Reviews (page 6 of 14)
Usually not big on metal but this is a great album, short and sweet. 4/5
Good clean fun
Brings back happy memories of my friends at an expensive private Christian school whose idea of rebelling was to play this album pretty much continuously. That aside, there's some very talented guitar and drum work and of course the massive hit "Run to the Hills" which got a lot of radio airplay back then and still does now, despite the spicy content.
Un clásico! Me imagino un pibe en plenos años 80 comprandose este disco con esa tapa re diabólica, flasheandola de colores y quemándose totalmente la tapa de los sesos. Increíble! Todo esto podría haber sido una anécdota de Chizzo Napoli tranquilamente, quien se hizo una carrera agarrado de los huevos de este disco.
After Metallica’s self titled album, this was honestly, refreshing. Still in the metal genre, but the talent and musicianship kept the album fresh. I’m surprised the band is not classified as heavy metal/prog rock, as it seems apparent in their bass lines, changing melodies, drum fills, and vocals. After the slog that was Metallica’s Metallica, I was honestly reluctant to press play on the album, but it flew by quickly, I was entertained and I’m looking forward to a new (hopefully not metal) album tomorrow.
Not horrible, I'm angry and it is helping
Pretty much text book power metal. Soaring operatic vocals. Good guitar work and mixed so the bass can be heard. Great instrumental bridge sections. Well oiled machine.
Väldigt bra pepp på gymmet. Känner mig som en riddare på uppdrag att rädda en mö i nöd. 10/10 gitarr
Hallowed Be Thy Name absolutely rips, rest of the album is fine.
epic metal icon
Heavy metal is not my thing. It has to be really good to be worth listening to. This gets very close.
Surprisingly, a solid 8 for me. I'd listen again.
Took a couple tracks to get into it but it was fun, although there is admittedly a lack of variety, and I enjoyed it
Doesn’t get much better than “Run to the Hills,” but I felt like other than that and “The Number of the Beast,” the record didn’t deliver front-to-back as strongly as I was hoping. Still, great listen. Best Track: Run to the Hills
this album is dorky but I don’t really care. These songs all have really good momentum and good drive, but there is still space in the music and it doesn’t overwhelm me the way most metal does. Run to the hills rips.
ImI >.< ImI Meddl Leudde! 4 Sterne mit Sternchen
Legendär
4 Driving guitar . Classic metal
saknar lite i performance plus gillar inte när atleticism är idealet i musik. bättre än deras första, välproducerat, skrivet och designat. gillar skolåda-tonen från Steve Harris
Förutom ett par lågvattenmärken och att jag tycker delar av detta åldrats lite för mycket, så är det här albumet proppat med bangers. Albumet avslutas på topp!
Tufft men inte bara bara tufft!
This ripped.
Honestly never really listened to Iron Maiden before and was surprised at how much I liked it. Rockin like Metallica, but hammy like Jack Black. This was a good listen
🤘run to the hills is peak Iron Maiden!!
Bin überrascht von mir selbst! Verstehe zwar kein Wort, aber die Musik ist nicht so übel ... Hardrock / Heavy Metal
I liked it
This takes me back to my Rock Band/Guitar Hero days.
666/5
as a metal newbie, i've yet to find a niche that i truly enjoy. but the iron maiden i've experienced has been somewhat close to that. this album is pretty fun from front to back. never a dull moment. the musicianship is nice and the vocals are pretty good. although, my one gripe is that it does feel a little too... theater kid... for my liking at times (the vocals on 'run to the hills' are very over the top and not totally my thing).
Funny how Iron Maiden is considered 'metal' but they're really more rock leaning than scream leaning like a lot of present day metal. I dig this album. I will never listen to it again.
4.25
Sometimes the random generator creates interesting juxtapositions. I enjoyed listening to this right after Fugazi – two bands that are philosophically in such different camps, whose fanbases and culture are quite distinct, and whose music are categorized into different genres – yet who are sonically not that far apart. Lots of blaring guitars, screaming vocals, and complicated drum patterns. Just the kind of stuff that get teenage boys excited and make older people angry. I only knew “Run to the Hills” before listening to this, and I feel like I got exactly what I expected. Nothing out of left field, nothing too challenging, but that’s ok. It’s an album that knows exactly what it wants to be, and it makes for some great listening. (I’m sure the album sounded much more edgy for audiences in 1982, but listening in 2025, this has given way to a charming campiness. Kind of impressive that it aged like that, though.)
In middle school there was a kid with mohawk, skin tight black jeans, combat boots and an Iron Maiden shirt. He saw my Bob Marley shirt and gave me the “name 5 songs” bullshit. I named them and said the same thing to him. We became friends for the rest of our school days. He turned me onto Iron Maiden. Later on he also tried to turn me on to heroin but I declined. He went onto have a successful military career and is doing well. I work at a grocery store. Anyway.. I’m not the biggest fan of the singer. Every other member of this band is stellar. They are tight throughout. “Number Of The Beast” and “Run To The Hills” are two songs that I’ve listened to for two out of my three decades on this earth. I’ve always liked them. “Hallowed Be Thy Name” is pretty cool too. I’d say it’s a 3.6 but I’ll round it up to 4 because of Brian.
A very solid album. The one thing I especially like about Iron Maiden is the very prominent bass. Such as in their album Powerslave. I am excited for their self-titled debut also on the list later - I quite like that album That said, there is a very distinct lack of extreme metal on the list... the metal that is on here is generally quite tame. I think the list should be much more diverse, and push people's boundaries of what they can handle a lot more. Many albums on here are widely critically acclaimed, but nothing that is TOO different. The few albums that are quite different aren't rated that highly, so this 1001 challenge DOES do a good job of appealing to the masses... in that sense. I think rather than "1001 albums to listen to before you die" this is "1001 albums to get educated with popular western music". At this point, I find myself doing the challenge for the latter. I like the challenge for that though! It is a great source to discover and go through lots of stuff Nevertheless, I am happy when any sort of metal comes up. And Iron Maiden is always happily welcomed. My favourite track may be the title track, or the closing track Edit Apr 22 2026: 5 --> 4. I like other metal better
An unexpected pleasure for someone who is not well-versed in the Iron Maiden universe.
