Midlife Metal Crisis - Top Ten Heavy Metal Albums of the 1980's #4 Iron Maiden - Killers
Iron Maiden were the British heavy metal band that dominated the 1980's in the UK and half the world. Although they were absolutely huge they were probably not as well recognised as their mascot Eddie the Ed whose evolution from spiky -haired zombie to menacing mascot was complete on the cover of Killers in 1981.
They had come on the scene with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal or NWOBHM as it was catchily called then. Other bands breaking through on this wave were Samson and Def Leppard. In 1981 Bruce Dickinson of Samson would take over vocal duties in late 1981 and the band would record their no 1 Number of the Beast album. World domination would follow.
Before the bombastic vocals of Dickinson, mainstream success and the spandex of the Powerslave tour. Iron Maiden would record two spiky, low budget sounding albums. Their eponymous début and Killers. The latter is my favourite Iron Maiden album and one that I still return to today. I always found Paul Di'Anno's vocals more edgy than Dickinsons and although in my teenage years this would have not got as much turntable time as live after death, looking back this is the controversial favourite.
The opening track is an instrumental(the first of two) followed by the familiar bass lines of Wrathcild. a live favourite that I think they still play today. An early version of this was recorded for the NWOBHM (remember your acronyms kids) seminal compilation Metal for Muthas.
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| Twilight Zone, Metal For Muthas and Purgatory Record Sleeves |
The single Twilight zone wasn't on the album, a source of never ending annoyance on my part that was rectified on the 1998 remastered CD. The second single purgatory was a track that never really should have been released. If the title track or Wrathchild had been in its place it may have been a different story and Iron Maidens commercial break would have come sooner.
The following Killers world tour would introduce 'Maiden' to the world including Japan and the USA but would unfortunately spell the end of Di'Anno's stint as front man for the band. Cocaine and alcohol had left Di'Anno unreliable for gigs and a liability for the band, as the tours and commitments mounted up he was sacked and Dickinson brought in.
The final tracks recorded with Di'Anno would be released in the UK as the 4 track Mini Album/12" Maiden Japan. A full setlist of this concert is available in Japan and the available on the internet and features the originally discarded cover of Eddy the Ed holding the severed head of Di'Anno.
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| Maiden Japan cover featuring the severed head of sacked singer Paul Di'Anno |
As the 1980's progressed, the tours would get bigger and bigger. By the time I was old enough to go and see them in 1988 they had huge pyrotechnic explosions and animatronics the size of your house featuring Eddy the Ed. One thing that this next video of them on the BBC's Jim'll fix it in 1987 (which I remember watching at the time) was that they were genuinely nice guys who had a lot of time for the fans.
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