Retro Raunch Revisit

It's almost impossible to overstate the reception & importance of IRON MAIDEN's debut for its spotlight in the NWOBHM. It was the very definition of their spirit in the early years and introduced one of metal's both best-loved fonts & favorite mascots with its succession of recurring Eddie cover art. While the band criticized the album's production, fans loved the raw sounding quality with singer Paul's (infact the band's second singer after Paul Mario Day) raspy vocals pulled from punk elements, and his cleaner delivery for the slower tracks. Along with its 2 hit singles and overall positive praise, IM was the only release to feature guitarist Dennis who would be replaced by Adrian on the next record. Happy 45th Anniversary.

And Happy 45th Anniversary also to another monster 1980 release. BS was the band's 6th album and first with Dave on drums. Having come off a successful 1979 tour with AC/DC, some inspiration had rubbed off on them to ditch earlier darker themes in songs for more anthemic driving tunes as evidenced in their 3 singles with accompanying videos. Singer Rob's powerful & versatile vocals are on display with his impressive range alternating from operatic octaves to screaming falsettos. Moody but uptempto and equally recognizable beside IRON MAIDEN for its typography logo and a memorable album cover, critical reviews were almost virtually harmonious in declaring BS an essential kickstarter of 80's metal glory days.