Iron Maiden

Listening to pre-Bruce Dickinson Iron Maiden is pretty rough.

Best Songs: Phantom of the Opera Listen Again: Probably not

I didn't hate it but I did find it very easy to ignore. Guitars and stuff. Riffs. Nothing very interesting to me.

Technically tight but dull as ditchwater. Seemingly obsessed with war and imagined women in a way most people grow out of at 13. Don't feel like it's ironic.

Step back in history and great to hear some of the songs again, but a bit too much of the same.

Better than expected, but I was not expecting much.

Was fun for a bit but Steel Panther and Strongbad mean I can't give this an honest shake.

Struggling through.. Most songs have some redeeming quality, but the negatives tend to outweigh the positives.

I'm sure for people who love Iron Maiden this is a great album, but I don't think I'll be listening to this again. There was a couple of times when I thought part of a song was cool but overall its not for me

Prowler - I don't like this guy's voice very much. Remember Tomorrow - Now he sounds cute and frail like a malnourished child. Guitar is nice. Running Free - rhyme scheme is lame Phantom of the Opera - fun guitar at the start ooo fun drums too oh this is very fun i like this, I want more of the fun melody it's just boring now, I like when he isn't singing HIS VOICE IS SLIGHTLY OFF BEAT SO ANGRY I don't really care anymore oh Iron Maiden has a fun chorus. his voice still makes me angry. Iron Maiden is my favorite band name and it's mid :< Listened to one of their bigger songs and it's better and more prog which is fun

too rowdy for me

Just ok

Fan of iron maiden, not a fan of this album.

I don’t like rock music, never did, but did find this decent, still won’t give a great score though

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.

fine

Mal sonido, temas mediocres con, a veces, partes entretenidas

I don't care for older metal like this

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 isn't really my thing but it wasn't horrible. There were a couple songs I liked: Remember Tomorrow, Running Free, and Transylvania

Ikkje da beste til Maiden, men Prowler-riffet e jævlig bra

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.

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’ve never given Iron Maiden a chance, I can see the appeal but still not for me.

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.

Power metal is one of my least favorite kinds of metal.

It was fine!

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.

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

Another one I just can't enjoy, no matter how hard I try.

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.

I like a lot of different metal but this doesn't do it for me.

I am just not into heavy metal.

Not for me

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.

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

70’s-80’s rock but listenable.

This was one of the first albums I ever bought in 7th grade.

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

It was alright. I am curious to hear more of their stuff. But nothing really grabbed me with this album overall.

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.

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.

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.

It’s not for me, a bit screechy with the guitars, and the songs ran into each other.

never been much of an Iron Maiden fan tho I appreciate the musicianship

Ehkä niitä ei niin parhaimpia Iron Maidenin levyjä. Muuten 3 tähteä, mutta koska Iron Maiden 2. Minun Iron Maidenissa on Bruce Dickinson

This is the first Iron Maiden album I've ever listened to. I'm not really a fan.

it really wasn't my taste. but two stars because it's a metal rock band.

Thought I'd like this more than I did

Not really my cup of tea

Meh

Certainly metal, but not quite as harsh as I was expecting

Don’t like heavy metal.

Watered down Dio. They haven’t quite found their groove IMO.

cool guitar work, but not for me.

Epic and awe-inspiring in its way, but errs on the side of speed for speed’s sake. The shifts often seem gratuitous but at least the playing is legible unlike most metal.

Not a big Maiden fan and only like one track on this album

I suppose this album has some historical significance. But to my taste it's only the barest hint of what was to come, with Number of the Beast and later albums. It's recognisably Iron Maiden, but without the awesomeness that you can get (in the right mood, anyway) with those later albums cranked up.

It’s tolerable. But only just.

