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Metal Discussion => Metal Discussion => Topic started by: Don Gately on May 25, 2026, 09:43:35 AM

Title: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Don Gately on May 25, 2026, 09:43:35 AM
Simple really , just pick one. I've been over and back on this for years but im going with Somewhere in Time.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Pagan Saviour on May 25, 2026, 09:52:36 AM
I'd agree. It's all gold for me between the Debut up to Seventh Son. But on all those records except Somewhere there's at least one clanger present that prevents the album being 10/10 e.g Losfer Words, Invaders
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Kunt 4 Life on May 25, 2026, 10:26:02 AM
Number of the beast.


Clichéd choice I know
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Kunt 4 Life on May 25, 2026, 10:26:45 AM
I'm also going to add that Fear of the Dark album is the weakest.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Don Gately on May 25, 2026, 10:30:37 AM
Quote from: Kunt 4 Life on Today at 10:26:45 AMI'm also going to add that Fear of the Dark album is the weakest.
Yeah agree with that, there are a few songs on it that are ok but the much maligned no prayer for the dying is a far better album.
I'm not really going to get into the Blaze albums as I can't really listen to his voice.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Naraka on May 25, 2026, 10:35:09 AM
Powerslave
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Eoin McLove on May 25, 2026, 10:48:57 AM
Ugh... there are three for me but I'll go for Seventh Son. Impossible really to pick between it,  Number of the Beast and the debut. Each are perfect in their own different ways.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Mithrandir on May 25, 2026, 10:58:03 AM
It's gotta be Seventh Son!

also calling FOTD the weakest is an insane statement?!
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: OpenSores on May 25, 2026, 11:24:25 AM
It's always been a difficult one for me, I'm split between Somewhere and Seventh, I always have a special place for Killer and Beast. Because I've Somewhere np I'll give myself peace of mind and say Somewhere in Time.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Maggot Colony on May 25, 2026, 11:27:36 AM
I think we can all agree that Killers is their most consistent album.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Kunt 4 Life on May 25, 2026, 11:34:38 AM
Quote from: Mithrandir on Today at 10:58:03 AMIt's gotta be Seventh Son!

also calling FOTD the weakest is an insane statement?!
Not really. It's heavily bloated. If you take out the amazing title track what sort of album do you have left?
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Anvil on May 25, 2026, 11:51:26 AM
Live After Death is still the best thing they ever released.   Studio album, Powerslave today... tomorrow will be different.

Fear of the Dark has a decent opening, but after Wasting Love, it gets really inconsistent until the title track. 
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Mithrandir on May 25, 2026, 11:53:53 AM
Quote from: Kunt 4 Life on Today at 11:34:38 AM
Quote from: Mithrandir on Today at 10:58:03 AMIt's gotta be Seventh Son!

also calling FOTD the weakest is an insane statement?!
Not really. It's heavily bloated. If you take out the amazing title track what sort of album do you have left?

Be Quick or Be Dead
From Here to Eternity
Afraid to Shoot Strangers (Ok the start is a little painful)
The Fugitive
Judas Be My Guide (THE most underrated Maiden song in my opinion)
FOTD

All great tracks I rate, it has plenty of other moments throughout (I like Wasting Love   :abbath:  ), certainly not their best but far from the worst. Considering NPFTD and the Blaze albums are right there and that's not even getting started on the post 2000s stuff.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Mithrandir on May 25, 2026, 11:54:45 AM
Quote from: Maggot Colony on Today at 11:27:36 AMI think we can all agree that Killers is their most consistent album.

That's bottom of the list of the 80s output for me!
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Cosmic_Equilibrium on May 25, 2026, 11:55:26 AM
Yeah FOTD is way more consistent than people give it credit for.

My pick is A Matter Of Life And Death. But Somewhere In Time is VERY close to the top spot as well.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Bürggermeister on May 25, 2026, 12:00:31 PM
Somewhere In Time. Also their best sounding album. You can't go wrong with any of the first seven, though.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Eoin McLove on May 25, 2026, 12:10:23 PM
Fear of the Dark is a good album. Not up there with their best, but not bad by any stretch.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: ijnjnijnilijbibbjknkjbjkk on May 25, 2026, 12:46:04 PM
Quote from: Bürggermeister on Today at 12:00:31 PMSomewhere In Time. Also their best sounding album. You can't go wrong with any of the first seven, though.

Amazing run by them to crush the 80s like that. They should've taken 10 years off from recording and cemented how good that was.

 Bathory first 6, Opeth first 6, Sabbath first 6 as some other favourites
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Carnage on May 25, 2026, 12:49:52 PM
Changes day to day but right now I'd go for Seventh Son.

No Prayer and FOTD are both awful, I never thought I'd rate a Blaze album higher than a Bruce album but The X Factor is the only decent '90s Maiden album.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: ldj on May 25, 2026, 01:02:15 PM
Honestly could stick on any of the 80s albums and make an argument.

Piece of Mind? Not filled with hits but not a bad song on there imo, love the production too.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Carnage on May 25, 2026, 01:17:25 PM
Quest For Fire is stupid an I've never been a fan of Die With Your Boots On, the 2015 reissue is the first version where the production hasn't been a distraction.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: Mithrandir on May 25, 2026, 01:22:24 PM
I always thought if side A of Piece of Mind was an EP it would be up there as one of the best metal EPs ever. Very front loaded album.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: jpm4 on May 25, 2026, 03:58:11 PM
Quest for Fire is an OK song really, the lyrics to To Tame a Land are way fucking stupider, I can't listen to that song.
Title: Re: Iron Maiden's best album
Post by: The Heretic on May 25, 2026, 05:04:04 PM
Studio Album is Powerslave, but best overall is Live After Death