Customer Reviews

Killers

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I cannot believe some of the negative reviews posted about "Killers". Sure its different than all of the Iron Maiden albums that followed, but it is such a great album in its own right, and part of it's greatness comes from its uniqueness. Di'Anno may not be the vocalist Dickinson is, but I couldn't imagine anyone else singing "Prodigal Son" or "Murders In the Rue Morgue". (It's a shame Di'Anno wasn't able to land a more high profile gig after his split with Maiden, as he does have a great rock n' roll voice) Some of the material on "Killers" holds up so well that almost any one of these songs could fit onto the current Maiden album and still sound new and fresh. I always thought Clive Burr's drumming was fantastic and really helped cement the Iron Maiden "sound". And the backbone of the band is showcased really well on several tracks found on "Killers". The instrumental "Ghengis Khan" is a metalhead's delight, featuring pounding drums, blistering bass lines, and some really great guitar riffs. The ballad "Prodigal Son" is a stand out track for the sole reason that it's about the only ballad in Iron Maiden's song collection. The title track and "Murders in the Rue Morgue" are also stand out songs that would be great to hear live. If you are a fan of the band but haven't picked up this and the debut album because it doesn't feature Bruce Dickinson on vocals, rest assured that Di'Anno does a great job, and is one of the reasons the band was signed to a major label to begin with. Great album, and one of the building blocks for one of the world's best bands.

THE BAND: Steve Harris (bass), Paul Di'Anno (vocals), Dave Murray (guitar), Adrian Smith (guitar), Clive Burr (drums).

THE DISC: 11 tracks clocking in at approximately 42 minutes. All songs written by bassist Steve Harris (and sharing credits with Murray and Di'Anno on one song each). The disc contains a 22-page booklet with a brief intro, lyrics, band pictures and thank you's. The enhanced CD features a nice multimedia section for your PC - including 2 rare videos with Di'Anno singing ("Killers" and "Wrathchild"), the band's catalogue of albums, band history and family tree, and a 1981 tour date listing. Recorded at Battery Studios (London) in 1981. Digitally remastered in 1998. Cover art by the one and only Derek Riggs.

COMMENTS: This album was/is special to me. I bought the vinyl record upon its release and wore it out immediately. I liked it so much I painted the album cover of "Killers" on the back of my jean jacket... not even thinking about what my high school prinicpal would say ("Don't wear it to school anymore"). Iron Maiden was rough and raw here, but they were catchy as Hell. The minute and a half intro of "The Ides Of March" leading into the killer track "Wrathchild" set the stage for a great album. The title cut is still one of my all-time favorites from the band. The 6-minute acoustic (almost friendly) "Prodigal Son" showed a side of the band that you rarely saw (even today). Paul Di'Anno was basically fired from the band due to his (party) accesses, erratic behavior, and strained vocal chords. I believe it was a risk the band was willing to take to record a follow-up to Killers. Little did they know what was in store with their next album - perhaps their best ever, "The Number Of The Beast". It's interesting to think of Maiden had they not found Bruce Dickinson... sorry, I won't go there. "Killers" is a classic from Iron Maiden, and a classic long-haired old school heavy metal release (all metal, not just from Britain). Not quite a 5-star review, but darn near close at 4.5-stars. Great disc.

*Killers* is simpley the best album Iron Maiden ever did IMHO.

This holds great nostalgic value to me as well, it was the first Maiden album i ever picked up, when i was 15. It was all down hill after Di'anno left them.

Just forget about Bruce Dickenson. I was never impressed by any of the Dickenson albums, they were just too pretentious and mastrobatory. It's a shame that Maiden became a saturday morning cartoon act after *Killers*, Dickenson brought a huge amount of clishes with him when he entered the band. Paul Di'anno was the MAN, Dickenson has got NOTHING on him as far as i'm concerned. This album was when Maiden was a lot tougher and more criminal, *Killers* has elements of punk, classic rock and metal in it. Ever since i heard the opener "Ides of March", i was forever hooked on this thing, every song is utter metal perfection. Sure, some songs are better then others, but there is no "filler" on this album.