Having recently listened to Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous, Iron Maiden's self titled album does not seem like quite much of a revolution. It's an evolution of 70s hard rock; raspy hard rock vocals, twin lead guitar attack, speed and punk-like energy. It doesn't swing quite as much as Thin Lizzy. I always thought that Iron Maiden were the most British-sounding band; the rhythms are much more marching band than rock and roll swing, which undercuts the swagger a bit. And this record sounds like it was recorded through a cardboard tube. Paul Di'Anno's vocal limitations show up on occasion, along with the odd fluffed guitar solo. The one song that stands out to me is Phantom of the Opera, which has a complex, prog-like arrangement, without losing its rock and roll energy. This points to where New Wave of British Heavy Metal and its American offshoots (thrash and speed metal, in particular) will head, but is a bit of an outlier on this record which tends towards hard rock cliche. At least it isn't as bad as Def Leppard, who embraces the cliches and ride them all the way to the bank. This album burst onto the mainstream in 1980, which just shows how this kind of metal had been bubbling under the surface for a few years, and this was the first time the public really noticed. There are better examples of this genre (even just suggesting Maiden's Number of The Best, which is also on this list). Side note: I keep reading about the 'punk' influences in NWOBHM. I don't really get it. It is certainly less cerebral than a lot of early-mid 70s rock, especially prog rock, and embraces a loud and unvarnished sound, although it does not reject musical technique int eh same way punk declared. I think it shares an energy, DIY ethos and relative lack of pretension with punk (probably driven by similar rejection of the mainstream), but I don't get that they are the same. And Steve Harris from Iron Maiden seems to agree with me. He claims he always hated punk. Two stars for the album, and an extra half for Phantom of the Opera. Rounded down. Sorry, dudes.

It’s weird hearing these guys with a different singer . Here it sounds like they’re doing that thing like how other early metal bands would still be having that lingering blues sound and are just on the cusp of breaking away and going with the new sound that’ll define them that barely makes it’s way onto this first record

A nije moj tip glazbe i jebiga. Oni općenito, više mi oni sjedaju nego Metallica, ajde, ako ništa drugo, ali to nema neke velike razlike.

Alright, mix of good and bad. Liked Phantom song

this is an interesting one because generally among metal fans the later maiden stuff is more well regarded, they like Bruce Dickinson as singer a lot more than Paul Di'Anno. but I guess this album is still kind of notable as being part of the time period where heavy metal became more defined as a genre the guitar is all right, got some nice wah on it. very cool solo on the first song. di'anno's vocals have a rawness to them but he doesn't really come across as super memorable as a singer. the lyrics don't strike me as super memorable either. the part where the guitar gets quiet and he's supposed to be ballading on "Remember Tomorrow" just feels like he does not have the chops to carry that. he can't really carry a tune at all. I think if you take away the band name/imagery this really feels like kind of an average hard rock album, there isn't a lot that actually makes it overtly 'metal' in terms of subject matter or composition. maybe slightly faster than 70s albums with more guitar noodling but I'm not really blown away. there's no hooks, no strong choruses, no memorable riffs just kind of boring honestly. not the worst thing in the world but really inessential feels more like an in between evolutionary stage than a finished product. not melodic enough for rock, not heavy enough for metal

kinda cheesy, it was alright. i didn't like the singer much but some of the music was cool

Surprisingly, I have never listened to an entire Iron Maiden album, so I was glad to see this come up in our feed. I was wary to find it was the band's first album, before Bruce Dickinson joined and likely before they had really found themselves. But there had to be a good reason for choosing this album, right? Well, color me confused. There were moments that spoke to something special going on, notably some of the extended instrumental passages ("Transylvania" comes to mind), but more often that not, I was wincing at the uninspiring guitar riffs and predictable vocal melodies (e.g. "Charlotte the Harlot"). Match that with what was likely bargain-basement recording access and I found the album less than fantastic. I'm looking forward to "Number of the Beast," the second of Maiden's albums on the list, hoping that might help me better understand what puts this band in the top echelons of metal. This album didn't do that. It's a 2.5 for it's better moments, but since I rounded down for Alice Cooper yesterday, this one's at a 2.

I always find it interesting hearing artists before they hone in on their sound. If I didn't know any better, I never would have thought this was Maiden—especially due to the different lead singer. But the music is also spacier than I normally associate with the band. Although I'm not especially a fan of Bruce Dickinson, I can see why the band achieved greater success with him as lead singer as opposed to Paul Di'Anno, as Di'Anno strikes me as pretty unremarkable. He did a good job on the title track, though. Anyway, I enjoyed hearing this even though metal isn't really my jam—especially '80s metal. Not sure I consider this as something people need to hear before they die, but what do I know. Bonus points for the band really committing to the Eddie-themed covers for their entire career.

Makes me think of Eddie Trunk for some reason. No notes.

Not bad but not great.

Beter dan Slayer!

Pff, die latere Maiden vond ik nog wel te pruimen. Maar dit is echt te doen.

