The Number Of The Beast

Vocal stylings are certainly dated, but instrumentals are less so. Not my style but not too bad.

Great thrash..... (Metallica is still my favorite 😜)

Hell yeah

English 80s metal. Vocals are just perfect, theatrical and clear, everything is mixed well. Loong songs. Does what it set out to do very well.

Great album!

Unbelievably kick-ass album. Heavy metal is so much better when the musicians are obsessed with sci-fi and fantasy instead of slasher movies. Best song: Hallowed Be Thy Name

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.

Pretty awesome. Especially "Run to the Hills".

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

7 of 9 tracks are certified classics.

What I expected.. not quite melodic enough for my liking.

rockin!

White musicians do this thing where they write songs about the Native American genocide & try to make it sad and meaningful but also kind of glorify it because they don't want to feel too bad. I'm over it. The rest was fine.

I would not be doing this list if not for Iron Maiden, it was at their concert that music clicked for me and became my biggest hobby. This album is amazing. Bruce has a great debut and the storytelling is some of the best Steve has to offer. Iconic screams (title track, Run to the Hills, Hallowed), iconic drums (The Prisoner, Run to the Hills) shout out to Clive for his grand finale, and iconic bass Gallup (basically all). This album really bolstered the idea of each individual track telling its own story and getting lost within those worlds. It made a younger me imagine a satanic possession, question and criticize the treatment of Native Americans before school ever did, and contemplate the final moments before certain death (how would I feel and how would I evaluate my life). Just a seminal album for me and it still fucking rocks Up the Irons

Reeeeeeeal boring.

Definitely a classic metal album, very short though

Very operatic, dramatic. RUUN FOR THE HILLLLLLLS RUUN FOR YOUR LI-I-IFE

Their 3rd album. Metal / Heavy Rock. Lyrics are good at times and the themes aren't really dark at all given the album title and cover. Decent drumming and guitar licks. It's a cliche metal album though and almost a parody of the genre at times. It also gets a bit repetitive musically. I enjoyed Iron Maiden's self titled first album more.

111/1089 - Multiply the generator number by 6. Liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I think this is because Bruce Dickinson's voice is a lot cleaner than a lot of metal singers (that I've heard). Music is also quite good, tight players.

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

Ok c'est rigolo un moment mais ça a quand même salement vieilli cette affaire.

What's not to love about this album? One of the main pillars in which metal stands. Up the irons!

Includes the incredible Run to the Hills, one of my favorites - a solid album of bangers all the way through

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.

Just an all-around great metal album. Not super high tempo or too thrashy, and awesome riffs throughout.

Solid classic heavy metal from start to finish. Don't drop on your big toe.

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.

It’s classic metal, and closer to rock than a lot of stuff, which makes it more accessible. I can appreciate it but not enjoy it.

Doesnt match the vibe of the day and not something that would match any day vibes

Classic Metal album, just classic!

Heavy metal is not my favorite musical genre, although I appreciate that this record is well done for heavy metal. My expectations were low before hearing the record, but they were exceeded. Maybe I was in the proper mood.

This album cover makes me lol. I don't know if I've ever heard an Iron Maiden song before this. They sound a lot like a lot of other bands, some of whom are on this list (Rush, maybe?). But are they the leaders or followers? (Probably leaders?) Anyway, it's not doing anything for me, but it's not actively offensive. Like Muse, while there are a lot of guitars, the guitar is so constant that it doesn't upset me. Very even coverage with their noise-making. The lyrics are just silly. I never know how seriously I'm meant to take this kind of stuff. It feels kind of like the music they'd put in the English dub of a sports anime. Actually, after framing it like that, I like it a bit more. But I would simply never sit down and listen to this, so it's a 2.5 rounded down for me. Highlight: 'The Prisoner' (would fit right in to Sonic Adventure as a Sonic or Knuckles track!)

5 stars

Great record. First one with Bruce. Amazing!

One of the best metal albums of all time. All hail Iron Maiden

Not for me

Ok

A wow, dobro, očekivano. Mislim da ovo ne može biti dobro Mii starijoj od 14 god 😁 2/5,3/10

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

Better than I expected.

While I'm not a super fan of Iron Maiden or this record in specific, I can see why it's one of the most influential albums for Heavy Metal. The songs are well composed and it's a very consistent album. I liked McBrain's drumming, and while Dickinson's singing isn't my favourite, it works very well and remains iconic. In terms of themes, I liked how varied they are and how much commentary they offer, although they could be connected a bit better between each other. Also, the patronizing take in "22 Acacia Avenue" hasn't aged very well in my opinion, which is kinda sad because the song in itself is very good. My favourite song was "Run for the hills", which remains a classic, hard-hitting heavy metal with interesting (and critical) lyrics about colonialism.

This was the ultimate Iron Maiden album when I was growing up. Had a poster of the Live After Death over my bed as a 12-year-old. Funny that now I much prefer the Paul Di’Anno albums as they don’t sound as dated to me, more straight ahead raw rock. Bruce Dickinson in hindsight is a bit too opera for me, but I’ve been rediscovering an appreciation for this phase of Iron Maiden as this was them at their top.

Strong 3

Though tedious, this was not irritating. That's high praise from me for this genre.

Metal at its finest.

This is a classic metal album. Powerful vocals, rippin' guitar solos, and quick heavy riffs. This album has a couple of lesser known songs but a decent amount of hits as well. Number of the Beast and Run to the Hills are songs that I've heard many times and never get old. The gem of this album is Hallowed be thy Name, the pacing is phenomenal and the melodies/ harmonies/ solos throughout are amazing.

Love this album for over 40yrs, recently got live over Hammersmith vinyl, I saw 7 times in my youth, best gig was at Hammersmith amazing

listened at the gym, felt very RETVRN

I’m ok with metal, but it’s not a genre I listen to very often. But this album is great. Well composed/played songs and soaring vocals. I listened to it a second time to make sure that it was as good as I thought it was the first time through. It was.