Paul Di'anno has got that punk rock attitude, which Maiden lost once he left. Don't be fooled by Dickenson fanboys thst tell you *NOTB*, *Piece of Mind* or *Powerslave* are the definative IM albums, no, it's this and the debut album that is real Maiden.

Not only is Killers the greatest Maiden album of all time it is the GREATEST METAL ALBUM EVER. From the opening guitars on Ides of March to the final screams heard by Paul Di'Anno on Drifter I wonder how my cd player never exploded while playing this album. As for people thinking Dickinson is a better singer that is just blasphemy. Don't get me wrong I like Dickinson and Maiden albums like Number, Peice of Mind, Powerslave etc., but his high falsetto vioce makes many people think metal is cheesy and turns many would be fans off to Maiden and metal in general. Di'Anno's voice, on the other hand, is like the scream of thousands of damnned souls or the fire in the gut of a dragon. His is the voice of stick to your guns metal, somone who truly means it, and is not just doing it for fame and fortune. Look at the Di'Anno period: black leather, raw energy, and small dark smoke filled rooms with hard core fans. Now take post Di'Anno: neon spandex, pop metal, and a well light stadium with theatrics. All I have to say about that is save it for the opera Bruce, and anyone who thinks the latter of the two is true metal I have some advice lay off the glue. I have listened to Killers a million times and will listen to it a billion more. THIS IS THE METAL ALBUM OF ALL METAL ALBUMS AND STANDS THE TEST OF ETERNITY.

Iron Maiden's sophomore album is, well, killer! I also must add that it sports one of the best cover artwork ever! For a year or two during the 80s this album was my all-time favorite. It's gone down my list a little since then (even a couple of other Maiden albums are now ahead of it), but it's still a five-star classic! This album is fast and furious and features the debut of Adrian Smith on guitar. The best material on this album is on the second side (sorry, I still think in vinyl/cassette terms). "Killers" is a powerful track. Steve Harris' bass work is haunting! Paul Di'Anno's vocals here are amazing, especially on the verse "God help me what have I done!" He put a lot of energy, feeling, and soul in his vocals. "Prodigal Son" is one of my favorite tracks on this record as it shows Maiden's versatility. It's a mellow track with beautiful guitar work. I remember playing this one for my father years ago to show him that Iron Maiden wasn't just loud metal music (he reluctantly agreed and then told me to turn down the stereo). I also like the lyrics to that track. Di'Anno has a more soulful voice than Bruce Dickinson. I think he does some of his best vocal work on "Twilight Zone." The way he sings the line "deep inside me," it really tugs at the heartstrings. He is also excellent on "Purgatory" (one of Maiden's faster tracks). Killers also has one of Maiden's more famous numbers "Wrathchild," which I actually think is one of the weakest songs on this album. The only other weak part is the last track "Drifter," which I think loses its edge toward the end (it also has a rather corny guitar solo). "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is another Maiden classic (I believe this was the first track Dickinson sang with the band). Finally, Killers has two instrumentals which include "Genghis Khan". This song really flies! Drummer Clive Burr beats the heck out of the cymbals on this one!
For a better Maiden instrumental ("Transylvania") and another excellent pre-Dickinson offering, check out Maiden's self-titled album!

Iron Maiden is my favorite band. They have been for a few years, and I've treasured each and every musical masterpiece they've ever released with all of my heart, ever since that first magical listening of Powerslave (buy!) in high school. In my opinion, almost no other band around puts as much effort and time into each and every musical composition they create as these guys, and they've reaped the rewards of a devoted fan base that supports them through thick and thin. I freakin' love these guys. That's why I'm so ashamed to say I've only bought this incredible album a few months ago.

