Iron Maiden

The new wave of British Heavy Metal was gathering unprecedented speed, largely emboldened and reawakened by the bulldozing power of punk and one of the bands that became synonymous with not only the movement but the heavy metal genre as a whole started a decade of decadence that would rival any others. Iron Maiden MK 1 started out with the sounds that gave many a listeners a hair raising, corpse like jolt as though they were the mascot on the cover (his name is Eddie, by the way). They haven't gotten the numbers of the beast in their disposal and they weren't the iconic juggernauts they'd later become but this is still a solid effort and a great debut from one of heavy metal's all time greats. Shout out to Paul Di'Anno, the inaugural lead singer of Iron Maiden, his performance is nothing to sneeze at.

Iron Maiden's debut album. They sound very different without Bruce. I really like (perhaps prefer) Paul Di'Anno's slightly softer vocals, but wouldn't trust him to pilot a jumbo jet. This is a little more subtle and less cheesy than the iconic Iron Maiden sound that I'm familiar with. I like it. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Running Free Date listened: 21/04/23

Fantastisk album…

Apparently I like pre-Bruce Dickinson Iron Maiden. I'll be ok with my husband playing this in the car on road trips.

First Iron Maiden album. Singer sounds different. More Rock 'n' Roll style compared to their later story telling vibe. Very cool to listen to their beginnings. Would listen again.

Debuutalbum van Britse heavy metal band Iron Maiden. De band veroordeelt zelf de productiekwaliteit; toch wordt het nog gewaardeerd door fans. Verrassend leuk en relatief toegankelijk voor het genre. leukste nummer: Phantom of the Opera De oorspronkelijk cover art van "Running Free" toonde een geshankte Margaret Thatcher, wat de aandacht trok van de pers.

Alright but not spectacular.

Pleasantly surprised at this one. Classic metal.

Strong 4, Quite solid

I like Iron Maiden this album is about what I expected from them. Classic tunes they make me feel like I burning a huge pile of leaves in the fall

Iron Maiden is a metal band. This album checks all the boxes for a metal album.

Cool that this blends punk and metal, although they’ve said that wasn’t what they were trying to do and they hate punk, so I guess it was a happy accident? I don’t find these songs to be that memorable though, mostly just testosterone fueled guitar pyrotechnics for teenage boys. Phantom of the Opera is pretty good and some of the first few tracks are decent.

Im biased because its nostalgic but it never disappoints and dont tell anyone I prefer paul diannos vocals even though they arent as iconic or unique

Meh

3.5 goes hard but not my thing really

This was a surprising revelation. Confounded my preconceived ideas of what Iron maiden albums are. You can hear the various influences in hear everything from pub rock, prog, punk and thrash to name but a few. Have already given it a relisten

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

classic!

Enjoyed listening but not sure I’ll revisit

Very surprised here. I thought this was a very well done metal album. The vocals are solid, no excessive screaming or overly loud instrumentation. The guitar work is very strong.

Don’t like heavy metal.

meh

Inoffensive, but not particularly exciting for the most part. I've never been keen on early Maiden, having none of the catchy vocal or guitar performances that they would become known for, but they have some moments. Remember Tomorrow was the only song I could remember liking beforehand, but now I'm adding Transylvania to the "Good early Maiden" list The meanest thing i can say is that this came out the same year as British Steel, Ace of Spades and Heaven and Hell, and I'm astonished Maiden didn't immediately disband out of embarrassment.

Good album, though depending to the mood. Pretty energetic, and I also didn't feel that really heavy metal vibe

Iron Maiden is the debut album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, and it was released to critical and commercial success. It was a landmark release for heavy metal and remains a fan favorite album. The music was primarily metal, but did have influences from punk and progressive rock. I'm not normally a fan of metal music, but this debut album was really good. It was entertaining to listen to because of its raw aggression. I'll keep an ear out for other Iron Maiden songs going forward.

Good album, but i like their other album better

EPIC. nuff said.

Slaps at times

Old singer huh

This album impressed me a lot more than I thought it would. The chords and structures especially. Obviously the instrumentation is next to none in the heavy metal world. I don't mind the singing as much as others might. I agree that their second singer is better, but forgetting that, it's still an incredibly enjoyable album. One that I will put on once in a while. It's original, has range, and substance, not just thrash noise. 4/5

The first track on the album, "Prowler", is surprisingly melodic and has a great riff. Then the slower "Remember Tomorrow" is another gem. Reminded me of early (Pre Pyro) Def Leppard. The album's production quality may be a bit rough, but its a debut album so expectations should be modest. 4.0

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

Iconic. Iron Maiden's debut album may not be their best album, but just hearing their signature sound is enough for me. Growing up, Iron Maiden was a staple in my household. My dad had several of their albums on vinyl, and when he played them for me growing up I remember admiring the Eddie artwork on the sleeves as I was rocking along to the music. So when I put on their debut album, it's like I'm transported back to those days of air guitar and discovering the world of not only heavy metal, but of music. As mentioned, Iron Maiden's signature sound runs throughout the entire album, but a couple of stand-out tracks include Phantom of the Opera and Iron Maiden. It may not be their greatest album, it's still a must-listen for any Iron Maiden fan. And for me, it's like coming home to an old friend. Up the irons!

