1982 Metal: Iron Maiden "Number Of The Beast" vs. Judas Priest "Screaming For Vengeance" (OPO)

I listened to all of Screaming for Vengeance this morning & haven't listened to Nimber of the Beast for a while, but Beast into Piece of Mind is one of the all-time great one-two punches

lol "nimber"

Albums or songs?

After the 70s, I'm pretty sure I'd vote Maiden over Priest in any poll.

I am voting Maiden although if we are discussing 1982 metal (and we are) I think "Blackout" by Scorpions is one of the most complete albums ever made (every song sounds like it could have been on the radio at the time, which as a 13 year old, was quite appealing) and as an adult, I listen to Venom "Black Metal" more than all of them.

the Scorps are so slept-on

I want to vote side A of Screaming and side B of Number. Call it Screaming For The Beast.

Even though I'm seeing Iron Maiden on Friday and hope they play a ton of these songs I've got to vote for Priest.

fucking hell

I'll say Maiden but it's not without some pause, Vengeance is awesome top to bottom.

I'm excited to hear the upcoming Screaming For Vengeance remaster with the US Festival set on DVD. The US Festival changed my life.

Maiden. In a complete wipeout.

A record with "Hallowed Be Thy Name" on it will beat almost any record in any genre from any year, so...

Bill I'm voting Maiden too but quit bein a dick. Screaming is totally on Beast's level and literally anybody who loves this style of music knows it.

this is sort of impossible for me. Run to the Hills is more fun to karaoke than You've Got Another Thing Comin so uh maybe Maiden but man

(I think Piece of Mind is better than Beast tho tbqf)

Bill I'm voting Maiden too but quit bein a dick. Screaming is totally on Beast's level and literally anybody who loves this style of music knows it.

― steven fucking tyler (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, August 14, 2012 5:37 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Disagree. I think Beast destroys it.

Priest both on song and album.

I also think Piece of Mind's songs were done better on Live After Death.

was a huge maiden/priest fan at the time, saw maiden on the piece of mind tour and priest on the defenders of the faith tour, and I don't think much of either of these albums

killers vs sad wings of destiny, now that would be a dogfight

At the risk of being called dick for merely expressing my opinion on an internet chat board I'll go with Killers.

killers

Nimber

Yeah I'd vote for Killers too there.

My faves from these bands are Somewhere In Time and Stained Class...

I love Sad Wings but there's one where I do think Killers is a clear winner

Goddammit, Iron Maiden are the best band of all time.

Maiden, but it's a titanic matchup. Both are next level incredible.

I can't stop thinking about that ticket stub in the original post... $13.50!!!!!

Maiden. There are too many songs on Vengeance that I just can't stand (Chains", "Pain & Pleasure", "Fever", "Devil's Child"), and far too many classics on Beast.

If it was Powerslave vs. Defenders, it's be a lot harder to pick one.

In general, I prefer Priest to Maiden (love them both). But at least on Number of the Beast, Maiden wrote all their own songs. Screaming For Vengeance has some classic cuts, but like Adrien said, it's got some very questionable material too.

I only wish that Maiden had left off "Gangland" and put "Total Eclipse" on the album instead. That would have made it almost as perfect as Killers.

PS - Defenders > Powerslave -- but only by the slightest margin.

Powerslave is probably my favorite Maiden album so it takes some sort of Master of Reality-type thing to beat it.

I only wish that Maiden had left off "Gangland" and put "Total Eclipse" on the album instead. That would have made it almost as perfect as Killers.

― Nate Carson, Wednesday, August 15, 2012 4:17 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Get the remaster, skip Gangland and you got what you want. Total Eclipse is on there.

I gotta give mad props to "Invaders", especially when it comes on shuffle when i'm at the gym. That song makes me want to go out and lay siege to surrounding towns.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Interesting that throughout the 80s/90s Number Of The Beast seemed to be the canonical #1 Maiden album, but these days most fans/critics seem to prefer either Killers or Piece Of Mind. Was Numbers the bigger commercial success?

Numbers was the big breakthrough - number 1 in the UK, if I remember correctly. I think many people (myself included) see it in retrospect as a transitional album; Killers was the peak of the early, rougher sound, and Piece Of Mind the first fully realized work by the Dickinson band. Numbers is still a really good record -- I expect it will win this poll, which is totally fair -- but I personally hold the two records that bookend it in higher esteem.

Numbers catapulted the band from 'just one of the many nwobhm-acts' into the most important metal band of the moment. I think the biggest commercial success of the eighties, sales wise, is Seventh Son. If only because it took the band that long a time to get the USA warmed up for them. Artisiticly, Numbers is indeed a bit of a transitional record. Those first two album had a gritty and dark vibe to them (including the cover art) that was also still present on Numbers. Around Powerslave the band had become very transparent; and such a thing as 'typical Iron Maiden' had become apparent.

I still don't love Numbers (or Piece, for that matter) as much as Powerslave. Gonna vote Judas Priest in this particular matchup, even though Maiden have been the best live act in metal for about the last decade as Priest have slowed down and become lugubrious.

Maiden was heading towards more complexity on Beast, peaking with Piece Of Mind, while Judas Priest started simplifying their sound on British Steel. I think it would be more appropriate to have Beast Vs. Piece and British Steel vs. Screaming.

Maiden all the way for me. I feel like anything after Hell Bent/Killing Machine is a decline for Priest. Even on their best tracks, I just think I'd rather be listening to Sad Wings/Sin After Sin/Stained Class/Killing.

For the record I do think Screaming kicks the lumbering crap out of British Steel. I actually like Point of Entry better than B.S., perhaps because I hadn't heard it as much and the departure is kind of interesting.

Maiden all the way for me. I feel like anything after Hell Bent/Killing Machine is a decline for Priest. Even on their best tracks, I just think I'd rather be listening to Sad Wings/Sin After Sin/Stained Class/Killing.

― Fastnbulbous, Thursday, August 23, 2012 11:10 AM (28 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The big hole in that theory is Defenders of the Faith, which kicks ass mightily.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQyXkZ09un4

This poll result is true justice.

And so it is written...