Liked it more than I thought I would! Solid high-energy cleaning music! 4/5
This is my first time listening to Iron Maiden and it was fun! Loved the energy, creativity, and Bruce Dickinson's voice. Some real great guitar solos and bass lines. Favorite songs: Hallowed Be Thy Name, Run to the Hills, and Children of the Damned. I definitely plan to listen to more.
This is one of those bands like Megadeth, Motley Crue and other 80's hair metal bands that I never got into later in life. I am always interested to hear these albums now that I know what they are like. I know of this album and the tracks off this. Just not my style of metal I dig. Also not a huge fan of "fantasy-like" lyrics. Pretty good album though.
29/10/2025 I'm not a Maiden fan, but this was okay. Spotify listeners: 8.2 million
Solid metal
Another awesome album from Iron Maiden along with their iconic album art. This is the famous "Number of the Beast" album that got Christian conservatives upset (shocker) despite not looking at what the song was actually about (also a real shocker). Of course, this only brought even more publicity to the band. This album was just as good as their first album, but included Iron Maidens imo most iconic song for us normies in Run To The Hills. I was fond of The Prisoner as well as the theme of the song just feels more relatable. It's based on the old UK show The Prisoner where people are basically trapped in a government run idyllic village where people are just known by their numbers......but I think most people that work in some sort of white collar job can relate to just feeling like a faceless number. Anyway, another great album from Iron Maiden.
okay I can see why people get REALLY into metal. not for me personally, but the guitar solos are still sick as hell
Okay, I did not expect that, but I really enjoyed this Album. Well, maybe except the high pitch tremolo singing, but I heard outstanding bass playing, nice harmony guitar leads and really good songs. The lyrics are goofy, but they could be worse. Nice. Fav: Children of the damned
My knee jerk reaction on my first listen of The Number of the Beast was, “damn, this is some corny as hell 80s metal”. I was ready to give it a 2, maybe 3, but I was convinced to give it another listen. Turns out it’s actually a damn good time! The guitar playing, the bass playing, and the drumming are all great! I even started to appreciate the singing by the end. I kind of wish I grew up as a metal head in the 80s now.
The bass on this album is so good
One of their best albums for sure
Great album, I really enjoyed having that on the side, it was probably just perfect timing because I really felt like listening to that kind of music at the time. I didn't really enjoy the vocals when I was younger, but nowadays I appreciate how not-too-hard it is, and also the instrumental is just beautiful, and it overall doesn't feel extreme. There are three popular songs in this album, but the rest were nice just having in the background.
My metal days are over, but this one still really holds up.
Hell yeah, cranking my hog to this
Great classic metal album. Prisoner is a highlight song and a wild-ass show if you have not.
Heard before. Starts great first 3 songs. Ends great with Hallowed be Thy Name. Middle is ok, no bad songs. Best Songs: Children of the Damned, The Prisoner, Hallowed be Thy Name Bad songs: none, 22 Acacia Avenue is just ok
Not as good as I had hoped, but better than I expected
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Children of the Damned, The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills Honestly, this was another banger by Iron Maiden. Just as good as their debut album. Great guitar riffs and choice lyrical content (especially Run to the Hills and 22 Acacia Avenue)
There’s something comforting about Bruce singing Opera over metals best impression of Status Quo.
Another my dad favorite, this thing rips and rolls. Really nice dual guitar hair metal bs that is enjoyable all the way through, except prisoner, I thought that one was very weak compared to the rest. 33 acacia is so good. Good 4, hoping for more!
I am writing this while on a meeting, but this is a classic for a reason. I love the galloping even if this isn't really something that I'm typically into. I think this is enough Iron Maiden for me, I enjoyed every track here and I'm also glad they didn't add anything else. Cool band, lame album design 4/5
Fantastically fun. However, I just realized The Prisoner sounds like Van Hagar.
Best songs: Children of the Damned, Hallowed Be Thy Name Short but packed metal album, which etched itself within the most representative of the genre. The guitar riffs and solos shine through, and despite some repetitiveness the album overall deserves its acclaim by metal enthusiasts.
Better than the first. Banged my head all the way thru! 7.0
Great, classic metal 🤘🏽
Children of the Damned was the stand out song for me. Whole album is quite tough to take a leisurely stroll to though
Not bad at all
Another “hell yeah” as far as I’m concerned. Just cool and fun and goes hard. (4.5 stars)
I can hear the talent and I love the genre, but each song sounded a bit same same to me. A weak 3.8.
Solid high octane rock. Fast paced, big vocals, lots of the “evil rock” imagery. Pumps you up
its certainly better than their debut because of the involvement of bruce dickinson. 4/5
Not my favourite Iron Maiden album, but definitely has some of their best tracks on it. The pair of guitarists work great together. It took Bruce a bit to get his bearings, and some of the songs feel like he's trying to keep up as he sings, but the Bruce Dickenson era is definitely the best era of Iron Maiden.
Great album. We covered on IGTOV. 4 *
Strong 4
Gosh, even now, almost 45 years later, this album sounds like pure freedom. It's in the tapping, wildly over-the-top guitar solos of "The Prisoner", in the the shifting rhythms of "22 Acacia Avenue" (a Black Sabbath homage if I ever heard one), it's in the genius heavy cinematic grandiosity of "Hallowed Be The Name". With the title track, you're transported into a different realm - Steve Harris' genius bass catapulting you down into hell. It's fun there - warm, sweaty, and you can head bang all day long. I'm all for it.
Good.
By far the most Iron Maiden I’ve listened to. They sounded exactly as I thought they would and had a lot of fun listening to this album.
I like this type of metal more than many others as it turns out. Fave Tracks: The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills 3.9/5
I did not expect to enjoy this anywhere near as much as I did. I didn’t think Iron Maiden would be up my alley, but I had a great time blasting this on my way home from work. I don’t think I could listen to a lot of Iron Maiden, but one album was a fun diversion from my usual listening habits.
