This was Maiden at their most ambitious. Coming off the back of Somewhere in Time, Seventh Son saw the band take a bold creative leap, embracing the concept album format for the first time. Loosely inspired by folklore and fantasy, it told the story of a child born with supernatural powers—cursed and gifted in equal measure. At a time when heavy metal was growing up, so were we, and this record became a powerful rite of passage.
From the eerie, synth-laced intro of “Moonchild”, to the aching introspection of “Infinite Dreams”, every track unfolded like a chapter in a dark fairytale. “Can I Play with Madness” may have been the chart-friendly hit (reaching No.3 in the UK), but it was deeper cuts like “The Evil That Men Do” and “The Clairvoyant” that truly stirred the soul—soaring, dramatic, and steeped in emotion.
The album debuted at No.1 on the UK Albums Chart and has since gone platinum, with over a million copies sold worldwide and headlined the mighty Monsters of Rock at Donington, featuring Kiss, David Lee Roth, Megadeth, Guns N Roses, and Helloween .
The albums impact was more than commercial. Maiden embraced keyboards and lush arrangements, adding a new atmospheric dimension to their sound, without ever losing the galloping riffs, thunderous rhythm section, or Bruce Dickinson’s powerhouse vocals that defined their identity.
Adrian Smith and Dave Murray’s guitar work on this record is nothing short of spellbinding, weaving harmonies with precision and flair, while Steve Harris’s vision and storytelling stitched the whole thing together into something truly cinematic.
In retrospect, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son wasn’t just an album—it was a time machine. It opened up a universe where metal could be grand, intelligent, and unapologetically mystical.
Thirty-seven years later, its magic hasn’t faded. If anything, it’s grown stronger with time.
Because some albums don’t just soundtrack your youth—they become part of your mythology.
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie
