Iron Maiden's third album is the first with Bruce Dickinson on vocals, and it's a classic album. This spectacular Maiden album caused controversy with dimwitted Christians who apparently did not know how to read lyrics to a song, but was a classic with metal-heads across the world. This is the album that began the classic period for Maiden, which ended after Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son was released in 1988.
It starts with Invaders, a short and fast tune with great lyrics and a great solo. It's about vikings or something like that. It's about invaders I guess! Next up, it's Children Of The Damned. It's a wonderful song, with some powerful lyrics. There's also a movie of the same name. I suppose that's where they got the idea for this song from.
The Prisoner is up next, and if I've read correctly, there was a TV show or something and that's where the idea for this song came from. It's got some great bass-playing by Steve, and a fast solo. It's a very good song. The lyrics are cool too, and there's a great chorus. There once was a Beavis and Butt-Head episode where the two were singing the chorus to the song when they were thrown in jail with a man who had a Maiden tatoo.
22 Acacia Avenue is the fourth track. It's about Charlotte the Harlot, and I hope I spelled that right. I tend to screw up my facts and spelling from time to time. It's got several different moods to it. It starts off slow, and then gets faster and faster until the chorus kicks in. It continues with this speed, and then changes, but it's still fast-paced. There's some great drumming in here. Then, there's a slow and melodic solo with great guitar playing by Adrian Smith. After the solo, the vocals kick back in. The song isn't that long, clocking in at 4:49, but it's one of those songs that seems like a long song but, well, isn't a long song. Towards the end, there's some more guitar, and it's over.
The Number Of The Beast is one of the most well-known songs on the album, if not THE most well known. It begins with a Bible verse and then kicks in the beginning vocals. It gets faster and faster and goes into the main part. This song is one of those metal songs that kicks ass and gets every Maiden fan pumped up with energy. Pretty much every fan of Maiden can recite the beginning, if not the whole song. The solo is wonderful and fast. It's got some great bass playing by Steve. Man, he's a great metal bassist. Then, the solos end and the vocals are back once again. Then, at the end, it sounds like the beginning, the way everything is getting played and sang.
Run to the Hills is the other well-known song. Every VH1 show about metal music has this song played. It's about the Indians getting ran off their land by the mean old white guys. The incredibly catchy chorus was known by me before I even knew it was Iron Maiden! The lyrics are so powerful and great! I'm listening to the song right now, and I'm pumped up! The solo is short, but it's a great one, though not as good as TNOTB solo. "Run to the hills, run for your lives, run to the hills, run for your lives!" It's repeated a few more times, and then everything stops and Bruce wails out "Liiiiiiiiiiiives!"
Gangland. Good song, not great, but very underrated. It's not as incredibly crappy as everyone thinks. It's about the Al Capone gangland times of the 30's, or something like that. I don't freakin' know. It's a pretty fast and short song. The chorus is catchy, the solo is pretty good, I don't why this tune is hated by Maiden fans. It is the worst song on the album though.
Total Eclipse was taken off the original album, but it was released on the digitally enhanced version. It's about the end of the world, I guess. The song's better than Gangland. It's incredibly catchy. The solo comes out of nowhere, and it's fast and all that. It's very short though, and the vocals kick back in. Everything's all slow. And then, there are some weird sounds, and it's over.
Hallowed Be Thy Name is about a man who is about to be hanged at the gallows pole. The song is about the man walking toward his death, and the thoughts going through his head. It's a great song. It starts off slow, and some fast guitar work kicks in for a while. The vocals kick in, and the man about to be hanged is talking about his thoughts and what's going on around him. A solo is next and it's quite melodic. The vocals come back in. The lyrics are great. Reading the lyrics paints a picture in your head. You don't have to go to a website and find out the meaning. Just listening lets you know. Then, there's a fast solo, but it's a long solo. The vocals kick back in, and the last lines are "Hallowed Be Thy Name". That's the final track.
Well, there ya go. A classic of metal, a classic of music altogether. I forgot how much I loved this album until I listened to it while writing this review. This gets a 5 out of 5.