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.

22 Acacia to Number of The Beast, to Run To The Hills is a hot run.

Pure metal mania. And perhaps the greatest mid-career lead singer replacement in rock history.

Its got a certain energy, but not for everyone - certainly not me

This album feels epic in a way that transcends time. If you played it for a caveman, he would still get it. Favorite track: "Run to the Hills"

Not "pure". 3/5

A little repetitive but solid

This was definitely an Iron Maiden album. I appreciate it. I love his iconic voice and the instrumentation. It does start to be a little more of the same.

Good

Didn’t hate it

Dumb, face melting heavy metal. 5 stars

Love this Album.

Much better than Coldplay

Some great songs but as an album it’s just so monotonic, instruments are the same all the way through

Another banger, I’ve listened before, really appreciate the length and quality. I think around 40 min is best for an LP. 5 out of 5

I just have nothing with Iron Maiden. This is listenable, but nothing more.

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.

Nothing groundbraking in My opinion Music from another decade

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.

My generator summary says that metal is my worst genre but I thought this was fun. Admittedly, I probably won’t listen to it again but at least I can now appreciate that Iron Maiden had the tunes as well as a knack for branding.

I think of this as heavy metal in its purest form. Listen only if you're ready to rock!

Really fun album. Not my favorite vocalist, but still pretty good stuff.

Classic album, but just an indicator of what Maiden would deliver with Dickinson. Stands great on its own. Great lyrical journeys and the instrumentation is basically flawless.

Top 3 Maiden records for me. This is non-stop bangers from start to finish. Band is in its absolute prime here!

The song with the same name rocks. Not an every day listen, but when you need to get amped, this album is perfect.

Oh No. Look as this fuxkin cover oooooh devil scawy skeweton scawy pwease wisten to my scawy songs Okay open mind open mind. Wait this isn't even that heavy. I am on my phone speaker so the bass isn't boosted but still. Musically this is good so far tbf. These lyrics however. Doing well when I'm searching if you're a parody band or not. Peewing the skin fwom his eyes raaaah . Grow up mate you're in the UK in 1982 and you're having to invent devils to be mad at? Are you a peer of the realm? Ah here's one about a prostitute. At least that's real. Again musically I'm appreciating this a lot more than I thought I would like I'm not hating this time. Do I need to stop listening to the words. I can't though the title track is like Spinal Tap stupid. I know I sound like a narc but I can't get over how lame it is sorry. I'm not saying every song has to be about something serious I love kooky shit I love david bowie singing about gay aliens. It's just the juxtaposition with the genuinely very good angry guitars and excellent voice as well actually. I would love to point that at something worthwhile. I did manage to stop hearing the words in the last couple of songs so we ended on a high. Genuinely I'm glad I listened to this i do try to keep an open mind and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the sound of it and like I appreciate that this is A Part Of Music History with a massive subculture. i just. You know. This is like four stars for the music one for the lyrics. Three? Two? Im pissed off enough to round down but that feels biased. I'll listen to a couple of songs again on a proper speaker and see how I feel with the bass boosted.

Not huge into metal, nothing was bad about it, just not for me

The definitive heavy metal album (or is that Painkiller?) by the definitive heavy metal band (or is that Judas Priest?) ...

Outstanding, just outstanding

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

A very clean and well produced album. Catchy and fast riffs. Obviously written for arenas. Not as "hard" as the art might lead you to believe. The music does feel dated and I don't know in what part of my life I would personally listen to this again. I would rate this album a 4 in terms of quality of songs and production, but for my personal tastes it's a 3 at best.

It's a great metal album My second iron maiden from the generator. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed the debut, and here I'm less surprised but enjoyed it as well. My biggest take on Maiden is the way that they all come out as great musicians without trying to show off to much (wich is my biggest problem in metal). It's 3.5 and not 4 only because of my mindset while listening. It's a part of the game. A break coming soon

Pretty fun. Swayed by Rock Band

I understand exactly why the debut and this one were picked to represent Iron Maiden on the list, but it doesn’t mean I can’t be mad that Powerslave didn’t make the cut. It’s hard for me to think about this as being metal given how far it’s come since this. Bruce Dickinson has more of a voice for Prog than for metal to me so I’m glad they decided to go in the direction they did. Invaders is probably my least favorite song here, but the back half is so great it makes up for most flaws.

Rock and Fucking Roll

Can't imagine listening to decades worth of this kind of music. I have to very much be in a ironic metal mood to listen to this. They go hard, but I had this album on in the background while I did other stuff and honestly didn't notice when the songs changed. Honestly I think the lead singers voice is sort of corny and stereotypical, but to be fair maybe his voice is the one they based all the others off of. I can objectively rate an album even if it is not my taste, but objectively i'm not getting the hype. It's fine, but not more than that.

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

TIL I don’t like iron maiden

This is a great album. It has that classic metal sound from. The early 80s. I was happy to see it today.

woohoo

Daaamn good

4 only thanks to Hallowed

Not really my thing.

Takes me back to SSX haha

Lowkey not my favorite but its not really my vibe either. Overall solid album but I dont think I would personally listen to this all the time

Very instrumental

All the songs sound the same. I guess it was kinda fun but I could probably just listen to "The Number Of The Beast" and get my fix.