Ach ja. Beter te hebben dan verwacht.

not heavy, not catchy, not interesting

Didn't dislike this as much as I thought I would. But probably wouldn't listen again.

It was fine, would give 2.5 but closer to a two

I know the name. I know the genre. And so I've never listened to them. But here we go.... Overly dramatic electric guitars, dramatic melody & dramatic vocals. This feels like theatre nerds mixed with heavy metal nerds. At least it was relatively short. I am happy to say that i didnt *hate* it but honestly, I just don't care for 70s and 80s metal and this is another example of that.

It's just all the same to me, it's nice for two songs, but the same guitars, drums and vocals become boring after a while. Not for me.

Sikkert bra. Men nei takk

I didn't skip this after the first song - something of a first for me with a metal album. I could actually hear some tunes trying to break through. It wasn't quite enough to win me over. But something of a pleasant surprise.

not for me. i tried tho!

Heavy 80s rock. Remastered but still not clear notes.

Not a huge heavy metal fan. I tried my best guys. I appreciate the history though. Gotta give it little low

Mediocre

I've never been able to really get into Iron Maiden and this one didn't unlock anything for me, sorry.

Seriously? With all the great albums in the overall metal genre, you'd have to include *two* Iron Maiden records on the list? This one (the first one) is not even the fully-formed version of this band Maidenheads and other old fans are so crazy about, but it's still kitschy enough to be mocked by mostly everyone else (save a few songs that are strangely slower than usual). Not exactly a win-win situation here... Number of albums left to review or just listen to:  more than 900, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens:  approximately a half so far (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter (including this one)

Thought i'd dislike it more but it was ok. Weird not hearing Bruce Dickinson's voice

Not too memorable. 5-6/10

Nice rock album but not one I would revisit

This generator is forcing me to listen to albums I would not ordinarily listen to. I won't be rushing back to this one.

I liked this! Less heavy metal than I expected... which was a good thing. Really appreciated the lack of extreme screaming and yelling.

Not their best album, by far, but the start of an hegemony. Plus, the musicians are nothing short of spectacular in their abilities.

Metal, hard rock bweih

No thank you.

Another major band from my youth that somehow I missed at the time. Honestly have no idea how I missed them given that I was into similar-sounding bands in my teens, and I remember seeing Iron Maiden t-shirts (especially the variety very much in favor back then, the 3/4-length baseball style) everywhere for years. So, long windup to say this is my first listen, or at least the first listen of which I am consciously aware. I was surprised to find relatively approachable. By that I mean I always associated them with the speedy hard-driving version of heavy metal, but because I've heard decades of that music in the years that followed this album, this album sounded less angry and dissonant than I expected. I have a feeling that had I listened to this when it debuted, I would definitely have had a different reaction. Although I don't listen to very much metal, I know there are some really great bands in that genre, and these guys write and play very well. It's not something I imagine I'll come back to, but that's just personal taste. The album art is hilarious.

Too instrumental, while also being boring, for me. Songs weren't even that long but still dragged on. Just nothing to hook onto to. Highlight Tracks: 1, 4 (minus the middle), 8

Like these guys actually but not really my taste musically

OK, it wasn't the noise overload I expected, no paracetemol needed, and I recognise the talent, but my brains just not wired to enjoy this, sorry.

Got two songs in. Oof. Bruce Dickinson really helped the band

Meh. Not for me, don't like heavy metal.

Just not my music

I don't think I've heard a complete track from Iron Maiden. I've seen a lot of posters and album covers. Some tracks were passable. A couple I definitely didn't like - I think there was an attempt at too much drama for me. There was a lot from this album that reminded me of the Argentinian band Rata Blanca. Iron Maiden sounds like they were a big influence on Rata Blanca's 'Magos, Espadas y Rosas', which came out 10 years after 'Iron Maiden'.

Fand ich ziemlich uninteressant. Nicht mal die Stimme des Sängers nervte wie erwartet, da - TIL - Bruce Dickinson da noch nicht dabei war.

a couple songs sound like crush 40. there are also slower songs that are boring and make me wish i was listening to the crush 40 ones lol. i don't like the guys voice at all.

Charlotte the Harlotte is a certified bop I must say

I liked that it was short, and little else beyond that

Expected more

It was okay.

Non proprio il gionro dell' heavy metal, da riascoltare con calma

Never really liked Iron Maiden

Não gosto de metal

It may have been remarkable when it came out but it didn't age well. I didn't find any song that was even that great.

