thought he would hate it, it was a pleasant surprise. Lyrics arent the deepest, but hey, what did you expect. Would be 3.5 if this app did half points...
70’s-80’s rock but listenable.
really fucking good debut album
This was one of the first albums I ever bought in 7th grade.
This is the second 80s metal album that I liked a lot more than I expected to. I really like the dual lead guitar that these guys do.
I have to say I was really looking forward to listening to this album since I do not believe I have ever heard a full Maiden album. After listening a coupe times, I'm not sure I want to hear another. Maybe this list missed the album or albums with all the good stuff, but damn, I found this to be pretty boring. Nothing stood out for me at all. I guess all I can say is, not impressed and this doesn't seem to be the sound or band I would seek out. 2
Really groundbreaking and influential stuff here. As one of the seminal bands of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Iron Maiden's sounds can be found in every single metal band since this album debuted. Bands such as Metallica's whole mission statement was bringing the NWOBHM sound to the US and we all know how that turned out. Iron Maiden's self-titled debut is far more punk sounding than the galloping, wailing Iron Maiden they eventually become known as. That may be due largely to this album not featuring Iconic singer "Air Raid Siren" Bruce Dickinson's touch. All the past stuff aside this album holds up. It's such a piece of music history that it's hard to dislike it. This album is still influencing bands today. Ghost even recently covered Iron Maiden's version of "Phantom of the Opera" for their Phantomime covers EP earlier this year. It may not be as theatrical as one might expect but it's importance stands tall. 5
3 I don’t claim to be the biggest Iron Maiden fan, but having liked a lot of the stuff I’ve heard from the group, I was really looking forward to this album - and man, what a disappointment. Look, I know this is their first release, and so I wasn’t expecting it to sound like peak Maiden, but I was not at all prepared for the vocals to kick in and not be Bruce Dickinson. I totally forgot that the band had a different original lead singer, and let me tell you, it is definitely not the same experience. I get that the band as a whole is still very much finding their footing here, but I found Paul Di’Anno to be such a lackluster vocalist that the music always felt capped. Nothing about his voice feels particularly distinct or enjoyable, and as a result my favorite track here was probably Transylvania. Much like Black Sabbath’s debut, I understand that this was the start of a variation on rock music that was still being ironed out - and you can definitely hear traces of what’s to come - but I also hear a lot of generic and uninteresting rock tropes mixed in there. The slow parts of Remember Tomorrow and Strange World were both pretty dull (though you can definitely hear the influence upon Avenged Sevenfold with that lead guitar work on the latter), and Running Free felt like an out-of-place Southern rock song that could have come from a group like Molly Hatchet. Prowler and Phantom of the Opera are better tastes of the band’s style, but even then aren’t anywhere near as good as their later work. So, like the aforementioned Black Sabbath album, this is going to get a 3 from me - admittedly influential, but retroactively pretty okay in comparison to what came later.
Very influental album, but given how great 'Number of the Beast' is as a follow up this album's just not there in terms of quality.
3/5 Best: Strange World Worst: Charlotte the Harlot
La grandeur et le spectaculaire de l'opéra; un rock travaillé, décliné dans plusieurs possibilités, mais quand même ludique.
It was alright. I am curious to hear more of their stuff. But nothing really grabbed me with this album overall.
Está bueno la verdad, me hace acordar a La Renga. No es tanto de mí estilo.
3.5/5 Pretty good just quite repetitive to me
wow. this album completly amazed me. i thought with my prexisting prejudice against heavy metal that this album would be totally fucking worthless. i thought the chord changes would be entirely predictable and without feeling of any kind. i thought there would be big silly slow ballad sections with no melodies throughout. im amazed, because i was absolutely spot on, this album is fucking detritus
This is probably their weakest (if not the weakest) album. That being said, a weak album for Iron Maiden is still out of reach for a lot of bands trying to copy them
I wanted to Run to the Hills but just ran free
I never would have chosen this album to listen to myself (mostly because I hate that album cover), but it wasn’t bad at all! Not something that I would listen to on a daily basis, but I think it’s definitely something that would grow on me with time.
oui
Doesn’t really sound any different than any of the other metal albums circling around in the early 80s. I don’t know much about the history of metal, so this could very well be a culturally significant release, but at least in terms of musicality I didn’t think there was that much special about it.
This is one of those classic metal bands; now turned boomer music. They are still pretty good though. Overall pretty good metal. Not grating and overly produced. There were a few slower songs that I didn't like as much but overall was not bad. Nothing really jumped out at me as something I really needed in my music playlist, but it was still enjoyable A low 4/5
Super fun! I am not at all familiar with Iron Maiden really, and hearing the debut made me excited to see how they evolved. Def reminded me that this genre is really a take on classical music, especially arpeggios, just with distortion and drums. Felt really cohesive, the tracks flowed really nicely.