Good old Maiden is here to bring some much needed energy to my day. I've liked many of their songs throughout the years At times when I'm doing some boring chore or am just in need of a kick I put on one of their songs and time flies by. I'm expecting a hell of a good time with this album, and I'm stoked to be finally listening to some metal music. Oh also this album cover slaps. Invaders I immediately notice how audible the bass is on this track, many metal tracks of the era sort of let it fall into a very supporting role. Awesome drum track. Love the energy in the guitar solos, it's just really fun. Not their catchiest chorus, but it's fine for what it is. Good. 4/5 Children of the Damned Vivid song title. Great guitar tone, has a lot of power to it. The vocals on the chorus kick ass, love how his voice contrasts the heavy distorted guitars and the crashing snares of the drums. A slower tempo structure like this puts a lot of pressure on the solos to deliver, which I think they really do. Great ending. Great. 4.5/5 The Prisoner Interesting sample. Solid instrumentation, has a pretty cool bassline, though the main guitar riff is kinda standard. Has good energy. Weak chorus. Conceptually the idea is pretty fine, but doesn't really produce that unique of a track, feels a bit formulaic. The guitar solo seems intricate and layered. Decent. 3.5/5 22 Acacia Avenue The vocals have some fun camp to them. A bit of an odd concept. Tells a story of a sex-worker, told in quite a disturbing way. Has some preachy elements to it. Instrumentally it has this rock opera-vibe going on. Interstingly composed, goes through many different phases with multiple instrumental breaks. Explores their sound pretty well. Interesting song, though the lyrical content is a bit questionable. Good. 4/5 The Number of the Beast The intro is absolutely iconic, it's just such a mood setter. Ridiculously camp in the best way. Great guitar riff. Tells this ridiculous story of devils and the fires of hell, it's strangely charming. Iconic solo. Banger. 5/5 Run to the Hills Legendary guitar riff. The opening verse absolutely slaps. The buildup to the chorus has such an infectious energy to it. Then the chorus comes in being absurdly catchy. The lyrics themeing themselves around the horrors of colonization is such a choice, really elevates the track by adding some meaning to it. Fantastic drum performance. Iconic solo. Banger. 5/5 Gangland Keeps up with the energy from the previous tracks. The verses feel a bit aimless, and the chorus lacks some punch. Instrumentally the track does it's job pretty well, the bassline is really bouncy and the main guitar riff sets a good foundation. Lyrically it's fine, just wish it did a bit more with the gang violence concept. Still got me moving, though it's hard to be the track that has to follow up the previous two. Good. 4/5 Hallowed Be Thy Name Another stunning intro. Great groove. The vocal performance here really knocks your socks off. Adding that to the superb guitar playing and you have a great foundation for an amazing track. The lyrics are such a clear inspiration to later bands, highlighting the religious themes and the questioning. Add in the themes of death and you've got some iconic lyrics. Amazing ending, the vocals coming back after the kick ass instrumental really seals off the song and the album tremendously. Banger. 5/5 It might not be the most sophisticated thing in the world, and you're not gonna get introspective, reflective or deeply personal experiences from it. What you are gonna get is a great classic heavy metal album which in its accessiblity and infectious energy delivers 40 minutes of pure condensed fun. And part of that success comes from how they write kick ass songs about things they genuinely find interesting. Invasions and genocide, sci-fi concepts, themes of religion and death as well as more current socital issues such as violence against women and gang violence. The topics are generally quite heavy, though presented in such a way which never comes across as unserious, and doesn't drag down the energy of the album. Some of the ways they present these topics are genuinely quite bold for the time. They draw from these themes well and implement them into their explosive sound adding some real edge and power to it. The vocals are amazing throughout, delivering lines with passion for the craft and a little bit of delicious 80's metal camp. Pair that with the gripping guitars, powerful, sharp drumming and basslines that have you nodding along, and you get an album which keeps the listener entertained all the way to the end. This is a timeless piece of music which still sounds great to this day. 5/5 Fave track. Run to the Hills Least fave track. N/A

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.

Ничего особенного. Стандартный хэви-метал.

I could really see mounting an epic D&D campaign to this if I was born in 1972.

Honestly felt like it should've packed more of a punch based on the name. Only got through about half of it - was not super my thing but wasn't unlpleasant.

IM makes the uk cool lol

Did not enjoy for some reason. I think I just don’t like 80’s rock much. The songs are too formulaic and have nothing interesting going on. Coll guitar riffs but I don’t enjoy the singing style. It was a chore to get through one song.

it was fine. kinda fun but very repetitive. Feel like all the songs were just loops they played OVER and OVER

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

invaders- 4 children of the damned- 4 the prisoner- 4 22 acacia avenue- 3 the number of the beast- 4 run to the hills- 3 gangland- 3 hallowed be thy name- 3 do you think they sat down in the studio and said "lets make the most boring album people have ever heard"

Three stars is generous but I give them credit for helping create the genre.

I have a soft spot for the satanic schtick and operatic metal. Almost a 5 for me but happy with a solid 4.

'Fear of the Dark' is the only Iron Maiden song I absolutely adore. The album is an absolute classic of the heavy metal genre, but it's just not for me.

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

Hell yeah. As metal as it gets.

4/5 Tää on tuttu levy. Toimii.

Fuck yes

6.5/10 Solid riffs, good musicianship, honestly only kinda half listened while working.

Honestly really enjoyed this, I'd listened to a couple of songs previously but the whole album seems to be great.

This isn’t for me, but I’m glad I heard it. The lyrical content, particularly the sudden wild appearance of The Prisoner, had me rather confused and pleasantly surprised.

Alright, I did a grimace when I saw this come up as I have no urge to listen to Iron Maiden. I'm currently halfway through and it's not as bad as I was expecting, but it is kind of funny to me that this is considered dark and masculine when it mostly comes across as extremely camp.

Be excellent to each other. Party on, dudes!

