TNOTB: individual album judgement by yours truly

Invaders - 6 >
Children of the Damned - 7 >
The Prisoner - 9 >
22 Acacia Avenue - 8 >
The Number of the Beast - 9 >
Run to the Hills - 10 >
Gangland - 4 >
Total Eclipse - 7 >
Hallowed Be Thy Name - 9 >

Average Score: 7.6/10
Actual Score: 7.9/10

A better album than the two preceding ones. Bruce is far better than Di'Anno, the writing's stronger, and the low points still work well in the context of the album. A good sign of things to come.
 
97/365
IronMaiden_NumberOfBeast.jpg

The Number Of The Beast - Iron Maiden
Format: Vinyl

Invaders - A nice solid track with a shitty chorus. I really like the drum intro and the guitar work is quite strong as expected by Maiden. Bruce sings fairly well overall. 8/10

Children Of The Damned - Acoustic guitar introduces the next track before an electric one cries in the background. Bruce sings calmly at first soon letting loose some nice longer high notes. An absolutely amazing mini epic - 10/10

The Prisoner - A interrogation intro leads into a heavy drum lead band intro, picking up the pace greatly. Bruce sings amazingly, the chorus is nice. Overall an incredibly strong track - 10/10

22 Acacia Avenue - A quick intro leads into a song in the Charlotte The Harlot story. A fairly strong track that I've never acquired the taste for. But the solo is nice - 8.5/10

The Number Of The Beast - YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! - 10/10

Run To The Hills - Like many the first Maiden song I had heard, I thought it was a good song. How wrong was I, now years later I prepare to potentially hear it for my first Maiden concert. Run To The Hills is an outright amazing metal track the band delivers an accurate portrayal of history while kicking ass - 10/10

Gangland - A nice drum intro leads into a much weaker track than the rest on this side. A weak track on a brilliant album - 7/10

Hallowed Be Thy Name - Absolutely amazing. Hallowed is an amazing metal track let alone Maiden song. It sits in my top 2 Maiden tracks. Perfection - 10/10

Overall 92%
 
Invaders - 8.25/10
Children of the Damned - 8.25/10
The Prisoner - 7.75/10
22 Acacia Avenue - 8/10
The Number of the Beast - 9.5/10
Run to the Hills - 8.5/10
Gangland - 5.5/10
Total Eclipse - 8.5/10
Hallowed Be Thy Name - 8.25/10

Average: 8.05/10
 
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1. Invaders 8,5
2. Children of the Damned 10
3. The Prisoner 10
4. 22 Acacia Avenue 9,5
5. The number of the Beast 10
6. Run to the Hills 10
7. Gangland 9,5
8. Total Eclipse 9
9. Hallowed be thy name 10

9,6

F***ING BRILLIANT
 
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Invaders 7/10
Children Of The Damned 9/10
The Prisoner 8/10
22 Acacia Avenue 9/10
The Number Of The Beast 8/10
Run To The Hills 9/10
Gangland 7/10
Hallowed Be Thy Name 10/10

Average song rating: 8,37
Overall album rating 85%
 
THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST (1982)

1. Invaders - 8/10
On an album as iconic as TNOTB, you’d think the opener would stand out... but no, it’s the album’s most overlooked track. Invaders isn’t the most brilliant of Maiden’s songs, yet it’s ferocious and the introduction of the band’s fiery new singer. It may have a goofy chorus, but the verses are pure action and Bruce is killer.

2. Children Of The Damned - 8/10
A very good second song, although it used to do more for me than it does now. Can’t fault the atmosphere and the vocal performance, though.

3. The Prisoner - 10/10
A fantastic drum intro leads into the raging riff. A heavy anthem, this one is awesome from the beautiful chorus to the flaming solos. Classic.

4. 22 Acacia Avenue - 8/10
A proggy affair from the lads and the second in the Charlotte series, 22 has a lot of kick to it but not quite enough to be as memorable as some of the others on here.

5. The Number Of The Beast - 10/10
A chilling spoken word intro leads into the riff as Bruce guides us through this dark metal classic. Everything from the chorus to the solos to that iconic scream... perfection.

6. Run To The Hills - 10/10
This is where it all began for me, the song that made me a Maiden fan. The drum intro, the riff, and above all the chorus... just so good.

