Iron Maiden
The Number of the Beast

THE REVIEW

I am writing this review to celebrate the new tour of the Iron Maiden.

In 1982, metal is not yet like we see it today. It is something new. A few months can separate a seminal album from a copy. A few riffs can make an album innovative. Everything - or almost everything - has yet to happen; Cliff Burton has not yet ended up under a bus, Peter Steele has not yet said he hates everyone, Quorthon has not yet inserted acrostics into "Blood Fire Death," and Rob Halford has not yet transplanted the hair from his head to his chin.

TNOTB is a watershed. Before, there was the NWOBHM, then the true metal. In between, there is "The Number of the Beast." Saxon played metal, so did Angel Witch, and certainly Judas Priest. Venom had even already released the very first seeds of proto (very proto) black metal. Yet something changes here, but let's take a step back.

The '80s discography of Iron Maiden quite regularly alternates transitional albums and albums that represent full transitions. The debut is a statement, "Killers" delves into the sophistication, then "Number.." the evolution progresses through "Piece of Mind" to the definitive "Powerslave," passing through the "experimental" time album until SSOASS, where the prog vein hinted at in the Egyptian album takes even more hold. "The Number of the Beast" is halfway between the early Maiden discography and that of the mature Maiden. But, this album is not just a watershed for the band, it is for all of rock. The reasons are many: the entry of the new vocalist (for the writer, THE vocalist), the seething atmosphere of the heavy scene, the greater experience of the members, their genius...

The NWOBHM is a fantastic movement, cohesive yet fragmented, largely still in search of itself. It is homegrown, raw, dirty, often in the best sense of the word, but not always. Iron Maiden brings in elegance. Not that which is an end in itself, not the kind that prevents the sound from being visceral, rather I would say the kind that often succeeds in marrying a raw sound. In other words: it makes everything more mature. Before there were Angel Witch who indeed did something less shoddy, but we are strictly on something conceptually different. Maiden has an approach, a vision, that is a step ahead. Then there are talks of 2025, rankings, colored logos, the celebratory tour etc., but the metalhead considers this: in the early '80s, Maiden was a step ahead. Compared to everyone. Maybe sometimes they'd play with Judas Priest, and at most then with Metallica and really very few others. On technique, songwriting, fantasy, we could talk for hours: but Iron Maiden had the merit of saying "Let's take this raw thing called New Wave of British Heavy Metal and turn it into something serious." Serious and polished, noble. Yet powerful, never syrupy. Playing Iron Maiden songs remains a blast of power, speed, technique, melody, heaviness, and almost unmatched taste.

The initial burst of "Invaders" is a kick in the teeth. The chorus is hard to pinpoint, but it's unforgettable. "Children of the Damned" is almost doom but knows where to strike and has an impressive melodic taste. "The Prisoner" is somewhat more hard rock, very enjoyable. "22 Acacia Avenue" is fast-paced and raw. The title-track/"Run to the Hills" double-header is the pinnacle. Less impactful "Gangland" (still by no means bad) up to the legendary "Hallowed be thy Name." Dark, sharp, insane, calculated, heavy, melodic, fast, menacing, dirty, noble. 1980s London became an infernal lair thanks to the queen band of heavy metal.

Maybe sometimes Harris is repetitive in some melodic solutions, maybe some tracks don’t always have the perfect songwriting or production, but it doesn’t matter. It’s an epochal album. Up the Irons! Rating: 98/100.