IRON MAIDEN

From Cradle Of Filth to Employed To Serve to, um, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, The Number Of The Beast has continued to influence generations across metal. Forty years on, it may yet remain Maiden’s definitive masterpiece

WORDS: DOM LAWSON

2022 IRON MAIDEN LLP

It was no coincidence that the B-side of Iron Maiden’s debut single (Running Free, released February 1980) was entitled Burning Ambition. In contrast to the majority of the bands that fuelled the nascent New Wave Of British Heavy Metal 40 years ago, Steve Harris’s crew had the vision, focus, commitment and discipline of a band with nothing less than world domination on their minds. After years of tireless gigging, the Londoners’ first two albums – Iron Maiden (1980) and Killers (1981) – had thrust them firmly into the spotlight -with unforgettable, iconic, Eddie-centric artwork providing another layer of intrigue.

Unfortunately, the best-laid plans almost always turn to shit, and by the time Maiden were reaching the end of their US tour in support of Killers, it had become abundantly apparent that talismanic frontman Paul Di’Anno was rather more interested in getting wasted on cocaine and booze than he was in delivering the high-quality performances that the band had made their trademark. Immediately after the tour, Paul was sacked, and one of the hottest rock bands on the planet suddenly found themselves – with the recording of that all-important third album looming -in urgent need of a worthy replacement. As you may be aware, they found one.

After a meeting with Maiden manager Rod Smallwood backstage at the Reading Festival in August 1981, soon to be ex-Samson vocalist Bruce Dickinson was summoned for an audition a few weeks later and, not surprisingly given the fucking pipes on the man, was immediately hired. Now armed with a new secret weapon and still surfing on waves of hardearned momentum, Iron Maiden hit Battery Studio in London with producer Martin Birch to record the album that would change everything: The NumberOf The Beast.

From its epoch-shattering cover art to its near-universally cherished musical contents, Iron Maiden’s third album is simply one of the definitive heavy metal records from the genre’s formative years. Prior to its release back in February 1982, Maiden released a single, Run To The Hills, which introduced Bruce Dickinson’s incredible voice to the world. Accompanied by a ludicrous but great, Wild West-themed video, the single quite rightly rocketed into the UK Top 10. An instant anthem, Run To The Hills confirmed that Iron Maiden had done more than negotiate a major line-up change: they were a band reborn, and with more swagger and confidence than ever. A month later, The Number Of The Beast was released in its full glory and shot immediately to #1 in the UK album chart. Meanwhile, over in Los Angeles, a young Brian Slagel (a lifelong Iron Maiden fanatic and the owner of Metal Blade Records) was officially the happiest man on the planet.