While Bruce Dickinson is THE voice of Iron Maiden, I think Paul DiAnno's contribution during the early Maiden years is too often overlooked. "Phantom of the Opera" and "Sanctuary" are the first great tunes that turned me on to Iron Maiden, and alerted me to just what an incredible group they are.

I won't go as far to say that I like DiAnnio over Dickinson... there is nobody in all of heavy metal that could reproduce that melodic war-cry of a voice he lets rip! But DiAnnio was unique, and left enough of an impression on this album that I think he deserves a bit more of a nod than he gets.

If you have only heard the highlight CDs of Iron Maiden like "Number of the Beast" and "Powerslave," believe me, you are missing out. Those albums are excellent, true. This album is one of the finest beginnings of any band in the this genre of music.

"Phantom of the Opera" is such a unique piece in the heavy metal tunes of that era. There are so many terrible metal lyrics from that era, which makes this great song stand out. The combo of common mental torment, silent film references, and the classic Maiden guitar licks make everyday domestic-despair sound like gothic horror.

One of those rare albums that is every bit as good as Iron Maiden's later efforts! Worth the time and dough!

Iron Maiden's 1980 debut album has certainly stood the test of time well. Still earthy and gritty, Iron Maiden is a great offering of NWOBHM class, a touch of streetwise punk and moody side tangents. The variety and skill the band showed at such an early age is quite impressive and as a result, their first album is a classic that still deserves praise and attention.

The band's later inclination towards epic arrangements is still in early bloom here, as "Phantom of the Opera" shows. The seven minute song is the band's first epic track and shows a good sense of ambitious arrangement as well as the twin lead guitar attack the band would ultimately be infamous for. But the album also offers a lot of dirtier and harder rocking songs like the opening "Prowler" and "Running Free". And as a very interesting counterpart to the epics and rocking tracks, "Strange World" and "Remember Tomorrow" are both hypnotic and geniunely introspective mellow pieces that prove the band could quiet things down to create a very strong pensive mood. Original lead vocalist Paul Di'anno offers a fabulous gritty voice to the material. His voice is what originally lent Iron Maiden a street level credibility that other, higher octave bands might not have gotten in 1980.

Even when compared to their awesome later releases, the debut from Maiden still holds a place as a remarkable album in my collection.

If I had to point to one single Heavy Metal album that defines the genre, this would probably be it. This along with Black Sabbath's The Mob Rules and Ozzy's Blizzard of Ozz and maybe something like Juda Priest's Unleashed in the East or Metallica's Ride the Lightning....these handful of albums really are the definition of the genre...

Yes, there is speed/thrash metal like Slayer and Megadeth and yes there is hard rock like AC/DC, Motorhead, Scorpions, and Van Halen...and grungy heavy rock like Soundgarden and those bands...

But for THE BEST OF HEAVY METAL ROCK AND ROLL....well this album pretty much hits the nail on the head. It's got the punk rock influence. It's got the ballads. It's got the aggression, the angst, the coarseness, the screaming guitars, thundering drums and bass, it's ...well, it [...] rocks, and it always will rock.

Not to mention, it's got class, taste, and is on par with the highest level of artistic integrity found in the business, bar none.

And it's got Paul Di'Anno. He's no pansie. Ok, well, Bruce isn't a pansy...but Paul isn't Bruce. Paul is hard-core...he is down with the street..he is gritty and he is raw.

This is the best Maiden album. It may be the best Metal album there is.

THEY AIN'T GOT A THING ON ME..I'M RUNNING WILD..I'M RUNNING FREE.......

Though this was their first release and had a more raw, punkish feel to it, it can still hold its own against their later masterpieces. The high point on this album was Paul Dianno's voice. His vocal range on this album was tremendous, going from low growls in Iron Maiden to his soulful singing in Strange World. I liked him more on this album than in their follow-up Killers. Now I will review the actual songs.

Prowler- A great opener! Very hard and very fast, with some pretty funny lyrics as well. The guitar part in the beginning is pretty cool. 5/5

This is probably not Maiden's best offering, but it is one of the best debut albums of all-time and will be playing in my CD player for a long,long time. Highly Recommended.

THE BAND: Paul Di'Anno (vocals), Steve Harris (bass), Dave Murray (guitar), Dennis Stratton (guitar), Clive Burr (drums).

THE DISC: (1980) 9 tracks clocking in at approximately 40 minutes. Recorded at Kingsway Studios, London. This is the band's debut album. The disc contains a 22-page booklet with a brief intro, song lyrics, numerous band pictures, and thank you's. All songs written by Harris, Di'Anno and/or Murray. The enhanced CD features a nice multimedia section for your PC - including 2 videos (live performances of "Iron Maiden" and "Phantom Of The Opera"), the band's catalog of albums, band history, family tree, itinerary from the '80 Europe Tour, and more. Digitally remastered in 1998. Cover art by Derek Riggs. Label - Sanctuary.

COMMENTS: Some will claim Iron Maiden's debut as a "masterpiece". While it's a good album; an important album; an essential album in the band's catalog; our introduction to mascot "Eddie"... I simply can't label it as such. It's not as professional, slick, or complex as their 2nd release ("Killers"), or any of Dickinson's 1st three albums with the band - these were masterpieces. The sound on this debut, though digitally remastered, is still pretty raw. Maybe that's the appeal here. Kind of like debuts from Kiss, Rush, Motley Crue, Def Leppard... all good starts, but I can't label them masterpieces. With each, their best albums were still ahead of them - and that applies to Iron Maiden too. For me, the sound of Iron Maiden's debut is caught somewhere between Motorhead and the Sex Pistols. The music fits here - and to my ears, Di'Anno's vocals are somewhere between Lemme Kilmister and Johnny Rotten. For the most part, the songs are quickly paced, straight ahead angry rock, with a side of punk thrown in. Di'Anno was somewhat gruff and unpolished vocally (his lack of desire and drug/alcohol issues later on would eventually make his stay with the band a short one). The album opens in great form. "Prowler" is probably my favorite track here - nice guitar opening, cool lyrics, lightning fast guitar solo, great melody. "Sanctuary" and the album closer "Iron Maiden" are great tracks and can still be heard at their concerts. "Running Free" with it's thundering drums is also a crowd favorite and the only single released back in 1980... the song reached #34 on the UK charts. Other highlights and lost gems include the tender "Remember Tomorrow" and "Strange World", the simplistic instrumental "Transylvania", and the 7-minute epic "Phantom Of The Opera". Keep in mind - Iron Maiden would endure several band member changes during their early years... and when singer Bruce Dickinson joined (1982), the band would never sound the same again. Maiden's debut is a nice intro to the band though a tad rough around the edges (4+ stars).