It has many huge, operatic, energetic jams that will make you bang your head, but as a whole, it can be pretty exhaustingly repetitive. You could easily pull out any of these songs and have it be a perfectly good addition to your metal playlist, but I frankly grew a bit tired listening to it as an album. The lyrics and vocal performances are quite corny and over the top, which works better for me on some songs, but not all. As far as metal goes, Iron Maiden is not my preferred flavor. Favorite Tracks: Run to the Hills

Let's get a few personal nitpicks I have out of the way. Could this album have been sequenced a bit better? My answer is yes. I can imagine the album would have improved if they had included "Total Eclipse" instead of "Gangland" and had the title track open the album instead of "Invaders". That doesn't change how much I thoroughly enjoy these tracks, but yes, the album order would have better reflected what the band was going for. Would it have been preferred if they had chosen a later Iron Maiden album for inclusion on this list? I would also say yes. I consider Nicko McBrain's role as drummer on Piece of Mind onwards as the final key in unlocking the band's full potential. That said, Clive Burr was no slouch behind the kit, as his drumwork on this album is still top notch. Plus, I can recognize that The Number of the Beast was the album that broke Iron Maiden into a more global phenomenon, and thus, its inclusion in this list is warranted. With those nitpicks out of the way, The Number of the Beast still holds up remarkably well today. All the other trademarks of Iron Maiden are present on this release - Steve Harris’s galloping bass, the dual melodic guitar work of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, and Bruce Dickinson’s operatic vocals. The songs they wrote and composed with all these elements in play sounded grandiose and epic. Whether it's the encounter with the devil in one's nightmares on the title track, the genocide of active Americans by the hand of European settlers on "Run to the Hills", the plight of the "The Prisoner" in an adaptation of the British TV show of the same name, the slow-burn ballad "Children of the Damned" that crescendoes as the telepathic children are killed, or the gloom final hours until one's execution captured on the closing "Hallowed Be Thy Name", there's a rich dramatization that purveys throughout this album with the stories told. I love The Number of the Beast as an Iron Maiden fan, and it was such a joy to hear it again on this journey. Up the irons!

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 enjoyed it. Better than the self titled one. Don't have the energy to express more.

6...6 6.... THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST!

Never got into this genre of metal, I think partly because of the satanic aspect. Not that I believe they’re actually satanists; it’s just a gimmick. But I ain’t messing around with that. Also, the screaming vocals never did it for me. It gets old fast. Yesterday I got Rust in Peace by Megadeath. Definitely more my style of metal.

Timeless

Amazing music and an even better album cover. Unreal

Liked it more than I thought

I didn't know I needed this in my life. Would relisten

Already a big yes! I know I love this one. It's still a winner

The greatest band in the world!

I don't think I have ever listened to any Iron Maiden. So, okay, not as bad as I thought it would be. Not my favorite, but I guess not what I expected.

I truely believe it’s a metal masterpiece and an excellent depiction of its era. However, listening to it in 2025 I can’t help but think it’s theatre rock- it could and should be a Broadway musical. High energy and extremely animated. A good way to start the day, adds 2.5x speed to whatever you’re doing.

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.

I've really been into guitar rock/metal lately so I thought I would probably like this album. I didn't like it, and I think the reason is that it sounds way too perfectly-produced and tame. It's not raw or energetic, which is what I enjoyed about a lot of the classic metal I've heard on this list so far. Still not terrible.

Santa merda

Hallowed be thy name pushed this to 5 stars for a 4 star album. Favorite track: Hallowed be thy name other picks: children of the damned, number of the beast

"The Number of the Beast" is the third album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was their first album with vocalist Bruce Dickinson and their last album with drummer Clive Burr. There was controversy at the time of its release due to the religious references in its artwork and title track's lyrics. The album was produced by Martin Birch. Other bandmembers included Dave Murray (guitar), Adrian Smith (guitar) and Steve Harris (bass and primary songwriter). Commercially, it hit #1 in the UK and #33 in the US and, critically, it was very well-received. Quick drums, a rolling melodic bass and fast guitar riffs open "Invaders." Dickinson thundering, soaring vocals arrive. The music is at thrash metal speeds. It's a song about Vikings raiding the British Islands. "Children of the Damned" was inspired by the films "Village of the Damned" and "Children of the Damned." There's slower drums and a more sludgy vibe. An explosive guitar solo and that would not be the last on the album. The title track "The Number of the Beast" begins with actor Barry Clayton reading a passage from the Book of Revelation, a guitar riff and Dickinson singing several verses and letting out a blood curling yell "Yeahhhhh!" The whole band kicks in...melodic and driving bass, drums and guitars, hooks and multiple thrash metal guitar solos. Yeah, this song rocks. It was inspired, so to say, by Steve Harris' nightmares after watching "Damien: Omen II." The band doesn't let up as they roll into "Run to the Hills." A galloping beat as Dickinson's sings about a battle between Native American and European settlers from both points of view. Catchy vocal choruses as Dickinson's shows off his octave range and powerful voice. Another metal classic. The album closes with "Hallowed Be Thy Name." Heavy bass and drums and you really hear the Black Sabbath influence. Dickinson singing about a prisoner being taken to the gallows. When you're in a heavy metal bad and all else fails just sing about being taken to the gallows and it will work out. Actually, a really good song: a repeating guitar riff as the song speeds up. For the most part, this is relentless, driving music with plenty of melodic riffs, hooks and vocal choruses. There's tempo changes. Harris' bass is a force as are Dickinson's vocals. As a first reaction the music reminded me of a mix of Black Sabbath, thrash metal and some prog rock with the beat changes. Ultimately, Maiden has forged their own style. This is a great album and surely up there with the best heavy metal albums of all time.

A milestone in Hard Rock. Wow

As a personal rule, I don't like metal, but for some reason I love Iron Maiden, can't explain it but I'm gonna give it full marks!

Accessible heavy metal. Rocks hard but doesn't grate on your nerves. I dig it.

Classic Iron Maiden album!

An unexpected winner for me. I don’t know what it was about the combination of instruments, lyrics, and delivery, but the sum felt greater than its parts. I enjoyed the energy of this album and hearing some of the big hits made it really come together. I don’t know if I would like the rest of their catalog, but this album crushed it for me.

grew up on this album, but will give it a full listen

Good in parts.

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.

Really enjoyed this.