I'd been holding off on buying this album for some time before I actually committed to the purchase, and I'm not quite sure why. It was the only real Iron Maiden record I'd ever considered to be a gamble to buy, and I was torn between the mixed reviews I'd seen for this album at Amazon. Couple that with the fact that my friend (who's also a huge Maiden fan) bought the Killers album before me, didn't like it, and sold it soon after. Despite all this, I figured I owed this album a shot and some of my time and so I finally bought the album and took it home for a listen, and that's when I arrived at my own conclusion on this long-disputed album. My friend made a HUGE mistake.

I've now listened to this album at enough length to finally feel justified in giving a review, and confidently telling you all that this is one AWESOME album. Easily one of the, if not THE most underrated album in all of Iron Maiden's catalogue. While the first Maiden album gave the world a taste of what was to come, and was one hell of a debut as well, the production was a bit faltered and the music imbued with a punkish feel that, although enjoyed by many (including myself) did not really indicate the true musical direction this band would soon be going. Killers is an album I feel much better represents Iron Maiden's growing maturity and increasing musical finesse and the seeds for later Maiden classics such as Somewhere in Time and Powerslave are really planted here.

The album begins with an up and in your face instrumental, The Ides of March, which, although the worse of the two instrumental tracks on the album, excellently conveys to the listener the quick pace and tempos of this cd; Iron Maiden's fastest album, for sure. We are then treated to the groove and all-around classic rock powerhouse that is Wrathchild (to this day a concert favorite) followed up by the excellent and slightly punky Murders in the Rue Morgue. The next highlight is Genghis Khan, the album's second instrumental... this is were the true dual guitar bliss of Murray and Smith is born, my friends. The riff that continues to the end of this song is awesome, it really gives you the feeling that this band knows they're destined for greatness, they're just playing their hearts out and waiting for it to happen. The last two major standouts here (they're all awesome, see for yourself) are the title track, Killers, and Purgatory. Killers I was already a bit familiar with from concert footage, so I knew what to expect, but Purgatory was what really surprised me. This song flat-out knocked me off my butt, I never saw it coming. This is classic Maiden, beginning to end, you've gotta hear it, it's definitely the highlight of the album, and one of my new favorites. It all helps to flesh out the closing section of the cd and wrap up the album.

All in all, this is by far an extremely underrated Maiden classic, and the band members are all at the top of their game here. So what if Paul Di'Anno is eclipsed by Dickinson's legendary pipes after this cd? He does exactly what he's supposed to do here, and he puts on a great vocal performance. In fact, I couldn't imagine listening to this album without him. Clive Burr's drumming brings out the breakneck speed of this album as good as anybody else, and I'm personally saddened his career with Maiden would end just one album later. Guitar fans can rejoice, as this is the album where the Murray-Smith duo is born, and Adrian definitely makes his voice-er, guitar heard from start to finish. Steve Harris? Well, to put it simply, the nucleus of Iron Maiden OWNS this album. Every song is highly punctuated with Harris' rhythmic bass, giving several songs a groovy, and sometimes even funky, feel. This album really proved to me the undeniable talent of Steve Harris; if you want to hear his best bass performance on any Maiden record, look no further than right here. Awesome stuff.

This just about closes my review on this awesome and highly underrated Maiden achievement. If you're still somewhat at odds about buying this album due to some unjustified negative reviews, let me settle the score by telling you its well worth the money. I've owned this record for a quite some time now and I enjoy it more and more with each listen. If you're a fan, it's still Maiden, and you'll feel right at home here. If you're a bit of a newbie to Iron Maiden, I'd reccomend some of Maiden's later stuff first to get you a bit settled and familiar with their sound before you venture into some of their more experimental territory. But once you're ready... take the plunge into Killers, it's one hell of a ride.

