Continuing my way through the new Martin Popoff Iron Maiden book and listening to the catalog as I read and just throwing together album by album reviews.
Iron Maiden – Number of the Beast(1982)
The third album(and my favorite) from Maiden and the first to feature Bruce Dickinson on vocals(and sadly the last with Clive Burr on drums). The production is another leap forward from Killers and Bruce’s voices takes it all to another level setting the bar high for any other Metal vocalist . The album opens with a statement of intent with “Invaders”. The interplay between Harris and Burr drives the song forward at a fast pace and lyrics tell the tale of the Vikings conquering a new land. This song gets crap from some fans but I’ve always thought it was a great opener. “Children of the Damned” is my favorite song on the album(and possibly my favorite from the band) and is a slower pace but picks up at the chorus and again at the end of the song. “Prisoner” just rocks from beginning to end and is one of the catchiest songs on the album. “22 Acacia Avenue” is the sequel to Charlotte the Harlot from the debut and is one of my favorites on the album. “Number of the Beast” leads off side two is fast paced all the way through and is about a nightmare Harris had supposedly after watching The Omen II. A classic through and through. “Run to the Hills” follows and is easily the bands best known song and although I’m sick of it, I have to admit it’s a great song. From the riff to the drums to Bruce’s insane vocals and the lyrics it all comes together. “Gangland” is usually mentioned as most fans least favorite song on the album and it’s really not a bad song at all it’s just that every other song is so much better. Fast paced from the opening note the song drives along at a frantic pace and never lets up. “Total Eclipse” was a b-side to Run to the Hills single and found its way on the cd reissue in the late 90s. A really solid song that many consider better than Gangland but although I do think it’s good I’m not sure it’s that much better. The album closes with the classic epic “Hallowed be thy Name”. Clocking it over seven minutes the song starts slow as the clock of doom counts down the end of someone’s life before they are heading to the gallows. The song picks up as it goes on and gets up to a fast pace the last few minutes with unbelievable solos and vocals pushing the song to the finale of not only the song but album itself. The songs, the production, the playing(again Clive Burr’s drumming is top notch), the new vocalist, and that brilliant artwork(is Eddie the puppet or is he the puppeteer?) make this not only my favorite Maiden album but one of my favorite albums ever.
Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast (1982)
