Iron Maiden
Killers

THE REVIEW

After the tremendous success of the first album, Iron Maiden is gearing up for their second studio effort, which promises to be a success both economically and artistically. Firstly, there's the departure of Dennis Stratton in favor of Adrian Smith, a guitarist certainly valuable also in the compositional phase; then there's the fact that all the songs have already been tested in various tours, so there is already camaraderie and preparation. It should be noted that the songs present a hardening of the sound, not a softening as might have been expected (if a commercial move had been sought), but the fact is that the album's reception is very warm because it astonishes both critics and the public for its lyrics and music. The production improves, although the best Maiden sound will only be heard from the subsequent "The Number Of The Beast".
The five members are grandiose, united, perfect, and precise in their execution of the songs; Harris's bass is very present, and in this album, some of his riffs will make rock history, the guitars are perfectly coordinated, Burr is unstoppable (just think of the start of "Another Life"), and Di’Anno displays all his grit and stands out as a great leader. The singer himself deserves special mention for having interpreted the eleven tracks (twelve if we count the single "Women in Uniform") as no one else could, not even Her Majesty Air Raid Siren Bruce Dickinson will manage to interpret songs that express anger and a desire to escape from a cruel world with such perfection, especially in the suburbs of London. All the songs are written by Harris except "Killers" (co-written with Di’Anno) and "Twilight Zone" (with Murray this time).
On the cover, there's Eddie again, but this time he has a satanic grin and wields a bloody axe; at the bottom, there's a hand begging for mercy, but its owner, the much-hated Margaret Thatcher, has already been brutally murdered. Indeed, the theme of murder is quite frequent, though not excessive: the first example is the opener "The Ides Of March", a stunning instrumental of almost two minutes, Maiden's shortest piece, intense, solemn, and perfect for opening concerts. "Wrathchild" is opened by a frightening bass riff and has one of Iron's most famous choruses, anthemic, violent, and always shouted by the crowd live. A short piece, but impregnated with anger, it is very frequent in setlists and is one of the few tracks from this album that remains long in concert playlists. It was already present in the compilation "Metal For Muthas" which featured songs of future NWOBHM stars, but this version is slightly shortened and more fluid. "Murders In The Rue Morgue" is a piece devoted to frenzy, with a long beautiful text, taken from the homonymous story by Edgar Allan Poe. A man walking around Paris hears screams and goes to the crime scene, but there he is accused of being the culprit and is forced to flee. The start of the drums in "Another Life" is perfect, which then bursts into a point-blank solo at the beginning and has a splendid acceleration in the central part, truly incredible. "Genghis Khan" is a discreet instrumental, in which, Harris says, the Irons tried to reproduce the mood of the Mongol horde before battle. "Innocent Live" is a rather old track but wasn't included in the debut album. A song loved by Paul Di’Anno, it unfortunately soon disappears from concert playlists but remains a track that makes history. The title track is also opened by one of the nastiest bass riffs in history, which indeed foretells a storm or, in this case, an ambush by the killers in the lyrics. Di’Anno shouts wildly, schizophrenic, like the murderer he impersonates in the song. The lyrics of this song were completely changed from the first draft; we have a testimony of how it was originally in the live video at the Rainbow contained in the DVD “The Early Days”. "Twilight Zone" is a peculiar song, fast but exuding a certain sadness, which initially wasn't included in the album and was only later reassessed and even released as a single. Let's say it's not indispensable but good overall, though it lacks a solo. "Prodigal Son" is a sad ballad underestimated by the band, but it's a very original track I recommend listening to just to hear something different from a band that in the early albums made ferocity an almost omnipresent component. "Purgatory" is also an old song, initially titled “Floating,” very intense and one of the masterpieces of the entire NWOBHM movement. "Drifter" closes the album, a great track very suited to involve the audience, it would be performed excellently by Dickinson and would remain in the setlist until the World Piece Tour. I would also add the only song never present on a Maiden LP, "Women In Uniform", a single released before the album, boisterous, whose video is a tribute to the street women, where Stratton's guitar is still present. The track begins with Di’Anno almost rapping in the verses and then continues with a beautiful chorus repeated until the song fades.
Balancing the album, we can say it's a masterpiece, one of the best, without fillers.

Di’Anno will leave after the tour for his excesses of alcohol and drugs (he was the only one to take drugs, the other band members will always keep a safe distance from such substances) and Dickinson will arrive, who will propel the group to the definitive leap in quality, but he doesn't have Di’Anno's rage, who probably was the one who contributed most to making the band's first impact great.
UP THE IRONS!