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It should also be pointed out that this was the first Maiden album with all new material. Much of the material for the debut and the Killers album was material that they had been playing for years. There were some similarities in the material on Number Of The Beast but it was a lot heavier and with much more dynamics than before. Steve's love of progressive rock started to show with this album as well. I bough this album the first day it came out in 1982. It was huge and when this album came out with Run To The Hills as the first single, everybody all of a sudden knew who Iron Maiden was. The occult overtones of the title track brought unwarranted attention from the PMRC and religious groups (there were even protests at some of their shows) but in the long run only added to the immense impact that this album had on heavy metal and rock music in general. It will always be the album to which other Maiden albums will be compared.....a godly album indeed!

I'm a huge fan of Iron Maiden and have been since before I really got into Metal as a whole. However, for some reason I've always found Number Of The Beast to be slightly overrated. To be specific: to me this CD is low 90's (which mind you is still great) but I don't find it to be the godly piece of Metal that the majority feel it is. Call me crazy but I've always preferred Powerslave and Piece Of Mind and to an extent Killers. Now, I would agree this is probably their most influential and well-known work, along with what broke them into the extremely wide audience the band continues to enjoy. I still agree it's a classic due to its influence on Metal music but no matter how many times I listen to Invaders and Gangland I can't help but think that these songs are too weak to be part of what many people consider to be the best Metal CD ever released. But that's just my opinion. Perhaps the godliness of Hallowed Be Thy Name and the title track make up it?

I completely agree with this (though I'd call Invaders a godly track instead of the title track). Number of the Beast is a great album, there's no doubt about that, and there's no doubt that it was more influential (or well know) than any other Maiden album. However, in the holy pantheon of the first seven Maiden albums, this, to me, is probably their second weakest (the debut being the only weaker one). Gangland, The Prisoner, 22 Acacia Avenue and the title track range from average to good; the other four tracks are completely awesome in every single way (particularly, as everybody knows, Hallowed Be Thy Name, one of the best songs in metal). Still, that does make the album slightly overrated in my eyes, though deserving of the classic status (though Killers needs it too). Good review, though.

I get this argument completely. I disagree on individual songs and album preferences, but Maiden have definitely got stronger records than this.

All that said, its The Number of the Fucking Beast!

This wasn't my first Maiden album, it was Brave New World. Total killer. But when I heard Number of the Beast a few weeks later, it transformed me into a massive Maiden worshiper. But I have to say my favourite Maiden album is definitely Powerslave.

Yeah i agree with prety much everything Crims and Brahm said, but like Al said in the review everyone has their personal favourite but this is still a superb album.

How about the track "Total Eclipse"? If I'm not mistaken, it was not on the original release, at least in the US release. I believe it was a B-side. Kick ass track as well!

Awesome album.

Didn't mention it seperately, but yes, it is indeed a kick ass track

Pretty much agree with everything Brahm_k and crims said. I feel Total Eclipse and Gangland are the weakest tracks on this album. My personal fav would be Powerslave. To me, Maiden has never been able to top that album or even equal it.

'Total Eclipse' is one of my favourite Maiden track. The intro riff was just killer.

This album is a blessing from the Gods.

This is truly a classic. All of Maidens 80's album are classics though.

What I don't get though is how people can complain about the consistency of this album and then, in the same sentence, praise Powerslave. Powerslave's got some of Maiden's best tracks in the title track and Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, but at the same time there are tracks like Back In The Village and Losfer Words, which to me sound totally uninspiring. Sure, Gangland isn't that good either, but I don't think either of the two songs I mentioned are much better. In that aspect I think those two albums are pretty much alike, with some instant classics and some less good songs. This applies to most Maiden albums though, even Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son to a lesser degree. I have yet to see a perfect Maiden album, but the high number of quality songs they have written over the years still make them a great band.

I'm one of those who love Losfer Words and Back in the Village; I think Powerslave has absoloutely no filler. Even the weakest song, The Duellists, has that incredible middle guitar section.

Yeah Back In The Village is great and Losfer words is a decent instrumental i see no weak point in Powerslave.

Count me in.

Losfer words is one of my all time favorite instrumentals.

Same here. Real fun song to play on the guitar too!