Iron Maiden
The Soundhouse Tapes

THE REVIEW

There are many reviews of IRON MAIDEN but this one was missing: "SOUNDHOUSE TAPES"

From this 1979 demo by a small group back then called Iron Maiden, which in the future would become the most famous band in metal, it all begins here. This demo produced in 666 copies was recorded on December 31, 1978 for Rock Hard Records. EMI heard the demo and offered the band a contract, and thus the story of the Iron Maiden in the metal pantheon began. The 200 pounds to record the demo were given by Steve Harris's grandmother, and it was recorded at Spacewood Studios in Cambridge between morning and afternoon on New Year's Eve with this lineup:

Paul Di'Anno - VOCALS

Dave Murray - GUITAR

Steve Harris - BASS

Doug Sampson - DRUMS

The first track is "IRON MAIDEN", slightly longer than the version released on the self-titled album the following year, where the group’s hard’n’heavy influences (JETHRO TULL, JUDAS PRIEST, BLACK SABBATH) can be heard strongly, and it can be said that this is a "slowed-down" version. Harris's bass, despite being a demo, can be heard quite well. The second track "INVASION" leans much more towards hard rock than heavy metal. Invasion, the track the band liked the least, would not be released in IRON MAIDEN, whereas the last track "PROWLER" changes slightly from the version released on Iron Maiden, and here the production seems to drop a bit.

Nonetheless, this is a milestone in the history of IRON, and here is the rising star of the band that will be...

1-Iron Maiden 4:03

2-Invasion 3:09

3-Prowler 4:19