Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden

(1980)

The birth of the legend

“Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut is the greatest album of the last 50 years. It is important because of its unprecedented sound. It saw progressive metal sounds fused with the aggression of punk, and in doing so became the cornerstone of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.

“When I first heard it, I was still new to the world of metal and wanted to gain more knowledge. In Japan, CD rental shops were and still are a thing, and it’s partly because of this that

I had access to so much music. The album was recommended to me by staff as one of the best metal albums, so of course, I grabbed it and thought, ‘I must listen to this!’ and ran home immediately and put it my CD player. Before opening track Prowler had finished, I was already blown away and wanting more.

“The music is so original and fresh. Despite it being released before my time, I feel that the album’s combination of hard, treble-heavy bass and guitar is something rarely found in other material of that era. Also, I love the strength and power of the vocals and riffs offset against the melodic nature of the guitar melodies. Plus, that sleeve art with Eddie is unforgettable. Truly an iconic album in every way.

“You can hear Iron Maiden’s influence in so much metal that followed and even in new bands today. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that without them, today’s metal scene would be very different.”