IRON MAIDEN

Atomic metal punks! Steve Harris can disavow the UK punk scene all he wants, but there is a punk steam wafting up from the metal grates in the dank alleys of Iron Maiden's memorable debut. It may even be the earliest ancestor of crossover, alongside the road dogs in Motorhead.

Of course, this is due to a few elements, one being that the musicianship of the band had yet to reach that level of refinement that they would further hone on "Killers," before bringing Bruce Dickinson into the mix and elevating Eddie from a street punk with eggs in his hair, to a figure bigger than the Devil. The other element is Paul Di'Anno, who brought a grungy element to Maiden's sound during their first two albums. This punky tone Di"Anno brought to the game felt a bit out of place once Adrian Smith joined and the band could really wail those guitars to perfection on "Killers," but he's the right guy for this record. It's not the Iron Maiden we came to know and love, but it's a great album, listening to it is like watching an Enzo G. Castellari movie where scary punks rule the streets, with a gothic edge.