Ödes Rumpelhumpel und einer macht dazu so schnell er kann. Bin froh, dass das rum ist. Respektiere aber jede*n für die/denn das irgendwie was Jugenderinnerungen zu tun hat. Gameboy wäre vielleicht nicht schlecht gewesen stattdessen.

I always thought I liked heavy metal. I'm fond of Sabbath and Deep Purple, the granddaddies of the genre. I treasure the two Ozzy albums with Randy Rhoads. I'm a big fan of the 90s bands that drew from metal, like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Smashing Pumpkins. But since I started reviewing the 1001 albums, I'm finding out that I actually don't like metal that much. It isn't that Iron Maiden's album is bad, exactly. The musicianship is competent. Vocalist Paul Di'Anno, in spite of the shade that's thrown at him in comparison with Bruce Dickinson, is a perfectly fine vocalist. It's a blessing that there are sections to these songs, changes in tempo, etc. But for me, all of it doesn't add up to much. The guitar leads are too straightforward and vanilla for me. The arrangements are busy but not all that creative IMO. I think it's sad that metal had advanced so little since its inception. This is pretty standard headbanging. At least it's better than that album cover. Yikes! 2.5/5

i don't know what it will take to get me there...

Wow, that was a lot of guitar. Could tell that this was early on and they were still trying to figure out this whole metal sound. Good basics, but needed more depth. Not my jam, but it wasn't terrible.

This type of Heavy Metal does nothing for me at all. Just sounds so basic and soulless.

Buenos riffs. Meh

Not their best.

Previously I only knew this band through teenage dirtbag. Now I know they are legit but not my bag.

Meh. Bored.

I guess I'm glad I heard the original Iron Maiden pre-Bruce Dickinson. Interesting to hear the punk influence.

Not bad, but not my bag. Nice to put my luscious locks to good use with some head banging. \m/

Didn't grab me.

Not as shouty as I thought

The guys can shred, but it isn't really my cup of tea

Before Bruce Dickinson.

Going 2 wish there was a 2.5 option. Not quite a 3.

Fun, this would be good snowboarding music I think. Seems like a grey wintery day kind of music. I enjoyed this but ultimately find it a little forgettable.

I used to think Iron Maiden were largely overrated and pretty boring, so I have been avoiding listening to them for 15 years. After listening to this I now I think they are boring and largely overrated. Maybe in 1980 this would have been cool? Or maybe it would have just been faster than everything else.

Niet voor mij

Yet another hard hitting loud group. Easy listening If you turn the volume off.

it's always gonna be a no from me

Slop. Not much more to say

physically couldn’t finish it

i'm scared to start this one.. yeah i fucking hated thay

I can’t see the appeal of this

not my style of music

Not for me

I will say this for Iron Maiden and Megadeath and Motörhead and Helloween and various bands of this type: their albums do what they say on the tin. They have their band names in the stupid heavy metal font, often with an umlaut or two, and they put zombie skeletons on their album covers, and they dress like gay leather daddies, and their band and album names always involve some form of haunted house shit like death or torture or wolfmen or chluthus and/or have the word “metal” in them. They are not trying to hide what they are. Stupid music for stupid people. You have to respect heavy metal bands for their truth in advertising, if nothing else.

I've heard the name Iron Maiden but I can't recall any songs by them. Maybe I might recognize something after listening. This came out when I was in high school and I'm sure some people were playing this then and in college - so chances are I've heard something from this. Thoughts after listening 3 times... I actually don't recognize any of this at all. I thought for sure something might ring a bell - but no. The first song "Prowler" is about a perverted dude in the park staring at and flashing pretty girls from the bushes - with spastic music. Not great start. On some of these songs - such as "Phantom of the Opera" - musically I hear a bit of Muse - so perhaps Muse has been inspired by these guys. I looked it up and sure enough Matt Bellamy of Muse admits that. That's cool. Although I like Muse A LOT more than this. I'm starting to realize I don't really like most heavy metal. I know I never really gravitated to it - but upon trying to give it a chance on this project it really is not grabbing me. On this project I've listened to this one by Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Metallica and none of them are really grooving with me much. I've noticed I've used the word "spastic" to describe both this and Metallica. It just seems so obnoxiously sped up to me - frantic drums, high pitched squealing guitars, high pitched shrieking vocals. It doesn't make me feel energetic - it mostly just annoys to me. I like a lot of energetic music - just not this. Plus the lyrics are almost all pretty stupid. If Led Zeppelin is considered "heavy metal" - which I don't think it is - then I absolutely love that. To me all of their albums are either perfect albums or near perfect - and they are one of my favorite bands of all time. Led Zep is operating on a completely different level than these guys. I believe this is the kind stuff the movie "This is Spinal Tap" was making fun of - and I'm all for that. I like the chiller vibe of "Strange World" better than the rest of this. It's the only song I ended up liking on this one. Liked songs on Spotify: 1/8 Rating: 1/5

