Killers (Kiss album)
| Killers | ||||
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| Greatest hits album by Kiss | ||||
| Released | June 15, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1973–1982 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal | |||
| Length | 46:35 | |||
| Label | Phonogram | |||
| Producer | Michael James Jackson (new tracks) | |||
| Kiss chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
Killers is the second compilation album by American hard rock group Kiss. It was released only outside the US, but quickly became available as an import. Of the album's twelve songs, four were new compositions recorded specifically for it: "I'm a Legend Tonight", "Down on Your Knees", "Nowhere to Run", and "Partners in Crime". These new songs were recorded at the behest of Phonogram Records, in response to the commercial failure of 1981's Music from "The Elder".
By 1982, Kiss's commercial popularity was at its nadir. 1980's Unmasked barely achieved gold certification in the United States, and the band toured exclusively outside the US for the first time in their career that year, aside from one "introductory" show for Eric Carr as the new, official drummer in New York. Music from "The Elder" fared even worse, as it failed to gain any certification, and the band did not tour behind it at all. The album, released in November 1981, was off the charts by February 1982.
Part of this may have something to do with the fact that Kiss had alluded to a "back to their roots" hard rock album, only to have efforts in that regard trashed in favor of the conceptual album Music from "The Elder". It has also been indicated that among other things, this decision was the proverbial nail in the coffin for Ace Frehley as a member of Kiss, as well as a portion of his contributions being trashed. Creatures of the Night, released in October 1982, followed through with this promise--but despite positive reception, failed to regain any of the fans they had lost by this point--resulting in Kiss ditching the gimmick of the make-up and characters in favor of a more "up-to-date" look, more common among other popular artists in the early-to-mid-1980s.
Phonogram Records (the parent company of Kiss' label Casablanca Records) requested that Kiss record four new songs, to be included in an upcoming greatest hits album. Phonogram requested hard rock songs specifically, in contrast to the progressive rock-style of Music from "The Elder". The album cover featured the streamlined look the band had adopted during the "Elder" period.
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