IRON MAIDEN

The remarkably mature debut for Iron Maiden attempts (and fails) to capture the fury of those legendary early live performances, but as a studio product, it's an excellent collection of songs that marry punkish-influences (mostly singer Di'anno's raspy vocals and the sped-up tempos) and hard rock tendencies (the band's NWOBHM sound wouldn't emerge until the next album). Therefore, we get anthemic tracks, specifically the early hit "Running Free," the gritty rock of "Prowler" and the full-tilt title track (still a concert favorite). Still, a handful of prog flourishes emerge here, specifically "Phantom of the Opera," with it's extended instrumental section. One could also make a case for "Remember Tomorrow," an interesting ballad that alternates between light and heavy sections, but really it's "Phantom" that displays bassist and band-leader Steve Harris' fondness for progressive rock. As such, it's a solid three-star album on the prog scale, although if approached from a metal perspective, the album is quite essential to introducing one of the genre's finest bands.