Iron Maiden
Killers

THE REVIEW

"Killers" by Iron Maiden was released almost two years after their debut, which reached fourth place on the UK charts, propelling them towards a wide audience that would gradually grow until filling entire arenas, as shown in several live albums released by them.

The line-up experienced the first in a long series of changes, with Harry Smith replacing the little-remembered Dennis Stratton. This was an important change, not only because Smith was technically superior to Stratton but also because he helped write a good part of the songs together with Harris. Otherwise, the vocals still featured the good Paul Di Anno, with his deep and warm voice, later replaced by the more technical Dickinson due to his alcohol and smoke addiction, which caused him to neglect his own voice.

The album begins with a 90-second instrumental gem, The Ides of March, and right from the start, the Virgins demonstrate that their debut was not a flash in the pan, managing to insert the best they could into that meager minute and a half, thanks also to an incredible solo intertwining, started first by Smith and closed by Murray. We proceed and find another classic, Wrathchild, opened by a very beautiful bass line and perfect accompaniment by the guitarists (interrupted by some scales) and the perfect Clive Burr, who doesn't miss a beat throughout the album, always punctual on the rolls and rhythm, until reaching the splendid chorus. History of metal. Murders in the Rue Morgue initially resembles the mythical Children of the Damned, but then proves to be much faster and more electrifying, resembling more the song that preceded the track on the album "The Number of the Beast", Invaders.

Another Life begins with a riff, a solo, and the usual bass line, all very difficult, and as it progresses, becomes increasingly faster and "agitated". The two guitarists, thanks to their splendid solos, seem to be engaged in a "challenge", perhaps to see who burns their guitar first with their fingers, and all this is demonstrated in another great instrumental song, Genghis Kahn, where in the middle I seem to notice a riff already heard in Halloweed By Thy Name. To be clear, so far we have heard ONLY masterpieces, and among these masterpieces, pieces like Innocent Exile or Purgatory fall into the norm, but in a normal album, they would have been standout tracks. Then think, if among all these masterpieces an even more immense masterpiece emerges, the title track. No comment folks, a masterpiece of the '80s history.

For the rest, the other tracks are always beautiful, but it seems useless to keep saying the same things: masterpiece, incredible, etc.