10 Best Iron Maiden Songs
5. Hallowed Be Thy Name - The Number Of The Beast
As with the likes of Dance of Death and Fear of the Dark, Iron Maiden tell an incredible story with Hallowed Be Thy Name, through one of their best narratives to date. Spanning the seven minute run time, the song depicts a man facing the gallows, the fear, or lack thereof, of the other side, and the questions of what will happen.
These lyrics are some of the band's most philosophical, and are oddly relatable, since it is natural for everyone at some point to think about what comes after death. The slow and solemn intro reflects the darkness of the words, until the song kicks in to overdrive with the wailing guitars, faster tempo, and in particular when played live, pounding drums.
The song was forced out of Maiden's set list for some time while the band was stuck in a legal battle over the writing of the song, but has now returned as a mainstay in the encore of many of their shows.