Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (2015 Remaster) - LP

Iron Maiden's landmark 1980 debut kicked the door in on the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with its punk-rock DIY production, blinding speed, raw aggression and frequent progressive-rock like tempo changes, while simultaneously making them the forbearers of the movement alongside Judas Priest and Motorhead. The band's only album produced by Will Malone, it climbed all the way to #5 on the British charts on the strength of the anthemic "Running Free" and the ambitious seven-minute plus "Phantom of the Opera." Pure unadultered heavy metal which stands as the perfect amalgamation of the band's influences and their appetite for innovation!

There may be no better place to hear how both punk and prog rock informed the New Wave of British Heavy Metal than Iron Maiden's self-titled debut. Often overlooked and overshadowed by the glorious Bruce Dickinson years, it's easy to forget that Iron Maiden was itself a game-changer when it appeared on the scene in 1980...the whole project explodes with energy and ideas, and while the band would certainly go on to refine much of what's here (including the cover painting of mascot Eddie), Iron Maiden would still rank as a landmark even if the Dickinson years had never happened.