The Number Of The Beast

Runnnnn toooooo theeee hilllllllllls!!!!! 🎸🎸🎸🎸

Bueno

Ive been saving my review for this one: I had a friend in high school who's leather jacket wearing, cigarette smoking Dad was as hair metal as you can get. He pushed Iron Maiden onto us and it somehow stuck The Number Of The Beast, Run To The Hills,22 Acacia Avenue are my favorites. Im really hoping we get more Maiden on this list. IMO, these guys are the most respectable thing to come out of the hair metal scene -- sci fi meets space rock? Incredible

It was better than the other one and I kinda jammed out at times

I loved trying to draw Eddie from these covers as a kid before I even listened to the band. When I finally did I was surprised at how not scary their music was. The “satanic panic” of the 80’s made music fun and I kinda miss the fear mongering from Christians, although now they do the same thing to Taylor Swift and Beyoncé which cracks me up even more. The more I’ve heard this album over the years the more I’ve grown to love it. The crushing guitars are a prime example of cranked up Marshall amps multi tracked for that massive wall of sound. The galloping bass locked in with the frantic drums give the songs so much raw energy. There’s almost a punk element to this album mixed with that classic metal sound. Bruce’s operatic vocal style and interesting melodic choices give Iron Maiden their theatrical boost making it impossible to sing along without doing some sort of dramatic pose. All these elements mixed together made for a great run of eighties albums from these guys.

Oh, what would my Sunday School teacher think (specifically the one who made us watch "Hells Bells: The Dangers of Rock n' Roll Music" which--THANK GOD--is on YouTube)?? The 80's were all about Satanism; the "Satanic Panic" shrouded and fascinated my youth. Looking back, I blame it on 12 years of conservative ideals to control people with religion in mock adulation of Biblical teachings. I have a whole theory of how politics and music shaped each other over the decades, but I won't get into it here. Iron Maiden was one of the bigger bands that Catholicism marked as Devil Music. I haven't listened to them, and I didn't find them on MTV between the Twisted Sister and Quiet Riot videos. And when I at first heard Satan in my own home in Metallica's lyrics ("See your mother put to death, see your mother die"), I was shown the remaining context proved that they were talking about Mother Earth and how we're ignoring the issue of pollution. Hmmm . . . is it possible that metal is misunderstood? Even Ozzy sings "to learn how to love and forget how to hate" and mocks sending the poor to war in order to profit the rich back home. Yet Iron Maiden is singing of "The Number of the Beast." There it is, Satan revealed. And yet, it--nor "Children of the Damned" or "Hallowed Be Thy Name"--seem as mocking to the teachings of Christianity as those who hide behind its righteous shield and pretend to be insulted. Neutralizing Satan from the fold (and even if it didn't), this album holds up. (I'm more of a Lucifer and Baphomet kind of guy anyway.) The playing is virtuosic, and the guitar lines remain melodic despite also being technically difficult. The singing stands out as a tough, driven, and convicted. The wrong singer with a weak approach would diminish this band to a joke. However, Bruce Dickinson sets the tone that Iron Maiden takes their music seriously and they deserve serious attention. And yet there is somehow still room for Poison and Warrant. Why didn't any of the DefJam crew rap over the riff and beat from "The Prisoner"? It's ripe for sampling. I like the slower jams of "Children of the Damned" and the soloing in "22 Acacia Avenue." Impressive, though The Number Of The Beast is not one I would personally listen to over and over. Still, if you want metal, Iron Maiden is the real deal. For the right audience (and I've seen them at the amusement parks), they are the pinnacle of what metal has to offer.

Straight away the cover makes me laugh, just like with Megadeth (maybe Tenacious D just primed me to see the funny side of metal, especially in light of my lack of direct experience in engaging with the genre to counteract that). It's so cartoonish and reminds me of the “satanic panic” from the '80s. Imagine actually clutching your pearls at this and taking it seriously in any way, hahaha. Musically, it was also over the top, especially the vocals, which captured the soaring operatic grandiosity they seemed to be going for. Yet there was somehow a warmth there, some emotional chord progressions that seemed to me missing from some other metal I've heard before. It somehow struck me as bridging the gap between straight up classic rock and metal. It seemed accessible in that way. I didn't get the impression that when they were writing the songs they were just trying to throw in as many notes as possible and play as fast as possible, and throw every trick they had at it, although to be fair, it was still plenty busy. The songs seemed more dynamic than that, even in their epicness, and I actually found myself enjoying it a bit! Hallowed Be Thy Name was one that stood out to me. There was a part in it where it kind of dropped into a groove for a second, which I enjoyed (it made me imagine a metal-disco fusion genre…yes, please!). I'm learning that I'm quite partial to those moments in songs. I don't want to hear about ancient battles and Satan, I just want to dance!

I kinda like this. 4/5

4 metal

Great heavy rock

8.5/10

Good 80's metal. That's not something you hear from me often, but I do like the Maiden. Rolling guitar riffs, heart-pounding percussion, angry vocals with depth and range. All good here. Four stars because I just don't like metal enough for a full five.

Nostalgia can be a bitch! How I recall listening to this, when it was my brother's turn to pick the music to listen to in the car... What a great album! What great memories! What great simplicity! 4 1/2 stars, only because the album isn't perfect.

I liked this more than I thought and they are not heavy metal as I think of it. I was surprised their songs had some deeper topics and positive points.

I surprisingly really enjoyed this. I was expecting much more of like a screamo thrash type stuff cause I’ve never listened to Iron Maiden. Thankfully it was not like that at all. Honestly they reminded me kinda of Metallica/Guns N’ Roses mashup with the guitar shredding and Bruce Dickinson’s voice with the vibrato. I also liked that the album had some songs with heavier societal topics rather than just songs about partying and stuff in that vein. “22 Acacia Avenue”, “Run for the Hills”, and “Gangland” all helped give this album more weight while not compromising on their sound. Very solid album over all. The cover art is pretty cool too.

its aight

será repetitivo, con letras mediocres y todo lo que quieran, pero que lo disfruté de principio a fin es innegable. quizás porque estoy en el espectro de gente a la que sí le gusta la voz del vocalista

Glad I was exposed to this; I had totally written it off as “not for me” as a teenager. Way more melodic and interesting musically than I would’ve presumed, and lead singer has some lungs. Surprised to learn this is generally considered THE hard rock/metal album of the era, even of all time. I can hear the merits.

Итс олрайт. Возможно это самый влиятельный их альбом, но по-моему далеко не лучший. А может и не самый влиятельный. А может... Музыка норм и это главное. Лучшая песня - The Number of the Beast.

Very theatrical. The bass in this was my favorite.

One of the greats when it comes to metal. This is a solid album, the tracklist is pretty short, but the songs are relatively long which makes up for it.

Fire head banging album

I liked this a LOT more than I thought I would have 4/5

Metal blueprint. So tight

Classic album however you see it. Full of famous guitar riffs and signature vocals. Got to love this.

Iron Maiden have a very particular style which is good in small bursts, but not something I'd want to be engaging with all the time. But this album deserves 4* basically entirely for Hallowed Be Thy Name, which is a brilliant song.

