10 Greatest ‘Legacy Of The Beast’ Set Songs From Iron Maiden
1. Hallowed Be Thy Name
Hallowed Be Thy Name is undoubtedly one of the greatest Heavy Metal songs ever recorded, and captures the tale of one man's existential crisis as he awaits his execution. The track closed The Number Of The Beast (1982) LP in style and has been the most anticipated moment in Iron Maiden’s live sets ever since.
This is a pure crowd-pleaser, sending the audience into a frenzy of cheers as the sombre bells toll in the intro. From there, Dave Murray’s classical lead guitar gives way to Dickinson’s notorious vocal line of "I’m waiting in my cold cell, when the bell begins to chime. Reflecting on my past life, and it doesn’t have much time".
Hallowed Be Thy Name then explodes into life with intoxicating hook after hook, and with sublime and eloquent guitar work throughout. This is one of those absolute classic storytelling songs that Iron Maiden would go on to deliver time after time across the decades of their illustrious career.