IRON MAIDEN

An impressive beginning for IRON MAIDEN and their mascot Eddie. Already with their first album they were catapulting the NWOBHM into new arenas by incorporating not only elements of punk but even more importantly those of progressive rock bands.

Only two classic members here. Steve Harris and Dave Murray. Dennis Stratton although only appearing on this album and then sacked due to musical incompatibilities nevertheless contributed the use of Wishbone Ash dual guitar melodies that MAIDEN would make their own for their entire career.

Paul Di'Anno only contributed his vocals to the first two MAIDEN albums but his unique punky vocal style really suits the material here. In fact, although Bruce Dickinson may be the better of the two, Di'Anno has a certain charm that makes the first two albums in their discography stand out. This debut has always been on the top of my list of favorites.

This album has a great diversity of sounds ranging from the punkish tracks like "Prowler" and "Running Free" to the slower more cerebral tracks like "Remember Tomorrow" and "Strange World." The real standout is "Phantom Of The Opera" which showed their ability to write extended tracks with progressive themes.

The band had unexpected success from the getgo in their native UK and soon afterwards in mainland Europe. This brilliant debut was only a prototype of the even better and more ambitious albums to come. Although this is often overshadowed by the greatness of the Dickinson era, I listen to this album regularly as it is a timeless classic that I simply can't get enough of. 4.5 rounded up