Hasn't aged that well but I suspect inspired a lot of 80s hair metal. Some great cheesy tunes.
F*cking solid! I don’t have this on vinyl but I will soon.
I AM A FREE MAAAAAAAN!!!!!! não gosto de metal
Love an album that doesn’t overstay its welcome. I’m by no means a fan of metal, but this is by far the most accessible record I’ve heard to date. And again, that run time makes it all the more easier to get involved. I enjoyed this listen and saved every song. Would recommend to anyone who is on the fence about metal- this will surely get you to understand the appeal!
I never got into Iron Maiden. “Run for the hills” and “The number of the beast” are absolute bangers though.
Rock and roll
Classic Metal Album
Fucking metal bitches
Zuhause, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Ganz gut, joa.
One of the stronger metal albums out there, ESPECIALLY for the early '80s. Iron Maiden is more melodic, more memorable, more grand, more operatic, and better sounding than most of their peers, which makes for a great album. Not perfect - but still an enjoyable listen. The lyrics are juvenile, but such is most metal music, I feel. It's profoundly life-changing poetry when you discover them in like the first year of high school, then you listen to it again a couple years later and go "this is kinda dumb, I'm too mature for this", then you listen to it again a couple years later and go "this is kinda dumb, I'm not too mature for this". Still, the words and some themes remain clunky and "kinda dumb", and the music and sound retreads most of the same ground over the course of the album. The Children of the Damned intro sounds like The River by Bruce Springsteen, for what it's worth.
What a great listen. I’m not the biggest metal fan but I feel like every metal riff I’ve ever heard was cribbed from this album.
I really liked this one. Classic maiden
This made me think happily of those 1982 episodes of Top Of The Pops, where you'd get a line-up that included, say, Adam and the Ants, Bananarama, Iron Maiden, and frequently something schmaltzy from a bloke with a bushy moustache who thought it was still 1976. Brilliantly eclectic, the UK singles charts back then. And my only exposure to Iron Maiden was on those episodes of TOTP, when I decided that they, and their denim-clad fans, were very much not for me. I was synth and indie all the way, and remained averse to Iron Maiden throughout the 80s and beyond. (Although I do remember secretly thinking Run To The Hills was a bit of a banger.) But never mind what I thought then, they're rock legends, aren't they? And now I listen to it, this album brilliantly straddles (now there's a rock term) the heavier British/prog-leaning acts of the 70s and the lighter, more fun hair metal that was still to come. It's fast, but not overly aggressive; takes itself seriously but not ridiculously so; and is full of well-crafted songs. (I include 22 Acacia Avenue in that, despite the daft lyrics.) Bruce Dickinson has a heck of a voice. Considering the eye-roll I did at yet another album of hairy blokes playing guitars, I enjoyed this, and can definitely see the value in it. It might even be better than some of the Van Halen I now listen to quite willingly every so often. Fast, rocking tunes.
Feels very much like a continuation of Sabbath, heavy but accessible. Enjoyable listen.
4/5. A classic and yet it sounds pretty good, could be the Remastered version I have, but the bass and guitar are at the forefront and it enhances everything. There is a melodic energy in each song, that almost makes them radio-friendly, save for the lyrical content. The lyrics are serious but the way it is sung/written feels a little heavy-handed, like the message needs to get out there, by any means necessary. Granted the album is fast-paced but it could have been better handled I think. With the lyrics as well, it's bordering on progressive but kind of feels more edgy than anything. It's a great album but some stuff the Remastered edition can't fix completely. Best Song: The Prisoner, Run To The Hills, The Number Of The Beast
Great listen.
Rockin' out with my cockin' out!
I really liked this album! I had no idea what to expect going into this as I am not a listener of metal, but I enjoyed the singer's voice (based on my preconceived notions of metal, I did not expect this) and I liked the politically-charged lyrics!
Nicht meine Musik, aber gut gemacht.
Classic stuff. Quality early metal.
Hasn't aged all that well, but some great tunes. Might have given it 5 stars except for the terrible first song "Invaders."
Having grown up with this music since my school band days, it’s probably partly sentimental, but I just love playing Iron Maiden’s songs. The Number of the Beast will always be a true classic.
“Hallowed Be Thy Name” and “Run to the Hills” alone cement this album’s status as a cornerstone of heavy music. Paired with Derek Riggs’ unforgettable cover art, it’s a masterclass in both sound and visual identity. Still, it falls short of perfection. Certain vocal moments don’t land, and there’s an intangible spark missing that kept me from giving it a full five stars. Whether that’s down to the mix or just the listening environment, the result is the same: powerful, but not flawless. 8/10.
Ok
Ya mis canas me delatan, innegable metal que lo llevamos en las venas, tal vez ya son historia, pero está en nuestro torrente
Very enjoyable. ★★★★
I was in bad need of some riffage this afternoon.
This was another solid album from Iron Maiden that I had a good time listening to! Typically metal isn’t my thing but I’m trying to broaden my music horizons a bit. I think my favs from this album were ‘The Number Of The Beast’ and ‘Run to the Hills.’ This was a great album to work out to and I would listen to it again to get pumped up!
YAAAAAAAAARRRRHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Classic heavy metal album. Although Iron Maiden is usually not my jam, there are some killer tracks on this. Favourite is Hallowed be thy Name.
Iron Maiden has a kind of campiness that I appreciate. The imagery and intensity is all great, it doesn't take itself too seriously but it commits. There are a few songs that raise it up to 4 status.
I never really listened to Iron Maiden when I was the age that they were really appealing to. I did see them live more than once at festivals and they were always pretty good, and their music is definitely high energy and made for live performances. This record is a lot of fun in the sense that it never really slows down too much. Lyrically it’s a bit ridiculous but it’s only noticeable because Dickinson has great enunciation and a huge range for a metal singer. The rest of the band is tight and complex; the bass in particular is mixed really well and the talent comes through. This is a riff heavy, speedy, metal album that doesn’t pretend it’s anything else. Not everyone’s favorite thing but I enjoyed it a lot.
