IRON MAIDEN Self Titled CD (1980)

Before the galloping twin guitars, before the arena tours, before Eddie became one of the most recognisable faces in heavy metal, there was this. Recorded in a matter of weeks on a shoestring budget, Iron Maiden's 1980 debut landed like a grenade in a scene that needed exactly that kind of chaos.

This is NWOBHM at its most raw and urgent. Di'Anno's vocals had a street-level menace that set it apart from everything else on the shelves, and tracks like Phantom of the Opera and Running Free made clear that something genuinely different was happening in the UK underground. The polished Dickinson era gets more airplay in retrospect, but the heads know this record has a specific energy that was never quite replicated. Essential for anyone building a serious metal collection.

Full length album on CD. UK origin. Genre: NWOBHM / Heavy Metal.

Fans of: Judas Priest, Motörhead, Accept, Dio, Black Sabbath.