Killers (Iron Maiden album)

Killers is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was first released on 2 February 1981 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and on 11 May in the United States by Harvest and Capitol Records.^[9] The album was their first with guitarist Adrian Smith, and their last with vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who was fired after problems with his stage performances arose due to his alcohol and cocaine use.^[10] Killers was also the first Iron Maiden album recorded with producer Martin Birch, who went on to produce their next eight albums until Fear of the Dark (1992).

Killers
Studio album by Iron Maiden
Released	2 February 1981 (1981-02-02)[1]
Recorded	November 1980[2] – January 1981[3]
Studio	Battery (London)
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	38:18
Label	EMI
Producer	Martin Birch
Iron Maiden studio albums chronology
Iron Maiden (1980) Killers (160) The Number of the Beast (1982)
Singles from Killers
"Twilight Zone" / "Wrathchild" Released: 2 March 1981 "Purgatory" Released: 15 June 1981

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	9/10[5]
Pitchfork	7.3/10[6]
Sputnikmusic	[7]
The Daily Vault	A−[8]

Background

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. It was written almost exclusively by Steve Harris;^[11] only "Twilight Zone" and the title track are cowritten.

Except for "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (based on the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe)^[12] and "Prodigal Son", the songs were written in the years prior to the recording of their debut album.^[13] Five of the album's songs featured in the band's live setlists in 1977, when Dennis Wilcock fronted Iron Maiden.^[14] "Wrathchild" and "Strange World" appear to be written as far back as 1976 and original singer Paul Mario Day later claimed he had co-written "Strange World".^[15] No songs were recorded professionally until the Killers sessions, with the exception of "Wrathchild" (a version recorded in 1979 was featured on the Metal for Muthas compilation).^[13]

"The Ides of March" is nearly identical to "Thunderburst", by fellow British NWOBHM band Samson, who featured a pre-Maiden Bruce Dickinson on vocals; however, "The Ides of March" was written during the brief time in 1977 in which future Samson drummer Thunderstick was a member of Iron Maiden. While Harris took sole credit for "The Ides of March", "Thunderburst" is credited to Harris and all four members of Samson's Head On line-up, Bruce Bruce, aka Bruce Dickinson, Chris Aylmer, Paul Samson, and Thunderstick, aka Barry Purkis.

Killers spent eight weeks on the UK chart.^[16] The North American edition, which came out a few months later, was initially released on Harvest Records/Capitol Records and subsequently on Sanctuary Records/Columbia Records. The song "Twilight Zone" was added to the album. In Australia, the Skyhooks cover "Women in Uniform" was added instead as a bonus track.

The Killer World Tour featured the band's first US shows, beginning at The Aladdin, Las Vegas, in support of Judas Priest.^[17] Subsequently, "Wrathchild" is the only regularly played track from the album, appearing in almost all their tours.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	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

All tracks are written by Steve Harris, except where noted

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"Killers"	Paul Di'Anno Harris	4:58
8.	"Prodigal Son"		6:05
9.	"Purgatory"		3:18
10.	"Drifter"		4:47
Total length:			38:18

Side two – North American edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"Killers"	Di'Anno Harris	4:58
8.	"Twilight Zone"	Dave Murray Harris	2:33
9.	"Prodigal Son"		6:05
10.	"Purgatory"		3:18
11.	"Drifter"		4:47
Total length:			40:51

Side two – Australian edition^[18]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"Killers"	Di'Anno Harris	4:58
8.	"Women in Uniform" (Skyhooks cover)	Greg Macainsh	3:07
9.	"Prodigal Son"		6:05
10.	"Purgatory"		3:18
11.	"Drifter"		4:47
Total length:			41:25

1995 UK reissue bonus disc

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Twilight Zone"	Murray Harris	2:33
2.	"Women in Uniform" (Skyhooks cover)	Macainsh	3:07
3.	"Invasion"		2:38
4.	"Phantom of the Opera" (live)		6:55
Total length:			15:13

1995 US reissue bonus disc^[19]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Women in Uniform" (Skyhooks cover)	Macainsh	3:07
2.	"Invasion"		2:38
3.	"Phantom of the Opera" (live)		6:55
4.	"Running Free" (live; from Maiden Japan)	Harris Di'Anno	3:07
5.	"Remember Tomorrow" (live; from Maiden Japan)	Harris Di'Anno	5:44
6.	"Wrathchild" (live; from Maiden Japan)		2:52
7.	"Killers" (live; from Maiden Japan)	Harris Di'Anno	4:50
8.	"Innocent Exile" (live; from Maiden Japan)		3:46
Total length:			32:59

1998 remastered edition

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

Covers

The song "Wrathchild" was covered in 2003 by the English metal band Sikth and featured as a B-side on their single "Scent of the Obscene".^[20] The song was also covered in 2005 by female tribute band The Iron Maidens on their 2007 album Route 666, by Gallows on the 2008 tribute CD Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden released by Kerrang! magazine, and by Six Feet Under on the reissue of their 1999 album Maximum Violence.^[21] "Wrathchild" was featured in the PlayStation 2 game Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s.^[22]

Personnel

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.^[23][24]

Iron Maiden

• Paul Di'Anno – vocals
• Dave Murray – guitars
• Adrian Smith – guitars
• Steve Harris – bass
• Clive Burr – drums

Additional personnel

• Martin "Headmaster" Birch – producer, engineer
• Nigel Hewitt – second engineer
• Derek Riggs – cover illustration
• Dave Lights – cover concept
• Robert Ellis – photography
• Rod Smallwood – band manager, photography (1998 edition)
• Dennis Stratton – guitar on "Women in Uniform", "Invasion", and "Phantom of the Opera" (1995 edition)
• Tony Platt – producer of "Women in Uniform" (1995 edition)
• Simon Heyworth – remastering (1998 edition)
• Ross Halfin – photography (1998 edition)
• P.G. Brunelli – photography (1998 edition)
• Simon Fowler – photography (1998 edition)
• Denis O'Regan – photography (1998 edition)
• George Chin – photography (1998 edition)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1981) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[25] 20 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[26] 20 French Albums (SNEP)[27] 1 Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[28] 18 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29] 10 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[30] 28 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[31] 41 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[32] 19 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[33] 11 UK Albums (OCC)[34] 12 US Billboard 200[35] 78 Chart (2006) Peak position Italian Albums (FIMI)[36] 79 Chart (2010) Peak position Greek Albums (IFPI)[37] 64 Chart (2018) Peak position UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[38] 10 Chart (2020-2021) Peak position Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[39] 22 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[40] 40

Year-end charts Chart (1981) Position German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[41] 26

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[42]	Platinum	100,000^
France (SNEP)[43]	3× Gold	300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[44]	Gold	250,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[30]	Gold	100,000[30]
Sweden (GLF)[45]	Gold	50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[46]	Gold	100,000^
United States (RIAA)[47]	Gold	500,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.