Killers continued Iron Maiden on their rise to prominence, selling over four times as many albums after its release than did its predecessor. Overall, Killers is an excellent album, although it lacks the usual epic track that almost all the other Maiden albums contain (for example: 'Phantom Of The Opera', 'Hallowed Be Thy Name', 'To Tame A Land', and 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner'). However, it contains a great deal of innovative material, including two of Maiden's best instrumental tracks.

Killers is not a concept album, but many of the songs do share a certain commonality. It is an interesting and complex thread, which explores the "killers" concept from several different perspectives including the angry searcher, the fleeing suspect, the innocently accused, the cold-blooded killer, the repentant disciple, and finally the reformed drifter. In this sense, with a bit of imagination the album can be viewed as a progression beginning with anger and violence and ending with repentance and reformation. This is not unlike 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner', in which the mariner begins as an impulsive killer and ends as a repentant traveller and teacher.

A second and less obvious thread also exists in Killers, relating to the meaninglessness and hopelessness of life. In this sense the Killers album begins what has become a familiar Maiden topic out of which has emerged some of their very best material. But in contrast to some of the later material, the Killers exploration has an extremely depressing, regretful, and suicidal motif. This second thread is most obvious in 'Another Life', 'Twilight Zone', and 'Purgatory'.

It may take quite a few listens to fully appreciate Killers. The style of the Di'Anno albums is a bit different from Maiden's later sound, and can require some adjustment for those who are unfamiliar with it. But after you've given it a chance to sink in, it'll quite probably be one of your favourite Maiden albums.