Iron Maiden

In 1982, fourteen year old me listened to some heavy metal and this album was certainly required if you wanted to be a freshman in highschool. Thankfully I soon decided that my musical tastes were non-negotiable and I moved on to better things. I seem to remember being more impressed with the musicianship at the time but it is mostly unremarkable when listening now. Black Sabbath were always more my thing anyway.

I don’t think this one’s aged well, it’s pretty stodgy rock music - more proggy in places than I remembered, especially tracks like Strange World. But it paved the way for what was to come - it’s a paving slab of a record. Phantom the Opera is the obvious standout for me.

Off the cuff remark: hilarious Charlotte the Harlot? Good grief. Standout track: Iron Maiden Most ridiculous track: Phantom of the Opera Revisit? Unlikely.

Not as bad as I thought but I never will listen to this again, at least unless it's against my will.

Pre-listening thoughts: I don’t do metal. Post/during listening thoughts: I still don’t do metal. Yeah yeah broaden my horizons blah blah. I don’t wanna. This stuff makes my head implode. 3/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: running free cause it’s the shortest Least fav tracks: all of these felt so long

I was expecting some proto-thrash/speed metal and really wanted to like this but it sounds like a Rush copycat band.

Meh

OK

I’m just not a fan of heavy metal, better than i thought though

För hetsigt för mig. Mkt bra gitarrsolon dock!

I like the big famous tracks but not really a fan of the genre.

2,5

Nowhere near as good as Number of the Beast

nice hard panned guitars stereo. vox on remember tomorrow makes me think it's gonna morph into a prog rock, very king crimson esque when he sings in the lull between the guitar chorus. still nice. guitar bridge very prog, thank yew. rest of album kinda hard to distinguish. probs bc i dont listen to this genre very often. probably still wont. 2/5

Meh, next

Wow guitar and drums. Not something I would listen to.

I can see why it's famous. It's epic, has some big moments, ballads, crazy guitar solos. but not my type of thing. I want something groovier, or weirder and more emotional

It’s a good album, but they have far better albums.

Das Debütalbum Iron Maiden der britischen Band Iron Maiden erschien 1980 und gehört zum Genre des Heavy Metal, genauer zur New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Die Aufnahmen fanden in den Kingsway Studios und den Morgan Studios in London statt. Der Klang des Albums ist roh und direkt, was auch an der Produktion liegt. Die Songs zeigen eine Mischung aus schnellen, energiegeladenen Stücken und melodischen Passagen. Besonders hervorzuheben sind Titel wie Phantom of the Opera mit seinen vielseitigen Strukturen und Remember Tomorrow, das zwischen ruhigen und härteren Passagen wechselt. Auch Running Free fällt durch seinen eingängigen Rhythmus auf. Das Album gibt einen guten Einblick in den frühen Stil der Band, der sich später weiterentwickeln sollte. Die kraftvolle Instrumentierung und die markante Stimme von Sänger Paul Di'Anno prägen den Sound. Insgesamt ist es ein solides Debüt, das den Grundstein für die Karriere von Iron Maiden legte.

Definitely an interesting album. In the humble beginnings

Cheesy metal.

2+ Stars (6/15)

(this is actually on day 14 since I didn't have time the other day) Found time to listen to this on a hectic walk to the train station, and an even more hectic train ride. It suited it perfectly. Felt like I was in an Anime. Kept thinking of the scene in Stranger Things when that outcast kid is battling aliens with his guitar skills haha But I didn't really "listen listen". It never really grapped my attention. It's very fast and melodic, and it gets my blood rushing. I don't know much about Iron Maiden, wish I did. I don't know what to give it. It's not really my type of music. At least for now. Giving it 2, sorry.

A few songs surprised me but overall not my thing

⭐️ ⭐️ Not great… Transylvania was a decent song but overall not a fan. I don’t love old metal albums. The distortion just sounds bad compared to what I’m used to… not much they can do about that, I just don’t like it.

This was alright. I certainly can’t argue with it being on this list. It had too much of the glam rock, falsetto, arena rock vocal element to it for my taste. Near the end of this, when another song started and my reaction was “Really? It’s not over?” I knew I had to give it a 2.

Not my fav

Interesting to hear metal arrangements with some suuuper minimal distortion or “heaviness” from the guitars. Two years later they’d peak, with a bit more distortion, a bit more production, and a few more classic metal tropes. It’s a delicate balance, though - toooo much of that (I.e. the late 80s) and metal gets out of hand.

It's more musical than I would have thought, based on all the 80s fanboys I knew in high school. Still not my taste though

I like Iron Maiden, but didn't quite enjoy this one. It's obvious they improve from here.

