Iron Maiden

Number of the beast - 1982

After Paul Di'Anno exit, the former Samson vocalist Bruce Dickinson came stepped in. Not many groups that have the

daunting task of replacing an excellent vocalist actually succeed (AC/DC comes to mind – let me know if you can think of any

others), but Bruce Dickinson was more than ready for the task at hand. Giving them a wider ranging and more distinct voice to

work with, Dickinson was aided by Maiden writing some of their best songs, resulting in an album that even the critics can’t

deny.

With Dickinson as vocalist the band began a new phase, forsaking their earlier punk infused direction for a more

epic-minded delivery, though this shift was hardly in evidence on “Invaders,” a simple album opener that sounds a bit odd.

It’s still fun, though, but for me the album begins in earnest on the moody “Children Of The Damned,” one of those underrated

album tracks that makes these guys so great. Simply put, this “power ballad” showed future hair metal bands how it should be

done, but, like “Remember Tomorrow,” the second half of the song rocks, and not in any half-assed way, as the song surges to

an exciting conclusion. Bruce Dickinson in particular is a standout on this track, which ably demonstrates the band’s keen

sense of drama, as well as the gothic overtones that have always been prominent in the band’s music. Moving on, “The

Prisoner” begins with a cheesy but fun intro before settling into an almost funky groove. Simply put, this song again shows

Maiden at their best, beginning with Bruce, whose star-making (at least in metal circles) performance throughout this album

cannot be understated. With a catchy chorus that’s just on the right side of cheesy, an obligatory (great) guitar solo, and

blistering backbeats from the underrated Clive Burr, chalk this one up as another major winner - and Maiden was only warming

up. “22 Acacia Avenue” rocks relentlessly on its chugging rhythm, and its nasty but memorable lyrics reintroduce us to

everybody’s favorite whore (Charlotte the harlot). Again, though, it is the music, not the misogynist lyrics, that win the

day. Better still is the monumental title track, a classic by any measure. Beginning with a campy spoken word intro, the song

builds slowly but inexorably, and though the track got the band (incorrectly) branded as Satanists, I prefer again to

concentrate on the music, which is almost overwhelmingly powerful and catchy; the scream at the 1:17 mark is surely among the

greatest in rock history.

The galloping music matches the war-based lyrics to a tee, Bruce lends several window-shattering screams, and the epic

chorus is among the band’s catchiest ever. What’s not to like? Hell, even my dad likes this song; no, scratch that, my dad

loves this song. Granted, “Gangland” is a pedestrian bump in the road, but even this one (which I used to automatically fast

forward) isn’t as bad as I remembered it; the guitars still cook, at the very least. Finally, we come to my all-time favorite

Iron Maiden song (need I say more?), “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” Suffice it to say, my lame scribblings can never do justice to

this brilliantly dire epic, but I will say that it features Maiden’s most unstoppable groove, has cool death-obsessed lyrics,

and that Clive Burr, in his last gasp with the band, really goes out with a bang. Long story short (though I suppose it’s too

late for that) this album sees one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time at their very best. It started to gain the band some serious notoriety (both good and bad), and all these years later it’s still regarded as their signature album.