One of the biggest revelations for me in doing this list is that heavy metal isn’t all that bad. It just gets a bad name because it’s the music of choice of many of the arsehole teenagers who occupy public spaces on the British high street, drink Monster, and vape. They wear hoodies that are two sizes too big for them, and all know a tattooist who doesn’t ask for ID. Anyway, good album.
love this shit
Children of the Dread is my song pick of this album.
A classic of the genre, that still sounds great nearly 45 years later.
Dope
An individual Iron Maiden track can be wonderful. An entire album can be a bit too much. Incredible players - Nicko and Steve may be the Sly and Robbie of 80s British metal. Run for the Hills is a classic. First heard it when I was 40 - I couldn't believe that I had somehow missed til then.
Gear: HEDD Audio HEDDphone Two Artwork: 😈🧵🔥 Production: 🤘😎👍 Music: 🕕🕕🕕 Rating: 🍟🍟🍟🍟(🍟)/5
88% Best: Invaders; The Number of the Beast; Run to the Hills; Hallowed Be Thy Name Must-Hear? Sure
As a metal fan, I recognize the historical importance of Iron Maiden, but I have an unpopular opinion about the band: Iron Maiden isn't as heavy as I wish they were, and I don't enjoy their music as much as other metal music. Every time a band covers an Iron Maiden song, invariably it's heavier and I enjoy it more than the original. If you like heavy metal and Iron Maiden, I won't hold it against you. You're entitled to your opinion, and I am entitled to mine. I don't hate Iron Maiden, I just wish they were more like the metal music they inspired. I'll rate this pretty high as it is important and deserves to be on this list, but if I'm in the mood to listen to some heavy metal, I'm not going to be playing Iron Maiden.
great rock album
Have to ask forgiveness from Bruce & Co. as I passed on Maiden in high school (except Piece of Mind). They fucking rock, and they’re literate as hell, full of allusions to sci-fi, mythology and classical books. Frank Herbert told them to eat shit, but he’s dead now, so who’s laughing? (It’s Eddie. Eddie’s laughing.)
Pretty cool. Can hear how these guys have influenced a lot of other bands
Spectacular album that brings back old memories for me :)
Liked it
tremendo álbum!!!
Maiden! One of the great metal bands of all-time and, along with Judas Priest, among the most durable of the original NWOBHM heavyweights. Their harmonized dual guitar attack, increasingly progressive song structure (only hinted at here), operatic vocal delivery, and completely ridiculous lyrics left an indelible mark on the genre. An argument can be made that this is their best album, and as the first with new lead singer Bruce Dickinson it would set the template for the string of strong albums to come. A classic of the genre, and a great album overall.
Bruce Dickinson has a fantastic voice. The record is a lot more pop-sounding than I expected. I don't really think of this as Heavy Metal. Perhaps hair metal. Kiss-adjacent. Children of the Damned, and Run to the Hills were the best tracks, but I really enjoyed it overall. Listened on the tram in Manchester, to drown out the lunatics.
Heard a fair amount of iron maiden, but probably have never actually listened to an album. It is actually pretty unique sounding I reckon, at least I can't think of much else that sounds like them. Not sure I would quite call it metal. Maybe thrash metal.... It's kinda like a heavy Jethro tull, the way some songs are long stories. The tempo is great. I reckon my main issue with maiden, is that it's all a bit glam, which is fine, but I don't think it's what they're going for.... It's still hard not to enjoy though. A good 4
4 Hallowed be thy name is one of the best closing tracks ever.
Decent 3.5/5 I’m saying, probs would listen again if in that kinda mood
There's a lot of cheese on this album, but it's also pretty fun, especially the second half. I'm not a huge Maiden fan, but it's great every once in a while, which is probably how often I would revisit this record. 3.5/5
Liked this one more than S/T. It has a lot of fun songs that I enjoyed. 3.75/5
7/10
Álbum foda!!
For metal album, kinda kicks ass.
The metal was heavy. Some absolute classics on here. True rating would be 4.5, but I gotta round down cause I don't think I'd listen to the whole thing again. \m/
I don't know if I've heard this album all the way through. I've definitely have hear the song Number of the Beast and Run to the Hills. I owned an old beat up thrift store copy of the self titled and sold it recently. I was surprised how classic rock it sounded without Bruce Dickinson. This one is so much better. Improved vocals, more metal and the dual guitar lines are awesome. It's a little back loaded.
Lots of fun, start to finish. Two thumbs up
Incluye himnos como The Number of the Beast y Run to the Hills. Buen disco de metal, icónico, como Eddie controlando al diablo.
Nearly perfect album. Good songs, great music.
Gonna fire up this bad boy later and run through some ear candy!!
Думал что причислю их к Aerosmith и Guns N' Roses. Но нет, включил, вспомнил и понравилось.
I've never been a huge Iron Maiden fan, they have always been a little too campy for me, but I can still get behind this album (maybe not 22 Acacia Avenue). It's kinda weird they put all of the best songs on the second half of the album. Mid 4.
An album that goes so hard I was able to overcome my decades-long aversion to Iron Maiden caused by Brad Smoliak, the bully who tormented me every day of Grade 5. Until I put his ass in the hospital.
Классика британского хеви-метала, ни убавить, ни прибавить
Some nice energetic metal with some catchy stuff there. 4 stars
Definitely good
Quality British metal album
He redescubierto este disco gracias al reto, porque hacía años que no escuchaba Iron Maiden. De hecho, no recordaba lo bueno que era. Aquí se encuentran algunos de los temas más conocidos de la banda pero, además, hay otros que son auténticas joyas. 4/5
Growing up Iron Maiden seemed to have this illicit mythology that they were satan worshipping moral corrupters and I am sure that this is an image they played on. Looking back now this seems ridiculous as they are very tame. I really like this album which is just a straight up rock album. A few great tracks especially the last one which is superb.
