For Week Ending:
24 February 2024

Iron Maiden - Killers (1981)

[Heavy Metal]

'The Ides Of March' announces out the gate that Iron Maiden is no longer just a pub band, but a major contender in the race. As brilliant as the first album had been, the production was somewhat primitive (and founder Steve Harris to this day still complains about it). As luck would have it, the band landed Martin Birch to produce the second album - and with a history of band credits behind him such as Deep Purple, Wishbone Ash, Fleetwood Mac, and Black Sabbath, he had nothing to prove in credentials. It was a match made in Heaven, so much so Birch would work pretty much exclusively with Maiden from here on for the next decade. In fact, the production is what carries a lot of the album, as it is lacking in consistency in places. There are obvious stand-outs (many still fan favourites today) like 'Wrathchild' and the masterpiece that is the title track, but other tracks like 'Another Life' and 'Prodigal Son' feel like they are lacking in some of this punch that a great sophomore album requires. At least half the album was made up of older songs the band had played for many years on the pub circuit when they were still finding their identity, with only a few newer compositions. The instrumental 'Genghis Khan' feels like an attempt to match the grandeur of the debut album's 'Phantom Of The Opera', but it falls flat without a lyrical narrative to carry it. It isn't all bad though, as barnstormers like 'Purgatory' and somewhat grand 'Drifter' wrap the album nicely in a bow. All in all, it is a great addition to the Maiden catalogue (and their last with vocalist Paul Di'Anno), but over the years it would usually not be remembered as one of their best albums, especially considering the quality that many of their future 1980s albums would exhibit.

Arist Information
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in East London in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most of the band's history has consisted of Harris, lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers, and drummer Nicko McBrain. As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden released a series of UK and US Platinum and Gold albums, including 1980's debut album, 1981's 'Killers', and 1982's 'The Number Of The Beast'. In fact, 'The Number Of The Beast' is among the most popular heavy metal albums of all time, having sold almost 20 million copies worldwide and the band's first album with Bruce Dickinson, who replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer in 1981. The addition of Dickinson was a turning point in their career.

Release Information
'Killers' is the second studio album by Iron Maiden. The album was their first with guitarist Adrian Smith, and their last with vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who was fired after problems with his stage performances arose due to his alcohol and cocaine use.

Chevelle - Vena Sera (2007)

[Alternative Rock]

I can't recall where TheBigBlack crew stumbled on Chevelle, but I'm glad we did. In the mid-2000's new music that was attractive to the TheBigBlack crew was scarce, so stumbling on the raw guitar sounds at its peak in the album and drifting into a sound supporting the vocals is a treat. The first track 'Antisaint', very much sets the scene for what you are about to listen to. High fueled music and vocals that can pull the reigns in when needed to make sure not every song sounds the same. Other highlights include 'Well Enough Alone' with Loeffler taking a deep breath before he screams his lungs out for approx. 10 seconds, then presenting a track that mixes that vocal repeated with a melodic mid-tempo vocal that encompasses most of the songs on this release. 'Straight Jacket Fashion' & 'The Fad' that follow are also other highlights of the release. I was going to avoid comparisons, but I will indulge a short opinion. For me I had a rough edged Deftones as my initial though, for what it is worth, which isn't much. They do mention Helmet as an influence that I am more than happy to agree with. They have 5 releases since this gem. I must invest some time in those. They are well worth it.