''Killers'' is the second studio album by English
heavy metal band
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harris ...
. It was first released on 2 February 1981 in the United Kingdom by
EMI Records and on 6 June in the United States by
Harvest and
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
. The album was their first with
guitarist Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith (born 27 February 1957) is an English guitarist best known as a member of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, for whom he also writes songs and performs backing vocals both live and in the studio.
Smith grew up in London ...
, and their last with vocalist
Paul Di'Anno, who was fired after problems with his stage performances arose due to his
alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
and food abuse.
''Killers'' was also the first Iron Maiden album recorded with producer
Martin Birch
Martin Birch (27 December 19489 August 2020) was a British music producer and sound engineer. He became renowned for engineering and producing albums recorded predominantly by British rock bands, including Deep Purple, Rainbow, Fleetwood Mac, W ...
, who went on to produce their next eight albums until ''
Fear of the Dark'' (1992).
Background
''Killers'' is the only Iron Maiden album to feature two instrumentals. It was written almost exclusively by
Steve Harris; only "Twilight Zone" and the title track are cowritten.
Bar "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (based on the
story of the same name by
Edgar Allan Poe) and "Prodigal Son", the songs were written in the years prior to the recording of their debut album.
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
''Metal for Muthas'' is the name given to a series of heavy metal compilations made during the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM).
The original compilation was ''Metal for Muthas'', released in February 1980. The compilation was a samp ...
'' compilation).
"The Ides of March" is nearly identical to "Thunderburst", by fellow British
NWOBHM
The new wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Journalist Geoff Barton coined the term i ...
band
Samson
Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution ...
, who featured a pre-Maiden
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958) is an English singer who has been the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1993 and 1999–present. He is known for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and energetic stage ...
on vocals; however, "The Ides of March" was written during the brief time in 1977 in which future Samson drummer
Thunderstick
Barry Graham Purkis, more commonly known as Thunderstick (born 7 December 1954), is an English drummer who wore various masks and used to perform on-stage closed in a cage. He was in the cult-band Samson, with whom his name is most associate ...
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.
''Killers'' spent eight weeks on the UK chart. The North American edition, which came out a few months later, was initially released on
Harvest Records/
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
and subsequently on
Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and is as of 2013 a subsidiary of BMG Rights Management solely for reissues. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest m ...
/
Columbia Records. The song "
Twilight Zone" was added to the album.
The
Killer World Tour
The ''Killer World Tour'' was a concert tour by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 17 February 1981 to 15 November 1981. This would be the band's first world tour, including their debut shows in North America (where they supported Judas Pri ...
featured the band's first US shows, beginning at
The Aladdin
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas (formerly the Aladdin) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The property was previously the site of an earlier resort known as the Aladdin, w ...
, Las Vegas, in support of
Judas Priest.
Subsequently, "Wrathchild" is the only regularly played track from the album, appearing in almost all their tours.
Track listing
Covers
The song "Wrathchild" was covered in 2003 by the English metal band
Sikth and featured as a
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
on their single "
Scent of the Obscene".
The song was also covered in 2005 by female tribute band
The Iron Maidens
The Iron Maidens are an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 2001 as an all-female tribute act to English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The band currently consists of drummer Linda McDonald, bassist Wanda Ortiz, lead vocalis ...
on their 2007 album ''
Route 666'', by
Gallows
A gallows (or scaffold) is a frame or elevated beam, typically wooden, from which objects can be suspended (i.e., hung) or "weighed". Gallows were thus widely used to suspend public weighing scales for large and heavy objects such as sacks ...
on the 2008 tribute CD ''
Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden'' released by ''
Kerrang!'' magazine, and by
Six Feet Under on the reissue of their 1999 album ''
Maximum Violence
''Maximum Violence'' is American death metal band Six Feet Under's 3rd studio album. The album goes back to Chris Barnes' roots in Cannibal Corpse with violent themes/lyrics. It was also the first Six Feet Under album to feature Steve Swanson ...
''. "Wrathchild" was featured in the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia o ...
game ''
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s''.
Personnel
Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.
Iron Maiden
*
Paul Di'Anno –
vocals
*
Dave Murray –
guitars
*
Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith (born 27 February 1957) is an English guitarist best known as a member of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, for whom he also writes songs and performs backing vocals both live and in the studio.
Smith grew up in London ...
–
guitars
*
Steve Harris –
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
*
Clive Burr
Clive Ronald Burr (8 March 1957 – 13 March 2013) was an English drummer. He was a member of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1979 to 1982.
Career
Previously a member of Samson, Burr joined Iron Maiden in 1979. Auditioning and joining ...
–
drums
Additional personnel
* Martin "Headmaster" Birch –
producer,
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the lim ...
* Nigel Hewitt – second engineer
*
Derek Riggs
Derek Riggs (born 13 February 1958) is a contemporary British artist best known for creating the band Iron Maiden's mascot, " Eddie".
Career
Born in Portsmouth, England, Riggs is a self-taught artist, both in his traditional painting and in hi ...
– cover illustration
* Dave Lights – cover concept
* Robert Ellis –
photography
*
Rod Smallwood – band manager, photography (1998 edition)
*
Dennis Stratton – guitar on "
Women in Uniform", "Invasion", and "Phantom of the Opera" (1995 edition)
*
Tony Platt
Tony Platt is an English sound engineer and record producer, best known for his work with a diverse mix of artists, including, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Bob Marley, Iron Maiden, Shy, Buddy Guy, Foreigner, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Sparks, Jazz ...
- producer of "Women in Uniform" (1995 edition)
* Simon Heyworth –
remastering (1998 edition)
*
Ross Halfin
Ross William Halfin (born 11 August 1957) is a British rock and roll photographer. Since the late 1970s he has worked for some of the biggest acts in rock and heavy metal, including Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, The Who, Kiss, Metallica, ...
– photography (1998 edition)
* P.G. Brunelli – photography (1998 edition)
*
Simon Fowler – photography (1998 edition)
*
Denis O'Regan
Denis O'Regan is an English photographer. His imagery is particularly associated with the punk movement, Queen, David Bowie, and Duran Duran, and O'Regan has photographed everyone from AC/DC to ZZ Top, documenting Punk, New Romanticism, Grunge, a ...
– photography (1998 edition)
* George Chin – photography (1998 edition)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{Authority control
1981 albums
Iron Maiden albums
Albums produced by Martin Birch
EMI Records albums
Albums recorded at Morgan Sound Studios