Iron Maiden
Killers

THE REVIEW

We are faced with "Killers," the second release from the legendary Iron Maiden, released nearly two years after their debut album. With the arrival of Adrian Smith on guitar replacing Dennis Stratton (whom, frankly, few will remember), it marked the beginning of a long series of lineup changes within the band until "Powerslave," the fifth album and the first to feature the same lineup as the previous album.
I begin by stating that this CD (which, in my opinion, serves as a bridge between the first work, rich in rock nuances, and the subsequent ones with a more defined sound featuring the usual triplet note patterns) is of remarkable quality, even if slightly inferior to the first.

The beautiful instrumental "The Ides Of March" kicks things off, followed by the sensational "Wrathchild" with an opening bass line that is iconic, born from the mind of the never-too-praised Steve Harris, who is particularly unleashed on this album, where he solely crafted all the songs (except for the Title Track, composed alongside Paul Di'Anno), establishing himself as one of the greatest songwriters in history.
The incredible opening trio concludes with the splendid "Murders In Rue Morgue," where the lyrics are influenced by the genius of Edgar Allan Poe. From there until the concluding "Drifter," there is some inconsistency in the quality of the songs, even though, I repeat, they are all commendable. Songs like the enjoyable instrumental "Genghis Khan," the good "Purgatory" and "Prodigal Son," and the engaging Title Track certainly deserve to be mentioned.

Every single member of the group delivers an excellent performance: The duo Adrian Smith-Dave Murray demonstrates great skill on guitars, Clive Burr behind the drums doesn't miss a beat, and the aforementioned Steve Harris with his four-string gallops in every sense of the word.
A more important note should be given, in the end, to singer Paul Di'Anno who, although technically below Bruce Dickinson, puts so much emotion into his voice that it makes each song even more enjoyable, delivering, in my opinion, his best performance ever on this album.
Unfortunately, Paul will be kicked out of the band at the end of the promotional tour for this album due to his excesses in smoking and alcohol, thus neglecting his voice. A perhaps slightly premature farewell for the unforgettable singer who could have given much more in the ranks of the Iron Maiden.

As mentioned earlier, the only flaw of this album is the inconsistency, but otherwise, "Killers" can be defined as the second masterstroke of those five young men who already demonstrated a maturity worthy of the greatest groups of the time: a true lesson in NWOBHM!

Absolutely a must-have, both for fans and for those who do not love metal.