Just not for me man

Cover is fun, music is boring and repetitive. If only they had a good vocalist it might work...

Couldn't do it. Just too overwrought

Yuck

No thank you.

Too much

Early heavy metal built on twin guitars, steady basslines, loose drums, and half-spoken, gritty vocals unfolds with a surprisingly soft and wandering character. Listening feels like walking through dim industrial corridors where long instrumental passages echo without a clear destination. The result carries atmosphere and attitude but often drifts, feeling unfocused rather than forceful.

Not … the best.

Not my jam

Not one I'll be listening to again

This is beyond unlistenable, unfathomably worse than even Bat Out of Hell and the Zep…FFS!!!!! Tom.

Dreadful from start to finish

No

ruim

Nomás me gustó Prowler, como que se va poniendo aburrido mientras avanza y está muy rock en tú idioma. Obvio que esto fue antes vea, pero tiene la misma onda jajsjaja Muy family friendly pero creo que es porque está genérico

I just don’t understand the enjoyment of listening to an album like this. Too intense. I also think the sound just gets old after a while.

Not for me

Like steel wool to my divine femininity 💕 like gasoline to my misandry 💕 also at the end i was like “maybe im a hypocrite bc i love Misfits tho” but it was bc Misfits started autoplaying 💕

Unpopular opinion I dislike guitar solos

Gross - what a waste of my time

Nothing is present here that wasn't done better by contemporaries. Filled with dull mastrubatory riffs which dound fun to play, but are terribly grating on the ears. While it's true this album was influential, I wouldn't call that a positive.

welllll ... heavy metal nak é pra mim, odiei essa merda

muy arriba para mi gusto. soy una mina medianamente tranquila. tanta presencia de voz masculina gritando, la guitarra eléctrica tan aguda, la batería re enojada… no es lo mío. la única que me gusto fue strange world.

Just terrible

Dont mind a bit of iron maiden but this one is shit

Terrible

Crap and a shit cover. Wankers.

I feel like I have to wipe Mountain Dew and Cheeto crumbs off my keyboard to review this album. If you like tight, driving guitar riffs and flourishes that scream ‘Hell yeah, brother’ and you think a flaming skeleton riding a motorcycle is sick as fuck, boy do I have an album for you. It’s not as bad as what it inspired, but it’s not good and, well, it inspired quite a bit that we’d be better off without.

I did not like this.

Nope. Later stuff is better

I did not need to hear this before I died. In fact, by about halfway through I was actively wishing I wouldn’t make it. This, AT BEST, belongs in the book 1001 Albums to Hear Before You Turn 12. Just when you think it can’t get worse than Charlotte the Harlot, they hit you with the 10 minute long opus Phantom of the Opera (fast twiddly bit, dramatic bit, fast twiddly bit, repeat until will to live is fully sapped) which is enough to make you reassess your relationship to the work of Andrew Lloyd Webber. I imagine this is suppose to represent a turning point and the start of the new British metal scene or whatever, but really who cares?

Lifelong metalhead. This is probably Maiden’s worst album, and is absolutely its worst pre-90s. It’s not even the best of the two featuring their original singer. Chintzy production, transparent and awkward songwriting, and Di’anno is a far inferior vocalist to Dickinson. The elements of what the band would become are there but any of the next 5 albums deserve a place on this list over this one (I peeked and their greatest did somehow manage to get included). Only a group of Very Smart critics would have picked this, probably because of its perceived influence on NWOBHM. But an album that someone unfamiliar ‘should listen to’ in 2025 should have something to offer that listener in 2025. You shouldn’t have to have a PhD in early British heavy metal to appreciate it.

second Iron Maiden album i got. Not much else to say than i already have. I'm sure they are great musicians i just really don't like metal. And Number of the Beast was at least more interesting than this.