I prefer a copper broad

first listen great vocalist, i still find it hard to take heavy metal seriously

I remember dismissing Iron Maiden in the ‘80s. This was the first Iron Maiden album I’ve listened to the end. I don’t think I’ll listening to another one. I did laugh when I saw a note that the British public in 2012 voted this as the greatest album of all time.

Iron Maidens continued appeal continues to allude me. But not the most horrible thing I've heard. 2.5*

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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

Don't think I'll actually listen to this again but it was kinda fun

Ok, lite lökigt.

2.5

A longtime five star album for me, as far back as high school. My only gripe with the album is I always thought sides one and two should flop. There is no reason the title track and "Run to the Hills" should not open the album.... Though, "Hallowed Be Thy Name" is a perfect closer.

One of the more enjoyable types of metal to me. "Run to the Hills" is a classic. 4 stars

While there were a couple tracks I found tolerable, I'll probably never listen to this again. The guitar tones are crappy, but musically, it's okay for the most part. I just can't get past Dickinison's vocals. They're so over the top and the lyrics just sound like he's describing the plot to a fantasy RPG game. 2.5 stars.

3.5

Woe to you haters of this album, for the Devil sends the beast with wrath. Because he knows the time is short. Let him or her of them who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast for it is a human number. It is 555 because this is a 5 star album times 5 times 5. And times 5 again. (Take away 5x5x5 for Gangland and Invaders being a bit ropier than the other tracks. Add 55 again for the other tracks just being so awesome and epic)

Klassikko. Äänenlaatu yllättävän hyvä.

Nice! I've never paid attention that much to Iron Maiden. It's been a long time since I wanted to check them out. Not my favorite kind of rock but what the hell, I just want to headbang now to this album!!!

Just pure grooves. Feeling like I'm 16 again trying to impress a guy listening to Maiden only to get super into it myself hahaha

Yep. That's early 80's metal alright

It was alright

This album rocks so hard. Bruce is giving his all to every song while Steve Harris is at his best

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

Joyless, sexless incel music. There's a special place for Iron Maiden, alongside Oasis and The Osmond's, where the damage they have done to society far outweighs anything they have achieved creatively. Far from being the standard bearers of NWOBHM, they should be considered the absolute worst (give me Saxon any day of the week).

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.

This is not my kind of music at all but there really is a lot to appreciate about this album. Personally I would give it a two. But I think I’ll give it a three because it really is a good album.

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!

16-years old me would love this, 29-years old me is slightly interested\unbothered

Crazy what time does. This music is the stuff I spent my teenage years trying not to listen to even though there were more 3/4 sleeve Eddie T-shirts per capita in my rural hometown than anywhere else on the planet. I expect I secretly sang Bryan Adam’s lyrics to myself as this played in a van in the way to a hockey game or at a camp party, as some sort of mantra to calm myself and assure myself that the world was still okay). Turns out it s just hair metal, but better. And that it’s generally better than Dexys Midnight Runners or whatever tripe I was putting in my ears instead of this. Turns out this has way more staying power and is pretty okay. Check out Tanya Taqak’s cover of “Run for the Hills”…

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.

What can I say? - The seed of a whole genre, of a whole musical language.

Just an all time classic. Peak British metal.

Title track and run for the hills are great, rest is mid. I get it's influential or whatever but there's much better Metal/hard rock out there. The vocals are phenomenal though.

I have had a passing relationship with Iron Maiden over the years. My uncle gave me Deep Purple in Rock, from which I built a record collection that included the classical, blues, jazz and soul influences in Purple’s music, but was very much geared to the heavier side of ‘70s rock. So, when a friend turned up with Metal for Muthas, the NWOBHM sampler which included two Iron Maiden tracks, as well as a pre-Maiden Bruce Bruce (Dickinson) with Samson, I was interested enough to look out for IM’s first album when it was released later that year. And that, I think is the only Maiden album I own. I liked the punky metal with Paul Di’Anno’s vocals. I listened to Number of the Beast when it came out, and I saw, and enjoyed, Maiden at Reading ‘82. I just didn’t love them. I have dipped in and out over the years, and occasionally, I do a deep dive. I have listened to almost everything they have released, have seen them live again recently (it was excellent) and, even if I cannot say they are one of my favourite bands, I do respect them. I joke that Steve Harris is like the old blues singer on In Living Color - I wrote a song about it, like to hear it? Here it goes…- in that he really wears his influences on his sleeve, or in his titles. This album has a song inspired by Children of the Damned called “Children of the Damned”, and one by the ‘60s TV series The Prisoner (“The Prisoner”). Later we get lots of similarly, literal inspirations. But listening today, I hear a tighter, more varied album than I remembered. I can hear Ritchie Blackmore and, especially, UFO/Michael Schenker influences in the guitar playing and, even this early, indications of the proggier sounds that would come in later. Dickinson does have a good voice, obviously influenced by Ian Gillan; he would become more nuanced as he got older - he tends to use Gillan's high register Highway Star voice 90% of the time on this album. But no matter, I really enjoyed this and it is incredibly influential.

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!

one of my all time faves

No.

This is no not my kind of music.

The album that broke Maiden in America and it's not hard to see why. It's heavy, it's packed with riffs and loaded with melody. Steve Harris' fingers must be on fire with how quickly he plays bass on some tracks. Clive Burr on drums brings an almost jazzy infectious beat to the rhythm section on his last appearance on a Maiden album. Then there's Bruce Dickinson - for my money the greatest heavy metal vocalist of all time - who replaces Paul Di'Anno from the previous two albums. What Bruce lacks in the rawness that Paul had, he more than makes up for with his operatic style vocals. He certainly earned the nickname "The Air Raid Siren". Every track is a killer. There are some tracks that open with pace, some slower tracks, catchy singalong riffs and choruses that work so well in a live setting. This album has everything you could want in a classic metal album. I've heard the title track too many times but it's still a fantastic song. The scream Bruce lets out is iconic, cool riff, blistering solos. 'Run To The Hills' is radio friendly but to no detriment. How Bruce manages to sing that high is a mystery, the bass is so quick. 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' is the epic of the album. A gloomy, ominous intro with a gong opens the track before the melodic ear worm of a riff kicks in. The back and forth guitar solo duel is one of the best in Maiden's catalogue. The jazzy feel of the drums and instrumental that follows makes you want to head bang before Bruce wails out the title of the track again. Perfection in seven minutes. This is an easy five stars and it's not even Maiden's best. I'd probably put it mid table in the list of 17 studio albums they've made. So if you enjoy this, I implore you to delve deeper into their discography. Up The Irons.

