IRON MAIDEN – Just the album cover art with Eddie descending upon the devil is Metal excellence. Derek Riggs was the real deal in creating Iron Maiden album covers… no one else comes even close in my Metal opinion. Getting past the album cover art from The Number Of The Beast and diving into the songs is like a parallel journey of the Metal senses. This is an album, where the cover art represents the songs heard within to brilliant perfection. Invaders, The Number Of The Beast, Run To The Hills, Hallowed Be Thy Name and Children Of The Damned are songs that I can listen to and instantly have this album cover art imbedded in my minds eye. Every song on this ultra-incredible Iron Maiden album does this to me for argument sakes.
This album cover art for The Number Of The Beast has never lost it’s awestruck affect on me, nor have the songs. I toil away, within my own thoughts, as to which album is the “greatest” Heavy Metal album ever… almost on a daily basis. I chose the Black Sabbath classic, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath from 1973, some years ago and have stuck to it since, as being the “greatest” Heavy Metal album ever. Of course this is a “personal” choice of mine and it may change one day… so is the life of being a devout Metalhead, I guess. What gets at me though, is every time I listen to The Number Of The Beast, I feel as this album can very well be considered “the greatest” Heavy Metal album ever. Metal be thy name.
I have always looked upon the first six Iron Maiden albums as being my personal favorites. Convict me of being “Old School”… only I’m not crying in any damned beer about it. God forbid If I remember which albums are the true “classics” of the Heavy Metal genre. To embrace Iron Maiden’s The Final Frontier as the way it “should be” and totally disregard the true essence of this legendary band’s Metal identity of style and sound would make me a phony fan. The Number Of The Beast is an unforgettable Heavy Metal album for me, due to it’s dark themes and 100% dark sound, feel and vibe. The Final Frontier is a new album from Iron Maiden, while The Number Of The Beast is a pulsating highlight of this bands career.
The Number Of The Beast would be the last studio album that has Clive Burr sitting behind the drums. Yes, Iron Maiden did have another drummer… and he was pretty damn good too. Clive Burr was the drummer on the first two Iron Maiden albums as well: Iron Maiden and Killers. This album is also the first that showcases the uncannily soaring vocals of Bruce Dickinson. I look upon The Number Of The Beast as one of the keys that unlocked the door to Metal for me, introducing me to a darker side of Metal when it came to lyrics, as well as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal – (NWOBHM).
The Number Of The Beast was released back in March of 1982, while Screaming For Vengeance by Judas Priest was released in July of the same year. Suffice to say, I realized quickly that these British Heavy Metal Bands were very serious about their Metal back then… and still are. The mood that The Number Of The Beast radiates is untouchable by any other band, a mood so unique that it seems to zero in on my sub-conscious and touches off a feeling of eerie psyche-outness.
Hallowed Be Thy Name is my favorite song on this album, very haunting and desolate are the lyrics. Waiting for your time to die by hanging is as depressingly creepy as you can get with lyrics, only Iron Maiden makes this song seem almost inspiring through it’s melodic Metal… thanks to Dave Murray and Adrian Smith on guitars. Steve Harris on bass even makes the rhythmic melody escalate on this classic Metal song.
On these earlier Iron Maiden albums, especially The Number Of The Beast, the sound coming from Steve Harris’s bass is unlike anything I had ever heard before, almost like Steve Harris was a lead guitarist playing bass. Steve Harris brought to my attention as a young lad, that the bass guitar was just as magical as the guitar to my Metal sponges otherwise known as ears. The atmosphere that Steve Harris created with his bass along with Dave and Adrian’s duo guitars throughout the songs on The Number Of The Beast is what gives this album and band their Metal trademark, in my Metal opinion.
Even as a young lad, I never interpreted Iron Maiden to be a Satanic band due to this or any album they created before it. I was into Creature Feature on Saturday mornings and I never thought of Boris Karloff, Béla Lugosi or Lon Chaney Sr. or Jr. to be Satanists either. I’ve always left the Satanic finger pointing to the self-righteous Phd’s and scholars, that try to tell the human race how to live. Metal be thy name.
Any band of any Rock genre can tweak or change their entire approach, in how they want to sound or write music. The one constant that can never change is which album or albums that any respective band created that are considered to be measuring sticks of a particular Metal era… and looked upon as classics. The Number Of The Beast is one such classic, from an era when Heavy Metal was not just being molded into form, Heavy Metal was breathing a new found life into a generation of fans that are undisputedly loyal to this very moment. I’m one of them… and The Number Of The Beast shall continue to breathe it’s tantalizing, Old School and macabre teetering spell on me till the end of days.
This is one Iron Maiden album I still have the vinyl copy of… still in unreal great condition too. I without question, upgraded this classic to CD years ago as well. No, I don’t have a cassette version, yet if I find one I’d probably buy it, just to play in my good ‘ol Ford Taurus. The Number Of The Beast has become, over the decades, not just a required album to own if you are a Metalhead… this Iron Maiden album could easily be described as an absolute and necessary appendage to thine Metal senses. This is my Metal opinion, so let it be Metal written, so let it be Metal done.