It’s as if the clangers dropped acid and recorded an LP. Worst album on here so far

wanted to hate it and mostly did, but get the vibe others may dig.

Odio il metal

Hmm won’t listen again but reasonably raw

Growing up i always wanted to get into Iron Maiden. Loved their album covers and the cool Jean jackets my peers wore. Then I remembered why I didn't....the music.

🫠

Pretty poor stuff.

this album is corny as hell and it sounds way too thin.

niet mijn ding

Nope

Not really my thing. There are some good bits but not enough.

They can shred and do ballads!! They posture about their live free nature and degrade women. And they write their own self congratulatory bio on Spotify. Pitiful.

Just no…

Meh

I may not make it through this one

nah

This is really really boring. Nothing heavy about it, pure middleweight metal. I don't know who would enjoy this?

Boring?

No.

Never been my thing. I can’t take this music seriously.

p463. 1980. 1 star. Generic Brit heavy metal. It's Spinal Tap, isn't it? On the plus side, its short.

1980, le punk a déjà bien secoué le cocotier, la new wave pointe son nez synthétique, et au milieu de tout ça, une vague déferle sur l'Angleterre, une vague de gros son, de cheveux longs et de denim élimé : la New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Et au sommet de cette vague, un nom qui claque comme un coup de cymbale : Iron Maiden. Leur premier album éponyme. Une pochette iconique avec cette mascotte déglinguée, Eddie, qui allait devenir plus célèbre que certains membres du groupe. Un statut de classique absolu, une pierre angulaire du heavy metal. Sur le papier, c'est du lourd, de l'indispensable, du "tu-peux-pas-passer-à-côté". C'est bien pour ça qu'il est dans ce putain de bouquin. Sauf que voilà. En 1980, j'avais dix ans. Mes oreilles commençaient à peine à se former, et elles allaient très vite prendre le pli du post-punk, de la cold wave, de tout ce qui était tendu, sec, et surtout, qui allait droit au but. Pour moi, un morceau, c'était une idée, une énergie, un message balancé en trois minutes, et puis basta. On ne s'embarrassait pas de fioritures. Alors, aborder ce premier Iron Maiden en 2025, avec mes 55 balais et ce bagage musical, c'est comme essayer de faire rentrer un semi-remorque dans une place pour Smart. Ça coince. Ne me faites pas dire ce que je n'ai pas dit. Il y a de l'or en fusion dans ce disque. Une énergie brute, quasi punk, qui transpire de chaque sillon. La section rythmique, bordel ! Steve Harris et sa basse galopante qui mène la danse comme un général d'armée, et le regretté Clive Burr qui martèle ses fûts avec une précision et une puissance démentielles. Ça, c'est la fondation, et elle est en béton armé. On sent que ces mecs-là ne sont pas là pour enfiler des perles. Et puis il y a la voix. Paul Di'Anno. Le chanteur originel, le prolo enragé, le hooligan des cordes vocales. Rien à voir avec le chant de sirène opératique de son successeur. Di'Anno, il beugle, il crache, il a une gouaille de pub londonien qui donne à des titres comme "Prowler" ou "Running Free" une urgence et une authenticité incroyables. C'est sale, c'est teigneux, et franchement, ça me parle. On sent le goudron, la crasse, la jeunesse qui veut en découdre. Des morceaux comme "Phantom of the Opera" ou "Transylvania" déploient des mélodies et des riffs qui, pris isolément, sont d'une efficacité redoutable. On sent le potentiel, la puissance d'écriture qui fera du groupe la légende qu'il est devenu. Et puis... le drame. Le solo. Ce moment maudit, systématiquement, où le morceau, qui tenait la route, qui me faisait taper du pied, décide de faire une pause technique pour que les deux guitaristes, Dave Murray et Dennis Stratton, puissent nous étaler leur science. Je vais être cash, et que les fans me pardonnent, mais je n'en peux plus de ces solos. Cette manie typiquement heavy metal de balancer un dégueulis de notes à la vitesse de la lumière, cette espèce de masturbation de manche qui, pour moi, ne sert strictement à RIEN. Ça n'apporte rien à la chanson. Au contraire, ça la casse. Ça brise l'élan. C'est de la pure démonstration technique, un concours de celui qui a la plus longue... gamme. Et c'est là que le bât blesse sur tout l'album. Chaque putain de morceau ! Tu as un riff qui tue, une ligne de chant qui t'embarque, et BAM ! T'as le droit à ta minute de tricotage guitaristique. Ça pollue le truc. Ça le dénature. On passe d'une énergie rock'n'roll pure et dure à une sorte de kermesse de l'école de musique. Et ça me rend fou, parce que les chansons sont bonnes ! C'est comme avoir un plat magnifique devant soi, et voir le serveur arriver pour y verser une louche de Ketchup. C'est un sacrilège. Alors, oui, "Iron Maiden" est un album majeur. Historiquement, il est incontournable pour comprendre l'émergence de tout un pan du rock. Il a défini un son, une attitude, et a lancé une carrière stratosphérique. Pour le projet "1001 Albums", sa place est justifiée, ne serait-ce que pour l'aspect "culture générale". Mais pour moi, personnellement, l'écoute fut une torture. Une frustration permanente. Le sentiment constant de passer à côté d'un grand album de hard rock à cause de cette manie, de cette convention du genre que je rejette en bloc. C'est l'album qui incarne le fossé entre le punk qui dit "l'énergie d'abord" et le metal qui répond "la technique d'abord". Pour moi, ce sera un petit 1 sur 5. La frustration est trop grande. J'ai entendu de superbes mélodies, une énergie folle, mais elles ont été systématiquement sabotées par des solos qui me sortent par les trous de nez.