7. Gangland - 6/10
Solid enough song but kinda boring.

8. Total Eclipse - 9/10
Another song that used to do more for me, but it’s still pretty awesome, particularly the last bit where Bruce really lets it all loose. Incredible.

9. Hallowed Be Thy Name - 10/10
For better or for worse, there will never be another song like Hallowed. Is it Maiden’s best? Not a chance, but it’s still an undeniable tour-de-force in the metal scene. Epic song.

This is where Maiden really started to get their shit together. The guitars sound great, Bruce has taken the vocals to places few would have dreamed of, and now we only need Nicko to herald in the classic Iron Maiden sound and cement the band as the gods they are.

Rating: 88%
 
My ratings

Invaders: 7
Children of the Damned: 8,5
The Prisoner: 8
22 Acacia Avenue: 9
The Number of the Beast: 7,5
Run to the Hills: 8,5
Gangland: 7
Total Eclipse: 10
Hallowed Be Thy Name: 10

Overall: 8,3
 
2019 relisten quick reflections:

- It's really a shame that the chorus of Invaders is so fucking abysmal, because the verses and instrumental parts are great. This rose a couple points this time, but will never get higher than a 5/10 due to that garbage chorus.
- The Prisoner would be a top tier tune if it was 30-45 sec shorter.
- 22 Acacia Avenue has some of the best, most progressive music on any early Maiden album. It's incredible.
- Gangland remains a truly crap song and this album would've been better without it (and with the far superior Total Eclipse).

Overall, I think TNOTB is one of those albums that simply doesn't have that many layers. I don't think this is a bad thing, as most of the songs on it are pretty great, but it does not reveal anything new over time. Most Bruce-era-and-beyond Maiden albums have a lot of musical information packed into them that can change opinions with repeated listens, but TNOTB feels like exactly what it is: the sound of a band learning to mature. It is stuck in the same mould as the previous two albums, albeit with a much higher quality of songwriting and advanced sonic scope. It's truly a turning point in the career of the band and a great listen (despite a crap opener).

2019 rating (w/ Total Eclipse added): 8.1/10
2019 rating (w/ Total Eclipse and w/o Gangland): 8.8/10
 
MrKnickerbocker said:
Overall, I think TNOTB is one of those albums that simply doesn't have that many layers. I don't think this is a bad thing, as most of the songs on it are pretty great, but it does not reveal anything new over time. Most Bruce-era-and-beyond Maiden albums have a lot of musical information packed into them that can change opinions with repeated listens, but TNOTB feels like exactly what it is: the sound of a band learning to mature. It is stuck in the same mould as the previous two albums, albeit with a much higher quality of songwriting and advanced sonic scope. It's truly a turning point in the career of the band and a great listen (despite a crap opener).
Click to expand...

I pretty much agree. It's a very strong album, with not too much to discover when you've already given it a lot spins. That, of course, doesn't change the fact that it's a brilliant listen every time. There are a couple of songs that pale in comparison to the body of the album, the classic selection of RTTH, TNOTB, THe Prisoner, COTD and Hallowed, but the album is compact enough not to really lose grip at any time as far as the ferocity, songwriting and pure energy of the young band goes, you can't really find much to complain.

So, I'd score it around 8 too, but given the fact that 6/8 songs are absolutely amazing and true classics and Invaders and Gangland work well enough as your typical 80's heavy metal songs among the rest, the value of the album is indeed a bit higher than it's actual score. Not as sophisticated as some of the following albums, but an outrageous testimony of the band at the dawn of their golden era.

Killers: 7-8, so let's say 7.5
The Number of the Beast: 8
 
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Invaders -- 5
Children of the Damned -- 7
The Prisoner -- 8
22 Acacia Avenue -- 7
The Number of the Beast -- 9
Run to the Hills -- 9
Gangland -- 5
Total Eclipse -- 5
Hallowed Be Thy Name – 10
 
Again, time for an update

1. Invaders 4
2. Children of the Damned 7
3. The Prisoner 8
4. 22 Acacia Avenue 6
5. The number of the Beast 3
6. Run to the Hills 6
7. Gangland 5
8. Total Eclipse 6
9. Hallowed be thy name 10

Overall: 6,1, the weakest of the "classics"
 
JudasMyGuide said:
Again, time for an update

1. Invaders 4
2. Children of the Damned 7
3. The Prisoner 8
4. 22 Acacia Avenue 6
5. The number of the Beast 3
6. Run to the Hills 6
7. Gangland 5
8. Total Eclipse 6
9. Hallowed be thy name 10

Overall: 6,1, the weakest of the "classics"
Click to expand...
Hallowed is definitely a 10 to me but Invaders only 4?? I guess you don´t like the chorus that much don't you? :p For me the weakest is Total Eclipse.
 
