THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST

The great compositional diversity and the overall sophistication of Iron Maiden's writing on their third studio album was perhaps inspired by the addition of the relentless metal vocalist Bruce Dickinson, making his impressive debut on 'The Number of the Beast' from 1982, one of the really important and influential heavy albums of the decade, and the release that became the British group's critical and commercial breakthrough. While Maiden's first two albums had been more straightforward, stomping and energetic, 'The Number of the Beast' finally sees the five-piece band exploring and developing their more adventurous, unpredictable and musically exciting pieces, on an album that introduces a myriad of bold sounds, excellent and iconic riffs, some ubiquitous choruses and several intriguing stories narrated by the powerful and operatic vocals of Dickinson.

'The Number of the Beast' takes equal amounts of inspiration from the classic rock acts of the 70s as it does from progressive rock, which bassist Steve Harris is especially partial to, and this definitely pushed the band to explore longer-format songs with more unusual structures (think of 'The Prisoner', '22 Acacia Avenue' or 'Hallowed Be Thy Name'). Of course, it is Dickinson's fabulous performance and capacities that really match the ambition of the instrumentalists in the band, resulting in a record that attempts to push the boundaries of the genre even further. Yet at the same time, 'The Number of the Beast' had great commercial potential and success, featuring several rock staples that have become some of the most recognizable Maiden songs - think of the entire side two. And while many critics and fans refer to this record as the most important metal album of the decade, a more moderate overview of it might consider how much more compelling and sophisticated it is compared to previous Maiden efforts, how consistent and melodic their music has become and how impactful Dickinson's addition is for the band; or in other words, 'The Number of the Beast' represents that "quantum leap forward" in terms of Iron Maiden developing their signature sound.

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