Iron Maiden - Killers. 1981 England

Definitely the most straightforward of the Iron Maiden albums. The band were at the crossroads here of raw heavy metal and the more elaborate composition style band leader Steve Harris seemed to prefer. Paul di'Anno was always more suited to be a punk rock singer, and the music here fits his style perfectly. That's not to say the music here isn't complex, often times it is, just more compact. Especially on Side 1 with 'Wrathchild', 'Murders in the Rue Morgue', and the instrumental 'Genghis Khan'. Eventually, though, Harris followed his instincts and recruited from fellow NWOBHM band Samson - the Renaissance Man known as Bruce Dickinson - and thus Iron Maiden were guaranteed their place in music history.

On a personal note, I had the privilege of seeing the band on the Killers tour during the summer in my hometown. I still have the ticket stub: June 13, 1981 at Moody Coliseum (Dallas - SMU campus). I was all of 16 and drove another high school buddy there in my old 1973 Chevy Impala. It was originally a three band bill with Iron Maiden opening, Humbie Pie, and Judas Priest headlining. An unusual pairing, and I'm sure the promoters felt they needed Humble Pie to help fill the arenas, as heavy metal wasn't really that popular yet here in the States. Right before the show was to begin, we received an announcement that Humbie Pie had to cancel last minute due to an illness. The guy next to me was pissed! And we were elated - what a break! These were the two bands we wanted to see. So we got extended sets from each. I saw Maiden a few times after this with Dickinson, but it was great to see and hear them with Di'Anno this one time.

Ownership: LP: 1981 Harvest. Single sleeve. Purchased new upon release at Sound Warehouse in Dallas.

CD: 1988 Capitol. Jewel case commodity release.

1981; 5/24/12; 8/19/15; 4/22/20 (new entry)