Iron Maiden
The Number Of The Beast

THE REVIEW

...And one day Heavy Metal was born!
We are facing the breakthrough album for what is already, along with Saxon, the leading band of the NWOBHM (we are in '82). Here, in fact, the Hard Rock-like sounds are almost entirely abandoned in favor of a more typically Heavy Metal sound. But most importantly, this album marks the entry of a certain Bruce Dickinson into the band, replacing the good Paul DiAnno, who will prove to be one of the best singers of the genre and who, thanks to his powerful and crystalline vocal range, will characterize the Irons' sound in the years to come. With these premises, one can expect nothing less than a masterpiece... In addition to Bruce's exceptional voice, the genius bass lines of Steve Harris, who also wrote almost all the pieces, are highlighted right from the first notes. We start off with speed with ?Invaders?, an aggressive track supported by an excellent rhythm section from the great Clive Burr. The second track is a true classic, ?Children Of The Damned?, a slow piece that alternates between ferocity and emotion, where for the first time Dickinson shines with a stellar performance. We continue with another acceleration, ?The Prisoner?, an anthem with an extremely melodic and memorable chorus. ?22 Acacia Avenue? turns out to be much darker compared to the previous tracks, especially at the start; here, the Irons continue the Charlotte saga, which began in the first album; as always, Dickinson’s performance is excellent, especially from an interpretative standpoint. Another classic: ?The Number Of The Beast?, which brought accusations of satanism and a lot of publicity to the Irons, supported by a very aggressive vocal and guitar performance (Bruce's scream is legendary). Here we are at ?Run To The Hills?, a very fast electric gallop and another incredibly catchy anthem that, unsurprisingly, will become a staple in Iron Maiden's live sets. The video for this song is one of the band's most amusing and quirky. We skip over ?Gangland? and ?Total Eclipse?, tracks that, compared to what precedes them and, especially, what follows, remain rather overshadowed and cannot hold up against them. Thus we reach the apotheosis of everything the term Heavy Metal represents, namely ?Hallowed Be Thy Name?, in my opinion, one of the best pieces of classic Heavy ever conceived by a human mind, not to mention one of the most exciting songs of Iron Maiden: here we find everything one can ask of the Irons, and it will represent the future characteristic trademark of Maiden: impressive guitar duels, a voice like no other, driving gallops and songwriting capable of turning all this into something truly exhilarating. In conclusion, this album is NECESSARY for all who intend to deal with Heavy Metal. If you lack it (which I doubt), acquire it immediately. By any means!