4 estrellas porque por lo que leí en las reviews son un grupo que mejoran muchísimo en sus siguientes discos. Aún así me sorprendió muchísimo (hasta ahora solo había escuchado canciones sueltas, nunca un álbum completo), especialmente para ser un debut, la mayoría de canciones son temazos. ¿¡Y ese bajo!? Quiero aprenderme la línea de alguna de las canciones, me alegró que se escuchase tanto.

Hell yeah!

This is an album that must be experienced by all music fans, regardless of music genre. It is the first of several must-have recording by one of the premier metal bands.

Not as good as the later Iron Maiden stuff I heard but still good. There’s some songs which are just solos that are quite good, and solid riffs get the hand banging going. My main gripes are Bruce’s vocals and sound quality - thankfully that’s improved in later albums. Fav tracks: Phantom of the Opera, Transylvania, Charlotte the Harlot, Iron Maiden Worst track: Prowler 6.5/10

Send them the Iron Maiden. Excellent! Execute them. Bogus. Never listened to metal as a kid. I can hear the influences on modern bands I enjoy.

Never been a maiden fan. I mean, it’s really the first time I’ve listened to a full album. I’ve heard maybe 3 of their songs prior. Musically it’s really great, tight licks and superb drumming. Vocals are over the top. I enjoyed whilst showering. Out of 5 stars I give it a 2. 👍🤷🏻‍♂️

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

Very catchy riffs, fantastic ballads, very solid debut album.

Solid metal LP – not as dynamic as their other album on the list, but given the selections I've been going through recently I will take any well-done guitar-based album I can get.

I was wrong about this one. Way different than I expected. A nice mix of 60’s and 70’s inspired ballads and some harder songs.

Decent. Highlights: Prowler, Remember Tomorrow, Phantom of the Opera, Strange World (guitar solo)

It was interesting to hear old-school Iron Maiden for the first time. I got a strong punk vibe from the album, and I could definitely hear the early metal influences that fully blossomed into the "classic" Maiden sound later. That being said, this sounded a little raw to me, and I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. Solid musicianship though!

Obviously helped define the genre

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

The guitars sing better than the vocalist. Mixing is pretty bad for a commercially released album. Really great riffs throughout.

solid riffs

Fuck yeah

One of my all time favourites and one of the first albums I grew to truly love. Underrated work of genius!

cool guitar work, but not for me.

I'm not a fan of metal but this album wasn't as terrible as I expected it to be. I liked the more rock and roll and guitar-oriented songs, as well as the energy of the album as a whole.

Yeah. So good. Makes me want to go for a run and hit some stuff. But then changes to mellow . 10/10

ну штош хотела я послушать по песне с каждого альбома в жанре метал, который мне тут предлагают, чтобы убрал генератор метал из моих любимых жанров, но тут.. оказалось, что не все так просто я не металлист ни разу, мне тяжеловато слушать такую музыку +меня не привлекает эта эстетика, она меня чаще всего пугает (как обложка вот этого альбома со скелетом, например), но все-таки что-то в не самых тяжелых вариантах метала мне нравится.. наверное, потому что все в этой музыке перетекает одно в другое, все связано, в одном можно узнать элементы другого. так в музыке с этого альбома я что-то узнаю, и что-то мне нравится, хотя в общем не мое, слишком громко, быстро, грубо (remember tomorrow и strange world добавила! Charlotte the Harlot нравилась, пока не начались агрессивные гитарные партии) кстати, это вообще не такая жесть, как я ожидала, метал боится тебя больше чем ты его

Meh - not my cuppa tea.

Hell yes!! Iron Maiden is my favourite heavy metal band!! I've listened to this album many times before, but that won't stop me from listening again! This is Maiden's self titled debut album. This was before the legendary Bruce Dickinson became the lead singer of the band, and gave them that signature sound of vocals soaring overtop of amazing heavy metal! Paul Di'Anno was a great singer as well, but his voice didn't have that strength that Bruce is known for. Paul is well suited to singing metal though, because he has a gravelly voice to match the hard hitting heavy music that accompanied him. Prowler and Phantom of the Opera are classics still to this day! Even though this album pales in comparison to some of the rest of Maiden's vast catalog of music, it isn't as bad as The X-Factor or Virtual XI (two albums made in the middle of Maiden's career when Bruce took a hiatus), and it is a super strong debut album! Iron Maiden are one of the originals in the heavy metal genre, and they have influenced so many!! This is a phenomenal album, and a hell of a talented band! Steve Harris has a vision, and ran with it, and thank God for that, because what we got out of it was this stellar band making this amazing music! Steve's bass work, especially in Transylvania is fucking amazing!!!! UP THE IRONS!!! Favourite songs: Prowler, Phantom of the Opera, Running Free, Transylvania, Iron Maiden Least favourite song: Remember Tomorrow 5/5

Not my vibe - good, but just nothing that I'd hear again.

