IRON MAIDEN

After touring the London underground circuit, the band founded in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, Iron Maiden, finally released their debut album in 1980, simply titled 'Iron Maiden'. The name was inspired by the torture device of the same name described by French novelist Alexandre Dumas in his 1867 work 'The Man in the Iron Mask' and brought to the big screen in 1929 by American director Allan Dwan.

Iron Maiden's successful breakthrough had a lot to do with the boldness and originality of their raw and vigorous sound, which they unashamedly and fearlessly displayed in direct songs charged with voltaic energy, such as the opening track "Prowler", the pseudo-punk "Sanctuary", the intense and lively instrumental "Transylvania", the stark "Charlotte The Harlot" and the eponymous and overflowing "Iron Maiden". Pure metal, where Steve Harris's relentless and aggressive bass and Dave Murray and Dennis Stratton's machine-gun guitars interact and complement each other perfectly, setting the stage for Paul Di'Anno's unique vocal range, a mixture of raspy street rage and clean melodic lines, to describe everyday situations of marginalised and displaced characters.

But it is in the middle of the album where Iron Maiden gives clear indications of their particular vision of the future, with sound structures that go beyond the traditional guidelines of the genre, incorporating not only electro-acoustic nuances into their powerful guitar riffs, as in the introspective "Remember Tomorrow" or the splendid "Strange World", but also melodies that encourage audience participation in live performances, as in the cheeky and lively "Running Free", and above all, elaborate instrumental displays and galloping rhythm changes very much in the progressive vein, as in the epic and dramatic "The Phantom of the Opera", surely the best track on the album and one of the earliest examples of the band's versatility and ability to explore and navigate the infinite paths of the rock universe.

"Iron Maiden", whose cover image features the faithful and anthropomorphic Eddie in punk mode, is now considered a cult album and a cornerstone of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Widely acclaimed, the album climbed to #4 in the UK charts and marked the beginning of the Maiden dynasty worldwide.

3.5/4 stars

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