Killers by Iron Maiden

Killers, Iron Maiden's second album, came out on EMI in 1981, and it's the sound of the East London mob tightening the screws. It was their first record with producer Martin Birch, who would go on to helm their next eight, and the first with Adrian Smith, whose guitar locks in alongside Dave Murray's for those twin-lead runs. Steve Harris's galloping bass drives the whole thing, with Clive Burr hammering away behind it.

It was also the last album with Paul Di'Anno, whose streetwise snarl gives these songs their punky edge. Di'Anno was fired after his alcohol and cocaine use led to problems on stage, and Bruce Dickinson took over the microphone later that year. "Wrathchild" is a thumping, bass-led stomper, the title track creeps and then explodes, and "Murders in the Rue Morgue" goes charging off at full tilt. Punk speed, metal muscle, no filler.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.