Perhaps slightly dated, the vocals can get old quickly but I still had a lot of fun with this. Technically proficient and a tight runtime make this a blast overall.
literally a beast of a record. this isn't something i am fanatical about like some metal heads, but 100% this is apart of the history of this genre. for 82 and their 3rd album, this marks a definitive change for rock as a whole. first these brits are all about punk, then all about metal, and this was the entry to put them right at the top of the best. edgy, sure, but context wise this was in a time when this was a huge controversy to be able to play and show such subversive material. you can hear this and immediately take away the musical mastery and energy. kids still rock their shirts, know these songs, TO THIS DAY. its got everything a teen rebel needs, movie samples, parent-upsetting topics, concerts filled with weirdos just like you. i can say the songs i am not familiar with still hold up today. The Prisoner is a great example of this. Run to the Hills has never been my fave, but it is far and away the hit of the record. 4/5 because its fucking awesome and almost perfect.
Wow
Iron Maiden is probably my favorite classic metal band and this album is one of their best. The last half of the album has 3 of their biggest hits ever with Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, and my favorite on the album, Hallowed Be Thy Name. The first half of the album is fine and 22 Acacia Avenue gets a little gross in the middle of the song, but otherwise, the album is great.
Every song is a banger. A glorious heavy metal album with iconic Hallowed be thy name and Number of the beast. Run for the Hills is in the Mr Rushmore of GREATEST ROCK SONGS EVER. Up the Irons!
It’s probably been 12+ years since I’ve listened to this album starting from the beginning. Run to the Hills has held steady in my musical rotation, but there’s arguably a lot better songs (or just as good) on this album. I’m not a fan of Invaders, but sounds like that’s the common consensus. The chorus on Prisoners is very catchy. The lyrics/theme of 22 Acacia Avenue means for a great story and the guitar is killer in that track along with the drum fills. Of Course the next 2 tracks are amazing as well, followed up with Gangland which isn’t my favorite track but still good. The album ends with Hallowed Be Thy Name and the use of the vocals over the stop time makes for a cool effect, plus one of the best guitar riffs and solos on the album.
UP THE IRONS!!! Classic album with only a couple of ho hum songs in the heap of metal goodness. That being said I can think of 3 other Maiden albums that should be on a list like this before The Number of the Beast.
Really enjoyed this! Wasn’t sure what to expect but I dig it
9/10
Would be a 3 but Number and Hills are such great songs, they bump it to a 4.
A metal classic. The guitar and bass work are outstanding. The vocals are growling and harsh, yet flighty. This is what I think of when I think of 80s metal power hitters. Even though I was never really into Iron Maiden, teenage me would probably give this a 5 without even thinking, but I'm digging into this album harder this time around. Lyrically these songs are pretty neat, evil little buggers. Invaders pillaging and plundering, children of evil hellbent on razing the land, escaped prisoners getting a new lease on life, prosititues etc. and each one has a story to tell. It's all on brand. A lot of these songs have some cool tempo changes midway through. They're all fresh and fun. Standout tracks were "The Prisoner" - this one is almost downright pleasant to listen to! - "The Number Of The Beast" - YEAHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh that guitar riff is a classic - "Run To The Hills" and "Hallowed Be Thy Name" My taste has definitely changed as I've gotten older. I still had a lot of fun listening to this, but whereas when I was a teen I'd have blasted this out the car with open windows again and again and again, I'm satisfied now with a listen, a couple headbanging air-guitar sessions, and calling it quits for a while. It pummels you. But for its 45 minute run time I was a kid again. I was fully engaged for the entire listen. It's very good, but not perfect. It just lacks a certain, something, for me that I can't quite put my finger on. A couple tracks are a bit lackluster and after a lot of soul searching and flip flopping, The Number of the Beast is 4 stars for me; it's got those great classics and heavy metal history behind it that makes it a standout album, but it falls just short of amazing. It's an 8 or 9 out of 10.
Franchement pas mal hein, en plus 82, mon année de naissance donc un petit plus Bonne découverte j’avais peur d’iron maiden avant
Un classique du métal Très cool
Classic Heavy Metal and required listening. It's a bit dated, though.
Always loved this one.
J - 4/5 Best Track - "Number Of The Beast" F - DNL
Good overall would recommend
A nice way to start off me doing this challenge! A metal classic for a reason, the guitars and Dickinson's vocals truly deliver. Fun! Favorite track: The Number of the Beast
bom pra caralho Musicas favoridas: children of the damned, number of the beast, run to the hills, hallowed be thy name
Great metal album. High energy
Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast (1982, Heavy Metal) | Score: 8.56 | Favorite: “Hallowed Be Thy Name” The Number of the Beast is one of those albums that doesn’t just define a band, but helps define a genre. For me, this is Maiden firing on all cylinders — sharp songwriting, ambitious pacing, and that theatrical flair that makes their work so easy to revisit. What struck me most while scoring it was how consistently it delivers. Even the lesser moments are solid, and there’s a real sense of control and vision running through the whole thing. “Hallowed Be Thy Name” easily stands out as my favorite here. It’s a masterclass in tension and atmosphere, and it closes the album on a high that’s both dramatic and deeply satisfying. Tracks like “Run to the Hills” and the title track are classic for a reason, and they still hold up under scrutiny. “Gangland” is the only place where things dip slightly — it’s not bad, just not as gripping. Overall, this is a tight, powerful record that still feels essential all these years later.
Had no idea this band was so like warbly and operatic? Meat Loaf type situation. Can see too how System of a Down must have been influenced by them. Pleasantly surprised as I assumed it would be a Metallica horror show all over again. This is so much fun. Hallowed Be Thy Name - Really love how/where the drums kick in. Love the riff too. Definitely my favourite song of the album.
bizarro o quão o vocal do dickinson encaixa muito melhor com a banda do que o outro vocalista que eles tiveram né. ter 10 anos e ouvir esse aqui eh emblemático demais. heavy metal bem jovial e bobinho. mas foda-se po, não dá pra fingir que esse aqui nao eh DIVERTIDO pra um caralho!!!!!!!! bom demais!!!
