KILLERS

The second Paul Di'Anno album from Iron Maiden sees the band enjoying the benefits of a superior production job. Once again basing the album on tried and tested material honed to perfection in the years prior to their debut, the album is a particular tour de force for Steve Harris, whose songwriting contributions dominate and whose complex bass playing is at last able to be heard clearly. Less well-served by the improved sound quality is Paul Di'Anno, whose vocal style suited the low-fi, punkish energy of the debut but gets rather lost in the more complex material presented here; his best vocal performances are on songs such as Wrathchild or the title track, both of which hark back to the direct and aggressive style of the debut.