Iron Maiden
With the advent of the NWOBHM and the IRON MAIDEN (aka: the genre definers; they’re bassically the Black Sabbath of NWOBHM), the Metal landscape was starting to take on a different dimension; with increased aggression, speed, and heaviness (musically and lyrically) while simultaneously weaving in twin guitar harmonies, a greater sense of melody, prog-rock style orchestration and arrangement to create what can only be described thusly: IRON MAIDEN!
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Released: April 14, 1980
Kingsway Studio, London
Producer: Wil Malone & Iron Maiden
Paul Di’Anno – Vocals
Steve Harris – Bass, backing vocals
Dave Murray – Guitars
Dennis Stratton – Guitars, backing vocals
Clive Burr – Drums
Tracklisting:
Prowler
Sanctuary*
Remember Tomorrow
Running Free
Phantom of the Opera
Transylvania
Strange World
Charlotte the Harlot
Iron Maiden
Fakt Czech:
Only album with Dennis Stratton on guitar.
Originally released with 8 tracks as Sanctuary was a single (NOTE: Sanctuary was included on the 1998 remastered version of the album).
Album was completed in 13 days.
Get your time-traveling shoes on and dial in your relaxer level for 1980 (get Ron on the horn if you need to order anything, I think there’s some kinda “relaxer delivery” arrangement with Clive and TRL) and JOIN US as we review Iron Maiden’s self-titled mind-blowing debut album.
Tracks:
PROWLER
..starts out with a certain urgency and darkness. For 1980, this was most certainly NOT punk, but it was heavier, faster and a bit darker than most rock music at the time…so what, exactly, WAS this? (drum roll please…) NWOBHM!! Yep! The New Wave of British Heavy Metal!! Prowler pretty much sums up the NWOBHM sound in one song: the speed, the riffs, the harmonies, and the darker lyrical themes.
SANCTUARY
..has that same high speed, high intensity, in-your-fucking-face kinda vibe. *btw, SANCTUARY wasn’t originally released as an album track (single only) until the 1998 remaster.
REMEMBER TOMORROW
..introduces a stark contrast in sound and atmosphere compared with the first 2 songs (or 1st song, depending on which version of the album you’re enjoying). Darker, more oppressive, and more progressive than Prowler and Sanctuary. Definitely another layer of texture to the Iron Maiden sound. Almost has an early Rush feel to it (think 2112).
RUNNING FREE
..returns to the intensity of the first 2 songs but with a bit more groove and swing. Think Gary Glitter’s “Rock & Roll Pt. 2” but with a generous cup of coffee mixed with Tony Montana’s “special” creamer…and obviously WAY fucking cooler (because duh!). The harmony guitars in the middle add a nice bit of flair to the otherwise straight-ahead simplicity of the main riff.
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
..was, is and will continue to be one of Iron Maiden’s most progressive songs, in terms of the various movements/sections of the song, the orchestration of the music and the vividly visual quality of the lyrics. Oh yeah: Read. Those. Lyrics! “Don’t you stray from the narrow way.” The bass and twin guitar harmonies leading into the guitar solo would become a signature part of the Iron Maiden sound which persists to this day (for which we are MOST thankful!).
TRANSYLVANIA
..was an excellent way to start Side 2 (if you’re following along on album or cassette); not only as an instrumental but really as almost an intermission of sorts, a break before the next Act (or in the case of vinyl or cassette: the next Side). Just reading the word “Transylvania” automatically conjures visions of haunted castles and vampires hanging out in the dungeon enjoying relaxers before flying out for a feeding frenzy in a town nearby. It’s literally a perfect segue into
STRANGE WORLD
..a very melodic, yet very dark sounding track with a very heavy progressive element (something else that would become part of the Maiden sound (Let’s call it “early prog metal”). Of all the songs on this album, this one might even rival the proggyness of Phantom of the Opera.
CHARLOTTE THE HARLOTTE
.. (part 1 of 4) returns to the urgency and speed of the opening tracks. A “love” song of a different kind, about a professional woman (Supposably the lyrics to this song are “based on a true story” …). The guitar solo part has that “Symptom of the Universe” thrash feel to it. IRON MAIDEN: And now for the Big Finale! That opening riff is one of the sickest harmony riffs in ALL of Metal!! Every time I hear this, it’s like hearing the Live After Death version for me (as that was where I had first heard the song). Those harmonies, that intensity, the speed. THIS is the SOUND of Iron Maiden.
