Throughout the 1980s, a damning generalization held true: British metal was essentially working man's food, loosely descended from biker-meets and Northern pubs; whereas, in the States, it was an outgrowth of stadium rock, which traditionally subordinated substance to spectacle. Plug-ugly and cartoonishly morbid, Iron Maiden were typical of the Brit effort, since they effectively emphasized a driving, no-nonsense approach to the music. Among metal aficionados, this album ranks as one of the defining moments of the entire genre.
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