Title tracks weren't as good as others on album
Fun. Seems quite dated now
If I ever utter the words 'I quite liked that Iron Maiden album' within earshot of another human being, you can shoot me. Its got all the Metal pretentiousness going on here, the operatic singing, the twiddly guitar solos one would expect from the centre. But most of all it had some bloody good tunes. I must have been in a very good mood.
Pretty good
Metal's original mad men. This is a great album.
Great Metal album, good songs , great riffs, chords, solos, stories and voices. The beast is here with all his power!
Iron maiden is always pretty good they usually dont catch me like some of their contemporaries
Metal albums need more British villains to narrated their interludes.
A super solid album from start to finish. Pretty distinct and interesting, with some decent heaviness. Run to the Hills was a pleasant surprise. 4/5
4.5
During my youth I’d always perceived Maiden as being this really hard sounding, edgy band that were into devil worshipping and all things evil who all the naughty smokers were into. Upon listening to this album for the first time since I’ve grown pubes, I realised that they come across more similar to Alice Cooper than I had ever imagined they would, and they sound way softer than any of the Nu metal bands that I generally dislike as a rule. This was a fun listen! I might have to go get me an Eddie sleeveless shirt 😂
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would!
I totally appreciate Iron Maiden. Lyrics are a little goofy, but fun, killer (haha) tunes.
Saw them on this tour!
I like this, it's great fun, humorous, camp, over-the-top drama. Drums are brilliant and the guitars are all excellent, this music is meant to be belted, by air guitar-wielding nerds worshipping at the feet of a 20ft tall papier mache zombie. I love the rhythm of 22 Acacia Avenue, a bouncy moshable tune. The number of the beast and Run to the Hills are genre-defining. British heavy metal doesn't need to be taken seriously just let the amped up proggy lines take you on a joy ride. 4/5
Gotta love headbanging to the classics. I lowkey miss the storytelling style of lyrics from this era.
Metal pioneers bringing classic riffs
nice
The first Maiden album with Bruce Dickinson, and that started a run of amazing albums. This one is special to my heart as it was the first "real" heavy metal album I had ever heard growing up. My friend's brother had it on cassette and one day after school, I went over and hung out and he put it on. I felt so cool listening to "devil music". Now, as I'm much much older, I still appreciate this album but have gotten beyond just listening to the title track and Run To The Hills. Both solid songs, but I've grown to appreciate Invaders, The Prisoner, and Hallowed Be Thy Name which really features Bruce's voice. 3.67/5 stars = 4.
This album is a classic and mandatory listening for maiden fans..... but I don't view this as a titan of the genre along side Albums like Ace of Spades, Master of Puppets, British Steel or Paranoid instead in my opinion the previous Iron Maiden album's The Self-Titled & Killers and the Two albums after Piece Of MInd & Powerslave to be better.
Classic NWOBH, amazing.
Great. 8/10
A very strong album. Excellent musicianship all round.
Cheesy but fun
Great, classic, and hard-hitting. Maintains that note throughout the whole album.
I really liked this! Energetic, powerful, strong! Every song is a hit!
the shreds on here fucking godly holy shit
hi, I got nosey and came across your page, read your comments and agreed on Michael Jackson and led zeppelin they're the best just cnt believe you're new to Kraftwerk they were gods of techno back in their time, I'm Zuni btw, bye.
Вже слухала, переслуховуваьи не дуже хочу
Not my cup of tea, but a great album nonetheless
A banda em seu ápice. Disco muito bem feito. Letshuoer D-13.
Seems just like a solid rock album, pretty classical
Somehow forgot to rate this… it had me at the Viking invasion. Very rock.
Melt my effing face. Love this. 4.5 and maybe I’m being stingy but just doesn’t quite cross that 5 for me. But god damn this is everything you want in some metal.
I give this one a 7/10
So classic, so metal
Great guitar licks. Cool to see how much modern alt os inspired by this album
Run to the Hills is an OG banger, not a huge fan of the vocals but musically fun, clear lines from this to modern metal
I apologize, Eddie. I was not familiar with you game. Favorite: “Run to the Hills”
The first metal album I listened to as a kid.
God, between this and getting Sabbath a couple days back, I'm getting a lot of albums that I have some history with. I was kind of raised in metal, so to me this is an absolute classic (but not quite my favorite Maiden, that's probably Powerslave). To me, this is kind of archetypal "Heavy Metal" so much so that I almost can't put the sound of this into words, its just metal to me, but I'll try. Basically the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM )is *one of* the earliest genres of metal that very specifically held itself separate from hard rock in a post Sabbath world (note that while Sabbath was *very* important to this movement, this sounds totally different from Sabbath, whose best music often slots a little neater into Doom Metal which would get more established later). Iron Maiden formed in 1975, when the genre was still kind of being hammered down, but their first album got released in 1980, when everything was a little more established. Maiden's sound kind of lands between more melodic metal at the time, and what was thought of more as speed metal. Maiden operates at an energetic gallop, but they never give up a catchy chorus as a consequence of it. Some of the things that distinguished Iron Maiden from their peers was *a little* prog influence, which mostly showed in their song structures, riff writing, and later, high concepts. Additionally, Maiden had two lead guitarists at this time, which allowed them to play with guitar harmonies. As a consequence, the solos on this are *awesome* with Dave Murray and Adrian Smith playing the aforementioned harmonies at some times, and trading dueling passages at others, the effect is electric. Honestly, the whole band is super tight, Steve Harris' bass work is mixed high, and is very distinct and enjoyable, and Clive Burr may not be Maiden's most iconic drummer, but he holds down the fort on this album. I also have to mention Bruce Dickinson, he's a super charismatic frontman with a very distinct and powerful voice. The songs on here are consistently energetic and exciting, and while the A Side here is great in its own right, the B Side here has some classics, The Number of The Beast, Run to the Hills, and Hallowed Be Thy Name are all iconic Maiden songs. Some lines on Run to the Hills have aged a *little* awkwardly, but overall *I* think it has aged a lot better than I think something like this could have, especially because, at the end of the day, it's Maiden's earnest attempt at making a song calling out British Colonialism. Anyways, the song is driven by an iconic galloping lead riff, catchy melodies, and a soaring chorus. Number of the Beast is a wonderful blast of hokey Satanism, conjuring grim rituals and tall shadows, and also it just absolutely rips. And Hallowed Be Thy Name is Maiden's grandest statement here in its lengthy, multi-phased structure and lyrics about a death row inmate in grim denial. It is filled with incredible passages, and epic riffs and is one of Maiden's greatest songs ever. The rest of the tracks here may not consistently reach these highs, but they are pretty great songs in their own right. I will say I've seen people complaining about the lyrics here, but they are good enough to yell along with at a show, and I think that might be what really matters here. Overall this is just cool, Maiden has an iconic metal sound, and they consistently deliver great songs, its a blast.