IRON MAIDEN - THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST (2020 relistening):

1- Invaders: I simply adore almost everything on this powerful uptempo opening track. The short intro grabs your attention immediately, the intense drumming, vocal delivery by Bruce is a whole new level and the energy this thing unleashes is simply overwhelming. But this song is marked by two major aspects. First one is the bass line and OH MY GOD! Steve is known for penning great bass fills but on this track particularly I think he simply made the most infectious and well imagined 4 string of all Maiden tracks as far as I'm concerned. The second one... yeah: you guessed it: THAT DAMNED CHORUS! Really? Really? How can you write such a superb blast of a track and then come up with such garbage for the refrain? What is this? The only thing positive about it is that it's really short but even its less than 10 seconds always make me cringe. Nevertheless everything else is so great (and since the awful part spans only less than 20 seconds) I must confess even so I absolutely love this track. Now imagine it without that abomination of a chorus! 8.5/10

2- Children Of The Damned: Excellent combination of semi acoustic verses and powerful chorus with Bruce once again showing what he came for. It seems like a Remember Tomorrow like tune adapted to the most dramatic turn that Maiden would give to their sound from this album onward. And here they reach that effect 100% as the duality of the calm and heavy parts really portrait the duality of a child's innocence versus a supposed demonic possession as well as the tragic outcome. The latter is particularly disturbing on the final stretch of the song where Bruce's shrieks are really on point and the guitars (both on the harmonies and solos) sound tight as hell. Great track. 8/10

3- The Prisoner: The drumming by Clive on this song's intro is simply a treat. I mean it's not something that makes your jaw drop but it's so well put together it's impossible not to love it. The main riff is also really strong, bass and voice are really on point and so is the pre chorus, giving that adrenaline feeling. But the major letdown here is once again the chorus: really poppy and kinda deflates the excitement that the rest of the song builds. Don't get me wrong: it's not an aberration like on Invaders but a) it's really "la la la" and b) it lasts way more than 10 seconds. Nevertheless another really cool song. 7.75/10

4- 22 Acacia Avenue: Built upon an old riff written by Adrian Smith the continuation of Charlote's saga is musically wise quite a different animal. I spot some kind of similarities between 22 Acacia Avenue and Priest's Victim Of Changes. The theme is blatantly similar, plus they're both semi epics songs with really distinct parts divided by a really rumbling section in the middle. Riff wise Maiden's tune is way less based on 70's heavy blues and more of a NWOBHM anthem. The stop and go verses sound great while the second section kinda reminds me of Phantom Of The Opera's melodies and pace interrupted by a decent sort of chorus. The most intense part of the song is really on point (BTW have I already said that Bruce also sounds amazing here?). The transition to the mellow soloing part is superb and the way it kinda recycles the previous section for the final stretch of verses and great soloing is also really immaculate. Overall another win hands down. 8/10

5- The Number Of The Beast: This one is simply put one of Maiden's most iconic tunes and that's not by accident. Everything here is so well put together and the attention to detail is mind blowing. The intro's crescendo is absolutely thrilling with Bruce's voice dragging us deeper and deeper to this hellish nightmare until all hell breaks lose (pun intended) and the soon to be well known air siren scream resounds like a warcry, a sign for the remainder of the band to go full throtle on a fast paced dramatic tune. And the rest is history: simple yet efficient chorus, amazing harmonies on the bridge (bass included) and iconic soloing in a song built to last a shit load of generations that even severe overplaying can't seriously tarnish it's charm. Legendary. 9.5/10

