The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was just starting to pick up steam in 1981, and Iron Maiden was a large part of why. In April of 1980, the band released their self-titled debut, an instant classic. Just ten months later, they released Killers, their sophomore album. The band’s last album with Paul Di’Anno on vocals and first with Adrian Smith. Also worth noting was that Martin Birch produced the album, whichhe would do for the band’s next nine albums.
Killers was the sound of the band coming into its own. They still had a bit of a punk sound, perhaps due to DiAnno’s vocals. And while they wouldn’t hit gold until Dickinson joined the following year for Number of the Beast, there were still plenty of notable songs, like concert staple “Wrathchild,” “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” and “Ghengis Kahn.” The band’s touring in support of the album brought them to America for the first time. There are many that swear by the Di’Anno era of the band, and Killers makes good case for it.
Key Tracks: “Wrathchild,” “Murders in the Rue Morgue”