4 stars just for that scream
The age when metal was alive and thriving. Pretty solid album even tho I'm not a huge Iron Maiden fan. Run To The Hills is a classic. And Hollowed be my Name was one of the best closing song in a album I have heard in a long time. I find a lot of albums close on a softer/ calmer tone. But not this one, guitar rifts and epic singing right to the last drum beat!
Probably in the top 5 Heavy Metal albums of all time. A classic.
really good stuff; surprisingly listenable. i didn't know how many classics were on this album. very good choice to soundtrack my spring cleaning apartment overhaul (was very motivating )
It's not quite a 5 for me, but it was still a good time. There's some good shredding here. 4.4
Great thrash..... (Metallica is still my favorite 😜)
great album
I gave the s/t album three stars because it had good ideas but was uneven. This fixes those, but at the cost of "sameiness." Much like a lot of metal, I like one or two songs, but a full album wears on me. THAT SAID, man, this is a lot of fun: theatrical without being florid in the way later hair metal is, energetic without being tiresome, and it's got Run To The Hills. Make a random EP out of any of the tracks here and it's great, but even so I'm not sure I'd cut anything out. Wish the vocals were brought out a little bit, but that's just me.
That was pretty epic… not my general selection of music, but a really fun background listen. Could see this going hard at the gym or on a run, maybe just chugging beers.
My first iron maiden album and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it
I find a lot of metal albums just sound incredibly same-y across tracks. I thought this one was varied which kept it exciting throughout
Definitely a classic metal album, very short though
Tight playing and nice vibrato! Inspired some videogame soundtracks I'm sure 3.9
Iron Maiden is my favorite metal band of all times. This third record its nota only the ibtroduction of Bruce Dickinson as vocalista. It is a declaration of Iron Maiden at one of their best hours. Esencial if you are new into metal. Highlights: Invaders, The Prisoner, Gangland, Hallowed Be the Nane
I was flipping between 3 and 4 for this album, there are some parts that are fantastic but then I become absent minded for other parts. Nevertheless the last track is divine, love the vocal melody and the creative guitar parts. 4 stars in summary.
7.5/10
An easy 4 out of 5. The sound on this album is so good.
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would.
YEAHHHH metal is so fun.
Enjoyed this. Got that 70s metal sensibility and acoustic, but innovated by breaking the traditional songwriting formula. Awesome performance from the entire band.
Classic Metal album, just classic!
Listening to this album feels like watching a movie about Jack Black going on an epic quest to battle evil. There's flames, blades, sparks, sweat, dirt, and glory. Didn't realize Run for the Hills focuses on colonialism vs natives; really interesting.
This album is classic. When Maiden was hungry. Killer album with fantastic cover artwork! 1001 album worthy: yes 78/142
Would it surprise you that 10 year old me never listed to this album the year it came out? There were jocks and stoners and nerds around my parts. The stoners listened to devil music. I was probably listening to Billy Joel. All these years later good to come back to Iron Maiden to hear what all the fuss was about.
Much better than Coldplay
Belangrijk album, geweldig album en voor mij ook een nostalgisch album dat me doet denken aan autoritten met m’n vader. 4.3
Bubbly crunch with subtle tones of shred.
Some bangers, some filler, but al in al a great examples of a “classic”. Rockin hard. Gnarly!
339/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Highschool Nostalgia album for sure. Also my most boomer take about music is I miss when songs would have distinguishable parts. I hate that songs don’t have 30 seconds of just guitar solos or tempo changes. Highlights are children of the damned and easily the pinnacle of the album was Hallowed be thy Name. Also Iron Maiden has put out so much music. Anyways great album.
Really fun album. Not my favorite vocalist, but still pretty good stuff.
The song with the same name rocks. Not an every day listen, but when you need to get amped, this album is perfect.
Great 80's metal album. Theatrical, cheesy yet enjoyable vocals and riffs. Some other metal albums may hit harder or have more intricacy, but this one is just plain fun. Standouts: Invaders, Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, Hallowed Be Thy Name
Yeah it’s just some classic metal, isn’t?
Decent Nathan Baird Music
Loud and fun, will explore more of their stuff soon, maybe nicki was into something
Powerful, if a little bit tiring by the end
4 only thanks to Hallowed
Very instrumental
Sounds like shredding onto of a mountain, absolutely peak
So Dramatic! Who knew the heavy metal crowd was so emotional? Musical theater and heavy metal combined to produce this unique sound. It is a genuinely entertaining piece of work.
I actually quite liked this! Pleasantly surprised, very melodic and easy to listen to compared to how screamy some other metal bands were. Liked run for the hills and the last song, 4/5
I have a soft spot for the satanic schtick and operatic metal. Almost a 5 for me but happy with a solid 4.
Honestly suprised how much I liked this album, had only heard run to the hills, and not in over a decade, so I was pleasantly suprised
4/5 Tää on tuttu levy. Toimii.
Fuck yes
Classic metal record. I was close to 5 stars on this, the whole thing absolutely rips but not in a way that's overwhelming, it's still consumable. Interesting lyrics for each song, I appreciate how they're all about varied things and the messages are discernable. Guitar and bass rips everywhere. Great album throughout
Best: Run to the hills Worst: 22 acacia avenue
Extremely tight in its tracklist and rocking as hell!
