Hellviz

Despite being considered by many the "ultimate" album in the history of Maiden - and Heavy Metal - I believe it doesn't deserve a 5 precisely because it might be too loved and praised to exhaustion. Of course, it contains remarkable tracks that have inevitably carved their place in Metal history, but we must admit that Invaders is a pure nod to the very early Maiden (after all, nothing new) and Gangland is an ugly blemish with a lot of black hair. In short, it's a beautiful album, but

Historically speaking, it's one of those albums without which the history of music would have risked not possessing an entire chapter concerning the NWOBHM. I rate it 4.5 for the music, but not a full 5, because it's their first album; we'll have to see what they can offer in the future.

Iron Maiden reaffirm their heavy presence more than ever, with this album they can proudly carry the banner of NWOBHM. A heavy sound that is anything but predictable, which doesn’t lean too much on previous genres and at times can echo their own sound from many future albums. A good achievement. One of the best from the band, in my opinion.

The lineup change raises the Maiden by a notch. They finally offer a new, strong, and well-defined heavy sound. It doesn’t deserve 5 stars because there are still those "a little bit like this" songs in the tracklist that you’d gladly "skip" during a full listen of the album.

An album more than sufficient, deserving a 4 for various reasons:
- beautiful, effective songs, but not particularly innovative on their own
- "current" sound for those years, which firmly upholds the idea of Heavy metal
- Masterpieces (see the wonderful "Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner" or "Two Minutes To Midnight") combined with some trash (see "Flash Of The Blade")

Rediscovered after years of unjustified snobbery. A really great album, it stands strong but surely the new Maiden sound will be fully confirmed with the next album.

By the late '80s, Synth Pop reigns. The Maiden deliver the most striking Heavy Metal of those years, heavy, aggressive, but not necessarily retrograde and “mummified.” An album with an innovative and contemplative sound (just as they like it and I do too). Well-presented and structured songs that go a bit beyond the usual chord progressions and pentatonic solos. One of the most successful in the band's career.

The right heavy metal of the early '90s. Aggressive, brilliant, wicked. I consider this album on par with Piece Of Mind, meaning good songs paired with skippable tracks.

An album full of good ideas, poorly executed by the lineup. Bailey sings well, but he's not suited to the Maiden sound. In the future, during live performances, they'll be able to reinterpret and revitalize them thanks to Dickinson (see "The Clansman" at Rock In Rio). Mediocre.

An album rich in great ideas and a Heavy sound worthy of the name in the '00s. Some wonderful songs, like "Dance Of Death" or "Paschedale," are interspersed with rockin' tracks like "Wildest Dreams" or "Journeyman," which, although catchy, do not make the album fully Heavy and deserving of an excellent rating.

A successful album. Iron Maiden reaffirm their ability to keep up with the times and present a non-nostalgic (these days, songs like "Prowler" would sound like simple hard rock) and aggressive Heavy Metal. Heavy Metal, pure, heavy, just as only they can deliver. Those who do not appreciate this album often fall into a nostalgic "better in the DiAnno days" or a dismissive "the usual riffs," which is based solely on tonal analysis, but not on the rhythmic and melodic understanding of the sin.

An album that has never convinced me, and apart from "Sign Of The Cross," "Man On The Edge," and "Lord Of The Flies," I would throw it in the trash. However, one must acknowledge that the beginning of a search for a new Heavy Metal can be felt, in line with the years when the newer, more extreme branches required Heavy Metal to be more "Heavy," indeed. The sound is therefore decent, but the musical quality is lacking.

Unnecessary album, it brings nothing new and poorly wraps up the excellent discography of an immortal group. Not that the songs are bad, but after a slow "AMOL&D," perhaps something consistently heavy was needed, but not identical to the previous album. In my opinion, they have pushed too much towards Progressive Heavy Metal, which has somewhat hindered them. If it were a transitional album, one could overlook it, but being declared as their final work, they may have made a serious mistake.