Wank

stupid asf

Never could get into metal

just doesn't scratch that itch. maybe one ok-ish song... Phantom of the Opera?

Not my bag at all.

Not my vibe. Not my tribe. That cover is well too scary as well. Gonna give me nightmares, man.

Never really got into Heavy Metal & at the age I am now never will. When a teen I had a fight with a lad after school - he had a huge Iron Maiden patch on the back of his denim jacket with the sleeves cut off, he caught me in the face with his studded leather wristband - so Iron Maiden since then have been a bit of a nemesis to me. I saw the lad this year- fat, old & bald, karma.

This is just a bit too much testosterone-overdosed fist-pumping. 1970s/80s heavy metal, basically. I can't see myself ever going back to this for any reason whatsoever.

Not my thing. At all.

Absolutely NOT!

Meh

The great universe, monotheistic gods, pagan gods, spirits of the forest, people, children, women, EXPLAIN how you can enjoy listening to a classic heavy metal album in the truest sense?! It's just like a track can be the same type in a minute, and you're like, "Buzz, you can have another 37 minutes and 48 seconds, and please repeat for 34 years." THIRTY-FOUR!! They've been doing this for 34 years, and people go in droves to boring solics, to 7-minute repeating reefs, to reefs that don't differ from track to track, just how can this be a phenomenon that has influenced the world?!

didnt act

I’m more of a Naked Delivery guy. I guess they’re good at guitars?

Another Iron Maiden?

Only listened to a few songs. Was ok but wanted to move on

Awful music, awful sleeve.

Neither this style of music in general nor this specific album's abusive and violent themes entertain me.

ja echt neit mijn ding

Cock rock. No

Ick

Gewoon niet 1/10

Mijn muziekwereld stopt altijd nabij de oerlelijke poorten naar de hel, waarboven het woord 'Heavy Metal' gespeld staat, in van die kinderachtige lettering die we vandaag de dag vooral terug zien op t-shirts van tienermeisjes. Een uitzondering hierop is Black Sabbath, wat toch bijzonder is gezien zij de pioniers zijn. Maar alles wat zo lekker is aan die band mist hier, van de duizelingwekkende drumritmes (zie 'Symptom of the Universe'), tot de heavy gitaartoon die veel bands die volgden liet klinken als 'feather light metal' (zie 'Into the Void'). En natuurlijk het charisma wat er afdruipt bij the prince of darkness himself, wat in de verste verte niet te bespeuren valt bij de droeftoeter die de vocalen verzorgd op dit album. Misschien niet helemaal eerlijk om alles met Black Sabbath te vergelijken, maar dat is nou eenmaal m'n referentiekader in dit genre waar ik eigenlijk altijd m'n handen van afhoud. Dit is één lange aaneenschakeling aan passieloze geluiden, die op geen enkele manier matchen met wat ik zoek in muziek. Het eerste nummer heeft nog wel punk-energie, maar daarna kelderde het niveau het miserabele ravijn genaamd 'hair metal' in. Black Sabbath gespeeld op Guitar Hero door een kind van 10 (ik stel me een jonge Floris voor). 4/10 Highlights: Nada