SHOW NOTES
Show Notes:
(00:00) - Please check out Clive & Otto for all of your exotic #hashbag and #relaxer needs / #rewinding / If you smell like #tridentvibes, EMAIL US at metalnerdery@gmail.com subject Wheeler / IRON MAIDEN #ironmaiden #uptheirons (#happyanniversary) and a momentary lapse of time traveling judgment #thenewecore and #ironmaidendaycore #wecandobetter / The alternate versions of the album cover art: 1980 vs the #remasterized version #albumart #ironmaidenafterdark #pauladianno / Peeling away the layers of #art and finding new facets that you didn’t notice previously (which is #fucking #beautiful).
(04:54) – April 14, 1980 / Kingsway Studio, London / #mostly #ironmaiden and #steveharris is a #blessin / Those first 2 Iron Maiden records… / The #blacksabbath of #nwobhm (or, to put it another way: it was Iron Maiden’s #Exciter / Embracing what you hate: injecting #punk with #progrock and #metal / Recorded in 13 days / The evolution of Iron Maiden’s sound from the first 2 records through to the Bruce era / That album art
(09:33) - #36 / #4 / Do LIVE albums help to renew interest in a band’s back catalog? See also the #projectband reference from prior episodes / #onmicburp #breakdown #numetalunblackmetalcorecore #burpcore #belchcore #backupcore / The Iron Maiden ST (that’s “self-titled”) album personnel and roster / #musicaldifferences / A killer black metal band name / #mantetons and the #dadbod concept/ METAL NERDERY PODCAST SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION!!! LOOK AT OUR TITS!! OKAY BACK TO MAIDEN!
(13:04) – The 1980 vs 1998 version (and extra tunes among the remastered version) and the impact on the original tracking of the album / THE TRACKS: Prowler #badass #riff and the clarity of the production of the first Maiden record #darker 70’s #progrock #vibe #rush / Original tracklisting of side 1 (or side A) of the #album and/or #cassette
(18:30) – Remember Tomorrow (#proggy) and the nice buffer of throwing #sanctuary in at track 2 (#WTF) Running Free (also, numbah free) #screamforme and #alicecooper #tangentionalalityismness / Phantom of the Opera (#superproggy #superprogmetalnwobhmcore) #readthoselyrics #canyougetthere? / That guitar solo (and that bass solo) section #fuckingkiller and also #HAIL
(26:30) – SIDE 2: (on the vinyl and cassette) and the difference between the clarity and quality of 8-tracks #click #clicky #cliques #fuckmath / Transylvania (a great buildup for the next song; bolth musically and lyrically (and visually) / Song pairings that just go together / Strange World (#darkprog #eighttrackASMR #ironmaidenASMR #metalnerderyASMR #ASMR #STFUASMR ) / An Iron Maiden #conspiracytheory
(34:47) – Charlotte The Harlot (#notshocking) / Iron Maiden’s #Exciter #justsayyes Do you NOT hear the #liveafterdeath version of this? #metalnerderypodcast #albumdivePLUS and the #tangentionalalityismness of #exciter and #ironmaiden and if we’re being real, also #blacksabbath/ #SCREAMFORME Iron Maiden / #onmicdeathmetalburp #blackeneddeathmetalburpcore #fishtacocore #ghosttrack #tentaclecore and a quick message from Laryngitis’ and his #new #gumendorsement from #tridentvibes #buyourshit metalnerdery.com/merch / Burning Ambition* (*previously unreleased) #happymaiden #allmanmaiden / IB-lieve #zeez #jeanwree #genre and #consequences / I’ve Got The Fire (from the 1995 reissue); kinda #Montrose , kinda #Motorhead kinda #Maiden and definitely kinda #fuckingawesome / #thestrugglewithin #gumASMR #tentacleovertime #accidentallyintentional #blackalbumreference #oooooh of disapproval
(46:38) – “SCREAM FOR ME!! “Iron Maiden (Live After Death version) #sofuckingbadass #everytime I hear Iron Maiden it’s automatic #maidentaintbonercore / HAPPY ANNIVERARY AND HAIL TO THE MIGHTY AND POWERFUL IRON MAIDEN!!! / Filling in the blanks on the #drugtracker / #deathmetalmasturbation #theyllneverforget #untilthenext #thelastword #thankyouforlistening #easteregg.