I didn't know that this band sounded like Guns n Roses. I liked and remained me my adolescence

Despite being a teenager growing up in Massachusetts in the 80s, I did not listen to Iron Maiden and worship the devil (sorry Rob Corddry) so I did not have many expectations for this album. The first listen started strong but fell from a 4 to 3 towards the end as it got to be a bit too much. I spread out a second listen and was glad I did, easier for me to digest in chunks. Solid, classic heavy metal with almost a rock opera feel.

Good stuff. Several stand-out tracks. Bruce uses more vibrato than I'd like at times, but a great metal singer, for sure. If I go back and listen to it more, I'm sure it will grow on me.

Not as strong as the debut album imo. It does have the bigger hits, but I don’t really care as much for them as I do on their debut or powerslave. Still a really solid metal album, but not quite their best.

Pas mon pref mais du bon IM.

yeah this slaps what can I say

Really good album, never was a huge Iron Maiden fan outside a few tracks but this album is great

Turns out I like Iron Maiden.

This isn't one that I can't imagine my dad enjoying in my fantasy listening to these albums with my dad scenario

5/5 for the cover art, I was just staring at that for like 50% of the listening experience and it got me way more amped.. look at those jeans! Some real crispy drums, fast guitar riffs and the vocals just scratch that ‘80s heavy metal itch… love it! Would love to be spinning this on a crunchy October afternoon!

Excellent sounds and energy on this one. Real provocative lyrics that I feel like I should do some more reading on. Overall: fun!

While I think it pales in comparison to the Powerslave-Somewhere In Time-Seventh Son of a Seventh Son era of Maiden which is when they start to incorporate prog metal aspects into their albums this album undeniably kicks ass and the art is super epic... do wish it was more thrashy tho but this is the defining album of NWOBHM

Top

Not really my style but I enjoyed it.

Tons of personality and a great listen. I've heard it before, but I went for a walk and it made me want to run.

Enjoyed the album. starting to like this genre more as more albums come up.

666 Hammerlied und gleich gefolgt von Running up the Hill. Gute Texte eingebettet in harten Rock, so muss das sein!

What an awesome album! I was 10 when this album was released and remember how treasured the album art T-shirts were! Iron maiden defined heavy metal. The sounds, music, lyrics and the impressive vibrato on the sustained notes at the end of every line! Loved it!

I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would! I've not really given Iron Maiden much of a listen in the past. Definitely a 'in the right kinda mood' for it style of music for me - but its pretty fun and energetic. I did get a bit over the lead singers voice after a while. I don't think it'll go on high rotation, but it'll get another listen in the future for sure. 3.5 stars (upgraded to 4)

Metal Mondays let's go.

As much as I like my heavy rock, Iron Maiden is a band I've never really spent any time listening to. I'm familiar with the "hits" on this one, and damned if I wasn't taken in and enjoying the ride. There's a great energy on this record, the riffs are rolling, Dickinson elevated the band's sound, and kudos for freaking out the religious right. I may not play this a lot, but it's a great album and a classic in its genre.

I am learning to love metal music with this album.

Blistering guitars, pounding drums and commanding lead vocals from Bruce Dickinson propel what might be Iron Maiden’s crowning achievement. Dark with welcome moments of levity.

un cazzo di classico veramente la bomba solo hit

dickinson saved iron maiden

I enjoyed this way more than I had anticipated, in part because I've never really been the biggest heavy metal guy. Even so, this is very energetic and uptempo record that actually has some calmer moments such as "Children of the Damned" that help to make things interesting and engaging without ever really slowing the record down throughout. The only real dud for me would be "Gangland," but that's mainly because I find it to be a bit on the repetitive relative to everything else on the tracklist.

Initially, I was very nervous—a departure sonically from what I'd typically listen to. 1. Invaders: LOVE the guitar, awesome drums 3.5/5 2. Children of the Damned: Much more appreciative of the vocals on this one, THE GUITAR SOLO, the last 90 seconds or so absolutely SLAMMED 5/5 3. The Prisoner: Kind of the sound I was expecting from this album here, SO 80's, love the lyrics on this one a lot... \"not a number, I'm a free man//live my life where I want to,\" DOPE outro, can't wait to scream this one on a road trip 4/5 4. 22 Acacia Avenue: The dual POV is so cool, the guitar and pace switch about 4min in caused me to levitate—wow, I need more time with this one—it's kind of relentless sonically, but maybe I'll like that the more I listen? 3/5 5. The Number of the Beast: spoooooky, I'm speechless 5/5 6. Run to the Hills: another dual POV, one of my faves melodically, I wonder if this song could be made today lol, the last minute or so blew my mind (and eardrums) 4.5/5 7. Gangland: the instrumentation is iconic as always—less sure about the lyrics and melodies, though 3/5 8. Total Eclipse: very inspirational but with an edge, I love the vocals + lyrics, + melodies of this one; it felt like a complete idea, and I bought in—maybe my favorite; it's a top contender for sure! 5/5 9. Hallowed Be Thy Name: oh wow, I think we're on Deathrow?, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, come on vocals AND THE GUITAR, an absolute banger of a closing song! 5/5 Overall: 4/5 I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. It will take me some time to fully embrace this sound, but I have at least 4-5 songs I'm excited to listen to again!

Now this is a proper Iron Maiden album, don't know why they bothered including the debut on the list. Fantastic guitar playing, and the rest of the band is on point. Bruce Dickinson's singing is like nothing I've ever heard, but the lyrics are a bit cringe in a lot of places (I'm looking at you, Acacia Avenue). There are a couple of songs I wouldn't miss if they were dropped. But it's definitely a very important album, and the second side is almost perfect. Hallowed Be Thy Name is incredible.

Great album 🫠

Headwaters of modern day metal

Ripper of an album! I’ve got like 3/4 of this album saved. It’s got some classics like the Number of the Beast and Run to the Hills. I’ve definitely set some PRs at the gym to Hallowed be thy Name and the Prisoner. Strong 4

The best Iron Maiden album and that’s on baby. Number of the beast into Run to the hills is just too good. Album ends on an absolute banger as well. prob a 3.6 rounded up

80s metal is so hokey. I think in retrospect the best thing that came from it was the album covers. I am glad to get a chance to listen to this one final time though. ( listened to it a lot in jr high.)

great

I listened to this in the shower and lowk I didn’t hate it bc I think metal works really well for me as white noise. Even so I think this is p solid as far as metal goes. 7/10

Pretty darn good. Maybe I like metal. I was in the mood for it today though and I am not always. 7.5/10

Is 1001 going to make a fan of Iron Maiden out of me?! Not quite as strong as their debut in my opinion. I felt a little like the debut had more original ideas (but then I don't remember the lyrics). The ideas on this one seem a bit trite. Invaders is a good song but it's just about vikings pillaging. Children of the Damned rips off the movies. I enjoy the continuation of Charlotte the Harlot's story. I enjoyed the album overall but felt like some of the themes could have been more original.

I like this a lot more now than I did as a kid. It’s fun and well executed, though kinda cheesy at times where I’m like “what is this, Journey?”

Claasic

Kjører 110 fra startblokkene! Iron Maiden er et kjent konsept, et jeg kan digge. Et personlig høydepunkt er Run to the Hills!

NWOBHM band with a new singer, a more polished album than the predecessors. Twin guitars blasting away.