Heavy metal is voor mij het minst interessante genre om me eens in te verdiepen. Ik vind het een pretentieus genre wat streeft naar onderdelen in de muziek waar ik niet warm voor loop: strakke riffs, complexe solo's en hoge uithalen. De combinatie van lange haren, zwarte tanktops en ruige platenhoezen zorgt bij mij altijd voor een zweetlucht in mijn neus zoals je die kent uit de moshpits. Iron Maiden is daarop geen uitzondering. Blijkbaar hebben we hier het debuut te pakken waarop een oude zanger te horen is. Ook als is deze plaat wat gelaagder dan een gemiddelde plaat van AC/DC, het boeit me echt geen moment. Ik ga verder met mn leven 2/10 - geen highlights

No

Messy and lacking harmony. Excited to listen to the greats, but aside from a build up section in the final song of the Album, "Iron Maiden", nothing struck a chord. Background music from the generation before mine, and I can see why I have not heard any of these songs passively in the years since.

Meh. Nothing stuck out to me.

Having had several hard rock / heavy metal albums in a row now...I'm over it. Hopefully this is the last one for a while!

Not my cup of tea. I suppose it is ok for what it is, but there is so much more I would prefer to listen to. 1.5/5

not a fan

Ew

It’s a no for me.

Rocky Horror, but for nondescript jocks who like Hair Metal-adjacent "stuff." It's so obnoxiously testosterone-fueled that it's almost like a parody of masculinity. I'll settle for Gwar over this any day of the week. I either need stoner metal, doom metal, or for heavy metal bands to commit to the bit and make things campy.

I’m too old. Just can’t do it anymore. That said, I can appreciate parts of this album.

Not my style.

The best thing I can say about this album is, "there's only 8 songs on it". I know it's from 1980, but it's painfully cringe. It sounds like a parody metal album that Tenacious D would release, from the weird song names to the goofy self-titled end track. Yikes. 🤦 Prepubescent me was right back in the day - Iron Maiden are wank. 👎👎

2024-01-22

Yea, this was a no for me. I'm pretty sure the first solo in the first song had some views that sounded out. Generic old man rock, pointless long guitar solos, boring singing. Even taking into consideration when the album was released, it's still so so bleh Nah

I’m not much of a heavy metal fan.

I was able to access this album only through you tube, and there were commercials between each song. I got frustrated and turned it off after 3 songs.

I have listened to this album before.

utter crap

Listening to makes you look like the cover

I have yet to truly distill what it is about metal that turns me off. It is not the brashness or loudness or violence or difficult thematic content; I am a fan of several aggressive hip-hop, noise rock, punk rock and experimental jazz groups. Nor is it the general silliness; I will happily listen to jazz musicians playfully jeopardise melodies and tonality. Nor is it even metal, I like plenty of Black Sabbath and a sprinkling of other metal groups. Could it be the lack of sincerity? Metal bands play at being tough, but typically shy away from hard questions. (Whereas punk is political, metal fantasises about the Devil and other horned red beings). Metal bands embrace silliness with a lack of self-awareness and play at being technical (listen to the guitar tapping, just listen to the guitar tapping) without serious study of music theory. What is the Giant Steps of metal? Not that one is needed, but for a genre which puts so much emphasis on technical prowess, it seems implausible that so little of the soundscape outside of E Dorian (and drop D) has been explored. Would it be unjust to call metal the wrestling of music? Iron Maiden suffer from all of these ailments. This album is a messy heap of testosterone, goofing about, guitars, and yes, guitar tapping. Sincerely, no.

Not my kind of music

Ruuuuuuuubish

Didn't liked.

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!

Worst yet

Totally don't like this album at all.

I was expecting to be bored and that was exactly what I got. What a piece of crap

Durge

Better than Judas Priest but not my cup of porridge

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 🍦

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

Boring.

Heavy metal has not and won’t ever be my thing. Sorry not sorry

How shall I put it best? I can't stand Iron Maiden.

Meh - not my cuppa tea.

No Dickinsons, weird vocals, no bangers. Still fun. 3.5*

The song “Strange World” is reminiscent of Pink Floyd. Less metal-y than expected.

a bit samey

Några bra låtar. Inte deras bästa album om man säger så. Helt OK.