As albums go, it’s tough to come with a much higher pedigree than that of The Number Of The Beast, according to The Mic's Jake Longhurst. An album rated as highly now as it was upon its 1982 release, he shares his full thoughts on the album that has come to shape an era, and is, in his opinion, as inspirational as it is enjoyable.
The first song of eight, Invaders, is a fast and upbeat start to the album. This was the last outing of drummer Clive Burr, and the very first introduction we got to Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden. Neither disappoint here, although in my mind Steve Harris still takes the cake, with a galloping bass line that jumps from string to string and frankly is almost more melodic than the guitars or vocals. Topically it’s about the Vikings, raping and pillaging their way through various countries, and whilst none are specified I would imagine England is probably the country in mind. It is a strong start to the album, and opens up the band for much more to come.
"It’s a thrilling song which only gets better upon repeat listens"
Children Of The Damned is second on the list, and is a slower start that slowly builds throughout the song into a triumphant crescendo of a finish. The song is based upon the film of the same name, about children who can read minds but just want to live peacefully and yet are hunted. The climax of the song is about the children being killed and is a frenetic finish to a song that started so calmly, yet fits the mood perfectly. It’s a thrilling song which only gets better upon repeat listens, and is a brilliantly written work from a band on the up. This is definitely my favourite song on the first side of the album, although there are still many great songs to come.
Next comes The Prisoner, which starts with an excerpt from the first episode of a British TV show of the same name, and is a defiant song about escaping from madness, mind control and identity erasure. These themes hadn’t been explored massively in popular media up till this point, so the tv show and the song were both watershed moments for this style of rebellion. The song is about six minutes long, so is the longest so far in the album, and allows the band more time to develop the riff, the bass line, and the drums on what is an excellent entry to the Iron Maiden back catalogue.
Track four, the last song on the first side of the album, is 22 Acacia Avenue. This song is about a prostitute who goes by Charlotte the Harlot, as referenced in another Iron Maiden song. The track starts with her almost being pimped off before there is a change of tone and the narrator is pleading with her to change her ways. Adrian Smith is more than pulling his weight here with a nice big solo to finish the track, and Dave Murray offers an excellent break in the middle of the song too.
"The song was naturally controversial with many a conservative parent, and generated some uproar, although the band has outlasted any and all claims of satanism, and made it out the other side as big as ever"
Time for the title track, one of the heavy hitters of the bands whole discography. The Number Of The Beast is about a satanic ritual as described by an onlooker, who is so shaken by it he isn’t sure whether it was real or a dream. The song starts with a spoken word section from Barry Clayton, a British radio presenter, who did an excellent job. The song is a fast paced track, and has a brilliant solo midway through that serves to break the song up nicely. The song was naturally controversial with many a conservative parent, and generated some uproar, although the band has outlasted any and all claims of satanism, and made it out the other side as big as ever.
Song six is one of the band's biggest songs ever. Run To The Hills is a well known song in music, let alone metal or rock, the song is just well known as it is. It’s a rollicking, fast paced track about Native American tribes being invaded by European men, who committed all sorts of unspeakable acts in the name of religion. It’s a brilliant track, with a cracking riff and excellent drumming, and to top it off a huge sing along chorus. The penultimate song on the album, Gangland, is about life in a 30s esque Capone style gangland. It features lyrics about murder, jail, threats of familial violence, personal horror and more, all things that were expected to feature in the life of a gang member. The song is a great track and leads perfectly into the finale of the album.
Hallowed Be Thy Name. Arguably the pinnacle of this entire style of music. The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal featured some of the best bands in metal, and not once has a single one of them achieved anything better than this song. It’s a conceptual song about the feelings of a man walking to the hangman's rope, and his last thoughts and emotions. The song title echoes his final thoughts, as he will be remembered, or rather hallowed, after his death. The man goes through multiple emotions, starting with reflection and sadness, followed shortly by fear and anger at God for letting him go. It’s only at the end where he realises he finds some sort of comfort in the idea of a higher power taking him, and accepts his death with open arms, in the triumphant finale of this epic track.
This album is remembered, rightly so, as a cornerstone in music history, and on its 40th anniversary I hope I’ve been able to take you through just a few reasons as to why it is thought of with such reverence, even this many years down the line.
Jake Longhurst
Edited by: Gemma Cockrell
Featured image and in-article image courtesy of Iron Maiden via Facebook.
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