During the 1980's, the genre that ruled supreme in rock music was without doubt what we know as Heavy Metal. One of the ultimate  bands of the era was  Iron Maiden. Formed in 1975, the band had  first emerged onto the  scene during the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) explosion in the 80's.  Who would have imagined the success and longevity of this band ? When hearing them I DID.
Maidens  first two albums in the shape of their self titled debut and the follow up, 'Killers', established the band as front runners in the NWOBHM scene.

     However, in late 1981, original vocalist Paul Di'Anno left the band. As we all very well know  when a singer leaves an already successful band, usually the results are disastrous. We got lucky here  . His replacement was former Samson singer Bruce Dickinson, who from this album onwards became the band's definitive and legendary vocalist. After the arrival of Dickinson, the band recorded 'The Number Of The Beast'. The album has gone on to be recognised as  one of the great epic triumphs of the genre.

     This album marks long-time singer Bruce Dickinson's debut with the band  , and he makes his mark quickly as Maiden now  pulls away from the "punk influence" of former vocalist Paul Di'Anno . Bruce now adopts the style going forward and  that will make them pioneers in the genre. Steve Harris really steps into his own as a songwriter on this album too , as both the lyrics and music become increasingly complex and showcase the instrumental talent of the band on a level that Maiden's two previous albums did not . Now  taking you through some of the songs on the CD  to give you a sample of what to expect.
TRUST ME its one "hella" cd!

    This 'beast' of an album kicks off with 'Invaders'. "Invaders" is a fast-paced, attention-getting opener of a track. It tells the tale of a Viking invasion upon a Nordic village. The drums thunder like a thousand running feet, the bass and guitars are like cries of fear and fury. Bruce basically sings his a** off here.

     Things slow down for the follow up in 'Childen Of The Damned'. The semi-acoustic sounding opening and a classic bass line from Steve Harris mesh great with Bruce's vocal ability.The song also has a clever change of style towards the end. Nice!

    "Prisoner', is next. Sure take me prisoner! With a band like this throw away the key! The Prisoner" has a little sample from the sci-fi sitcom of the same name, then breaks into a mid-tempo then  speeds up so suddenly and without warning, with a sweeping, powerful instrumental thrust.  The song is classic metal with some great guitar solos; don't fail to miss Steve Harris' stellar bass work on this one too .

      Then theres '22 Acacia Avenue' to  follow. A snarling riff that leads into the song that is the sequel to 'Charlotte The Harlot' from the band's first album. Some great lyrics with a commanding vocal performance from Dickinson make this one a classic. Some of the complex rhythm changes and guitar layers on this song are amazing. Listen to it and you willl "get it " as to why Maiden fans are as loyal as they are......

     The two most famous songs off the album are next. 'The Number Of The Beast'  .Who can fail to recognize the song's opening riff or Dickinson's 'in your face' vocals in the chorus?  Not me . Epic tune.

    Then we have 'Run To The Hills'. Screaming guitars and Dickinson's vocals which ascend to amazing levels make this one epic. Can you tell I'm a Maiden fan? Yes?

     Gangland is yet another uptempo piece, this time focusing on living in the more ghetto side of town, and the fears of going outside your comfort zone to include in your face lyrics. Whats not to like here ? Nothing.

    Then there is  'Total Eclipse'. This  is a prophetic tale of nature taking revenge upon mankind for our decades of causing such damage to her. It starts off with mid-tempo and include some heavy duty riffage. Excellent .

   Finally we get to the grand finally "Hallowed Be Thy Name".  The ultimate masterpiece on this album. Clocking in at over 7 minutes, this is the tale of a man's final hours as he is on death row and waiting for his time. The imagery and emotions are sublime . They really do FEEL so real. This one starts off with a bell chiming and then the song picks up it's pace  building up to some  climatic verses. Here is  where Dickinson's solo vocals alternate with blasts of instrumentation. Breathtaking with its powerful time changes and solos and with the subject matter at hand , this song is an excellent choice for an albums end. Iron Maiden proved with this track their talent for longer songs and we see this more and more with epics on later albums such as 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner'.

    This amazingly original album is a masterpiece! Plain and simple!  'The Number Of The Beast' is where Iron Maiden achieved their true classic HEAVY METAL status and it is a work that should be in ANY  heavy metal fan's music collection. If you don't have it GO GET IT ! It truly is a beast of a CD.

MY RATING: PERFECT 10

My advice is hit play, rock out and rewind.

~ Georgina