\m/\m/

Listenable but not my jam

Loved it. Bruce Dickinson has one of the greatest voices in metal

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“.

Some all-time classics (of the genre) on here, obviously. But, as with all metal, after a while it just all becomes TOO MUCH for me. Too much high-pitched singing and screaming, too much drama and theater, too much grandiose battle imagery, just a little too much of everything. I just can't take this stuff seriously, hard as I might try.

Old school metal. No complaints.

Grandios! Zwar nicht das beste Album, aber trotzdem sehr gut!

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.

LIke it's fine but idrgaf

Раніше скептично ставився до цієї групи, але вникнувши в тематику текстів та послухавши цей альбом, можу сказати що недооцінював цю групу, хоча й вона не є моїм фаворитом

Amazing!

Brought back some great memories for me, but my son just found it kind of boring with no “great” tracks to redeem it.

Ihan passelia musiikkia, mikään ei yhtä poikkeusta lukuun ottamatta jäänyt sen enempää mieleen.

What a record. Bruce Dickinson's first with the band, and the first in the Unholy Trilogy. The whole album rips, but standout tracks are "Invaders", "The Prisoner", the title track, "Run to the Hills", and "Hallowed Be Thy Name".

Obviously hugely influential, and there's a lot to like. Catchy melodies, fun riffs, really great. A bit cheesy for me.

Never liked heavy metal. Musicianship is undeniable, but it doesn't do anything for me.

Already at the first song "Invaders", it has some old school heavy metal vibe. Considering that I've listened to Metallica in the past, it has some genre similarity. Not exactly the same, but in the same ballpark range. Considering I don't listen to metal music anymore, It's not too annoying yet not too bad. As I thought, as I listen to "Children of the Damned" it has audible similarity to Metallica's song. With maybe a slightly it's own unique twist of metal. So far, the 2nd song is really good. 3rd song sounds like the last 2 songs, with somewhat repetitive patterns in sound which is not something I really like. 4th song, already sounds better than the previous ones. Sounds more original, and not too bad. 5th track sounds pretty good overall. 6th song sounds very good already at the start, if a bit noisy. Not too bad. 7th song sounds quite okay, with some similarities to some of the other first songs in the album with some of it's own spark. 8th and last song already starts to sound like funeral vibes, and then progresses to something more epic and better. Overall the best song in the album so far in my opinion. If I had to rate the album, it would be a 6/10.

The Number of the Beast is in my opinion the best metal album in the non-Metallica category. Packed full of great guitar riffs. Run to the Hills is a masterpiece of galloping guitar. I’ll never figure trying to play it on Rockband in college. 7.7/10

Iron maiden with nice vocals , yap sign me up …. hard metal continued to grow on me . The transitions are well done and the vibe is clear … F THE SYSSSTEM

Fav: 22 Acacia Avenue Least Fav: Hallowed Be Thy Name Just like the traditional Iron Maiden we see in pop culture, I assumed that a good metal album was a myth, but Iron Maiden the band have proven me wrong. Maybe metal isn’t so bad after all

Blistering beautiful brilliance. Not just some of the hardest, but some of the prettiest rock ever.

3.75

Either you like Iron Maiden or not. I do and it's one of their greatest albums.

amazing

Des hits, du fromages. Pas plate pantoute.

C'est moins pire que ce que j'imaginais! C'est presque bon.

Fucking ridicule. Bonne prod. 8 reprises de The Knife de Genesis.

Fairly good

this was genuinely not good like i did not like this at all.... it was just bad

3.5 Some incredible moments but some filler moments

Fun

Iron Maiden is one of those bands I've heard of, but never really listened to. A little soft to be considered "metal" but it was decent music nonetheless. Favorite Song: "Children Of The Damned".

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.

Worth an occasional spin, but not my favorite form of metal.

I never really got into Maiden, preferring other metal artists in the 80s. This is fine, it just doesn't do much for me.

我贼 有点不敢听 听了以后其实还好，但一般情况下我是不会听这种的

Can take it or leave it.

My introduction to metal.

Not really my style of music usually, but this was actually not too bad! Wouldn't mind listening to it again, even if I won't seek it out directly myself.

This album sounds like if David Bowie made metal in the 1980s. It's fine, if not a little boring. Best Songs: The Number of the Beast, Hallowed Be Thy Name Worst Songs: 22 Acacia Avenue, Gangland

Das war überraschend gut - keine schlechten Lieder und Children of The Damned gefällt mir sehr gut

not bad

Exactly what metal should be. A little bit angry, a little bit silly, soaring vocals and bass that feels like it's going to rearrange your intestines. 5 stars for the sheer power of the vocals on "Run to the Hills" followed by the terrific drum breaks

7.4 - Good album but not my vibe guitar solo was nutty though

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.

first time heard 3.5ish round down to 3

This album got me hyped up for real

Hallowed Be Thy Name, one of the most addicting riffs in all of metal

Somehow, I had never given this album a full listen until yesterday. It’s already taken my top spot in the hair metal genre - they execute all the tropes well, and it’s a fun listen front to back. I’ll never understand why they didn’t use the title track as the opener… spoken word intro, quiet to loud, two guitar solos… what more do you need?!