Don’t usually listen to this style music but it was really good, for sure going to listen to it again

3.5/5

Iron Maiden is often a go to for me, but I usually pick Poweslave, so it’s a nice change of pace to enjoy this again.

Ok. This is why I love this project. I am not a metal head. This album was very popular during my teen years but i has never listened to it because, again, not a metal head. But as I approach this list with an open mind, much to my disguise- I liked it! And people i am an oldish lady now. Trying to figure out why I like it so much more than other metal albums I’ve listened to through this. More rhythm maybe? More structure to the songs? Off to Google “what makes Iron Maiden so good” to get more insight.

relisten. great album

Yksi tähti puhdasta nostalgialisää.

Klassiker. Bin nicht der größte Iron Maiden Fan, aber ist n cooles Album - deutlich besser als viel Schrott, der in der Liste steckt..

Not my normal rotation but a solid album

Thought it was cool an album referenced my favorite numerical sequence...666. How these guys ever knew it was imprinted on top of my head is beyond me. I wanted to give this album a three and a half stars but the devil made me give it four. Also when I listened to it backwards it told me to help an old lady cross the street and drink my Ovaltine...that's wholesome shit, man!

nothing special but pretty fun

Honestly way better than I was expecting! I loved the energy.

My least favourite of the first six Iron Maiden albums. Side 2 is what makes it.

could hit harder, like pls fuck my ears up. this album only tickles on his full potential. still good tho.

Iron Maiden is pretty fun! I honestly don't know why/how I had missed them before this 1001 albums thing. I didn't think of them negatively, I just didn't ever really think of them outside of being the Run to the Hills guys. 80s metal guys are really just a different flavor of theatre kid, is what I'm learning. It's a fun shtick and it seems they dont ever take themselves too seriously. Wild that conservatives tried to label them Satanists and whip up a panic when its so clearly a performance, but they'll pearl clutch over anything that moves the overton window to the right. There's a humor and drama to the whole thing, real escapism. Bruce Dickinson in his debut seems to have a bit more range and power than Paul Di'Anno did, with that almost operatic vibrato. I love the unhinged Prisoner Patrick McGoohan series, that sample was unexpected. They're great at putting out consistent quality on the two albums we've heard. No energy dips!

I haven’t really listened to Iron Maiden much before but I know how influential this was and I did enjoy it a lot. It’s good guitar and good rock

Another surprisingly good album from the band. I don't think it's quite as good as the "Iron Maiden" album but definitely better than expected. I guess I never gave them a chance because I always thought they were just loud thrash metal. Plus any album that uses the open of "The Prisoner" ("I am not a number, I am a free man") deserves some love. There is also an excellent documentary about this band that is worth watching. My opinion stands corrected!

I thought this was great, though not quite as great as the other Iron Maiden album I gave a 5 to. The guitar solo on “Run For The Hills” is otherworldly. I also loved “22 Acacia Avenue” and “the Prisoner” sample on the track of the same name. What an unexpectedly great band, though I am curious about what a slow song from them would sound like and after two albums I still don’t know.

It's Maiden. This album is great. Would I listen to it every day as a middle-aged man? Fuck it, sure. Let's go.

Good

Loved it.

This is such a key album for the band. It is not my favorite of theirs, but I am more of a casual fan of Maiden than a hardcore fan. But without this album, so many more could not exist: "Powerslave," "Somewhere In Time," "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son"... It has so many iconic songs: "Run To The Hills," "The Number Of The Beast..." But I never really liked the ending to that title track. It always felt like they weren't sure how to end it. Because of the limited time constraints, it feels like they just ended it, and if they had a little bit more time it could have ended more grandiosely. Songs like "Invaders" feel like Bruce would be straining for this nowadays. It's not the album I go to, that'd be either "Somewhere In Time" or "Powerslave". But you couldn't have gotten there without "Beast." And "Run To The Hills," man... it is such a great metal song.

This is a very good heavy metal album and while I'm not a metal fan, I recognize its importance in the genre. In some ways it almost generated a formula that was followed too closely. Like, because of the typical song progressions here, heavy metal bands felt the need to start a song with a simple, melodic, and catchy beat, and then amp up the tempo and frenzied beat after a brief intro, complete with mixes in of high-pitched or screaming vocals and a long bridge of the most frenzied yet intricate guitar (or drum or bass) playing. Don't get me wrong, Iron Maiden are one of the best at doing this and the addition of Bruce Dickinson is his vocal ability soared them to new heights, but sometimes this approach gets a bit tired or over-bearing. I do have to give them credit for their lyrics - whether dark, fantastical, or political they are quite intelligent. And while sometimes the heavy metal sound can be a bit much for my ears, they have some absolute classics here in Children of the Damned, the title track, Run to the Hills, and Hallowed Be Thy Name. The others are pretty good too - not a single bad track. I thought hard about a 5 given this album's place in the whole heavy metal genre.

The guitar playing is great, but the lyrics and singing are just too cheesy for me. Right from the start: "Many Nordic fighting men / Their swords and shields gleam in the sun." Ugh. It's a shame, because a lot of the music is really good. If I ignore the lyrics, I can almost enjoy the somewhat over-the-top singing. I'm going to go with a four mainly out of respect for its place in metal history, but for some reason Maiden just never worked for me. Favorite tracks: Children of the Damned, The Prisoner (probably more for nostalgia for an awesome show...which had cheesy effects, so I guess there are parallels here), Run to the Hills (very cool song - lyrics have good meaning, but I think part of the problem is they never learned how to write lyrics with any subtlety), Hallowed Be They Name.

They made this as if they knew guitar hero would be a thing

Better than I expected. Respect!

Ah, a classic from my high school years! I actually still really like a few songs from this album--mainly "The Prisoner", "Number of the Beast" (naturally), and perhaps most of all "Run to the Hills"--which kind of surprises me, because I knew even at the time that this was never a particularly complex band. But they nailed the whole metal power chord thing well, I liked Bruce Dickinson's story, and as an aspiring rhythm guitar guy in high school, I was always challenged by the interesting pairing of Adrian Smith's and Paul Murray's guitar licks. I never realized until now (after reading the Wikipedia entry) that this was the only album containing both Bruce Dickinson and Clive Burr; it almost makes me want to listen to pre-Bruce Iron Maiden (almost). And the (likely apocryphal) story about the producer's accident with a bus of nuns and a repair bill of £666 is hilarious.

I think this album really stayed true to its sound all the way through. I personally felt Run to the Hills and Hallowed Be Thy Name were more impressive than the title song The Number Of The Beast. This isn't my favorite genre lyrically, but who doesn't love an awesome guitar riff?

Fun stuff

This is THE iron maiden album, coincidentally the first album of theirs I'd heard.

Very good, I can see why it was such a movement back in the day.