I liked this better than the black album, but it still suffers from some of the same problems (mainly repetitiveness). Good guitar playing. Self titled track was my favorite.
This is less metal than it is just good hard rock. Much closer to Foghat or G&R than Black Sabbath or Metallica. I also hear some punk influences. Don’t be misled by their name (even though the logo is a little creepy)
Leaving the disrespect of a British album on July 4 aside, this album absolutely rocked. It likely benefited from my low expectations and frustration at getting a second consecutive metal album, but I really enjoyed this album. The shredding was fantastic and over the top without becoming corny and the Melodies of these songs were great too, and some were almost poppy. It sounds like there were multiple lead players which was fun too. My favorite tracks were “Running Free” and “Phantom of the opera”.
Songs are loooooong! 3
There's other Maiden I much prefer, but this is not an objectively terrible entry in their canon. The thing that's striking for me, however, is that it's hard for me to hear in this debut the juggernaut they'd become. Maybe at the time this album appeared more impressive.
Funny to hear what was considered hard rock in 1980. Pretty tame. Guitar tone sounds more like punk. 2.5 stars; I’m rounding up.
It’s a pretty cool debut, but they had much more to show for in the years to come. Still enjoyable and features a few staple live tracks. 7 out of 10
Importante para conhecer o começo da sonoridade característica da banda, com riffs de guitarra rápidos, solos virtuosos e baixo cavalgando.
- rockin! - harder rock than I would typically choose, but I could see a situation where it might work. - Phantom of the Opera is definitely best track (also by far the longest at over 7 minutes!!) - Is this album cover a loose reference to The Scream painting? - yeah, on the last track (Iron Maiden) and definitely ready for this to end.
Okay. I honestly rolled my eyes when seeing this is my queue. I'm not a metalhead, however, I do love my punk rock and I dabble in the more modernized metal/prog bands like Coheed and Cambria. I am actually impressed with some of the composition of these songs. The multiple key and tempo changes and knowing the difficulty in playing some of these songs is impressive. Sonically and melodically, its mostly unmemorable. However, the moments that switch up the straightforward single string riffs to arpeggios and moody tempos tickle my ears for those moments. Happy I took the time to listen.
First listen ever, was a little nervous because the album art looks off putting to me but the music absolutely blew me away.
It’s not for me, a bit screechy with the guitars, and the songs ran into each other.
Boring.
Meh...
Simpliste mais efficace
Honestly the standard I hold all these types of metal albums to now is megadeths rust in peace and unfortunately this one doesn’t compare. It’s still not bad but it was just a half hour blur of 80s metal sounds with shitter than usual vocals in which nothing stuck out to me. Number of the beast was also definitely better.
Phantom of the Opera and Strange World are real bangers, but otherwise it wasn’t really anything that stood out as much. Feels like it holds a pretty high bar overall though, and I like Iron Maiden so a very strong 3 feels about right.
Horrible album art aside I think this album still holds up. While i prefer Bruce Dickinson's vocals, Di'Anno does a good job on this record. It's fun to hear some up the earlier themes which would become Iron Maiden's bread and butter later on as well as hearing where they started with clear punk rock and prog influences. I enjoyed the guitars even though they drag on a bit some time. It's a decent album both as a document of the times and within it's own right.
never been much of an Iron Maiden fan tho I appreciate the musicianship
A classic metal album that inspired tons of later bands. They'd only get better from here.
Really enjoyed this
I didn't think I liked heavy metal. But, I really, really liked this, a lot. Very melodic, very fast, very loud.
Ehkä niitä ei niin parhaimpia Iron Maidenin levyjä. Muuten 3 tähteä, mutta koska Iron Maiden 2. Minun Iron Maidenissa on Bruce Dickinson
Pleasantly surprised
Not what I expected! This reminded me more of Queen with a side of prog than what I would think of as 'heavy' metal. Enjoyed the guitar solos and the driving beat, especially of Running Free. Reminded me of the Burundi beat from the previous Adam Ant album. Also enjoyed Phantom of the Opera, which brought to mind the War of the Worlds album. Charlotte the Harlot was toe-curlingly misogynist, though not out of sync with the times I guess.
Discazo de rock duro con canciones maquetadas perfectamente, voz con energía y con ritmos guitarreros muy elaborados. Inicios de un grupo espectacular
This is the first Iron Maiden album I've ever listened to. I'm not really a fan.
Their guitar sound is amazing!!! The songs did kinda all sound the same but I love the guitar
it really wasn't my taste. but two stars because it's a metal rock band.
Yo honestamente amo mucho IronMaiden así que pues nada haha 10/10
AJ: 🤘🏻💀
Good!!!
