IRON MAIDEN — The Number Of The Beast (review)

IRON MAIDEN — The Number Of The Beast album cover

Album · 1982 · NWoBHM

4.5/5 · 2010-07-30
Pekka

The addition of Bruce Dickinson and the abandonment of most of their punkier influences resulted in a big breakthrough for Iron Maiden. They had come out with a big bang with their first album, straight from the underground to the #4 spot on British album charts, but they were still rather unknown internationally especially in the mainstream.

This album features six Maiden classics and two completely forgotten tunes, and not entirely without reason. The album opening Invaders is actually a very good piece of fast riffing and powerful vocals by newcomer Dickinson, but the rather silly chorus with the rising and falling melodies has pushed this track into oblivion when talking about the early Maiden classics. But what follows is a string of almost nothing but Maiden classics, starting with the atmospheric Children of the Damned, which features one of the all time finest Maiden riffs in the chorus, a melodic mid section, shredding solo and a crowd chanting passage before a furious outro. If it wasn't clear before, this song told the fans at the time that Bruce wasn't out to copy Paul's style.

The Prisoner and the Charlotte the Harlot sequel 22 Acacia Avenue are two brilliant power-chord based rockers with a driving rhythm section, that could use a bit more recognition and stage time at the expence of the two following tracks: The Number of the Beast and Run to the Hills are two of the most well known and overplayed heavy metal tracks ever, but in the context of the album they still have their magic, the first being notable not only for its obvious satanic imagery (not message), but one of the very rare Steve Harris bass solos, short and simple though it may be. This listener would like some more.

The rare Clive Burr co-written track Gangland is the second exception to the all classics rule. Based on Burr's straigt beating, perhaps his only contribution to the writing, it offers a set of unimpressive verses and choruses, but is somewhat salvaged by a far superior bridge and a nice but very short solo section. Another Burr co-penned track Total Eclipse was released as a B-side to the Run to the Hills single, and fifteen years later included on the actual album. This slow and heavy track would have made a good replacement for Gangland on the original album, but I'm sure they just wanted a fast rocker to pave the way for the grand ending that is Hallowed Be Thy Name.

Nicko McBrain said in one interview that there are two tracks that he insists on playing at every single Maiden show: their theme song Iron Maiden and Hallowed Be Thy Name. He's just not getting up on stage if one of them is missing. The latter especially is easy to understand, as the album closes with one of the mightiest metal masterpieces ever. A story of a man waiting to be executed set to an appropriately epic composition of undying melodies, dramatic breaks and a wailing finale. Magnificent, and even better live.

Without a couple of unfortunate stains this could be my favourite metal album of all time.