This album is notable for being a pretty massive evolution in Iron Maiden's sound (and consequently the sound of heavy metal in general), and a lot of it holds up. The theatrics and extreme musical performances are impressive and engrossing, most notably the shredding guitar and Bruce Dickinson's operatic vocals. In terms of importance, this album is a 5. However, I think the songwriting is more hit or miss compared to later Maiden releases like Powerslave. Some of the tracks like Invaders and Gangland are weak, especially in the shadow of monster hits Children of the Damned and Number of the Beast. Others like 22 Acacia Avenue overstay their welcome. I still like this album a lot, but I don't think it's the best Maiden has to offer.

this is indeed show tunes

This is showtunes

3.75/5

no nonsense metal. this album shreds.

could i write poetry to this? y i probably did

it was a mild pleasure. hallowed be thy name

I like their first album better. Soft 4

This album was a blast! I like the opera style vocals and just kind of overall epicness of the album. I don't know if it always lands, but I love what they're going for. The whole album just feels like you're going on an adventure with the band. The guitar, bass, and drums all just gallup along as you journey through hell, prison, invasion. The guitar solos are a nice break up of the opera lyrics, and kind of keep it going. I totally get why people love this band. With 2024 goggles, it all feels a little cheesy, but there's a lot going on here and lot of craft. Songs of note: -The Prisoner (I just dig the whole journey and freedom thing going on here.) -Number of the Beast (so rad! And sinister. This song is cool.) -Run to the Hills (Definitely didn't have the right to write this song, but it still slaps.)

Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast," released in 1982, is a towering achievement in the heavy metal genre, showcasing the band's masterful blend of lush melodies, intricate guitar harmonies, and dynamic song composition. This album marked a pivotal moment in heavy metal, pushing the boundaries of the genre with its thematic ambition and musical complexity. Vocal Mastery: Bruce Dickinson's debut with the band on this album brought a new level of vocal prowess to Iron Maiden's sound. His wide range and ability to convey emotion, from the haunting whispers to the soaring highs, add a dramatic depth to the album's narrative. Dickinson's performance on tracks like "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and "Children of the Damned" is nothing short of iconic, offering a masterclass in heavy metal vocals. Lush Melodies and Harmonies: One of the album's standout features is its rich, melodic approach. The dual lead guitars of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith weave intricate harmonies that are both powerful and beautiful, creating a signature sound that has influenced countless bands. Songs like "The Number of the Beast" and "22 Acacia Avenue" showcase this melodic interplay, balancing aggression with melody in a way that is both engaging and memorable. Song Composition and Album Cohesion: The album's composition demonstrates a keen sense of dynamics and structure, moving fluidly from the breakneck pace of "Run to the Hills" to the more measured and epic "Hallowed Be Thy Name." The sequencing of the album enhances its narrative flow, taking listeners on a journey through varied emotional and musical landscapes. The attention to detail in the arrangements and the thoughtful placement of each track contribute to a cohesive album experience that is compelling from start to finish. Lyricism and Themes: Iron Maiden's storytelling prowess is on full display, weaving tales of history, horror, and heroism with skill and imagination. The band's use of literary and historical references enriches the album's lyrical content, inviting listeners to explore deeper meanings behind the songs. High Points: Beyond the exceptional musicianship and vocal performances, the album's production quality deserves recognition. Produced by Martin Birch, "The Number of the Beast" features a polished sound that allows each element of the band's music to shine, from the thunderous bass lines to the crisp and clear drumming. The production supports the album's ambitious scope, ensuring that its complex arrangements and detailed compositions are delivered with clarity and impact. While the album's exploration of themes related to satanic imagery has been a point of contention, it's worth noting that much of this is presented in a theatrical and storytelling context. The band has clarified that these themes are more about creating engaging narratives than endorsing any belief system. However, it's understandable that this aspect of the album might not resonate with all listeners, and some may find it off-putting or downright silly, or view it as a misstep in an otherwise stellar album. "The Number of the Beast" stands as a monumental work in the heavy metal canon, celebrated for its vocal range, lush melodies, guitar harmonies, and song composition. Despite the controversy surrounding its thematic content, the album's musical achievements and influence are undeniable. Iron Maiden's third studio album is a testament to their creativity, technical skill, and enduring impact on the genre, meriting a solid rating.

Great heavy metal album. Bruce Dickinson’s voice added so much to this album

Its ok.

Surprisingly really enjoyed. Great vocals and solid instrumentation

“number of the beast” marked the beginning of the bruce dickinson era of iron maiden after two albums with vocalist paul di’anno. after two albums, di’anno was struggling to fulfill band commitments due to excessive drug abuse issues. the addition of dickinson, already a proven commodity with british metal band samson, opened up new possibilities for the band. dickinson’s trademark screams and the band’s complex song structures led by legendary bassist and primary songwriter steve harris were the template for the band’s success from that point forward. many consider this as one of the most important albums in the history of metal music, and honestly it’s hard to argue with that assessment. due to the controversy surrounding the album title and artwork, this album launched the band into the mainstream and helped to kickstart the hysteria of the satanic panic in the 1980s. “hallowed be thy name” is one the greatest songs in the history of metal music and it showcases everything that fans love about the band. it’s been a while since i have listened to this album, and it still packs a punch. highlights: “22 acacia avenue”, “run to the hills”, “hallowed be thy name”

Metal’s not really my thing but I dig some of these songs pretty hard. Didn’t dislike anything, either.

Rock just really gets me going. This album got me feeling like I can take on anything.

Shreds

Thrash ma dick

Solid Metal Album

Gotta love a bit of Iron Maiden. Hallowed Be Thy Name is still a great tune, although better live.

RUN TOOOO THE HILLLLLLLS

- really solid

Have to admit I am no Maiden fan, and though I bought a couple of their early singles I very rapidly moved away from this kind of stuff. Cartoonish album covers, ridiculous clothes (striped spandex!), songs about ancient Egypt, Civil War ghosts, the usual Satan stuff. And while I will never be convinced about them as a band, this is an absolute banger. The first side is solid, but the second four songs are just brilliant.

Its always a delight to hear another album from my favorite genre of music and The Number Of The Beast does not disappoint when it comes to giving a good album. The guitar work is always incredible and Bruce's singing is always a treat to behold. The songs while long, were still good enough to hold my interest throughout the whole thing. This is definitely a good metal album to add to the stockpile. Best Song: 22 Acacia Avenue Worst Song: Run To The Hills

What a pleasant surprise. Who knew that satanism rocked?

I loved this album. I am loving rock music lately, like this. Genuine. Rock. This rocks 🤘. If Wheatus asked me to go see them, I’d say yes.

In the right mindset it can be really special

I still like it just as much as i did when I was in 5th grade in 2005.

I’ve been waiting to listen to Iron Maiden cause I know I will love their music so I was really excited for this album. I did know one song: Run to the hills which is still my favorite. I liked: The prisoner and Hallowed be thy name as well. Will definitely listen again!

This is...not what I thought Iron Maiden would be like. I was expecting to have my ears pummelled by the most artless noise since I got forced to listen to Metallica. But actually, they're really good! The band are tight as anything, and there's a lot of invention. The occasional samples are great fun and undercut the slightly 'take it too seriously' vibe. I especially love The Prisoner starting with the oh-so evocative sample from the TV programme. It loses marks because the singer is a touch grating for my tastes, and I feel like he doesn't match the funkiness and grove of the band basically. Get Jagger on vocals and you have yourself a rock band.

Got me going, some solid bangers in here but real repetitive, solid 7/10 album

Bangers

🤘🏻

You know, these are actually pretty catchy. The general metal-narrative-song thing is a bit of a cliche now, but these still feel relatively fresh, not a parody of themselves. But to be honest, I'm mostly rating it 4 instead of 3 because "The Prisoner" has the opening narration from the show.