Solid metal and good energy

Obviously I've heard some Iron Maiden songs before but never a full album. A solid metal album, what can I say 3/5

Not my cup of tea. Two main singles I knew, just don’t love this kind of music. Still, you can’t deny the influence I hear from this on a lot of other heavier music. The production is dated and the bass is too loud.

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.

Good

Catchy.

it's alright, a bit samey samey, better metal albums out there if that's what you like, I can take it or leave it

Not the worst album I’ve ever heard, but not for me

Ik heb pas recent echt waardering gekregen voor Iron Maiden, maar het is eigenlijk gewoon echt geweldig

This was a great album! I felt like the band members can play their instruments really technically well. They are very talented. I would certainly see Iron Maiden play if that was an option. I really really like Hallowed Be Thy Name. We love a long song that caps off any album! This was the first album that I listened through all the way twice. Pretty cool, would definitely listen to this again in the future.

Not my vibe. Not awful in terms of metal music, some nostalgia for the songs in Rockband, but overall will never seek this out.

9.2/10

Rock and also roll

Not bad but not their heaviest. Lots of high vocals.

Music was good but felt like the songs dragged on here and there

🤘🤘🤘

The best Iron Maiden album there is. It's pivotal to their shining and extensive career. Bruce's voice is so powerful and iconic. The sound is still relevant and never gets old. Run To The Hills, The Number of The Beast, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Children of The Damned... Love them just as much as I did when I was a teen. A 5 star album without any doubt.

Some of the guitar stuff on here is really great. 22 Acacia and Hallowed Be Thy Name were really blowing me away - just fantastic. The vocal delivery is not my favourite but it works most of the time. I think this record is pretty awesome.

Not only is if this a classic, but what a classic it is. From beginning to end, it captures you with fresh riffs and lyrics. Never a dull moment, top album

Don't hate it. Just not my vibe. The instrumentals were pretty stellar. I'd say 5.4/10. Fav song: gangland

A lot more intense than Judas Priest, and for that, it gets a bump. With a genre like metal, the intensity and extremity are to its benefit. While I am always a fan of genre blending, diversion from the core ideas begins a tightrope walk that few artists successfully traverse. This is bread and butter heavy metal. Flirtations with glam rock begone. Still not my jam. Across the board, terrible album art. 3.5/5

6/10 This was fine, I liked it less than the previous Judas Priest album. Not my bag but I get how it is other people’s thing. Favorite Song: number of the beast

An incredibly influential album on a number of different bands and musicians that I really like, but it doesn't do a whole lot for me here. Some of the songs are pretty fun though!

LETS FUCKING GOOO im going to try to be impartial but im such a sucker for this. man the opening to invaders is so fucking fun nice punchy start to a record w/the opening stabs + the absolutely infectious riff. the prechorus is so fun too THEYRE COMING OVER THE HILL THEYVE COME TO ATTACK THEYRE COMING IN FOR THE KILL THERES NO TURNING BACK! mediocre guitar solo tho. man i know heavy metal is NOT free from misogyny but relative to the rock weve gotten im so happy to be listening to lyrics that are about dumb fantasy / medieval concepts and not hating women. is there anything better than a silly little power metal ballad contemplative clean guitar intro i think not. also god damn so much of the bass work on these classic metal albums is so clean....i was just thinking abt tony iommi the other day for a similar example. u cant be doing big distorted guitars w epic solos w/o a bassline thats able to carry some melodic heft to it! god the pickup in momentum in the bridge !! they do tend to have a "lets just play an arp as fast as we can" style to solos which isnt my style but the outro fucks. god another crunchy intro riff + then switch to ANOTHER crunchy riff!! i havent ever watched the prisoner but i feel like that might make me psyduck emoji or i might rlly like it or maybe both? i fucking love metal riffs. god this major key chorus is so bright + almost corny but can u be a power metal fan if you dont occasionally like a kinda corny hokey cheesy goofball move. fuck i love IF YOU KILL ME / ITS SELF DEFENSE / BUT IF I KILL YOU / THEN I CALL IT VENGEANCE!! oh right here we go its the misogynist song [uhm] bro....slamming skip on that thats gross. and then for number of the beast im 10000% convinced they make the spoken world intro so quiet to make u turn the sound up all the way so the guitar comes in extra loud. tho ig they dont blast ur ears out thanks?? (insert rob halford in trial "if we could put coded messages in our records wed put DONT KILL YOURSELF BUY LOTS AND LOTS OF OUR NEXT RECORD" lol, but for deafening the listening). ANYWAY 6. 66. THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST!! god what a fucking legendary classic. theres no part of this that doesnt fuck. the spoken intro, the riffs, the YEEAAAAAAHHHHH in the top 5 most iconic metal screams, the lyrics being actually kinda good, the solo being much more expressive than their normal vibe, just the bridge / solo / after the solo section extended section in general. so good...I HAVE THE FIRE I HAVE THE FORCE I HAVE THE POWER 2 MAKE MY EVIL TAKE ITS COURSE - daily affirmations for myself (evil). oh god i forgot abt run to the hills lol. at least its like unambiguously anti colonization in spirit....???? which is more than u can say for many songs by white dudes abt indigenous north americans / "the wild west" ???? but also the lyrical/narrative (not technical which is good) execution is a little bit [raised eyebrow emoji] [uhm]. oh hmm idk how i feel abt gangland either. also yeah listening thru this i can absolutely see how metal sparked a moral panic like its easy for me to be like "this is pretty tame shit" in the 21st century but no in the 70s/80s this was abt Shocking Subject Matter both real world + fantasy. some of it is kinda edgy for no good reason but okay hallowed be thy name FUCKS thought interrupted. the long held note as the guitar riff starts!!! dude like its a shame that iron maiden is being hobbled by 80s ass edginess for the sake of edginess + misogyny bc the energy + technical achievement on this album fuck + there are moments w legitimate commentary (hallowed be thy name, run for the hills if you squint). thats def the biggest weakness for the laz end of album summary. like this is a 3.5/5 for me but i Cannot in good conscience give it a 4 bc of the character clause. would i buy a physical copy? yes altho it would be a pain to skip the songs in middle on like vinyl or smth. standout tracks: invaders, children of the damned, number of the beast, hallowed be thy name