This cd is simply great, I do like it much better because it isnt as punky as their first, even though I love the original as well. The music wasnt really what made it punky, it was the way D'ianno sung. However, he improved his vocals to make them more aggressive and vigorous for a metal voice, and not as punky as the original. Smith being introduced on playing this album was great, and reuniting with his old guitar mate Dave Murray who is also in top form. Clive burr delivers the goods with his awesome drumwork, keeps a smooth pace, then gets very quick and highly energetic. Steve plays the bass as well as delivering the songwriting with absolute perfection as always.

The ides of March-Great title, as well as an amazing very short instrumental. Killer opening just to let you know what a great album your gonna be in for. (solos by Smith/Murray)

Wrathchild-Of course a classic, played even better live, but this is what started the classic theme out on its own. Smith's small guitar solo rocks, and Dave's dreading is just perfect. The opening bass line of course is a classic as well as the fast drumming, Paul's vocals are intense and aggressive as well.(Bridge Solo's by Smith, Main solo by Murray.)

Murders in the Rue Morgue-Great song title again based on the classic short story by Edgar Allen Poe, this song rocks. The open bass riff as well as the clean guitars are just to die for. Then the jamming starts with Paul's vocals sccreaming fast and raw, with some cool repeatidly lead playing.(Solo by Murray)

Another life-The opening toms or heads hitting are great, Clive delivers a killer open drum solo on this one. Murray's fingers never stop either, the lyrics are powerful based on suicide, which is pretty rare really when in comes to Maiden Lyrics. The main riff after the small verse just simply rocks like no tommorrow.(Solos by Murray)

Ghenghis Kahn-Can you say a great title again? Indeed, along with killer guitar riffs for this glorious instrumental, I cant believe the nu mallcore talentless band Papa Roach stole this guitar riff on their song "Last Resort" however it didnt require talent or skillfull riffs like how Maiden played it.(Solo by Murray)

Innocent Exile-Nothing special, but its worth listening too, the opening bass riff is incredibly great to listen too repeatidly though. This song is sort of like a Killers introduction. The solos are a treat though.(Solos by Smith/Murray/Smith)

Killers-Opening classic bass line, the clean heavy guitars, Paul's screaming vocals, and clive's clashing cymbals?! Enough said, an instant classic, very creepy song about well Killers in a cool sense though. Just listen to this piece, youll know what im talking about when saying it is a classic.(Solos by Murray/Smith)

Prodigal Son-Perhaps this is Maiden's most mellow song. A beautiful song based on the story in the Bible, which was a highly underrated bible story itself. A song with a nicely textured acoustic guitar being played throughout it. Paul's vocals are deep and soaring, Great job. Solos are just so exoctic, a song that will put you in so much peace.(Solos by Smith/Murray)

Purgatory-An instant rocker you should love, the chorus is great, as well as the lyrics. Some more fast intense screaming vocals, as well as Steve's lightning fast bass playing.(Solo by Murray)

Twilight Zone-The opening guitar riff is superb, Clive's drums are fast and Vibrant. The chorus is amazingly sung, Paul holds the vocals down, not a major solo involved on this one, some repeative though. Still great.(Bridge by Murray)

Drifter-Gotta love it, the opening rythm guitars, with Steve's bass flowing along nicely. A major jamming song, fast drum beats with quick nice vibrant lyrics. Bit of a more complex song, the mid melody is just a treat to listen too, with some dynamite solos by Dave. Different kind of Maiden lyrics too, a beautiful piece.(Solos by Murray)

Great Maiden album, fans of D'ianno will love this, I can respect people for not caring much for Paul's voice, but I loved him with maiden, and he was their first vocalist too. This album marks the spot for greatness though, and was the first maiden album that gave a better introduction of the band over here in the U.S. Get this album if your a fan of Maiden, Metal, or just real music. UP THE IRONS!!!