Not as heavy as I was expecting, but high energy. Really enjoyed it and can't believe I'd not listen before

Metal at its best. Great album.

Bruce Dickinson's first album with Iron Maiden. He's undoubtedly one of the best singers from the 80s metal bands. Not all of the songs on this album really showcase how great we was but he does shine through more often than not. The first half of the album is a little standard as far as early 80s metal goes and it does get a little repetitive, but all of side two is super strong, Gangland maybe less so than the others. Three songs that almost anyone would recognize is not bad for an album that's 40+ years old. I'll give this one a solid 3.5, rounding up because of the iconic album art.

Run to the hills. Run for your life! Such a great record. Riff city

Lots of memories linked to this album. Some better, some worse. That's what makes this album special, even though I won't listen to it often.

Is it cliche or just classic?

Classic

Invaders - 8.5/10 Children of the Damned - 9/10 The Prisoner- 8/10 22 Acacia Avenue - 8/10 The Number of The Beast - 8.5/10 Run to the Hills - 8.5/10 Gangland - 8/10 Total Eclipse - 8.5/10 Hallowed by Thy Name - 10/10 TOTAL - 77/90

Alright! some of the pioneers of thrash metal! I kinda need this in my life today. This is my favorite part of the Wiki The album was also controversial, particularly in the United States, due to the religious references in its artwork and the title track's lyrics. Sensitive jezus freaks! Which is so funny to me because there are so many more bands and music now that is 100 times worse in that regard. This is actually quite mellow honestly lol! Well definitely diggin this album. Not too fond of the operatic type vocals but it's a signature sound to Iron Maiden. It was good, not quite a 5 though. 4 stars!

The devil is alive and well!!!!

I don't know if I'm allowed to say this but The Number of the Beast has all of the melody and songwriting of a Queen record. The songs aren't all just riffs and verse / chorus / verse. Some songs are actually surprisingly melodic and are more Iommi than Mustaine.

I've heard OF Iron Maiden, but never heard them. If you ignore the insipid lyrics, the sound itself is really good. Reminiscent of Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, or Meatloaf. Great guitar work.

Good ol Maiden! These guys rock but I rarely listen to them. Fun to just hear shredding guitars and falsetto vibrato of a shrill scream. Not really my cup of tea but I’ll listen to this album again. Number of the Beast and Run To the Hills are the obvious standouts.

Wow. That was so much more than I thought it would be.

Some pretty heavy listening for my Monday morning. It definitely sets an energy level though. Solid guitar and pounding drums really elevate this album.

Auch wenn ich diese Musikrichtung kaum mehr höre, ist das einfach gut gemachte Rockmusik - kann man nicht anders sagen.

4.25

So much nostalgia, great stuff

I would have probably never picked up this album were it not for this site. It’s just not me. But I am so glad I did. I give every album a chance and this was really good. Love the guitar and drums through the whole thing. I will probably listen to more of their albums now.

Another solid thrash metal album!

I like Iron Maiden, but it’s a band (for me) that once you’ve listened to some of their music, you’ve heard it all. Their sound signature is pretty unique and exciting. 3.5

This list is making me realize just how much I love rock, metal, punk, and any adjacent genre. They play fast, they play hard, the lyrics don’t really matter, and it rules. Number of the Beast in front of Run to the Hills is an all time back to back set of tracks.

album metal classico

I don’t really listen to classic heavy metal but enjoyed this. The guitar work is great and the lyrics are stupid, but all good fun 🤘

This is the second Iron Maiden album that has come up on my list, and again, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Yes, there is a heaviness to the sound, but the music is well-written and well-performed.

I forgot how stacked this album is! The last 5 songs are crazy good: 22 Acacia Avenue, The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, Gabgland, Hallowed be thy name! Just insane. This was the first 80s metal album that my uncle introduced me to. I thought it was so cool back then. What's not to like? Killer guitar riffs and solos, killer vocals, songs about Satan, Eddie. It's an adolescent metal fans dream band. After listening to this album, I watched the Rock in Rio concert. Seeing Eddie on stage was such a cool, new to me, thing. It's incredible how a mascot to a band really helped elevate their stage show. When I saw them live in 2005, it still blew me away. I remember having a grin on my face the whole show. I confidently say, if you're a fan of metal but do not like Iron Maiden... You're not a true metal fan.

Hard rock vibes

Toch lekker,die gitaarsolo's boven dat paardrijbasje

C'est bon, mais c'est pas tant mon style.

I realise I have given other Maiden albums short shrift. This is the one that contains their good songs. My advice is get this one and skip the other 10000 or so albums they've released (exception - that song they did for that Michael Douglas film where he gets angry about hamburgers).

Didn't expect to enjoy Iron Maiden and here we are, it's pretty good! Surprised to find out they're English

It almost feels novelty except that musically it's so well done.

Long songs. Heavy metal that isn't that heavy.

Classic older metal. Still stands up today, but doesn’t have any edge to it.

Not really into rock but was a good relatively easy listen. -B

Sounds good

Bizarre lyrics

Unexpectedly enjoyable. I don't typically think of heavy metal as being so melodic or catchy.

Better than I expected. More lyrical and meaningful than I knew.

On paper I shouldn’t like Iron Maiden as much as I do. I don’t really like heavy metal, their style isn’t really my style, and at a quick glance I’d think they are just trying too hard. But I really like them! Their songs are just fun and dark at the same time and they’re pretty dang good at what they do. The imagery is also pretty cool. The music makes me want to go workout, and I don’t usually workout. It just gets me so pumped.

Onhan tää aikamoinen heviklassikko! Erityisesti tykkään siitä että noi ilmeisimmät hitit on laitettu levyn loppuun, jolloin tän vielä jaksaa kuunnellakin mukisematta. Kyl mä oon fani. Ei sille voi mitään! 4/5

Instant save, fantastic album, can easily be 5/5 on future listens

12/29/23. Knew the famous tracks Number of the Beast and Run to the Hills coming in. Every song brings a punch with wicked vocals in a good way, and love the tempo changes on some songs. Great instrumentation as well.

Damn enjoyed it a lot more than I thought. For some reason, I thought it would be screamo, but it’s more chill. Some crazy riffs too. Vocalist is top notch

One of the leaders in metal

Immer wieder und immer noch geil

Lots of really catchy tunes in here, and some utterly badass riffs. Loads of energy. This is great. \m/

3.5. Pretty good, Brice is too operatic and dramatic for me to really get into.

Two Iron Maiden albums? I liked this one a bit more than the other.

Amazing! Heavy metal with philosophical and historical lyrics.

Znam

When this album popped up I felt a little despair. A genre I don't care for, edgy name and edgy album art. Fortunately I was pleasently surprised and once again reminded why I do this every day. Get out of my comfort zone, hear something I normally wouldn't and find out that it is pretty good.