I wasn't expecting this to be as theatrical as it as. That's not a bad thing, but I prefer lyrics more grounded in reality, myself. They have a wild musicality with amazing guitar riffs and good vocals, though. I can see why they have so many fans, but to me it was just all right I guess. Definitely got me to headbang for a bit, though, lol.

It’s good, although I don’t think Iron Maiden fully reached their potential until Bruce Dickinson arrived. Still worth a listen though, 3.5/5

I didn’t think i would like this album one bit. I was wrong. I got me hyped i loved hearing that guitar and I think I’ll use some of this for workout motivation.

Enjoyed more than I thought I would

Has hints of Rainbow and soft Mettalica. Even for 1980, the techniques they used were great for their time.

Genuinely not as bad as people make it seem to be. This was my introduction to Iron Maiden and it's definitely less heavy than I expected but still good nonetheless. Nothing too special, but I like the guitar and bass riffs. Fave track(s): Prowler, Strange World

Listens: 2 Enjoyed: it's okay Definitely preferred the more melodic tracks - just don't think heavy metal is for ke

Great metal. Raw feel, not over produced.

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.

Good

I've listened to Iron Maiden 7 times, but never this record. Artist #1498 pre this album It's average yeah? Surely there are better Iron Maiden albums.

woah. a blast from the past. i think this is one of their rawer albums

Great, shreds 4.5

Uppskattar det oväntat mycket, inte så hårt som jag hade förväntat mig. Riktigt schyssta vokals och gitarr. Blir möjligen inte så stor variation i låtarna, de är uppbyggda på liknande sätt med högt tempo, rappa trummor och hårda gitarrsolon, tröttnar inte på det än dock. Inte en dålig låt på hela albumet, men samtidigt ingen knockout heller, gillar Prowler.

3,5/5

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

Good heavy metal, but I prefer punk.

Not my favorite album of theirs. Vocals were flat and didn’t much like the guitar work.

Never was really into hair metal. But i mean I liked some part of this album wasn't terrible!

Alright, I have to admit I didn't listen to the whole thing., I just could not do it. And this is no aging arsehole being smug thing, I could not cop it back in the day. This is literally, and I mean literally, Spinal Tap. As I dropped the Youtube clip onto the first track I immediately started thinking about the Tap scene with the lowering of the tiny Stonehenge sarsen onto the stage, and I'll leave you with that thought.

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 occasional 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 in the 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.

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Prowler, Strange world

Better than I thought - not that much hair metal. The Maiden were prevalent on denim jackets when I was young, and I thought they were for thick people. This wasn't anywhere near as crap as some of the stuff coming up on this project

Absolute classic album. Paul Di’Anno is a fantastic singer and this album showcases all of the fantastic traits, and sometimes the shortcomings of Iron Maiden. Absolutely fantastic album.

I like this record but it doesn’t leave a very memorable impression on me. I’ve listened to it prob 10 times and I like it, but it fails to jump out at me. Its influence on a lot of music I love is important, but its just not my favorite.

Phantom

The Iron Maiden album by Iron Maiden including the song Iron Maiden

I see Maiden, i give *s

Surprised how much I liked this - I thought it was going to be a bit Raaaa but they’re so tight and musical 🎶

I went into this expecting to enjoy it and it exceeded my expectations. This was a fast whirlwind of screeching guitars, shrill vocals and unreal drumming, even some fun bass moments most notably on the closer. This was fucking great. The ballads Remember Tomorrow and Strange World are the only two holding me back from a 5, strong 4.5 stars!

My rating is definitely colored being more familiar with the Dickinson era of Maiden. This record is solid, but having known and loved Maiden for a while, it just sounds like a band almost there. Instrumental work is solid, just missing something. Favorite tracks: "Prowler", "Transylvania"

Este álbum no estuvo tan mal. Lo volvería a escuchar sin dudas

6.5

Absolute belter of an album

What a difference a vocalist makes. Di’anno’s vocals are much closer to the punk rock roots of NWOBHM, but the instrumentation is very much the familiar Iron Maiden style.

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

This one is the 4, # of the Beast is 3, mixed up

Good

I used to think of Iron Maiden as super heavy metal but having listened to this is just fun fast and melodic. I listened to this album twice through today because I enjoyed it so much

Once again, I can't call myself a metal fan (although I suppose the label "metal" didn't quite mean the same then as it does now), but I enjoyed this album. I like that the more "metal" aspects serve the musical ideas (which are good!), rather than the other way around, which is my (perhaps false) impression of a lot of metal.

Extrem starkes Debüt! Der Sänger klingt noch etwas anders als in späteren Alben.

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.

Iron Maiden is great! Im surprised I haven't listened to this album before (I knew a few songs).

It's fascinating how this album is classified as metal but is so much later than much of the newer metal albums. The progression is interesting.

Wait, I actually like Iron Maiden? Like I thoroughly enjoyed this? But this is the band your one uncle (you know the one) likes. Am I become that uncle? Oh no. Any way, this was super good, and I loved the energy. Some of the songs fell a little flat, and with an album this short that's more of a hindrance than normal, but it starts super strong and stays strong on most of the songs, making it really enjoyable. Not perfect by any means, but still shockingly good.

