I finally picked up Killers and thus had collected all of the Iron Maiden studio albums. I still was firmly in Team Dickinson but the Paul Di’Anno albums had a quality about them that was – I’ve been sitting here for a few minutes trying to think of the word to summarize that quality. If I sit here listening to Killers and tune out the vocals and focus on the guitars, bass and drums, there is no mistaking that Iron Maiden signature sound. The song structure is certainly Steve Harris driven.
There is somthing different though. Perhaps the guitar effects evolved a little from Killers toThe Number If The Beast. Not by a huge amount but what I’d expect from equipment upgrades as budgets increase.
Of all of my Iron Maiden albums ofThe Metal Years, Killers is the least played. It is a solid offering and I think that timing was more to blame in this. AlthoughThe Metal Years were far from over, the focus on Metal was shifting away. Heavy Metal music was awesome for teen aged boys but we were fast becoming 20 somethings and with that came a more mature appreciation for music and a willingness to listen to what the women were listening to.
Sure, there were Metal women but statistically, our chances were better with pop music. I think we knew it far earlier than we were willing to admit it and even longer before we succumbed to doing anything about it.
The Ides Of March / Wrathchild
Murders In The Rue Morgue
Genghis Khan
Purgatory