Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast (1982)

The Number Of The Beast was a defining moment in the career of NWOBHM band Iron Maiden’s career for a number of reasons: it was the first to feature ex-Samson front man Bruce Dickinson on vocals following the departure of Paul Di’Anno, spawned mainstream chart hit singles – along with the album itself reaching number 1 in the UK and achieving platinum status – and signalled a move away from the punkier approach to their previous two albums to a more polished sound that would launch the band into metal mega-stardom!

The success, both commercially and critically, of The Number Of The Beast is all the more remarkable, and creditable, as it was achieved without recourse to a more AOR-sound – and predated the ‘hair metal’ movement that swept in later in the decade (and was thankfully ignored by Maiden). The album is a heavy metal record with no apologies from start to finish: twin guitars, thundering basslines from Steve Harris, urgent drumming from Clive Burr and screaming vocals from (Air Raid Siren) Dickinson throughout.

Opening with the high-tempo Invaders, the mood is set for the album – Dickinson really wails and the twin guitars of Murray and Smith chug along nicely with some trademark Iron Maiden harmonies and great shredding solos from both axmen. Underpinning the track is Steve Harris’ inventive bass lines and runs with Clive Burr too playing tight and aggressively.

The mood is then slowed for a picked guitar intro overlaid with a solo to the slow-paced Children of the Damned . . . but this is far from a ballad and more reminiscent of Sabbath or Priest and features a powerful chorus with Dickinson evidently keen to make a good impression as the ‘new boy’ by providing some lung-bursting vocals!

The Prisoner opens with a sound clip from the classic Patrick McGoohan series of the same name (”I am not a number, I am a free man”) which is then cut into Clive Burr pounding a mid-tempo rhythm over which are some crashing chords and then things move up several gears to the main riff which is classic Maiden and into the track proper. The chorus of The Prisoner is actually quite catchy but no compromise is given to the power of the track.

Always a good topic for a metal track, 22 Acacia Avenue is a continuation of the ’story’ of prostitute Charlotte the Harlot from the band’s eponymous debut album and is again a real storming track with tempo changes and the well-crafted use of multiple riffs within the same number.

The spoken intro to The Number of the Beast sets an eerie tone which is also then carried into the riff and Dickinson’s semi-whispered vocal. In fact, the riff is the old classic “When the Saints Go Marching In” but given a whole new lease of life here ending the intro section with an unearthly scream from Dickinson. The track went top 20 in the UK when released as a single and the video even made it onto mainstream dross-pop chart program Top Of The Pops, such was its popularity and impact: no mean feat! It also features a good wah-wah solo too and is an all round metal classic with each band member giving it 100%.

Burr’s 16th note hi-hat pattern with bass drum leads into one of the band’s biggest hits, and best-loved numbers. Run To The Hills is a story of the native American Indian (I believe they were called Red Indians in those days) struggles during their conflicts with US settlers and is a fiery, up-tempo track and both musically and lyrically strong. Dickinson again is at lung-tearing intensity and Burr’s furious ‘disco beat’ carries the track along at a break-neck pace. As a single, Run To The Hills reached number 7 in the UK charts and gave the band a huge amount of airplay and publicity, cementing their role as the leading heavy metal band of the time.

Gangland opens with a Bur again pounding and up-tempo beat which is then followed by Dio-era Sabbath-esque Total Eclipse before the melodic tones of another Maiden classic, Hallowed Be Thy Name drift in. A 7-minute epic, Hallowed is the inner thoughts of a man awaiting being hanged – a cheery yarn – with Bruce Dickinson holding some endless powerful notes and the twin-harmony guitar work of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray to the fore. The mid-section guitar work really provides a bridge between the band’s earlier sound and what they were becoming and is a real tour de force.

There’s not really a lot more to say about this album: it’s a classic and was not only a door-opener to mainstream success for the heavy metal genre, but also is cited as a major influence on many bands that were to follow Maiden. It’s a bludgeoning riff-fest from start to finish and sits nicely on the cusp of Maiden’s career between their more aggressive pre-Dickinson sound and their more bloated approach that began to drift in a couple of albums down the line. To hear the band at the peak of their powers, at a time when heavy metal almost became acceptably mainstream without compromise, you simply must hear this album and play it as loudly as possible!

• Bruce Dickinson – Vocals
• Dave Murray – Guitar
• Adrian Smith – Guitar
• Steve Harris – Bass
• Clive Burr – Drums