Great

Not their best but still some solid Maiden

Solid. A strong 3.75

Hated this stuff when I was young and music was my everything. Time has not dimmed my dislike.

An Awesome debut album from Iron Maiden. One of the finest examples of the NWOBHM scene from the late 70s, early 80s. And of course one of the most influential metal albums of all time. Early Iron Maiden really had a clear punk influence or feel, probably in no small part due to Paul Di'Anno, their singer before he was replaced by Bruce Dickinson from the Number of the Beast album on. He was an awesome voice and frontman. This album really kicks off with great energy with Prowler, you've got classics like Running Free, Phantom of the Opera, Iron Maiden. Then you have one of my favorite Maiden instrumentals, Transylvania and a really cool, underrated ballad type song in Strange World.

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

nice album, listened to while working. it's definitely the Blueprint to most modern metal/rock, but it feels a little less polished because of that. favorite was strange world easily. appreciate it more for what it allowed than what it is.

- Prowler is a very good opener - Remember Tomorrow is a beautiful track, I love it - Running Free was ok - Phantom of the Opera was really good - Transylvania was pretty good - I REALLY liked Strange World. It gave me a King Crimson vibe and I really digged it. - I like Charlotte the Harlot, sounded a lot like a Guns N' Roses song. - placeholder for last track

Surprisingly, I didn't hate this like I thought I would. I was expecting typical death-metal type stuff, but this was more nuanced. Lyrics were still pretty comical like most of this genre. 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3 because I feel generous today.

3 stars! Rawk!

Wow! Absolutely perfect album! Iron Maiden delivers again. Solid 5! T3B 1. Prowler 2. Phantom of the Opera 3. Remember Tomorrow

Short Fast Classic

Solid, nothing earth shaking, but Solid midfield

My first reaction on seeing today’s pick was ‘oh God, no’. This is not my type of music, but I was willing to give it another go. I am sure they are talented musicians and have made a lot of money making a lot of people happy. However, this was just an affront to my ears. Screechy guitars and raspy voices. Just Horrible. To quote a later album - Run to the hills.

I love Iron Maiden. This is a great freshmen entry but not my favorite album. Mix of heavy metal and punk make this a great roadtrip album. The "list" doesn't include my favorite album, "Piece of Mind", but I'm glad to see the band represented.

Heavy metal is what I would’ve said if you had asked me what genre of music iron maiden was yesterday. I still agree with that today but after listening I now have to include hints of speed metal, punk/Post punk, and (horror of horrors) progressive rock. I say horror of horrors, because I do not consider myself a fan of progressive rock. I also am not really sure what progressive rock is, except that I know it is called Prog rock, and I do not like that term at all. (And no, I am not going to learn anymore about Prog Rock right now for fear I might like more of it.) I only learned that they are considered progressive because I looked at a review to make sure that I wasn’t totally missing the mark when I detected the hints of speed and punk. Putting my hangups aside, I thought it was a fine album. I did not mind the instrumental Transylvania, and became invested in Charlotte the harlot. Remember Tomorrow was my fave. And kudos to them for existing so that Wheatus could talk about them in Teenage Dirtbag and then One Direction could do a fantastic cover of it.

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.

kinda vigorous

I like the bass tone in this album. Clive Burr's drumming is really good. The favorite tracks at my initial listening were: Prowler, Remember Tomorrow and Phantom of the Opera. I would probably revisit this album once I have heard most of Iron Maidens work.

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

This is that kind of debut where it's really amazing, but at the same time it's not definitely clear how the band will progress onwards; will it be heavier, faster and meaner with winding solos or will it be proggy, slow and epic with winding solos? Now we know Iron Maiden leaned heavily into the former, and they did it impeccably. They do show here that they are a band with many talents and qualities. And that's probably why they have managed to release such engaging music throughout their career.

Fuck Yes!! Up the Irons!! Listened 25x and seen them 1x

Needs Bruce. Still a very solid album.

Not as trashy as I thought. Enjoyed it

Dijk van een debuut! Zeer herkenbare stijl van toen al

UP THE IRONS!

Not bad but not great.

Some okay early power metal, goes very fast and has great guitars and bass. The songs are a bit samey for my taste

Beter dan Slayer!

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

Op gronde van het feit dat dit kut muziek is, weiger ik dit te luisteren.

Ach ja. Beter te hebben dan verwacht.

Shocked I didn’t hate it.

That was good. Lots of high energy riffage. Yes, they sounded better when Dickinson arrived on the scene but this was a great debut.

classic!!

Prior to Bruce joining the band, Iron Maiden sounded much more like a 2nd rate bar band. Amazing what a talented singer can do.

The first of many great albums.

not heavy, not catchy, not interesting

My goodness I enjoyed this. Not least from a nostalgic point of view as I played this incessantly in my early teens. A really interesting mix of heavy metal, punk and prog. Phantom of the Opera just rules.

Absolutely love this album.