Iron Maiden has put out more great albums than just about any band you can think of, and "Killers" is certainly no exception. The Maiden with Paul at the helm was a different Maiden. Rawer, faster, dirtier. No less technical or melodic, but still different. I've heard comparisons to Motorhead, but to me, it's more like a speed metal version of Deep Purple. You get sort of a classic rock feel, but with more aggression. And does it work? Oh yeah.

This album is jam-packed with goodies. Not one, but two instrumentals. The first is just a short intro, the second, "Genghis Khan", is more epic, with lots of tasty guitar work. I prefer "Transylvania", from the debut, but both are excellent. Many songs on here are now considered classics, like "Wrathchild", "Purgatory", and the title track. But it doesn't stop there. The lesser-known songs are just as good, such as "Drifter", "Twilight Zone", and the ballad "Prodigal Son". It's just perfect. Adrian Smith makes his debut here, and thus the legend begins. As always, Steve Harris refuses to fade into the background, and even pushes to the forefront for a solo spot or two. Clive Burr pounds the drums like a madman, and Paul DiAnno's howls punctuate everything nicely. He doesn't sing as much as he did on the debut, but he still sounds good. Also, the lyrics here are a bit more mature, which I think is good.

"Killers" is a metal classic. It's not quite as good as the debut, and definitely not as good as "Brave New World", but it's certainly a worthy addition to your collection.

The sophmore effort by England's Iron Maiden brought another metal gem to the listeners in the shape of 1981's Killers. Eddie graces the Derek Riggs drawn cover yet again, but this time in a more familiar guise that would haunt us for years to come. Martin Birch takes the helm of producing & Iron Maiden take another step in the right direction. Gutarist Dennis Stratton had been replaced by Adrian Smith. The opening into-instrumental Ides Of March segues into Wratchchild and never looks back. This is one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time, hands down. Where their debut was absolutely stunning, Killers is the knockout punch. The Maiden sound has been perfected and the band is now complete with Smith. Paul DiAnno will be replaced very soon for his drunken debauchery, but the band will continue to grow. British Metal at its absolute finest. The songs are:

Ides Of March - Cool little inro instrumental into the next song. Maiden sounds so much more polished here on Killers than they did on the raw effort of their debut. The production by Martin Birch has stepped up a notch or three. Great little show off piece.

Wrathchild - A great metal song. One of my personal Maiden favorites. The bass line is so cool. Harris totally rules. Heavy. DiAnno's vocals are blunt and brutal. Sheer metal goodness. Great song! Coming to get you.....

Murders In The Rue Morgue - The thing about Maiden was that they were literate. A song written about the Edgar Allan Poe short story, was this thinking man's metal? Sure. The intor is slow and haunting, and then it cranks. Another favorite. Excellent.

Another Life - The begining is cool with Clive on drums and the wailing riff. A straightforward rocker. DiAnno's vocals sound so much more refined on this outing. Exciting.

Genghis Kahn - Great little instrumental that becomes just a tad bit mechanical towards the middle. These guy meshed so well as musicians, however, and it showed here. Harris shines.

Innocent Exile - The Steve Harris intro is awesome. This guy can shred. Another great rocking tune. The album is chockful of them.

Killers - Probably one of my top ten favorites of all time. This song is perfect. If you look up M-E-T-A-L in the dictionary, it just plays this song. This song shreds in ways that I can't even explain. The lyrics are brutal. The guitars are grooving. Perfection. I have found you, and now there is no place to run. Excitement, it shakes me, Oh God help me what have I done! AWESOME!!!!!!

Prodigal Son - Smooth, flowing song. After the all-out assault of Killers, this is a much needed break from the slamming metal. If Killers is said to have a soft spot, then Prodigal Son would be it. The song is good, just not as exciting as the rest of the album. The vocals are reminiscent of Strange World, where they phase out DiAnno's voice. Still a solid song. Just not Maiden's best.

Purgatory - This song sounds like the polished version of something left over from the first album. It shreds and it's metal, but it sounds like it may belong with Sanctuary or Prowler. Rocking good.