Absolute classic, and I dont have much else to say. Very solid, though classic metal has never been super my style. Thoughts: Amazing Favorite song: The Number of The Beast

One of the ultimate heavy metal albums. Didn't quite realize all these Iron Maiden songs I knew all came from this one album. A wild pivot with a new vocalist over the original band. Powerful sounds and poignant lyrics

I like it

Never been a huge fan of Iron Maiden but I can't deny this album is pretty fucking good. Understandably iconic as well. The Number of the Beast and Run to the Hills are classic tracks but the last half of the album just slaps especially finishing with Hallowed Be Thy Name which, for me, is the standout track on the whole album

Great album, I love all of the references to other songs, movies, books. It's so much more interesting knowing the inspiration for the songs

1) like the runs up the scale with the bass and guitar. High tempo mood setter for the album. 2) definitely starts off slower, but builds up for an awesome guitar solo section. Also the chorus goes harder the more I hear it. 3) wow didn't like the song a ton at first but by the end I was digging it. Awesome guitar solo 4)didn't like this song all that much, felt rather generic. But, in the second half I enjoyed it a lot more. Felt like the switch up really brought more melodic elements and jamming from the band. 5) this song is a 5/5 for me. Definition fuck it we ball. One of my favorite chorus's. Guitar solo is epic and the bass has awesome fills throughout the song. Vocal performance is great. 6) damn banger after banger. Another all time chorus. Pretty much same review as last song 5/5. 7) the drums are nice at the start, rather jazzy. Damn after the last two songs this one just doesn't hit as hard, not a fan of the chorus, lyrics just feels slightly out of place. Vocal performance is good. Not a fan of the guitar solo. 8) wow this song is a return to form after the last one. Longer song but it didn't feel long. Felt like it fits well with the albums theme and sends it off well. Awesome vocal performance and the energy was immaculate. One of my favorite albums, but I think it's just shy of being a 5/5

Amazing album, a classic!

A classic.

Really enjoyed this one. Great metal sound.

Great album, I just don't love old metal like I used to. Still really enjoyed this one though.

I didn't think I would enjoy this album as much as I did, because this genre is not one of my top choices. However, this is everything I enjoy about this genre kind of rolled into one, so this was a pleasant surprise for me.

Thoughts before listening: This is my uncle's favorite band. I know Run to the Hills and their other hits, but I have never really listened deeply to them. I think the Satanic imagery has always made me shy away from Iron Maiden, but I am always surprised that their music isn't really all that dark. Review: Yeah...this is good. Its a really fun listen with upbeat tempos, cool guitar riffs, and walking basslines. Also vocals that are actually sung instead of being growled like a lot of metal bands. Bruce Dickinson is almost operatic in his delivery and it adds a certain epic quality to these songs that is often missing with most modern metal bands. I certainly prefer this to something like Sepultura that I have listened to from the 1,001 Album list. Run to the Hills is such a great song and really stands out on this album. The galloping pace makes for a fun listen and that same intensity is used throughout the album. Other highlights include The Prisoner, The Number of the Beast, and Hallowed Be Thy Name...and all of these are considered staples of the metal genre for good reason. I am happy to add all of these songs to the playlist.

This is just so good, had this tape when I was younger, but didn’t really appreciate it back then. Over the years I’ve grown into a bigger Iron Maiden fan, appreciating the songwriting and technical musicianship they bring to the table. This album isn’t my favourite Maiden album although it has 2 of my all time favourites (Children of the Damned, Hallowed by thy Name). Very solid 4+

Damn, that sound is big.

Insane guitar solos throughout, classic metal overdriven tone. Powerful vocals, overall a great metal album.

Don't listen to metal normally but enjoyed it. Actually forced my mum to listen to it as I felt the car ride from grandma's house was appropriate album listen time. Mum weirdly enough also didn't mind it....

The high points are so high. These guys owned the NWoBM.

A classic metal record but it never really amazed me. Maybe it’s because of the theatrical style.

oh my god. sexiest guitar ive heard in a while. absolute joyride, loved it from top to bottom. 4.5/5

There is no doubt that this is a really solid metal album, but would I ever put this on for enjoyment? Absolutely not. I can appreciate it, though!

Slowly working through the 1001 albums list, I know so many of these songs on this album, but I don't know if I ever listened to the full album. I thought the same with their self titled album at #21 (the random generator didn't separate these two albums very well). As I am a metal fan, I never really spent to much time in the 80's, but I like that there were elements of progressive metal here. I have to say Bruce Dickinson is a better leave vocalist over Paul Di'Anno, which made this so much more worth listening to. I honestly wasn't looking forward to this album, I don't know if it's just an aversion to 80's metal, but this turned to be an amazing album, the musicianship really makes this album. Standouts: Invaders, Children of the Damned, The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, Hallowed Be Thy Name

A great, early entry from a formidable force in the heavy metal world. Not my favorite Maiden album, but some incredible classics on here. The musicianship is amazing. I will also love their solos and the bass player is incredible.

I never gave iron maiden a fair shake i guess. Run to the hills is excellent if depressing.

I don’t really listen to metal, but I fuck with it when I do hear it. You really can’t go wrong with angry singing and sweet ass electric guitar.

The uncle saga continues, with this album also being an unexpected solid heavy metal release that I definitely underestimated in passing. Perhaps not as good as the debut, in my opinion, but this still definitively rocks, and I really need to open myself up to more Iron Maiden, especially when fans don't even consider either of the inclusions here the best the group has to offer.

Great drum parts. Thought i wasn’t going to like it but it’s like a heavier rush, really enjoyed a lot of the songs. Maybe i like metal?

First listen Saved 6/8 Top track: Hallowed Be Thy Name

Never listened to the full album before, but loved it! Lots of energy and it was fun :)

Hell yeah! Had to drag my vinyl copy out of the rack for today. The album on a whole is pretty damn good.

Good riffs. Short and catchy.

Second half of the album is much stronger than the first. Number of the Best, Run to the Hills, and Hallowed be thy Name are all classic Maiden. 4/5

I never really listened to Iron Maiden (at least knowingly) and I probably should have. I am a pretty decent fan of power metal, and I just figured they were a different genre of Metal that I didnt like. man was I wrong. This was pretty good, and such an influence on bands I love. I also did not realize they did Run for the Hills, which is a song I enjoy quite highly. Good stuff.

this may be the first album i've recognized, and also know there's a song on here i've heard before. that is to say, this is gonna be a great time. i'll be talking about the 1982 version (original studio recording), not the 1995 reissue, nor the 1998 remaster, nor the 2015 remaster, nor the 2022 anniversary release. expect vibes, ye who enter here. track 1, Invaders: starting off with strong and fast energy, 8.5/10 track 2, Children of the Damned: a little repetitive, but still good. 7/10 track 3, The Prisoner: the guitar-only section goes on a little long for my tastes but still a good song. 7.5/10 track 4, 22 Acacia Avenue: the faster and slower sections help to avoid there being any particular part of the song that's too long, 8/10 SIDE TWO track 5, The Number of the Beast: aw yeah, here it is, and the titular track as well! i remember playing this song countless times in Guitar Hero and it's still good. 10/10 track 6, Run to the Hills: another great song i recognize, i believe this one was also in guitar hero. holds up amazingly. 9.5/10 track 7, Gangland: nice and fast the whole time, nothing really to say. 8/10 track 8, Hallowed Be Thy Name: also fast, good energy, 8/10 overall: 8.3/10 -> 4/5 while most of the album isn't particularly memorable to me, all of these songs are good or better. definitely worth the listen, and especially for Number of the Beast and Run to the Hills

Great album, very cinematic

This album really build in terms of momentum and song quality. By the time you hit the number of the beast, you are flying, and the last four songs just haul ass. Hallowed be thy name, a top 5 metal song??