ThiI didn't have appreciation for this band as a teen, but I'll always remember the metal-head boys with their Eddie tshirts. I'm glad I'm relistening with adult ears. This rocks. 🤘🏼
Don’t listen to a ton of metal but this was good. Dirty, angry and a classic
I didn't know I needed this in my life. Would relisten
87/100. The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden is a classic heavy metal record that absolutely delivers. Packed with iconic tracks, it’s no surprise this album doesn’t disappoint. From the powerful riffs to the tight production and soaring vocals, everything comes together to make it one of the standout releases in metal history.
Accessible heavy metal. Rocks hard but doesn't grate on your nerves. I dig it.
Really good album and ends on a helluva note with 'Hallowed Be Thy Name.' I'm always surprised by the lung capacity on Bruce Dickinson.
I mean, legendary middle section with title track and Run to the Hills, but great balance of thrashy metal songs alongside more melodic and mixed tempo stuff
One of the more enjoyable types of metal to me. "Run to the Hills" is a classic. 4 stars
Klassikko. Äänenlaatu yllättävän hyvä.
A classic, even if metal is a genre I cannot take at all seriously. I'm not sure I had attended to the lyrics of Run to the Hills before, certainly I had forgotten its anti-colonial lyrics.
Solid old metal
Really, really, really good. 8/10
Bruce Dickinsonin ensimmäinen albumi Iron maidenin riveissä. Yhtye on löytänyt oman omaperäisen suunnan. Ero debyyttialbumiin ja Killersiin on huomattava. Punk-asenne on vaihtunut eeppisempiin ja iättömämpiin teemoihin. Vaikka yhtye tuleekin äänittämään kenties vielä eheämpiä kokonaisuuksia, tämä oli tarvittava ensiaskel. Yksi ensimmäisistä todellisista rock-albumeistani, joten tällä on erityistä arvoa itselleni. The Prisoner, The Number of the beast, Hallowed Be Thy Name ovat albumin kärkiraitoja.
Great
Jee 8.5
Kokonaisuudessaan hieno ja helposti kuunneltava albumi! Kaikki kappaleet suhteellisen tuttua ja turvallista Iron Maidenia. Kitarastemmoja selvästi säästeltiin tuohon aikaan mutta onneksi niitäkin oli parissa biisissä nostettu esille. Hyvä kuuntelukokemus alusta loppuun!
This is such a classic. This is Iron Maiden’s first album with Bruce Dickinson, his operatic vocals replacing the raspier grittier Paul Di’anno. With Bruce joining, Maiden’s sound is now ready for the epic heavy metal that became their trademark. It’s all here, the galloping bass, the dueling guitars, and the soaring vocals. This is a great choice for a Maiden album. To be fair, most Maiden albums have 2-3 very strong songs then a bunch of fillers. Even here the title track, Run To The Hills and Hallowed be thy name stand above the rest, but all of the songs are incredibly strong. The catchy vocal melody of Prisoner, the funky riff of Invaders and the balladry of Children of the Damn. This is a band at its creative peak and it’s great to experience. Giving it four stars. Classic.
Second Iron Maiden album. Fuck. Maybe I do like metal! Who knew!?! As a 40 year old woman I have never in my life gravitated toward this type of music or sought it out. Never opposed, just not my thing. But damn! I have loved both albums!
I have no idea how I lived this long g without hearing any iron maiden. I genuinely have never heard number of the beast u til today and I’m not ashamed to say that I enjoyed it. It’s campy, and over the top but most of it was pretty good. At times it sounded like the band at the start of school of rock (and I would bet they were intentionally copying iron maiden) but this album and the last one we heard have reshaped my views on this band. And Bruce Dickinson sounded great. Yes, the Bruce Dickinson. And because he was responsible for signing the hip to MCA, this album gets a 4 from me.
catchy, epic-sounding tracklist that mixes it up with complex guitar riffs, soaring vocals, and an overall high-energy sound.
Very nice
Don’t know whether it’s my favourite Iron Maiden album but it’s probably a pretty average Iron Maiden album as far as the ones they made with Bruce Dickinson is concerned. Personal highlights are probably children of the Damned and Hallowed be Thy Name
Fun stuff!
\m/\m/
Gutes Heavy Metal Album, mit allem was das Eisen braucht. Glut, Gefühl und Gitarre. Top Titel sind „Children of The Damned“, „Run To The Hills“ und „Hellowed Be Thy Name“.
Old school metal. No complaints.
I get why they are such a prolific group and the songs are great. Over great just not my genre. 7/10 best song children of the damned.
Amazing!
Obviously hugely influential, and there's a lot to like. Catchy melodies, fun riffs, really great. A bit cheesy for me.
3.75
Des hits, du fromages. Pas plate pantoute.
Fairly good
Fun
I forgot how good this album was/is. Some bangers from NWOBHM. But I think both the debut Iron Maiden album or Killers (with Paul Di'Anno) were better and either should have been on this list instead of TNOTB. Di'Anno was a 'character' and so got the boot. LIke Van Halen and AC/DC who changed frontmen (of course AC/CD had no choice) I think Iron Maiden were poorer for it.
Das war überraschend gut - keine schlechten Lieder und Children of The Damned gefällt mir sehr gut
not bad
Not a metal guy but I kinda get what the fuss is about now. It’s impossible not to get all worked up listening to Run to the Hills.
Second Track has a similar opening to Limp Bizkit 'Behind Blue Eyes'. Not sure 22 Acacia Avenue's lyrics would be considered appropriate for these days... Title track into Run to the Hills is the best part of the album for me. Hallowed be Thy Name Fav track
Diet Metallica, not bad but have definitely heard before. Enjoyed it but I couldn't help think I have heard this before through different artists. 'Hallowed be thy name" is by far my favorite track, guitar is so good.
Catchy.
Ik heb pas recent echt waardering gekregen voor Iron Maiden, maar het is eigenlijk gewoon echt geweldig
Rock and also roll