* For more info on IRON MAIDEN, just click this link: IRON MAIDEN
IRON MAIDEN as they appeared on The Number Of The Beast:
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Clive Burr – drums
Original 1982 Track Listing For The Number Of The Beast:
Invaders
Children Of The Damned
The Prisoner
22 Acacia Avenue
The Number Of The Beast
Run To The Hills
Gangland
Hallowed Be Thy Name
* On May 9, 2009, I posted why I feel Black Sabbath – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is the “Greatest Heavy Metal Album of All Time”. Just click the large header below to read it… if you like.
The greatest Heavy Metal album of all time is…
* On December 6, 2009, I posted about my antique store find… the picture disc of IRON MAIDEN – Run To The Hills. The B side is the song – Total Eclipse, which did not appear on The Number Of The Beast in 1982. Total Eclipse later appeared on the 1995 CD reissue of The Number Of The Beast. You can read more about this fantastic picture disc I found, with photos of it, by clicking the oversized header below:
IRON MAIDEN “RUN TO THE HILLS” PICTURE DISC – AN ANTIQUE STORE FIND!
LONG LIVE IRON MAIDEN.
Stone.
Iron Maiden released their fourth studio album, “Piece Of Mind” in 1983. An amazing Heavy Metal album it was and forever will be. I bought that album back in ’83… stared at the front cover for hours, which in fact, probably equals out to actual days. I have always been mesmerized by artist Derek Riggs artwork of mascot Eddie. This album does not contain the cover song of “Cross Eyed Mary”, instead, it was released as a “b” side to the single “The Trooper”, taken from the “Piece Of Mind” album. To the best of my Metal research, “The Trooper” single was released on June 20, 1983. I frequented a small and independent record store on an almost daily basis back in the ’80’s, (I won’t divulge the name of this store for personal reasons), upon a daily stop there… there it was… Iron Maiden “The Trooper” Maxi Single on vinyl no less!! My Metal memory is very vivid about this moment… I stared this beautiful Iron Maiden rarity down, bought it and have kept it pristine ever since. Plus, this was the only copy this store had, I never saw this Iron Maiden single on vinyl again. (Certainly, there has to be more out there in collections or online today, I just never happened to come across one in person). This Iron Maiden Maxi Single as it is called, again, is on vinyl that is the actual size of an album -(an EP if you will), it plays at 45 rpm.
I have come to the conclusion, that Progressive Metal and Progressive Hard Rock are the genres that keep me grounded. Dream Theater offers me the best of two worlds, like a one-two Metal punch… this band makes me want to Rock out, then again, I have many moments with their music when I want to chill, in a Metal sort of way. I am not at all stating that Dream Theater can be easy listening Progressive Music… no way. They offer the segues, interludes, intro’s and instrumentals that serve as that musical cushion to fall back on, while awaiting the heavy parts. This is what draws me into their music, to always expect the unexpected with the Progressive nature of Dream Theater. Dream Theater has for me, come so far, paid their Metal dues, to be now recognized as a Progressive Metal super power. It is difficult to dispute the vast landscape of progressive musical ingenuity that Dream Theater bestows. listening to their new music is a reminder to me, that you can erase any other thoughts in your mind and escape into an album of songs.
“A Rite Of Passage” is an amazing song, it reminds me of what maybe Rainbow would sound like, in 2009. The keyboards in this song is what has me thinking of vintage Rainbow, the melody also has a deep, rich, Classic Rock flavor. “A Nightmare To Remember”, the opening song, has all the dynamics I come to expect from Dream Theater, musically and lyrically. I am very glad the story line to this song has a happy ending, despite the child mentally reliving such a personal experience that is the referred nightmare. “Black Clouds & Silver Linings”, (released on June 23, 2009), has most certainly eclipsed my expectations of what to expect, both musically and lyrically. This new Dream Theater release deservedly reached #6 on the Billboard album charts on the initial week of it’s release. It is clear that new fans have embraced Dream Theater and all of their epic Progressive Metal.
Blind Guardian is a Power Metal meets Progressive Metal band, straight out of the fine country of Germany. I enjoy the Power Metal and Progressive Metal genres immensely, Blind Guardian for me, is always a cool listen. As I was browsing around the Century Media Records online site (CM Distro.com) several months ago, I happened to find an EP from Blind Guardian that quickly caught my Metal attention. The name of this EP is “Fly”, (released in 2006), it contains three songs: “Fly”, “Skalds and Shadows” and the cover version of the Iron Butterfly classic – “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”. I knew instantly I needed to purchase this EP. I have always and forever revered this Psychedelic, Classic Rock, gem of a song that Iron Butterfly created with “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, (originally released in 1968). I placed my order for this Blind Guardian EP without ever hearing it first… I had complete confidence in Blind Guardian delivering a decent cover version of this song, plus as I stated earlier, their Power – Prog Metal style never put me in the doldrums whatsoever.