3.9. 4th best maiden album for me. Run to the hills and NOTB are obviously all-timers.

Iron maiden more like iron slayden

I’m probably going to upset someone but the lead singer sounds just like Jack Black. Bruce Dickinson can fucking sing, dude is giving it his all every note. The background music is so clean its upsetting. The bass, the guitar and drums are so in sync on every song. My foot did not stop moving the entire album. Run to the hills brings back great memories of playing guitar hero/rock band and is such a fucking banger. My only issues are that the songs do start to sound very similar and I cannot understand half what is being sung. 7/10

It’s not that catchy or something, but I really like this record. It just sounds so cool and energetic. And I don’t even know what’s really happening in the lyrics, but the theme and concept of this album is sooo classic. Children of the Damned sound really like Fade To Black from Metallica by the way.

Once I brought this CD to (Catholic) school and nearly got sent home because of the cover art. Invaders: Seems like they could've come up with a more epic album opener, but this is pretty good anyway. Children of the Damned: Bruce Dickinson wails on this track like on no other here, but the song is just too mid-tempo and never really picks up steam. They couldn't come up with a better chorus than repeating the song title four times? The Prisoner: I guess this is about the show since it has that clip at the start. This one is pretty great, and has the most anthemic chorus on the whole album. 22 Acacia Avenue: This song is just okay and it's really annoying that I always get it stuck in my head for days after a listen. The Number of the Beast: Okay, so Side A was pretty good, but Side B is where we really start cooking. Like so many heavy metallers, Iron Maiden has a delightfully devilish song about the denizens of hell. Unlike so many heavy metallers, the protagonist in this one is frightened the whole time. Love the bass line in the bridge. Run to the Hills: I have to assume that the band didn't choose systematic historical Native American extermination as a song topic for public awareness purposes, but rather because it sounded grisly and edgy... it's also a pretty unique topic in metal for the time AFAIK. Oh also the song absolutely chugs - really a quintessential example of the NWOBHM here. Gangland: This is the only dud on Side B - lame riff, generic lyrics, and Bruce just sounds kinda whiny on the chorus. Hallowed Be Thy Name: Another all-time metal classic, and about the best way they could have closed the album. I feel like they knew they had a bitchin' riff and that it would be a shame to interrupt it with a traditional chorus or a ton of vocals, and that was the right decision.

fun

Thank God this is way better than Kendrick Lamar. This album was a lot of fun, love it

metal is not the time of music i tend to listen to, kinda lame not gonna lie. but this thing slaps, i think its the dynamic of the bass and the double guitars breaking time. anyway, its not the kind of album ill listen to multiple times, but its definetely an experience and something to remember whenever the thought of music cross my mind. also i like the fact that this vocalist doesnt sing in the highest pitch known to mankind and doenst scream like an eagle.

Good album! Some fun songs.

This is one hell of a metal album. I feel like I've underappreciated Iron Maiden as a fan of more modern metal, listening through this was a treat. Run to the Hills and Number of the Beast are iconic. 4/5

This is Iron Maiden’s best album. Their signature galloping guitar grounds the album against Bruce Dickinson’s soaring and powerful vocals. The lyrics deal with themes of violence and freedom with a good dose of dark imagery thrown in for good measure. The songs themselves are very well crafted and hit their emotional marks well.

Metal is totally not my thing - I usually find it tedious and unvaried. So I was surprised to find this album to be (despite the scary cover and name and reputation) downright fun and upbeat? It's still not my thing but there are some driving beats and catchy tunes here. I can see why teenagers loved it. And the controversy alone merits its place on the list. So despite myself, 4/5.

I really like Iron Maiden the heavy metal band, if I am in the right mood! Like cleaning my house. or mowing the lawn. Some of the songs are too much, but overall, I would give this 4 stars!

So So Good.

I didn't know what I was getting into with this one and liked it way more then I thought I would. Today I saw a great picture from inside the state capital building in Des Moines Iowa. The Temple of Satan was allowed to put up a display alongside a nativity scene or whatever other religious items. The Mark of the Beast made me think about that. I kept trying to remember where I'd heard "run for the hills" before, that's a good one and the album finished strong with "Hallowed be thy name." Hail Satan!

I liked this album more before I noticed how bad the lyrics are. Has some good songs, like Run to the Hills, and some weaker ones, like Invaders. Overall it's pleasant to listen to and has one of Iron Maiden's best songs in Hallowed Be Thy Name. Stand-out: Hallowed Be Thy Name

Geweldig rock album, niet mijn genre maar gvd goed. Nooit echt goed naar iron maiden geluisterd maar Kan dit erg waarderen

Cool, not amazing

This album rocks hard!! The one word that came to mind was "fun."

Hell Yeah, Brother

Iron Maiden Heavy Metal 1982 Standouts: Number of the Beast, Run to The Hills Others: Children of the Damned, The Prisoner, 22 Arcadia Avenue, Gangland Very good. 3.75

It was nostalgic

Great album. A few drag moments but the start and finish is strong. I’ve loved this album for a long time, not my favorite IM album but still very enjoyable.

Great album although Power slave is the better Iron Maiden album

This one time at my favourite nightclub, they played Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus which references Iron Maiden and the song that immediately followed was Run to the Hills. In that moment, the vibes were immaculate.

Run to the hills

Uno de los discos más emblemáticos del Heavy Metal. La potente voz de Bruce Dickinson, sumada a las intrincadas composiciones de la banda, dieron nacimiento a una nueva corriente del género, marcando un precedente técnico y estético. Sin duda, un indispensable para cualquier fanático del “género más pesado”.

Great album, in recent years i have listened to heavier music e.g. Metalica, SOAD…. But always wanted to listen to more and always forgot but im so happy this album is on here because I truly enjoyed it the vocals are incredible with such a wide scale and the instruments are all so tight great listen.

Unfortunately I don’t listen to a lot of heavy metal music . Good , but not my typical genre. Glad to try something new.

Iron Maiden were really onto something in the 80s, they have what, 7 albums in a row that are all great listens. Pretty incredible. I'm always a big lover of metal that can appreciate the bass guitar, and it's prominent throughout this album to my delight. I remembered the singles of course, but the rest was surprisingly solid too, and at a tight 40 minutes and 8 tracks they make sure not to stick around for too long. When an album ends with a song like Hallowed Be Thy Name it's hard not to leave with a super positive impression.

VITTU JAU! On kova levy.

En oo koskaan lämmenny Iron Maidenille ja nyt ekaa kertaa ku kuuntelin kokonaisen albumin, nii täytyy sanoo, että ymmärrän mistä hype. Hauska ja toimiva levy. Ollaan flow’n ytimessä.

Great hard rock to just bang your head to.

Certified banger 8/10

Never been a huge Maiden fan as I grew up with less cheesey, heavier metal. But I love some of these songs. It's just my first pick.

La voix du chanteur est ce qui se démarque pour moi. Rythmes incessants, guitare déchaînée. Plus grand que nature.

This was interesting. I'm not sure I'm the biggest fan of the lead singers voice, and for me that plays a big role in album enjoyment.