6- Run To The Hills: Speaking of iconic and overplayed Bruce's first single with the band is yet another stunning composition both in its simplicity and its addictive hooks. From the lullaby like guitar on the intro where the Indian laments the white man's invasion to the galloping verses that transport us to the cavalry charging this delivers the same doses of epic and radio friendly (quite a difficult recipe to achieve). and it all comes together in a larger than life chorus. Plus don't forget that amazing "aaahh - ahhh's" bridge that really pumps you for one last go on the refrain. If it's true that it has been somehow eroded by overplaying, Run To The Hills has on its side the fact of being really brief and an excellent sing along tune when played live and that associated with its undeniable merits makes me revere this classic to this very day. 9/10

7- Gangland: Confuse, a bit pointless and lacking any standout part, this fast and aggressive rocker is IMO the ugly duckling here. Sounds like a barrage of bursting riffs thrown at you without a body of itself flowing into a somehow uninspired chorus. Still heavy as bricks but while not being utterly awful Gangland is the epitome of unisnspired and mundane at best. 6/10

8- Hallowed Be Thy Name: Let me get one thing clear about TNOTB's last track from the get go: yes it is a classic, yes it features some out of this world sections and rightfuly so belongs to Maiden's most revered tunes. But from a long time now there's something in HBTN that really tires me everytime I get pass its first section. Let's go by parts: the intro of this thing is absolutely breath taking and state of the art Maiden. A simple calm and depressing tune upon which Bruce's dramatic singing immediately transports you to the cell of a soon to be hanged convict's last reflections. And the way it builds to the point the song kicks off with its legendary guitar harmony is flawless. And if some decades ago I really would listen to the remainder of the stop and go verses fact is they kinda grew a bit boring on me. Overplaying sure has a part on this and if that factor is easy to get by on a 4 minute track it's a whole different thing when it comes to a 7 plus minute epic. But I don't know... it somehow lost its charm to me. Even the soloing parts. Nevertheless the last guitar harmony is simply brutal (although repeated too many times) and the way Bruce's voice comes to resound the convicts last words before the crushing end is also top. Once again I must say that I completely agree that this is top tier Maiden and perhaps I'm being a bit unfair... if I would take everything In account this song would be a 9 or something similar. But fact is I almost never listen to it past the "running low" part and I can't ignore that. 8/10

PS: 8.09/10 points song average

Bonus Stuff/ Original B' Sides:

Total Eclipse: Well, we all know that Gangland should have been RTTH's B side and this track should have make it to the album. Obvious stuff apart, the strong, heavy and slow chug of this thing and its sombre ambiance are absolutely superb. The chorus is simple yet really well embeded in the song. Plus that bridge with bruce's voice duelling with the soloing guitar is simply stunning and the final stretch of the track is equally great. The only downside is that I think Total Eclipse deserved at least 2 more minutes to repeat some of its only one appearence stellar passages and to underline even more its epic flavor. Still one heck of a song on any level. 8/10

Overall a great album and a cornerstone that would change the band's direction somewhat and strongly influence heavy music in general. I'm glad they switched the blue on the cover for black in the 1998 reissue since it works way better and that's the way it was supposed to be. Plus it's one hell of a cover (pun intended) with a really cool twist on the tail. On the downside the production while stellar is way too clean and lacks a bit of the edge it gained with Killers' aggression. Plus I still think that music wise it's a bit uneven and sometimes even overrated but still a must have for every metal fan. 8.25/10
 
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Listened to it in the new/original version:
  1. Invaders: 6 - I never liked it, it's a 6 only because it's here... but it really has nothing to do with the rest
  2. Children of the Damned: 8.5 - now we're talking! Despite the lyrics being a bit repetitive, the music stands out
  3. The Prisoner: 8/9 - very good build-up, I particularly like the bass-driven bridge, the arrangement of the chorus and the instrumental
  4. 22 Acacia Avenue: 9 - the best one so far, love Murray's smooth, slow solo and the outro!
  5. The Number of the Beast: 8+ - a bit better, I like how it rocks between D major and D minor, in general it's better than Run to the Hills
  6. Run to the Hills: 7.5 - a bit more 'happy-sounding', I definitely can see how they chose it as the leading single
  7. Total Eclipse: 8 - this is a gem, really, the only issue to me is that it accelerates a bit too suddenly
  8. Hallowed Be Thy Name: 9/10 - the best piece they put out in the 80s
Overall: 9/10
A milestone
 
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