The Number of the Beast (1982)
Bruce ‘Air Raid Siren’ Dickinson - Vocals
Dave Murray - Guitars
Adrian Smith - Guitars
Steve Harris - Bass
Clive Burr - Drums
Maiden spared no time to get started on their next album after recruiting Bruce Dickinson. After a short European tour, the band entered the studio in early ‘82 and the album was released in March. That sort of turnaround time is unheard of now. What makes it even more impressive is that The Number of the Beast is the first Iron Maiden album to feature no previously written or performed material. Being forced to come up with all new material in a short amount of time combined with the new singer must have caused quite a bit of pressure, but it also allowed the band to build a new sound around Bruce.
The Number of the Beast indeed shows how much the singer can shape the band. The punk influence has been completely removed by this point. The music on Beast is polished, refined, and leagues above the first two albums. Even the more upbeat numbers, such as Invaders and The Prisoner, feature intricate playing and technically brilliant vocal performances from Bruce. The album showed the band taking new directions. Songs such as Children of the Damned heralded back to earlier Metal, specifically Black Sabbath, while progressing with a new sound. Of course there’s the album’s centerpiece: Hallowed Be Thy Name. While I prefer Phantom of the Opera, there’s no denying that Hallowed was unlike anything the band had done before and almost single handedly solidified their place as Metal legends.
Even the artwork took a major step up with this album. We finally see Eddie leave the East End of London for a more apocalyptic setting. Some trivia about the cover: Derek Riggs actually submitted this piece to be used on the single artwork for Purgatory, but the band felt it was too good to be used as a single and decided to save it for the next album. This turned out to be a great choice because it fits the album perfectly.
This is also the last album to have versions with different tracklists. For the first (and only) time, Clive Burr contributed to the songwriting for Beast with two tracks: Gangland and Total Eclipse. The album only had room for one of these tracks and Gangland made the cut with Total Eclipse being included as the B side to Run To the Hills. When the band’s discography was remastered in 1998, Total Eclipse was finally included. Strangely, Total Eclipse was played on the tour instead of Gangland. Total Eclipse also fits the album musically and thematically much better than Gangland. My personal theory is that the band’s management had something to do with Gangland being included instead. The song is also unfinished. Pay extra attention to the solo section. One of the oddities of the band’s catalog. It does feature Bruce’s highest recorded note though.
Of course you can’t talk about Number of the Beast without mentioning the controversy. Because of the album’s cover and title, the band were labeled as devil worshippers and religious protesters attempted to have the album censored. Of course all this did was generate free publicity of the band. The Number of the Beast became an instant hit, thanks to the momentum created by the lead single Run To the Hills and partly the publicity from the aforementioned controversy. The album shot all the way up to #1 in the UK charts and was certified platinum in the US.
The Number Of the Beast is a classic album. Like most classics, it’s easy for the more hardcore fans to write it off as overrated. It’s definitely not Maiden’s best, but more of a foundation for the great things to come. The album still has a unique charm to it and many of the songs still hold up, even if they’ve been overplayed. It’s easy to see why this album is their most critically acclaimed. It’s accessible, fresh, and shows the band firing on all cylinders. A classic for good reason.
Finally, if you’re interested in learning more about the album, the VH1 “Classic Albums” series did an episode on Beast. It’s really interesting and featured some trivia that was even new to me when I saw it. I highly recommend it.