Classic bought it on tape when it came out

Not as heavy as I thought it would be. Musically sound. Great lyrics.

Good solid album. loved the vocals and the guitar

Don’t like metal but this really impressed me, guitar parts were as strong as hell, didn’t really like the voice and the lyrics were the most random thing known to man but I don’t know if that’s a bad thing or not.

I remember when this came out and how much it pissed off the religious right. Yet, the religious right is far more evil than anything on this album. Some solid metal here. I do think Powerslave is Maiden's best album though but still, this one does cook.

I have been enjoying the Iron Maiden on the list. I think this is less musically interesting than their self-titled, which remains my favourite. It's still a great collection of bops though

8 British rock bangers

Not my favourite Maiden album, but listening to it this time around was the first time I ever really 'got' it - really enjoyed

This album rips. Steve Harris’ bass playing is so next level it deserves a listen with some good headphones.

gangland vale pico

Starts off kinda clunky but by "22 Acacia Avenue" it finds its stride. The intro to "The Prisoner" is *chef's kiss*. And, of course, "The Number of the Beast" and "Run to the Hills" are bangers. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" is the perfect ending.

Classic metal album deserves its place on the list, this starts so strong and is one of maidens best, but a couple of dud songs near the end stops it getting full marks

Not really my genre, but I get the appeal and I did enjoy parts of it.

Dette kicker!

4.0

Favourite tracks: invaders; children of the damned; 22 acacia avenue; number of the beast; run to the hills; hallowed be thy name

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Hallowed Be Thy Name (8) 2 - Run to the Hills (6) 3 - The Number of the Beast (5)

Great album. First time listening to Iron Maiden. Definitely an enjoyable listen. Drums are up front and center on the songs which I love. A few favorite tracks were Children of the Damned and The Prisoner.

good

3.5; personally, I like darker sounds and lyrics, but this is good

In the running for the best heavy metal album I've ever heard. It might also be the only heavy metal album I've listened to in it's entirety. That's not a diss on the genre. I love many heavy metal songs. But albums? That makes this something of a marvel.

second iron maiden album for me, and i have to say i like this album more! my review of their debut self-titled album mentioned how great the guitar was--and i stand by that for this album, too. these guitars are killer! the final song on the album, "hallowed be thy name", in particular had some great guitar work. i wasn't upset at all. i'll admit i don't have much iron maiden knowledge, but i feel like "the number of the beast" was right up their alley in terms of theme and tone. each song connected with one another with a malignant tone, and of course iron maiden brought up demons and hell and their usual business. 🤘

This is quintessential 80s metal and I love it. The fast and tedious guitar work, the soaring, almost operatic vocals, the heavier lean into demonic and occult symbology, all of it. And really, Iron Maiden is to be thanked for a lot of that, anyway; if Black Sabbath is thought of as the "progenitor" of metal music in the 70s, then Iron Maiden was definitely a leader in progressing metal music through into the next decade, and this album is a testament to that work. Even just focusing on "The Number of the Beast" and "Run to the Hills", two of the most well known metal songs ever, demonstrates the long-lasting and transformative impact on metal music that this band and album had. Also, up until this album, Iron Maiden had trouble in maintaining a lead vocalist, and therefore experienced trouble in establishing a vocal foundation for their band. This is Maiden's first album to feature iconic lead singer Bruce Dickinson, an inclusion which led to songwriting that was tailored toward his style. Ultimately, I believe his unique vocals were also paramount in cementing this band's fame. His vocals were also iconic in the progression of the metal movement, as many people would go on to mimic or be inspired by his voice. What a shining star this album is in metal music history. This is simply one of the all-time absolute best metal albums, and just an outstanding album in general.

I can't help but wonder whether the Christian groups burning their records were aware of how much that probably helped their album sales. For the rest of us, the skill of these performers is obvious and it's easy to get sucked into the fantasy of this music. It's great escapism.

Itss Iron Maiden, Ive heard pretty much all of the album before but I had never sat down and fully listened it. I dont really know what to say about it so yeah I like it a lot. 7,5/10

What a banger!

Very hair metal. Good bellowing on some and machine gun lyrics in others.

Not an Iron Maiden fan, but still great work!

First, what tremendous cover art! This album revels in its adolescent energy the whole way through. I've never found the cartoonish menace of Iron Maiden to actually be dark or angry, but rather as an energetic exercise in letting off some youthful steam. I love it when the guitar doubles the sung melody exactly for a phrase or two. Simple and simplistic, but, for some reason, perfectly joyful when Iron Maiden does it. Repetitive music and lame lyrics? Sure. But still a solid choice if you are looking for a dose energy working out, on a road trip, cleaning the house, getting a party started, or, ideally, when rolling for initiative before a pitched D&D battle.

Listening to this in 2023, this sounds like a cosplay of heavy metal. Spinäl Täp vibes, you know? But I realize I'm living in a post-*this* world.

Pretty good, particularly the well known singles but everything else is also solid. Enjoyed it. 3.5 rounded to 4.

CHILDREN OF THE DAAAAAMNED!! I'm gonna give this a 4, only cuz I'm reserving 5 stars for albums that become an important part of my life/attitude/personality. But I'd give this 4 and a half easily. Also, this might be the best rock bass album ever made. The bottom line: The Number Of The Beast is heavy metal perfected. (At least until Metallica shows up)

Marked as the arrival of Bruce Dickinson as the band's new lead singer, and hailed as one of the most influential metal albums of all time. The title track, "The Number of the Beast," is the most well-known song on the album, and for good reason. It features a memorable riff and Dickinson's soaring vocals, as well as lyrics that explore themes of religion, temptation, and evil. "Run to the Hills," "Hallowed Be Thy Name," and "Children of the Damned," are also tracks that showcases the band's musicianship and songwriting abilities. Something that makes "Number of the Beast" so memorable is the way it blends heavy metal with elements of prog rock and classical music. The album features complex arrangements, intricate guitar solos, and even a spoken-word section on the track "The Prisoner." Additionally, the album's production is top-notch, with each instrument and vocal track clearly defined in the mix. This album is an iconic piece of metal history and well deserved on the list.

One of their best albums, but still kind of silly and overwrought.

Brilliant album

Pretty sick album, some of the best Iron Maiden has to offer.

It's a great Iron Maiden album, Bruce is superlative and the choons just keep coming.

I've never listened to Iron Maiden so this was my first exposure to them and I enjoyed it. It's the kind of metal I can stand which good melodies and listenable vocals. Although thinking about it more, is this really metal? It reminds me a lot of Rainbow with the heavy guitars. I guess that's metal? In comparison to the other metal albums on this list, it's the least "metal" so far in my view.

HELL YEAHHHHHHH!!!!!! THIS IS REAL METALL NONE OF THAT BABY STUFF Solid album it's really good.

It's obvious they try.

Didn’t expect to like this, but what can I say? When something kicks ass, it kicks ass.

absolutely an all-timer even if the live versions of some these songs (or at least hallowed be thy name) blow the album versions out of the water

Fun, a lot less transgressive today than in the earlier eighties

So silly.

I dug it. Feels a bit cheesy at first, but once you get in the mood, it rocks. Very influential on some of my favorite metal bands in the later 80s.