Twilight Zone - This songs is very often over-looked. DiAnno's voice gets very strange here to the point where he sounds almost exactly like Klaus Meine from Scorpions. Weird. I always liked this song. It's straight Maiden. Like Purgatory, it may have been another leftover from the first album. Metal!

Drifter - Loose and moody. This is Maiden just being Maiden. Sounds like an impromptu song the way it goes this way and that. Shredding section in the middle. The main riff is the Maiden signature sound. The lyrics aren't very memorable, however, so it becomes another weak spot on a very nearly perfect album.

Overall, the addition of Adrian Smith as a guitarist helps out immensely. Where Dennis Stratton grooved with Dave Murray, Adrian Smith becomes his fraternal twin. The other addition that makes a huge difference is Martin "Deep Purple" Birch at the controls as producer. He perfects the Maiden sound to the point where it sounds like they've been playing together for a decade. Killers is one of those albums that I never grow tired of listening to. It screams with attitude. A great achievement.

Dig it!

I can't believe I didn't buy this album long before I did. This is the eighth Iron Maiden album I bought (still need Somewhere..., self-titled, No Prayer..., Virtual..) and this is one of my favorites! The only other albums that match this are The Number of the Beast, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son and possibly Powerslave. I got this used on cassette for 3 bucks but now I know I must get it on cd because of its greatness. Paul vocals are very good, such as on Murders in the Rue Morgueand prodigal Son to name a few...Bruce could never sing these like Paul did. Also Burr's drums are amazing. His highlight is on the high hat and his drumming on Genghis Khan is superb. Dave Murray also is extraordinary. Here are my grades for the songs.

Ides of March - much better than Losfer Words which I thought was a great instrumental before i heard this. It actually has a tune you will rmember. My only complaint is that its too short. (clocks in at about a minute and a half).- A

Wrathchild- the bass line in the beginning tells youy this will be a great song. The guitars are great, the vocals are great, its pretty hard not to like this classic.- A

Murders in the Rue Morgue- my favorite song on the cd and maybe one of my favorite Maiden songs ever. The harmonius guitars in the beginning lead up to a clash in which Paul starts singing and the song gets going. Everything is good in this song.- A+

Another Life- another very good song. Its not that catchy and for me its very hard to remember what it even sounds like but whenever I hear it it clicks. The guitar riffs are interesting. - A-

Genghis Khan- the best instrumental I've heard. Great tune and very very fast towards the middle. The highlight though is Burr and his drumming. Amazing. Also, towards the end there is a gret guitar riff.- A+

Innocent Exile- another great bass line by Steve to start the song. It has good guitar riffs too. The only complaint tis the verses but its still good.- A

Killers- Magnificent. Great tune, great vocals, and the guitar solo towards the end is spectacular. Another A+.

Twilight Zone- different from most of the others but is still love it especially the chrous.- A

Prodigal Son- the softest, longest, and most melodic track. Vocals are awesome again, and so is the tune. You must hear it.- A+

Purgatory- the first song I haven't clicked with. I suppose the chorus is good with the "Pleeease take me away..." but i like the Twilight Zone's chorus better.- B+

Drifter- fast and furious. Strange but good guitar solo in the middle. A good finisher.- A-

I've never ranked all the songs on a cd in the all A's department but this one comes pretty close. If you are an iron maiden fan, don't make the mistake i did and hold out on buying this. Buy it today if you can, you won't regret it. I think the talk of this cd is all wrong. I've heard things such as "this is the only 80's Iron maiden cd I'd only give 4 stars," and "too fast for my tastes." Well, it is very fast but at the same time very melodic. Another crazy thing is I have the 1981 version with Twilight Zone and Purgatory switched in the track listing. I have this unremastered and unenhanced and its still that good. Think about it when it is. Also there is NO filler on this cd like Piece of Mind has which is another reason you should go buy it now.