Killers (Iron Maiden album)

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Killers
Iron Maiden Killers.jpg
Studio album by Iron Maiden
Released 2 February 1981
Recorded Battery Studios, London, November 1980[1] – January 1981[2]
Genre Heavy metal
Length 38:18[3]
Label EMI
Harvest / Capitol (North America)
Producer Martin Birch
Iron Maiden studio albums chronology
Iron Maiden
(1980)Iron Maiden1980		 Killers
(1981)		 The Number of the Beast
(1982)The Number of the Beast1982
Singles from Killers
  1. "Twilight Zone"
    Released: 2 March 1981
  2. "Purgatory"
    Released: 15 June 1981
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 4/5 stars[4]
Sputnikmusic 4.0/5[5]

Killers is the second album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 2 February 1981 in the UK, and 6 June 1981 in the US. The album was their first with guitarist Adrian Smith and their last with vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who was sacked after problems with his stage performance arose due to his alcohol and cocaine use.[6] This was also the first Iron Maiden album made with veteran producer Martin Birch, who went on to produce their next eight albums before retiring after Fear of the Dark in 1992.

The song "Wrathchild" is the only regularly played track from the album, appearing in almost all their concert tours. The song was covered in 2003 by British metal band Sikth and featured as a b-side on their single "Scent of the Obscene".[7] The song was also covered in 2005 by female tribute band The Iron Maidens on their 2007 album Route 666 and again in 2008 by Gallows on the tribute CD Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden released by Kerrang! magazine.[8] "Wrathchild" was featured in the PlayStation 2 game Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s.[9]

History

Killers was the second and final Iron Maiden album with vocalist Paul Di'Anno (shown here in 2008)

Killers is the only Iron Maiden album to feature two instrumentals and was written almost exclusively by Steve Harris,[10] with only minor assistance from the rest of the band (the title track and "Twilight Zone" being the only other songs to receive additional writing credits). Each song, with the exception of "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (based on the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe)[11] and "Prodigal Son", had been written in the years prior to the recording of their debut album,[12] though none were recorded professionally until the Killers sessions, apart from "Wrathchild" (an early version recorded in 1979 was featured on the Metal for Muthas compilation).[12]

The North American edition, which came out a few months after it did in the UK, was initially released on Harvest Records/Capitol Records and subsequently on Sanctuary Records/Columbia Records. "Twilight Zone" was also added to the album.

The Killer World Tour was the tour in support of the album and would feature the band's earliest shows in the US, the first being at The Aladdin, Las Vegas in support of Judas Priest.[13]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Steve Harris, except where noted

Original release

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "The Ides of March" (instrumental)   1:48
2. "Wrathchild"     2:54
3. "Murders in the Rue Morgue"     4:14
4. "Another Life"     3:22
5. "Genghis Khan" (instrumental)   3:02
6. "Innocent Exile"     3:50
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Killers"   Paul Di'Anno, Harris 4:58
2. "Prodigal Son"     6:05
3. "Purgatory"     3:18
4. "Drifter"     4:47
Total length:
 38:18

1981 North American version

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "The Ides of March" (instrumental)   1:48
2. "Wrathchild"     2:54
3. "Murders in the Rue Morgue"     4:14
4. "Another Life"     3:22
5. "Genghis Khan" (instrumental)   3:02
6. "Innocent Exile"     3:50
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Killers"   Di'Anno, Harris 4:58
2. "Twilight Zone"   Dave Murray, Harris 2:33
3. "Prodigal Son"     6:05
4. "Purgatory"     3:18
5. "Drifter"     4:47
Total length:
 40:51

1998 Remastered release

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "The Ides of March" (instrumental)   1:46
2. "Wrathchild"     2:55
3. "Murders in the Rue Morgue"     4:19
4. "Another Life"     3:23
5. "Genghis Khan" (instrumental)   3:09
6. "Innocent Exile"     3:54
7. "Killers"   Harris, Di'Anno 5:01
8. "Prodigal Son"     6:12
9. "Purgatory"     3:20
10. "Twilight Zone"   Murray, Harris 2:33
11. "Drifter"     4:49
Total length:
 41:21

1995 Reissue bonus disc

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Twilight Zone"   Murray, Harris 2:33
2. "Women in Uniform" (originally by Skyhooks) Greg Macainsh 3:07
3. "Invasion"     2:38
4. "Phantom of the Opera" (live)   6:55

1995 US Reissue bonus disc

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Women in Uniform" (originally by Skyhooks) Greg Macainsh 3:07
2. "Invasion"   Harris 2:38
3. "Phantom of the Opera" (live)   6:55
4. "Running Free" (live) Harris, Di'Anno 3:07
5. "Remember Tomorrow" (live) Harris, Di'Anno 5:44
6. "Wrathchild" (live) Harris 2:52
7. "Killers" (live) Harris, Di'Anno 4:50
8. "Innocent Exile" (live) Harris 3:46

The original Australian version of the album also includes the band's cover of Skyhooks' "Women in Uniform", which was previously released as a single in 1980.[14] The US Castle Records 1995 bonus disc contains several live tracks which originally appeared on the 1981 EP Maiden Japan.[15]

Personnel

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.[3][16]

Iron Maiden
Additional personnel

Chart performance

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[30] Platinum 100,000
France (SNEP)[31] Gold 200,000
Germany (BVMI)[32] Gold 250,000
Sweden (GLF)[33] Gold 50,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Gold 100,000
United States (RIAA)[35] Gold 500,000

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

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  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Huey, Steve. Iron Maiden - Killers at AllMusic. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Killers in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
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