Not quite the personality of the later Maiden, but you can hear them slowly developing their signature style. Personally I prefer Bruce's vocals.

I don't care for iron maiden. I know they were progenitors in a lot of ways but it has never appealed to me. I like a lot of classic metal but not this.

The first album from a band I have listened to a lot throughout the years. I didn't recognize any of these songs though and after listening I now know why. While the sound they made synonymous with the band is kind of there somewhere in the drums and guitars but other than that I think they have made so much better music later on that I can safely pass on listening to this again without missing out on a great band.

So I can understand why people love this band. I am just not one of those people, I can appreciate the technical prowess, but that's about it.

Tough. 2.5. Not my jam but could bang out in the right mood

Really not for me. I know it.

Transylvania was kinda cool, the rest was not for me. It’s too clean to be metal. I’ve never been a fan of Bruce Dickinson’s voice but it’s still better than this guy, whoever he is.

2.5

This isn’t my cup of tea. It’s not terrible, but I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it, and it’s highly doubtful I’d revisit this one. Chances are if I don’t already have nostalgic ties, I probably won’t get into heavier/metal bands at this point. Call me close-minded, I’m fine with it.

HM halt…4/10

Not a big fan of the unrefined sound. Songs sounded the same and there was too much instrumentation.

Not my style. Kind of boring metal, honestly. I'm sure it was revolutionary in its time, but not now. No bangers either. 2/5.

these guys are obviously good at guitar so it’s too bad they couldn’t make it sound good

Neckbeard music. Worse than their later albums

fun but kinda forgettable for me

I much prefer this to the operatic and heartless sounding later Maiden. But it still is not something really want to listen to again.

It was ok but I will never be a fan

Better than the usual metalish albums but still not my cup of tea. 4/10 (2/5)

The intro is fine, not for me but I can see why people like it. Fun breakdown(?) hot ladies is a boring subject matter remember tomorrow would've worked better as an instrumental. the bass fucks hard and every time the vocals stop I start enjoying it. Sorry vocal guy. running free: wow you'll never guess how I feel about the vocals fun song I like the relentless beat going on I dunno it's annoying because he can make his voice sound nice but I really hate the "IM RUNNING FREE" screeched in my ears every 5 seconds Phantom of the Opera: cool intro tolerable vocals when they're more mixed into the back a bit probably would be a fun guitar hero song cute beat switch (⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧ once again the song is pretty good when the vocalist isnt vocaling Transylvania: oh so he can be quiet pretty good it lost my attention however Strange world: cool intro I love whatever the bassist is doing the vocals arent grating here Charlotte the hArlot: cringe name, cringe lyrics, lmfao, i hate this. tip sex workers generously <3 iron maiden: kinda glad this is nearly over bangin drums kinda meh it occurred to me that I am a bit surprised this album is considered influential. It's fine, maybe I'm missing context or maybe it's not my taste. 2

This had some ok stuff, but also some pretty bad stuff, and most of it was pretty forgettable.

Heavy metal began to change starting in the '80s. Shaking off the slower, more bluesy influence of Black Sabbath, bands began to embrace faster and more varied influences. Most popular of this new wave of British heavy metal was Iron Maiden, who would go on to effectively define heavy metal from here on out. Bassist Steve Harris managed to hold down a stable enough lineup to record the band's first album after a tumultuous start in the '70s. While there are a couple good songs on here, this debut isn't nearly interesting enough to warrant listing compared to later Maiden. The punk influence is cool and all, but I'm mostly here for the opener and closer tracks.

I really don’t like Iron Maiden but i have it a go. It’s more punk than I expected so it gets an extra star.

I have maintained a negative opinion of iron maiden since childhood. Fans of their were always super fans and a put off. However, the original singers voice in the first album is far more palatable for me. So I didn’t hate this album as much as expected.

At least it's short.

Too soft to be hard. Too bad to be good.

Not my cup of tea

O álbum de estreia do Iron Maiden é um marco importante no heavy metal, mas nem todos se conectam com sua sonoridade, sendo um divisor de águas. A voz do vocalista, que em alguns momentos não se harmoniza perfeitamente com a melodia, e o uso intenso de samples de guitarra podem parecer um tanto caóticas. No entanto, a importância histórica desse álbum para o gênero é inegável, e sua influência pode ser sentida em diversas bandas posteriores, reconheço a influência desse trabalho na história do rock embora não tenha me agradado.

Oh I have been dreading this album. I have never enjoyed Iron Maiden. TBF I never really listened to it but it was always in the periphery. My cousins, brother, step brother, guy friends at school. Just not my thing

This album is kinda hilarious, not what I was expecting at all until it reached the end. Can appreciate why it was popular, but some of the guitar solos are very iffy and it cements my backing away from the fence take on Maiden.

