IRON MAIDEN — Iron Maiden (review)

IRON MAIDEN — Iron Maiden album cover Album · 1980 · NWoBHM Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
Sean Trane
From all of the NWOBHMB, Iron Maiden was the only one I appreciated, and this was mainly due to the extraordinary debut they recorded. And even if the imagery they developed right from the start is a little embarrassing for an adult, one must say that this form of marketing did them wonders for the next three decades, as they were instantly recognizable between hundreds of band. Maybe what differentiated them from others where their more prog lyrics subject, not really adopting the numbing dumbness of their contemporary bands like Motorhead or Saxon. This album's construction is quite brilliant for a debut alternating short hard (and more basic) tracks such as Prowler, Running Free (poking fun at disco fiends) etc. with the longer more dramatic Remember Tomorrow (and its subtle climates), the climatic Phantom of The Opera and impressive bass-induced Strange World. Yes, the bass: this is probably the main ingredient that made Maiden unique; Steve Harris is clearly the leader and the main inspiration, but unlike in future albums, he has some hard competition with DiAnno's vocals (which I always found the ultimate IM voice). Listen how the instrumental Transylvania gives perfectly way to the superb power ballad of Strange World with some awesome DiAnno to top it all of. And you just know where Klaus Mheine & Co got their inspiration for their golden power ballads.

This debut album is still one of my fave metal albums (along with Priest's Sad Wings, Sabbath's Heaven and Hell, Rainbow Rising) and in my heart, this scorchers was never bettered by the band. Call me nostalgic, but this is an incredibly-paced album and although not their best played, it certainly holds their best enthusiasm and does it ever show. Yes iron Maiden is one of my guilty pleasures still nowadays, but guilty maybe, embarrassing a tad, but shameful, no way!! Maiden ruled in this youth's heart but for not that much longer
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Merciless Crossover Thrash
BODY COUNT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us