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Rating:
The Number Of The Beast is probably the best album of the British metal quintet, and certainly the most famous. With this work, the standards of classic metal are definitively set, and the sound of the metal virgins appears more mature and clearer than in previous works.
The album features the joining of vocalist Bruce Dickinson (formerly of Samson) and the creation of most tracks by bassist Steve Harris. It starts with "Invaders", a track neither good nor bad, and continues with "Children of the Damned", the first gem of the album: an incredibly desolate ballad built around a strong central riff that emotionally engages the listener. "The Prisoners", with its fairly silly lyrics in my opinion, bores with its six minutes... "22 Acacia Avenue" recalls the best of Black Sabbath, starting with one of the most famous guitar riffs ever, then continuing at a hellish pace marked by pounding drums, and concluding with a poignant solo; "The Number Of The Beast" (now a cult song because of its theme) not only provides some publicity for the Maidens (which never hurts) but is also distinguished by Dickinson's masterful performance, with which he definitively enters legend.
"Run to the Hills" turns out to be somewhat banal, while "Gangland" and "Total Eclipse" do not exceed adequacy and assume the role of almost filler tracks. "Hallowed by Thy Name" is the masterpiece of the album, one of the most engaging metal tracks of all time. The intro marked by the tolling of bells, the acrobatic solo, Dickinson's powerful voice, a rhythm section that belongs in an anthology elevate the track to symphonic levels the Maidens would never reach again.
In conclusion, the album represents one of the pillars of metal, a must for all fans and beyond.
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