Killers (Iron Maiden album)

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

Killers is the only Iron Maiden album to feature two instrumentals. It was written almost exclusively by Steve Harris;^[6] only "Twilight Zone" and the title track are cowritten.

When considering producers for their debut album, Martin Birch had topped the band’s shortlist however he was busy working on Heaven And Hell with Black Sabbath. Birch later recalled that when Iron Maiden contacted him regarding Killers, they told him: “We didn’t think we were worthy of you. Because of what you’ve done [in the past] and your reputation, we didn’t think you would take us on.” Birch replied: "That was your first mistake, because I was very disappointed that you didn’t ask me."^[7]

Except for "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (based on the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe)^[8] and "Prodigal Son", the songs were written in the years prior to the recording of their debut album.^[9] Five of the album's songs featured in the band's live setlists in 1977, when Dennis Wilcock fronted Iron Maiden.^{[citation needed]} "Wrathchild" and "Strange World" appear to be written as far back as 1976 and original singer Paul Mario Day later claimed he had co-written "Strange World".^[10] No songs were recorded professionally until the Killers sessions, with the exception of "Wrathchild" (a version recorded in 1979 was featured on the Metal for Muthas compilation).^[9] Both "Innocent Exile" and "Wrathchild," are among the first songs Steve Harris had ever written, all the back in 1973.^[11]

Steve Harris later noted in the official Iron Maiden book, Run To The Hills "Production-wise, Killers was like chalk and cheese compared to the first album," Harris also acknowledged the lack of brand new material on the record, however he claimed it was nonsensical to deny such good songs a proper release: "The first album was like a ‘best-of’ from our live set, songs which went back years. [For Killers], we still had a lot of really good, strong songs, like Wrathchild, and we didn’t want to lose them."^[7]

"The Ides of March" is nearly identical to "Thunderburst", by fellow British NWOBHM band Samson, who featured a pre-Maiden Bruce Dickinson on vocals; however, "The Ides of March" was written during the brief time in 1977 in which future Samson drummer Thunderstick was a member of Iron Maiden. While Harris took sole credit for "The Ides of March", "Thunderburst" is credited to Harris and all four members of Samson's Head On line-up, Bruce Bruce, aka Bruce Dickinson, Chris Aylmer, Paul Samson, and Thunderstick, aka Barry Purkis.

The album cover, featuring Eddie holding a bloody axe while his victim grabs his shirt, has in the background the street artist Derek Riggs lived in at the time, Etchingham Court in North Finchley.^[12]

Killers spent eight weeks on the UK chart.^[13] The North American edition, which came out a few months later, was initially released on Harvest Records/Capitol Records and subsequently on Sanctuary Records/Columbia Records. The song "Twilight Zone" was added to the album. In Australia, the Skyhooks cover "Women in Uniform" was added instead as a bonus track.

The Killer World Tour featured the band's first US shows, beginning at The Aladdin, Las Vegas, in support of Judas Priest.^[14] Subsequently, "Wrathchild" is the only regularly played track from the album, appearing in almost all their tours.

Upon release the album was met with mixed reception Robbi Miller from British music weekly Sounds gave Killers a one-star rating, stating "it’s more of a failure than a triumph." However Steve Harris later noted that Miller had dated, and been dumped by, Paul Di’Anno not long before, although he added that early review copies were sent out with an inferior mix.^[11]

However as years have passed the album has retrospectively been viewed as a classic album with Metal Hammer stating "Today, Killers occupies a unique place in the Maiden canon. The textbook ‘difficult second album’, it’s beloved by connoisseurs but not widely revered like the albums either side of it. Yet if it could ever be termed a disappointment, it’s only in comparison to what came after it. For Iron Maiden themselves, it represents the most dramatic transition of their illustrious career, and a key stepping stone to what came next."^[11]

Steve Huey of AllMusic gave the album 4/5 starts writing "the teaming of new guitarist Adrian Smith with Dave Murray forms the most formidable twin-guitar attack in heavy metal, outside of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing. Plus, bassist Steve Harris' busy, driving lines are now consistently audible in the mix. The resulting instrumental fireworks are what truly make the album tick."^[23] A reviewer from Ultimate Guitar gave the album a 9.7/10 claiming "I feel that this is one of Maiden's best albums. Not their #1 best, but easily, let's see, yeah, #3. Right behind "Piece Of Mind" and "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son." In my eyes, it shows a stunning jump from the debut, and was really the first album in which the band established a signature sound.^[24]

In 2018, Metal Hammer included the album on its list of the 20 Best Albums of 1981.^[25]

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

The song "Wrathchild" was covered by Gallows on the 2008 tribute CD Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden, released by Kerrang! magazine.^[26]

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.^[27][28]

Iron Maiden

• Paul Di'Anno – vocals
• Dave Murray – guitars
• Adrian Smith – guitars
• Steve Harris – bass guitar
• Clive Burr – drums

Additional personnel

• Martin "Headmaster" Birch – producer, engineer
• Nigel Hewitt – second engineer
• Derek Riggs – cover illustration
• Dave Lights – cover concept
• Robert Ellis – photography
• Rod Smallwood – photography (1998 edition)
• Dennis Stratton – guitar on "Women in Uniform", "Invasion", and "Phantom of the Opera" (1995 edition)
• Tony Platt – producer of "Women in Uniform" (1995 edition)
• Simon Heyworth – remastering (1998 edition)
• Ross Halfin – photography (1998 edition)
• P.G. Brunelli – photography (1998 edition)
• Simon Fowler – photography (1998 edition)
• Denis O'Regan – photography (1998 edition)
• George Chin – photography (1998 edition)