¨3

Not good as Smith-Dickinson era but good

This is sort of an odd choice; of the Paul albums I prefer Killers, which I thought was the general consensus. There's also better Maiden albums that presumably didn't make it here. That said: There's still a lot to like. It's far from a bad album, There's just better (and much worse) Maiden albums. It's probably a 4 but there's no way I'm giving Maiden anything less than 5. Up the irons.

I kind of came into this with a bit of a Bruce Dickinson bias, but this was a pleasant surprise. I'm happy to report that this album stands up just fine on its own merits in Iron Maiden's discography. It's beautifully done. It's an album full of flourishes, but never feels overwrought or self-indulgent. Every note counts. This is an interesting album, because it sits on the cusp between classic 70s prog and 80s metal. It also sits on the cusp of Iron Maiden's evolution as a band. There are threads of what would become band's signature sound already evident in these songs, with dramatic arrangements, a strong rhythm section, and some excellent guitar work. Paul DiAnno's vocal is obviously really different from you might expect if your main interaction with this band was through the later albums. Had he stuck around, Maiden would have been a very different band. But I enjoyed this quite a bit. I could listen to this album a lot. Fave Songs: Transylvania, Prowler, Phantom of the Opera, Running Free, Remember Tomorrow

A very interesting album debuting Iron Maiden on an LP. Some solid songs

An oldie but a goodie. Great rocker that aged well

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

It's a nice enough album. Deep metal. I just can't get really into it.

Totally solid. Though i certainly prefer Bruce's voice, this is foundational and the songs really hold up. Love Phantom of the Opera, Iron Maiden and Strange World. The guitar on Transylvania is awesome as well. Charlotte the Harlot was a bad idea though.

what a throwback! almost forgot how much i used to listen to iron maiden

I am not sure why this album was chosen. Of the first few albums, "Number Of The Beast" is vastly superior. I see it's on the list too, so that's good. The vocals... they're not bad, but I just kept thinking of how Bruce Dickinson took the pieces to a higher level. And some of the lyrics... "Charlotte the Harlot?" Really? (To be fair, I heard the 1988 version and it was a loooong eyeroll from me then, too. The vocals were clearer here, though.) You can hear all of the components to come in the later albums hear, but I just keep coming back to the vocals. The second album "Killers" actually is better, they really matured and evolved with his vocal stylings. But we're talking about the first album, aren't we? SO just going off of this one, I'm going to give this a bit lower, just because of the later albums (even the second album shows more of a progression).

Solid album. Metal can be a little over the top sometimes (especially the vocals) but the musicality on this album is great and the vocals are decent. Di'Anno almost has a punk-sounding voice. Great guitar and drum tempos, especially on Prowler, Running Free, Phantom of the Opera (really deft guitar work here), and Transylvania. And then of course there are the obligatory (and well done) soaring but heavy ballads - Remember Tomorrow, Strange World. Tight album, not a lot of waste.

Do I actually like Iron Maiden? Well, maybe the first half.

For me this album illustrates how much easier it would be to rate out of 10 instead of 5. I was expecting the wails of Bruce but was pleasantly surprised to hear the biting rasp of Di’Anno. This is a meeting of punk and metal and I like it. Out of 10 I’d give it a 7 but 3/5 would be too low

Never listened to Iron Maiden, I liked the album a lot, was pleasantly surprised.

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

Enjoyed the metal. Not the best metal out there, but some pretty good stuff.

I would realistically give like a 2.6 for this. Better than expected

Absolutely bonkers. You know what you're getting. Pretty good fun though. Edges into taking itself too seriously at points, but a lark apart from that.

Interesting

Absolute banger!

3.5

Truly painful to get through. Did not enjoy

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.

Better than I thought it was going to be. Never been a Maiden fan but it was decent. The heavier side of hair metal, these guys have a cult following.

Not their greatest, but still good.

The album opens with prowler a true burst of energy and maybe one of the most enjoyable metal songs I’ve ever herd to be honest! At the start of remember tomorrow I thought how the fuck is this metal? Then it explodes into a rampage, good tune. Running free may not be my favourite lyrically as it’s fairly boring in that sense but the drums are amazing and it serves as a great single. Phantom of the opera is a 7 minute long sprawling epic with one of the best guitar riffs ever marching through the song. Don’t get me wrong I really like this album but Transylvania was the first time on the album where I felt it sounded like heavy metal and not just heavy rock still though brilliant instrumental. Strange world is a brilliant slow aftermath to Transylvania’s rage I really like this one! Charlotte the harlot is probably my least favourite on the album but I still don’t hate it which is a sign of a good album. The bands title track closes the album on fairly good note, it’s not a lyrical great but certainly an instrumental great. It’s really good 4/5 but that could rise with time.

This was a good listen, quite gentle for Iron Maiden I thought. I wasn’t overwhelmed though so a high 3*

Loved this. Not sure I'd heard it before.

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.

The sound is mostly there! Has a couple straight bangers (Phantom, Iron Maiden), but not ESSENTIAL like Piece of Mind or Number of the Beast.

Sometimes I forgot there was on Iron Maiden before the Iron Maiden I know. This is good but such a different sound than what I came to love 'em for.