11/6/2024. Fuck.

Meh

Классно, рок, туда сюда, но все же ужас как состарились, некоторые моменты качают но с другим все довольно скучно

Better than Eminem's Slim Shady LP, which was the last album I reviewed. I suppose I have a soft spot for heavy metal, even if I don't play much. Some cracking riffs. Appalling schoolboy lyrics (Like Slim Shady, then really...)

Apart from the occasional baseline and interesting riff, there is just nothing I like about this band.

2.75 / 5 - fun but somewhat repetitive

Noisy and boring. Fave track: Running Free 2.3/5

I’ve listened a few times and I don’t hate it but I don’t really like it either. Just seems like background noise for some reason. My mind just won’t focus in on it. I will say I thought they’d be “Heavier” and this almost was more 1970s Prog Rock with some “Heavy” influences. Stand Out Tracks Phantom Of The Opera Strange World 2.5/5 it has merit but not my style of music. Even though I gave it a 2.5 could still see myself coming back to this to GET IT. Some albums need more time

5/10 - Somewhat punkier energy than there following albums, although slightly less memorable.

Not a fan

Didn't realise it was a different singer. I think Bruce is a better fit. The production was a bit poor too.

I've never listened to Iron Maiden before, but I see a lot of their t-shirts around. Not sure what to make of that exactly. It's pretty much what I thought it'd be. Hard early '80s rock, lots of guitar riffs, raspy vocals. I liked it a bit more than I expected to honestly, but my expectations were super low to begin with. It's just not really my thing, but I can see the appeal. I did think about the Alice Cooper album that I gave a 5 to when listening to this because it's more or less in the same realm (and then "No More Mister Nice Guy" came on right after this ended). That album was better for sure, but still a weird day that I liked that as much as I did. Oh well, it is what it is. Favorite song: Remember Tomorrow Other: Phantom of the Opera, Strange World, Iron Maiden 9/10/24

This isn't a genre I enjoy, but it wasn't as horrible as I thought it may be.

Not as annoying as later Iron Maiden with Bruce Dickinson, his operatic singing style sure doesn't help. I did actually get through this one. It's a bit like if Thin Lizzy had no groove, and sucked. music: hated. (⌐💀_💀)

I didn’t hate it. That’s not a good way to start a review .. but it’s true. It was a bit more folk psychy British concept album that I expected. I liked a lot of the elements, but as a whole I found the whole experience a bit … irritating.

This didn’t do anything for me

Still in the category of not really my taste but there’s some really good guitar work on this that was fun to listen to

Not as good as the other Iron Maiden album that we had but I liked it enough

I don’t like metal but this wasn’t too bad. I’d be kidding myself if I were to ever want to put it on to enjoy.

Not my thing.

Loved it when it came out. Like a lot of metal it seems a bit childish lyrically.

Pre Bruce era Maiden…

Enjoyed it in parts. I think they got better after Bruce D came along, though. I liked that you could hear elements of prog rock in there but also that they were moving things along in an 80s metal direction. Didn't like the last two tracks though, which meant it finished on a bum note for me.

I can see why it’s in the list but it’s not for me

why are they yelling :( ⚠️☠️⚠️ highlights: strange world. see also: goosebumps book series.

Not as enjoyable as the other IM album I got. Nothing really stood out to me.

It's pretty much like Deep Purple in that it fucking sucks

Not bad music but it also didn't hold my attention. Faded into the background and melded into the next artist that I didn't even realize the album was over. I won't fault anyone for liking this album or wanting to listen to it, but there are better albums out there.

There are other albums by them that I would much rather listen to. Not bad by any means, but there was maybe one song (strange world) that I would listen to again.

Liked it somehow 7/10

I'm sure it's good but just don't love metal

I was intrigued by how poppy Charlotte the Harlot was. Enjoyable enough to listen to throughout but nothing I would revisit.

Love this genre of music , however, never really got the whole Iron Maiden thing and still don’t get it

Ok

Just sounds like metal lite to me. Which appeals to me personally more than heavy metal, but also makes it feel somehow less authentic. There is some nice guitar work.

Not for me

Not nearly as bad as I expected. It's still not my thing, but I'm enjoying this in the same way that I enjoy the occasional listen to Holy Diver. The album art is shit though.

Missing Bruce on this one…big time

meh

I love Motorhead and Sabbath, Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple but this leaves me cold. I think they got better as a band once they found their feet but this is a little too samey........

