40 years ago today, ‘Killers’ by Iron Maiden was unleashed into the world. While it’s not the album that defined Iron Maiden’s iconic sound, it is a milestone in the band’s discography. In the metal world today, ‘Killers’ is still considered to be necessary listening. This week’s merch post is dedicated to the band’s second album in celebration of its anniversary. Keep reading for 5 facts you should know about ‘Killers’ by Iron Maiden!
Merch of the Week Outfit Details
This Iron Maiden ‘Killers’ shirt was gifted to me by Loudtrax. If you’re looking for band merch, I highly recommend checking them out. All of their merch is 100% officially licensed and comes from licensed wholesale distributors or the bands directly. They’re also really reasonably priced which is always a bonus.
This is actually just a regular men’s band t shirt, so it can be worn a variety of different ways. With the cold weather in full swing, I’m looking for my band tee outfits to be warm and comfortable. I paired this week’s band merch with these comfy leggings from Express (which are super versatile) and just a basic oversized jean jacket. I of course had to finish it off with my Demonia boots.
5 Facts You Should Know About ‘Killers’ by Iron Maiden
1. While Adrian Smith is considered to be part of the “classic” Iron Maiden line up, he didn’t make his debut with the band until Killers.
Adrian Smith replaced Dennis Stratton on guitar after his departure in 1980, citing the reason as “musical differences”.
2. Despite being hailed today as a metal classic, ‘Killers’ received mixed reviews at the time of its release.
The album received a lot of critical feedback. Even a reviewer for Sounds Magazine gave it a mere one star. This was also at a time where Iron Maiden was being dismissed as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, which was already on the way out.
3. Along with the release of ‘Killers’, Iron Maiden went on a massive world tour which included their first visit to America.
The band toured for the majority of 1981 with bands like Whitesnake, UFO, and Blue Oyster Cult.
4. ‘Killers’ is the last album Iron Maiden album with vocalist Paul Di’Anno
Di’Anno was later replaced by the iconic Bruce Dickinson, who would make his debut on ‘The Number of the Beast’.
5. The iconic album art was initially created as a water color painting.
In the cover art for ‘Killers’ by Iron Maiden, Eddie is shown with a new, wilder hairdo weilding an axe as he actively portrays the album’s title. In an interview with Revolver, artist Derek Riggs says about his painting “Maiden might still have the original,” he says, “although I think it’s one of the Eddies that escaped their clutches. They lost quite a few of them over the years. Keep your eyes open — the original paintings often turn up on eBay for sale. You just can’t keep a good Eddie down.”
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