Status Quo after too many beers.

3.5

Sikkert bra. Men nei takk

Fikk ikke hørt hele albumet pga sykdom. Hørte et par sanger, det holdt i masse vis 😂

In their debut, they served as one of the most influential metal bands of the era, sounding very much like earlier heavy metal but incorporating greater speed, energy, and aggression influenced by the punk movement, and alongside Motorhead would bring about the 80s thrash metal movement. But besides "Phantom of the Opera", I don't think any of the other tracks demonstrate what would make Iron Maiden so incredible by the time they release Number of the Beast. I wouldn't say they're bad or boring... in fact, I find most of them to be fun and full of energy. But they don't pull your attention the same way that "Phantom of the Opera" does with its rich and complex structure. Half of them are a bit forgettable. Still, I did enjoy the whole album, and it's short enough with the right number of songs for most people to bear through whether they like the songs or not.

Tight. Really loved that about these guys. Hearing this in HS was really the first time I heard that kind of harmony soloing. Good stuff.

goes hard

Tola.

Not familiar with this record. Pretty strange hearing Maiden without Bruce Dickinson's voice, but the galloping rhythms and frantic bass are pretty unmistakable. Not bad overall; not my favorite Maiden record though.

Nothing about this really stuck out to me. I'm disappointed. I thought I'd like it more. 3/5

Great debut from a legendary heavy metal band, but I personally prefer the era starting from The Number of the Beast in part due to the production here being a little flat. Highlights: Remember Tomorrow, Phantom of the Opera

Full disclosure- Iron Maiden is my favorite band of all time. They’re the act that got me into metal, and music as a whole. It’s hard for me to be objective about them. But at the same time, the first Maiden album is kind of a mixed bag. The songs themselves are incredible- Steve Harris’ ear for melody, riffs and harmony were evident from the very beginning. And while I know that he was waiting for a muse with a stronger range, Di’Anno’s performances are on point throughout. However, the album’s production is hollow as sin, making its tracks have a fraction of the power they deserve. Meeting halfway, it’s a B+ for me. They’ll get much more right with their follow-up. On another note, it’s absurd that Maiden only has 2 albums in this book, and this is one of them. We really don’t need 4 Metallicas, especially not And Justice for Mid. That should be swapped for Killers or Powerslave, easy.

The first album of a legendary career; dare I even say the greatest metal band of all time? It has a couple spots where the songwriting could be tighter, but overall this is a great album/

Iron Maiden is metal

UP THE IRONS

Killer, classic metal!

Loud and fun but not my thing. I can see why it’s popular.

I was stuck between 3 & 4 stars. Subjectively, they just aren’t really my sound or style. Objectively, I think the album was really well done. Additionally, they utilize interesting song structure, chord progressions/rhythms, and mixing.

An okay metal album. I didnt get bored or anything though. It is just not that exciting for someone lives in 2022

Vocals weren't very strong but Running Free, Phantom of the Opera and Transylvania make up this album. Really love the guitar and bass in this

Fun, the transitions are actually entertaining! Love the hard hitting sound without chugging

My best friend at secondary school used to make me Maiden tapes. I tried to like them then, and I thought I would try again, l see if I like them any better now. I don’t. Not the worst metal band I have ever heard but that isn’t saying much. Lots of guitar, none of it of much interest to me.

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!

Good album. The songs are great sounds kinda like a standard hard rock album from the 70's

The covers have long been the stuff of my nightmares, and I imagine this was pretty heavy stuff for its time, but it does feel a tiny bit ... softer ... than my expectations.

Right at the gate you know what kind of album this is going to be. I’ve never listened to Iron Maiden. And the biggest revelation to me is how xenoblade chronicles battle music sounds soo similar to the frenetic high energy guitar solos. Overall I liked it more than I thought I would. I'd consider listen to their top hits after this album.

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

Its funny cause we view iron maiden as so heavy and they were for the time but now it just sounds like hard rock in the context of the music landscape now. Really solid though

As with most of the metal here, better than expected.

Pretty bangin. 7/10. Fun tunes to try to shred on sax shabaka style, dope metric mods, extremely indicative of the entire genre.

It was alright. I'm only slightly familiar with Iron Maiden, so I always thought they were a bit heavier. The album cover is hilarious though. It was probably cool in the 80s, but now I look at it and I think that the creature is something that would chase Shaggy and Scooby only to slip on a banana peel and fall into a fridge, comically turning into a big ice cube, just in time for Velma to identify the rambunctious rascal as Jeff Jungly, the lovable goof that the gang met outside the haunted hotel, posing as a donut-loving security guard. Fred takes out a large hair dryer and melts the ice around the evil scoundrel's face, as Jeff Jungly utters his famous line: "And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!" The episode ends with Scooby's iconic "rehehehe" laugh. So in summary, this album is a 3/5.

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

Not to hard. Really enjoyable.

