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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.


It's the best album Maiden ever put out..   November 3, 2005
 31 out of 35 found this review helpful

*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.



Wow! Was I ever Surprised!!   July 15, 2002
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

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.


Killer Cover! Killer Music!   August 9, 2002
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

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!


Negative Reviewers..Did you Listen to the CD??????   October 15, 2004
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

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.