This album is a perfect reminder that all metal dudes are the biggest fucking dorks, and it’s a real fine line if that dorkness is the good and enjoyable kind or the icky kind. Somehow, Iron Maiden presents us with both. First of all, I’m not a huge power or new wave of British metal fan. I like the Sabbath groove and octave down guitars; I love drone and doom and that’s where I like to live. But it’s fun as shit to rock out to classics and this record is certainly a classic. The problem here is the lyrics, and particularly “22 Acacia Avenue” and “Run to the Hills.” The first is maybe the worst woman-hating, whore-Madonna complex ass song I’ve heard committed to tape. And the latter, which fucking RIPS as a song, can’t make up its mind if it’s a song about native atrocities or celebrating the way settlers attacked. It’s really a topic Iron fucking Maiden didn’t need to broach, especially with a riff that hard. Still, the dudes shred, in every possible way, and Bruce Dickinson is a force of nature with his vocal range. Real highlights are “The Prisoner,” “Number of the Beast,” “Run to the Hills” (it fucking goes, I just pretend not to see the lyrics) and “Hallowed Be Thy Name”. It’s gonna get a 4 from me, rounded up from 3.5. It’s more than influential, it shreds, and it’s harder than a ton of stuff that tried to imitate their sound. But god, please, fix your lyrics boys.

#1 bruce dickinson hater reporting for duty, good god that man is so annoying. this does not have NEARLY the amount of sauce i remember, but i guess not hearing an album since high school can have that effect. title track is an undeniable banger but i may be swayed by the Vincent Price appearance setting the mood. really enjoy the bass work on this but that's not exclusive to this record, i feel like if a Maiden greatest hits comp popped up on here i would eat that shit up Iron Maiden do have some tunes but they are sadly not to be found on here!

I like this album, a lot, but I for sure have to be in the right mood. Bruce Dickinson does sound quite operatic and it gets a bit much after a while.

no me gusta el rock

Yeah

I have listened to a lot of Iron Maiden in my youth and they have a lot of great songs. I really enjoy this album but since I have listen to the songs so many times before writing my impressions here feels wrong somehow. Great early metal and an iconic band still going strong.

I love a good guitar riff. Backed by excellent basslines, which alternate between mirroring the lead and doing their own mind-bending shreds, you can't really go wrong. We hear all of this from the get-go in the Invaders, the ridiculously invigorating album opener. Then Children of the Damned shows up to bring you some fairly strong rock vocals and another kick-ass blues riff. We also get a taste of airy, calm acoustic guitar to juxtapose with the more aggressive electric sound that punctuates the song title. The Prisoner features a very active, cymbal-heavy drum part, and the first guitar playing so far that I'd describe as "shredding". Man, this guy's got some chops. The title track is fast enough to approach thrash metal. I love it, especially the excellent guitar solo at around the 2:45 mark, and the insane bassline accompanying it. Run to the Hills is another track that I just can't find fault in (excluding maybe the lyrics). It's fantastic. So is the album closer, Hallowed Be Thy Name, which has another killer riff and some strong synchronised guitar-drum action. I had a gander at some of the lyrics while listening. And, yeah, they're pretty bad. Egregiously so, you might say. Not for being overly misogynistic, but for their obvious clumsiness and lack of tact. Now admittedly, this music isn't for singing; it's for jamming. For rocking, breaking, twisting, thrashing, for getting positively bevved on your friend's couch after you get evicted for doing the same thing on your own couch. But if you're going to sing words rather than strange, incomprehensible noises, the words had better be good. Or at least easy to sing. These aren't. Per another reviewer: "There’s room in this world for big dumb fun, and a band with a zombie mascot. I enjoyed it." 4/5 Key tracks: The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, Hallowed Be Thy Name

i'm not totally blown away by Bruce Dickinson's vocals -- they're about as good as Paul Di'Anno's but nowhere near the "greatest of all time" -- but god, this record really goes. i know people give "Gangland" and "Invaders" shit, but honestly i think it's a great idea to have big, stupid balls-to-the-walls biker themes right before your dramatic last track or starting the whole thing off. that's what your in for the whole time: full speed, no brains, all gas, no brakes. solid shit. you're never not moving, never not going from one song to the next at full speed with an angel from hell shrieking at your backside. everything's either super silly, super dramatic, or based off of a movie that someone in the band saw -- it's not rocket surgery. putting an interpolation of "When The Saints Go Marching In" about your satanic dream is some Solid C+ Student shit and i love it. never change, Maiden. i do, however, kind of hate "22, Acacia Avenue". like, you're gonna try to make yourself seem cool by visiting a prostitute at her house and then spend the end of the song telling her she's thrown her life away? motherfucker, you paid to be here. make up your mind.

Actually didn't mind this and took exactly the same time to play as my commute. Would rather not have a 40 minute commute but it is what it is

Perhaps the best heavy metal album ever, and definitely among the best overall. Meaningful lyrics, awesome musicians, catchy riffs, and a lot of positive energy. I cannot think of anything similar nowadays. 10/10

Children of the Damned is good. 22 Acacia Avenue is also cool. The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, and Hallowed Be Thy Name are great classic songs. Gangland has a pretty harmonized guitar lead. Overall solid album without any real low points. It's also too similar to their first album though making me think they're cranking out the same album over and over.

3.5. algunes cançons m'han encantat i algunes se m'han fet avorrides. Overall millor del que esperava

I'd never really listened to any Iron Maiden before listening to this album today, and honestly, I thought that I would find them annoying and noisy (like early Metallica), but I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I really enjoyed practically every track and found myself humming along and really digging all of the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements. I thought this would be a slog, but I really loved it. Five stars.