Clássico

very noodly doodly

Underwhelmed by this to be honest. I'm sure we'll get more Iron Maiden in the next 900 albums, but this just didn't have as much to offer as the Judas Priest and Black Sabbath albums we've had. Maybe that's unfair (as I think this is older than both of those), but it just didn't grab me in the same way that they did. Nothing really wrong with it, but nothing particularly exciting either. 3/5, would've considered giving it a 2 but it definitely doesn't belong with Kid Rock!

No Bruce Dickinson means this isn’t a definitive Maiden album. There’s hints of ‘70s punk but not enough for me and the songs that are here aren’t as strong as what’s to come.

I first bought this record a little after Number of the Beast came out. At first, I was surprised at how different it sounded compared to what I expected from Iron Maiden. Either way, I still enjoy it. Highlights for me are Remember Tomorrow and Sanctuary. I love Phantom of the Opera, but find they've done it better on live versions. The drums on the record feel haphazard, and never quite nail the groove like they did on the live version that was on the Women in Uniform single.

I grew up surrounded by jean jackets with Eddie patches of all sorts of variations...I would listen with my friends but Iron Maiden has never really been my thing...don't know why, they seem to have everything right there for me but for some reason it never really resonates with my. I get it I guess, but just not my jam.

Pretty good guitar licks and what not.

WTF, I liked this album and I am not a heavy metal guy. But this album had some subtlety. This album had some intelligence. The vocals are ok, not objectionable. The guitars definitely shred but they don't sound over the top, they don't go on too long and the don't sound pretentious. Yup I liked this album, really never thought that would happen. Now if they can just do something about those God awful covers. 3.75 🌟

Amazing. Didn’t realize how the band started and kicked so much ass.

Really solid hard rock album here. I can definitely hear the foundation for their more polished later albums. Vocalist is pretty rough though. Thank god for Bruce Dickinson

Ces métalleux savent toujours aussi bien gueuler, et c'est tout ce qu'on leur demande.

Iron Maiden frappe fort, mais ne réussit toujours pas à égaler The Trooper de Gerry Philips le manualiste.

Honestly this is my jam. I’m not sure what it means that Iron Maiden speaks directly to my soul but - hell yes!

Classic!

Listened to a lot of Maiden though my dad while growing up. Enjoy the Bruce era more but it's still a solid old school metal album 4/5

It’s Iron Maiden!

Okay Iron Maiden officially has moved from "they're pretty good" to "damn I've been sleeping on one of the greats" Every. Single. Track on this bad boy.

This is a great album but I don't think it's their best.

great debut

Lots of influence from earlier acts, like zeppelin, and sabbath. Sounds like it influenced later bands as well.

Prowler is a standout!

Haven't heard a full Iron Maiden album before. Absolute head banger. Enjoyed the music and need to add more of this to my playlists. 1. Phantom of the Opera 2. Prowler 3. Running Free

Phantom of the Opera, Transylvania, the transition into Strange World and Iron Maiden (x3) are all 'cheff's kiss'. Di'Anno, not so much.

I’d completely forgotten how great Di’Anno sounds! Best: Remember Tomorrow / Phantom of the Opera / Strange World Worst: Running Free / Transylvania

A classic metal album, with great Eddie artwork. Funny how in the 80s this was considered heavy metal, but seems really light and simple as far as the genre goes nowadays. Always loved the twin guitars of Iron Maiden.

I fucking love Iron Maiden, this album kicks ass! Shred on my friends. Favorite song: Phantom Of The Opera

Mediocre

Pretty decent, not my jam. Listenable, wouldn't turn it off, but wouldn't go out of my way to listen. 2.5/5 but giving 3

Mediocre

There’s a lot of interesting stuff happening on this album but this kind of thing just isn’t for me.

Great album

"Prowler" "Remember Tomorrow" "Running Free" "Phantom of the Opera" "Transylvania" "Charlotte the Harlot" "Iron Maiden"

They sure can play.

Bit heavy for me but some good tracks

first song is absolutely amazing, not a single thing i can say bad about it really, love the solo in remember tomorrow, so far have really great thoughts on this album. next few tracks have absolutely not disappointed, amazing skill on the guitar has been shown coupled with amazing vocals unlike anyone else ive heard (at least at the level theyre at) and for this to be a debut record? an insane start to an insane career iron maiden has. very positive experience overall. amazing record

7/10

I can totally see why this album was important to developments in metal in the 80s. Surprisingly listenable.

Less hard than I would have imagined for Iron Maiden tbh

Way better than other metal on this list, primarily because one can hear the playing, which isn’t to say it’s actually worth one’s time.

I'm usually not a metal fan, but I enjoyed this one!

Well, after Aimee Mann this sounds like Beethoven. Not my type of music, but the guitars, bass, and drums are legit. A lot more swing to the drums than I expected. Singer can sing. Incredible debut album. Torn between 4 and 5 stars.

Pleasantly surprised by this. I was bracing myself for Bruce Dickinson's cod operatic high notes. I didn't know Maiden's first two albums had a different vocalist. Muddy production, but a fun metal album. Good riffs, dubious lyrics, parent offending cover art. What more do you need?

