Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden is a vivid debut that pulls together speed, melody and street roughness around Steve Harris’s bounding bass. Paul Di’Anno’s singing carries an urgency different from the later Bruce Dickinson era, sharply leading the two guitars and Clive Burr’s drums forward. From the speed of the opener “Prowler” and the raw momentum of the single “Running Free” to the deft development of the epic “Phantom of the Opera,” the band’s powerful character is already clearly established. “Sanctuary,” “Remember Tomorrow” and the title track “Iron Maiden” also give off a rough appeal particular to the early days. Its distinction is that a punk-derived urgency and the constructive power of heavy metal coexist beautifully. Roughly running riffs, bounding bass and urgent singing push one another, conveying an early drive that seems to seal in the heat of the streets. The songs do not merely charge straight ahead; by inserting short guitar responses and uneasy melody, they turn a youthful precariousness into a powerful character. Keeping the heat of NWOBHM while drawing a blueprint toward the later grand narrative, it is a historically important record.