Blind Guardian “Fly”, as with any of this bands albums, never fail to peak my curiosity based on the album cover artwork on their releases. Going in, I knew they are a capable, talented and quality Metal band, with intellectual lyrics and story telling to coincide with their songs. I am pleased at purchasing “Fly”, all three songs are diverse, with my favorite being the cover song from Iron Butterfly “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” Blind Guardian’s version is very heavy, all power, it rocks tough and hard, while paying great respect to this songs originally intended hardness and dark landscape. The only key aspect here, is to know that this is the shortened cover version of this song, at 3:38 long, (the original Iron Butterfly album version is 17:05 long). Blind Guardian if anything, makes this song sound just as macabre and melancholy, (quite a musical feat), with the vocals and music sounding equally haunting as the original. Some may feel Blind Guardian makes “In-A-Gadda-Da Vida” sound more spooky than the original version… there have been times I have thought just that. Now, as to the age old argument… is the cover version better than the original? Of course, it would be a monstrous feat to blow away the original Iron Butterfly rendition of “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”… I will always like the original version more. With that said… once you hear Blind Guardian cover this song, you may very well be like me and think – whoa, this is a really cool and heavy way to commemorate a classic… a Metal job well done.
You bet your Metal memory I picked up the new and live double CD “Flight 666” from Iron Maiden, (released June 9, 2009). How could I possibly pass it up? This is Iron Maiden we are talking about… Metal icons… Metal elite. I first saw this new Iron Maiden CD, yesterday, at f.y.e., they were asking $16.99… I knew I could do better than that. So, I went to good ol’ Super Walmart to pick up necessities, like… food, then my body was on automatic pilot and went straight to the CD aisles. Iron Maiden is a necessity in my Metal life, therefore, I purchased “Flight 666” along with various food items from Walmart. I embarked for my car, with my daughters by my side and I am one happy dude. The Walmart price? I paid $13.88 for “Flight 666”, if I continued to search for a cheaper price than that, I would be wasting gas in my tank. Plus, I was able to save $3.23… sounds like chump change, yet it adds up throughout the years when you shop around a tad. I am going to put the DVD version of “Flight 666” on my want list for now… I listen to Metal light years more often than I watch Metal.
Enslaved, from Norway, has created quite the exquisite Black Metal album with “Vertebrae”. Why do I use the adjective exquisite to describe this album? Well, I revere the Progressive Metal of Mastodon and Dream Theater, the legendary Progressive Rock of Pink Floyd and the groove infested Black Metal of Satyricon. Enslaved encompasses the most Metal and progressively delicious elements from these favorite bands of mine, while incorporating them into their very own startlingly, mind popping sound. What Enslaved has done here, is taken Rock and Metal influences to a new level, creating an album that embraces everything that is brilliant about Heavy and Progressive music. (I am not saying Enslaved actually looked to these bands for inspiration, this is just my musical and Metal interpretation and/or opinion). Enslaved has their roots in Black Metal, a musical track record that overflows with Metal bragging rights… “Vertebrae” by no means exemplifies this band as not being original. This album is as original as it gets… I cannot truly count how many Metal bands there are, that dare to experiment with music so valiantly.
I have been reading “professionally paid” music critic reviews about the newest release from Mastodon – “Crack The Skye” – the majority of them are not even worth discussing or repeating. I dig the new Mastodon album, simply put it rocks. For Metal sakes, anyone who knows Metal, should know and/or understand that Mastodon is and always has been a Progressive Metal band. With the Progressive Metal bands, you never know exactly what you are going to get with the next album. (To solidify my point, just look at Rush, Dream Theater and Queensryche, these bands have always experimented musically). So what, big deal, so the new Mastodon album is not as heavy as their last release “Blood Mountain” – give me a Metal break.
The Metal musical “escape” I feel and hear while listening to “Crack The Skye” is cool for me. The vocals are still heavy, the guitar leads are still heavy, and the rhythm section is the farthest thing musically from 1970’s Hard Rock as you can possibly get. This album was not created in 1977, this Metal is happening now. Sure, there are plenty of synthetic sounds applied to “Crack The Skye,” that is what makes this album progressive. The synthetic interludes and backdrops along with the lyrics are why I call “Crack The Skye” a Metal journey. Mastodon did not provide here, a “rip and tear – let it all loose, heavy frenzy” – if I or any other true Metal fan wants that, heck, I will listen to a Metal band that is supposed to play that way. Suffice to say, in my Metal opinion, Mastodon has created a Progressive Metal gem. Paid and uninformed music critics can call this new album from Mastodon anything they want. The sole reason why I live for Metal music in the first place, is due to it’s diversity with all of the Metal genres. At the end of the day, when you break it all down, musically, Metal will always be… Metal. 
I really give praise to the vocals, musicianship, song writing and lyrics on “Crack The Skye” – do I find any flaws? Nope. I could never write or play Metal music this darn good. I recommend to all Mastodon and Metal fans across the globe to chase this album down, play it, enjoy it. Rock out to it. Jump onto “Crack The Skye” and experience the Progressive Metal journey that Mastodon created. Now, just because I want to, here is a roll call of the fine Metal musicians that are Mastodon: Brann Dailor (drums, vocals & percussion), Brent Hinds (lead guitar, vocals & banjo), Bill Kelliher (guitar) and Troy Sanders (bass, vocals & bass synth).
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