Got boring near the end but still a classic
Elsker energien, elsker alt
Dette er metal, verken mer eller mindre. Ikke helt min smak, dessverre.
Genres: Heavy metal Formed: Leyton, East London, in 1975 Run time: 8 songs, 37 min, 42 sec First thing to note is that this album is pre Bruce Dickinson. The instrumental sound (particularly the rapid-fire guitar work) of this album is still recognisable in later Iron Maiden music. Lyrically it is good, but I’m unable to get past the fact it isn’t Bruce. I enjoyed a couple of the tracks. Others were OK. I have read that most of these tracks have been re-recorded with lyrics by Bruce Dickinson. I wouldn’t listen to this album again, but I will listen to these tracks on whatever album they now appear on. My Rating: ***
Me gustó bastante. La verdad, no se muy bien cómo sentirme con él, pues, aunque prefiero mucho más algo más moderno como Slipknot, cuando escucho este, se siente más "real", por describirlo de alguna manera. Le doy tres porque hay algo en él que no me termina de convencer, pero, realmente, está muy cerca del 4.
I've listened to a few metal albums before and I even have listened to The Number of the Beast from Iron Maiden before. I didn't find that album too interesting so I didn't have high expectations with this album. But no, this album did surpass my expectations. I could see myself coming back to this album for sure.
Pleasantly surprised. Less ridiculous and unthinkly heavy than some of the other metal stuff that's come before. Not sure I'd play it much again but I wouldnt oppose hearing it in the right bar.
This improved my gym performance by 3 microns of a percentage
Good album. Nice to listen to.
Fantastic debut album by one of the greatest hard rock bands. Starts strong with Prowler, a great riff. Slow down with Remember tomorrow before punching into Running free followed quickly by another classic track Phantom of the opera. A couple of "album tracks" follow before the great Charlotte and finale with the title track. A great album, well put together, it all flows smoothly. It was clear, with this album, in 1980 that Iron Maiden were going to be big.
Great album for its time, but cant compare to the quality of moderns albums in the same genre. will listen to again
Metal! I think mac likes iron maiden. Not as metal as I anticipated. Not bad, I liked it. Definitely on the lighter side of metal. 7/10
Great heavy rock album, pleasantly surprised. Really strong instrumental song on the album.
better than I expected
Pure genius!
Good guitar.. vocals and the rest arnt on par with some of their other work Reminds me alot of Def leppards pyromania....
It was okay. There are songs I enjoyed but overall, not something I would revisit regularly.
Album 41 of 1001 Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden Favorite Tracks : Phantom of the Opera / Transylvania Rating : 4 / 5 Nice. Enjoyed this. Another band where I had never really listened, other than the hits. I will indulge in their other offerings. There were moments where I was probably a music snob and brushed heavy metal aside. Sorry I missed out on some good stuff. I'll make up for that.
so banging
Surprisingly good for a pre-Bruce record. Enjoyed.
Rauw, maar onmiskenbaar goed technisch en muzikaal. Twijfelde tussen 3 en 4. Ga het nog een keer luisteren, dus 4.
Thought I'd like this more than I did
Not really my cup of tea
Not much going on really
Surprised myself at how much I liked this album and how many memories came back. Their album covers were all insane, but the music is just basically hair rock with a death wish. Pretty cool and was a definite breakthrough.
Eddie makes everything Iron Maiden... better Iron Maiden. Not a metal guy, but this is really good. What would you call this... "Classic Metal" ..? Regardless, really good. stuff made me want to listen to more Maiden. Aces High is also good.
I've not been a fan of much of the heavy metal on the list. Iron Maiden is a pretty fun listen though.
This album sounded like the backing track to an awesome training montage in an 80s action movie. I'm pumped, point me toward the bad guys.
I liked this album more than I thought I would. At times it ventures briefly into the cheesy 80s hair metal style, but never overly so. I liked many parts of this…Strange World stood out. I can hear it as an influence on Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters…the tempo, the ascending and descending rhythm line, and the harmonics of course. I like good portions of the speedy metal too.
Good British metal album - though not as good as Judas Priest's British Steel. I'm not really deep into Iron Maiden's catalog, but I prefer the Bruce Dickinson I've heard to Paul DiAnno on this album. The instrumentation on this is top notch: Steve Harris is a sublime bassist and the interplay between Stratton and Murray's guitars have a surprising amount of swing to them at times. Overall a fun listen - I know I'm going to get Number of the Best later on, and now I'm looking forward to that.
Nice, to the point, easy listen. Not that many standouts for me.
One of the all-time debut albums. So much energy, so much tension. The bass is so so good. Really puts the punk-metal "divide" into focus -- like, if you took out all the guitar solos, this would be ur-punk.