Iron Maiden "The Number Of The Beast" 1982*****

Now, that can't be a coincidence. A few days after I presented 666, a.k.a. Vangelis' adaptation of the Book of Revelation, my random selection method came up with Iron Maiden's similarly themed The Number Of The Beast. It must be a sign from Heaven - or, at the very least, VALIS. And I take it to mean that I should take a holiday to Patmos island, Greece, next summer. There, one can still visit the cave where St. John The Apostle wrote the Book of Revelation. As well as swim in the clear blue Aegean Sea, bask in the sun, and eat delicious Greek food. Yes, the more I think about it the more I get convinced that this is The Creator's plan for me.

The Number of the Beast was a huge turning point for Iron Maiden. With two successful albums behind them, they decided to replace their lead singer Paul Di'Anno with Bruce Dickinson, formerly of Samson. Risky move, but it was what propelled them to the upper echelon of heavy metal, where they've stayed for four decades and counting. It was Dickinson's operatic vocals that prompted main songwriter Steve Harris to write more challenging and epic material something he obviously aspired to but believed that Di'Anno could not pull off. Somehow, nevertheless, he starts off on the wrong foot: "Invaders" is a fast-paced opener featuring competent playing and singing, but a weak and unoriginal composition. Thankfully it's followed by "Children of the Damned" a true epic reminiscent of Dio-era Sabbath. The story is inspired by a 60's B-movie, while "The Prisoner" refers to a 60's TV show. The latter is another great track and features all of Maiden's trademarks: aggressive riffs, melody, and catchy choruses. This is followed by "22 Acacia Avenue", the sequel of "Charlotte the Harlot" from a previous album. Which brings us to "The Number of the Beast" itself; unlike Vangelis' 666, this wasn't actually inspired by The Book of Revelation, but rather by horror movie Damien: Omen II, a 1978 film utilizing the antichrist bit off the Bible for the purpose of commercial entertainment. It does however feature a short spoken intro lifted straight off St. John's gospel. Musically it's among their best: fast paced, with great solos, killer chorus, and a fantastic vocal performance bringing the menacing lyrics to life. This song, along with the album cover, created a huge backlash, especially in the U.S. where the religious Right organized protests including the public destruction of Iron Maiden records and other relative merchandise - which. of course, had to be bought first, so no harm done to the band. I personally find the cover quite humorous; it shows band mascot Eddie puppeteering a Satan caricature which in turn is puppeteering an Eddie-doll, all set in an "apocalyptic" landscape. I mean, how can anyone think that it's possible for the band to be devoted Satanists and to portray Satan as a puppet? Heavy metal may not be the most sophisticated genre in the world, but it manages to make its opponents look like complete idiots. Last year in Greece, the first page of ultra-right newspaper Eleftheri Ora attributed forest wildfires raging near Athens to an Iron Maiden "concert-slash-demonic ceremony" taking place in the region 3 days earlier. Anyway... here, the title track is followed by lead single "Run to the Hills" an anthem about the conquest of the West from the viewpoint of native Americans. Its galloping rhythm and great playing by all the members render it another classic; with a live play count of 1490 as we speak, it's their 5th most performed song ever. On number 3 of that list, we find "Hallowed Be Thy Name", also from this album and arguably Iron Maiden's finest hour. First of all, it contains some of Harris' deepest (don't laugh!) lyrics; it actually manages to convincingly convey the thoughts of a man before his execution. Fantastic riff and solos, galloping rhythm, and an inspired vocal at turns operatic and theatrical as Dickinson tries to inhabit the role of the condemned man. "Gangland", which preceded "Hallowed..." seems pedestrian in comparison, but I rather like it's thrash-like speed. My own edition of Number... adds one more song called "Total Eclipse". Originally the B-side of the Run to the Hills single, it nevertheless belongs here as it was only left out of the LP because of time restrictions. A mini-epic featuring pace changes and artful solos, yet forgettable compared to the many other highs this album has to offer. Essential listening for anyone even remotely interested in heavy metal.

 ***** for The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, Hallowed Be Thy Named

**** for Children of the Damned, The Prisoner

*** for Invaders, 22 Acacia Avenue, Gangland, Total Eclipse