Came in with very low expectations after the last IM album, and it was either that, or maybe this isn't the worst heavy metal in the list by a long way. Reaching the relatively dizzying heights of 2 🌟

I had friends in middle school who loved them and I never even tried to listen to a single song. I just thought it wasn’t made for me which to be fair it probably isn’t. It’s actually not quite what I pictured the sound to be. I get why it’s liked and I actually was pleasantly surprised that it’s not worse than I imagined. It’s a lot more musical. I like the first and second track best. 2.5

"I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby Come with me Friday, don't say maybe I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby, like you"

Thought it was rubbish

When the album popped up my first thought was “ugh.” Can’t say I’d want to listen again, but it was actually better than I expected.

First few tracks only

Wasn't able to listen to this in the right environment. All I had was one earbud in a coffee shop. But set this behind a hesh skate video part and it'd get an extra star.

ngl, this just isn’t for me. I got like 4-5 songs into the album and decided I had enough. There were a few cool guitar solos ig

It's easy to see why this is on the list; it was ground breaking at the time with it's dual guitar assault and spooky artwork. It's definitely aged better than the Judas Priest album I got earlier on the list. The prog influences help to set it apart too. But the only truly memorable song on here is Running Free, and the overall production is terrible. I feel sorry for the bassist in particular - he can barely be heard for most of the album. The lyrics let it down a good bit too, they are the most teenage boy to ever teenage boy. Doesn't really hold a candle to Number of the Beast!

The self-titled debut album from Iron Maiden presents stellar musical compositions, yet the vocals of Paul Di'Anno often pale in comparison to the soaring range and dynamic delivery later exhibited by Bruce Dickinson. Nevertheless, the album remains a foundational piece of heavy metal history, showcasing the band's early talent and laying the groundwork for their legendary career. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 0 STAND OUT TRACK - None

I'm not a fan of this genre, but still interested in hearing some of the early hard rock albums to understand how the metal/harder rock bands were influenced. There's some interesting things here, including more moments that I really enjoyed than I was anticipating, but not really my favorite or something I'm likely to revisit. 2/5

The album is a bit trite. Surely excellent guitars and vocals but didn’t really move the needle. Ernie is one of the best rock mascots, though.

Not my kind of rock.

Some good moments, but too much self indulgent guitar wanking going on. Also they were right to bring in Bruce Dickinson as lead signer at a later date.

Schnell, laut, anstrengend

I suppose Iron Maiden is metal for metalheads. There is some technical ability here but not a lot of creativity

Too heavy for this guy

Fairly bog standard heavy metal, I can't say I was particularly enthralled and nothing stood out, good or bad. It bit meh really.

Iron arse

Not a fan of the genre but this was better than I had expected (?wanted) it to be. Still not a fan though

I liked the guitar work, but overall it didn't quite grab my attention. 2.5

boring af. Black Sabbath was better.

it was unable to catch my interest and at times even annoyed me

just not for me

Some good bits, but not a lot of them

Not my cup of tea

I can never distinguish one iron maiden song from another. Can tell it's technically good but not for me

Iron Maiden Why would they have this album? Bruce Dickinson is a much better singer than the original guy and this doesn’t have any of their most popular songs. Some cool trebly bass and harmonized lines but it it doesn’t have the precision that this kind of metal needs. The bass is actually a bit much. I would’ve liked some better guitar solos and better melody.

Boring and generic

I thought I was going to like this more than I did. I wasn’t really impressed with any of the songs.

Didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would. I still think you’re a big old loser if you sit and listen to this though

Eh, not really my favorite genre

Typical

Aborrezco todo lo que representa Iron Maiden, tanto ideológica como sonoramente. Por lo tanto, odio este LP. Sin embargo, la ausencia de Bruce Dickinson en el proyecto lo hace un poco mejor que el resto de las entradas de su discografía.

Eh

Not completely terrible. Prowler, Charlotte The Harlot and the title track are kinda fun.

L E G E N D A R Y

I’m not a fan of Iron Maiden but appreciate the musical talent in this band. I actually liked the song Running Free and added it to my playlist.

Not my preferred listening genre.

Doesn't do anything for me, but not so awful I had to turn it off. I didn't listen to all of it because it's boring.

very much not for me, best i can say is i suppose its fine

not my kind if tune

I appreciate the art. However this type of music doesn’t resonate with me.

Good guitar

Not as "metal" as I expected. Which also means not as bad. I really don't like the vocals though, but the drums are great, and I'm a drum fan first and foremost. I hate to be the "it all sounds the same" person, but I would believe that this was a 40 minute concept art piece instead of 8 separate songs

Very raw version of what Iron Maiden would later become. Singing is awful, musically impressive but tends to get a bit samey after a while.

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 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.

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.

Butt rock

me in the past: 1001 albums! that's so exciting! i'm going to discover so much cool stuff! me now: there's a reason i haven't listened to most of the stuff i don't know on this list! it fucking sucks!

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