277 - Iron Maiden Phantom of the Opera 1980

Witness here the dawn of the New Age of Heavy Metal with 1980’s pulsating debut from the East London’s finest metal merchants: Iron Maiden. Amazingly, it took nearly five years and a number of line up changes before this vital incarnation of the heavy metal supergroup were committed to record. "Running Free", "Phantom of the Opera", "Transylvania", every song can be regarded as a Maiden-classic. The group's more progressive direction is signalled by the seven-and-a-half-minute epic "Phantom of the Opera”, which contained all the elements that later characterised the Maiden sound: lengthy, momentous riffing, courageous time changes, and mock-operatic choruses. Dave Murray and Dennis Stratton trade blazing harmonised guitar licks that soar above Harris’ incessant bass excursions and Clive Burr’s solid skins. Bruce Dickinson is often considered the quintessential voice of Iron Maiden but its Paul Di’Anno up front lending his lung power here and he does the job with a raspy, almost punkish quality that defiantly brings home the bacon. Up the Irons.