Quote:
Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier
I listened to Iron Maiden- The Number of the Beast yesterday hadn't heard it in a while. I actually now think its a very special metal album, much more so than before. You have to look at the album in its time period the early 1980s.
Bands like Van Halen and Judas Priest were already going very commercial, but Iron Maiden refused to fully compromise and lose their metal credential, so what they did on that album was add melody, whilst keeping a true metal heaviness and cranking things up louder than Judas Priest or Van Halen ever could. It was an amazing feat because the technical ability of the band on that album is stunning and of course Bruce added the new vocal dimension that the band were looking for. I may even say now, that I agree with critics in that its probably the most important metal album ever recorded.
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I agree with this, but it's a prime example of an album's place in history meaning more than the actual quality of the album. It was a genre that needed growth... It was fairly original when it was released but Iron Maiden perfected the style on the very next album. Piece of Mind is a much better album by far. In fact, Number of the Beast is one of my least favorite Maiden albums but I definitely can see where it has its place.
Someone just mentioned Slint's Spiderland in Albums You're Digging... It's another good example of this. Is it a great post rock album? Not compared to what has come out after it, but it's important historically and is an interesting listen for that reason.