A very fair debut, though I possibly do prefer Killers out of the two Paul Di'Anno albums, and the 1998 reissue actually scores over the original by adding the non-album single "Sanctuary" ("Remember Tomorrow" makes more sense as a third track than a second).

nice

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

Much more paletable than i thought. Singer is a bit shit though.

Das hat Spaß gemacht. Ein gelungener Erstling.

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 a lot of people (save a few songs that are strangely slower than usual). Not exactly a win-win situation here... Reading my old review for *The Number Of The Beast*, I see that I wrote that the second Iron Maiden in the list needed to be very different to justify its inclusion. I take back what I said. This eponymous debut is indeed a little different, but there's not much in it that's worth a visit for non-fans of the band. 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)

Really good! Actually a lot more varied than I was expecting, this album flew by.

Rockin'

Better than I was expecting. More punk and rock that theatrical metal.

Pretty boring compared to later Maiden - the ingredients were all there but they haven’t figured out how to bake the right cake yet.

it took me half the album to get used to the glammy bluesy kinda sloppy guitar riffs and garage band aesthetic, but shit still headbangs

Not bad. Cover art 4/5

Damn this is so good. I've never heard this album before, and clearly I've been missing out.

good rock album.

this album generator has made me realize i'm a fan of heavy metal, but this album didn’t impress me, really. it certainly wasn’t bad but it was just good, not great or amazing. the guitar work is easily the best part about this album! everywhere i turned, the guitar sounds were beautiful and heavy! the guitar definitely delved into the progressive genre but i loved it.

This album was okay...decent for a first album from a band that was integral in shaping and defining the sound of 80s metal. I can see where this album was setting the stage for greatness to come in the form of their more renowned albums. Overall though, it didn't wow me.

Iron Maiden's powerhouse debut quickly establishes them as heavy metal gods.

I know this is blasphemy to some, but I feel like this is an average album by an average band. I'm just not impressed. My bad yo.

This kind of early metal is the only good metal

As a huge metal head, I've never really actually got on with Iron Maiden. This ones ok

I really expected to give this at least a solid 4. Unfortunately, it's just not quite there. There's nothing terribly wrong with the album. It's relatively fun and energetic even if all the tracks sort of run together. The biggest issue is that there are no hits. They got a vibe but no bangers. Much like Led Zeppelin's first album, you can feel the shape of things to come. The seeds of "Number of the Beast" are here but, with this freshman album, they're just not quite there yet.

6/10. Decent rock album. Some of the songs are quite internally repetitive.

6/10. Better than expected, but not memorable

Some solid metal, vocals were pretty weak. 7/10

It is exactly what you expect it to be!

good harvey metal! 🤘🤘🤘

Not nearly as traumatic as I thought it would be. I'm usually totally adverse to Iron Maiden, they're too shrieky for me, both vocally and musically. This is a decent album though, and barely a shriek to be found.

Solid although they definitely hit their full stride later.

First entire Iron Maiden album I have listened to. It was OK, but not enough that I would consider going back for more

LP

Ekki uppáhalds Maidenplatan, en ágæt þó.

un bon premier album. Paul Diano fait bien la job et PHantom est ma préférée depuis toujours presque de Maiden donc j'ai un partie prit. On est plus loin du Maiden Dickinson, ca sonne un peu plus punk parfois, mais c'est très bon. 4.25

Uu! Monen kaverini mielestä tää on nimenomaan paras Meirenin levy! Itse olen enemmän Dickinsonin aikakauden kasvatti. Mut onhan tää tiukka NWOBHM-levy! Ei siitä pääse mihinkään. Ai saatana onhan toi viiminen, nimikkobiisi aivan älytöntä kohkausta. 4/5

Ihan jees revitteylä, mutta tuntuu että nää kaikki biisit on vaan kämäsiä variaatioita trooperista. Ja sitten siellä on pari ihme pehmistelykohtaa, mitä helvettiä. Ehkä se mua ärsyttää iron maidenissa että sieltä löytyy lyhyitä pätkiä missä on kunnon hyvää meininkiä, mutta kokonaisuutena ne aina lässähtää. Mutta ehkä tää oli kokonaisuutena ihan mukiinmenevä kuitenkin, siitä hyvästä kolmonen kakkosen sijaan.

Kasarin perusmetallit ei oo erityisesti mun makuun, mutta tää on ehkä vähän keskimääräistä parempaa. Solid lätty ja b-puolen instrufiilistelyt kiva ylläri. 3/5.

Nautinnollista ja hauskaa kitarointia, tuntuu että äijillä ollu kivaa levyä tehdessä. 4/5

I see the influence this album has, but it's not really my thing. I did like a couple of songs though even so.

Not crazy about it, but I definitely enjoyed it more than I expected from the album cover. 5/10

o ápice ainda estava por vir

I don't think I've ever heard an Iron Maiden song... I like it. 80s glam metal rock is more my vibe than the other types of 80s rock. Damn that guitar riff in Prowler....

Oh, iron maiden self titled debut album! I think I listen to this later at the gym. OK, this is hard rock and it’s not Bruce Dickinson it’s actually not that good.

Better than expected. 3/5

Not their best, not their worst

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