In the second of our series on the most influential albums of the decade, we will highlight The Killers debut album ‘Hot Fuss’ and the impact it had on music in Ireland and abroad.
The Killers 2004 debut album ‘Hot Fuss’ saw the band explode onto the music scene,becoming one of the biggest musical acts in the world and setting themselves a bar that proved quite hard to reach again.
For a band formed at an Oasis gig in Las Vegas, The Killers new wave sound harked back to British 80’s acts such as New Order and The Cure rather than the Gallagher’s, and it was their reinvigorating of the genre that saw the new wave sound become vogue again, now evident in every synth welding act around.
Songs like ‘Mr Brightside’, ‘All these things I’ve done’ and ‘Somebody Told Me’ saw The Killers become the IT band of the 2004 and from an Irish viewpoint, it peaked with their slot at Oxegen 2005. It must be noted that The Killers became more popular on this side of he water long before in the states, with the band being signed by a British record label after being turned down by Warner Bros.
The impact of The Killers saw similar acts such as The Bravery gain success in the UK & Ireland, and gave a chance to local bands such as The Editors. It also opened the door for more progressive synthpop and post punk to make waves in the charts, the likes of The Rapture, Test Icicles and Bloc Party and then later made the ‘New Rave’ sound a much more marketable commodity.
The Killers followed up Hot Fuss with their 2007 release ‘Sams Town’ that, while well received, wasn’t the same hit as their debut. Coupled Brandon Flowers alleged spats with labelmates The Bravery and Fall Out Boy, the bands star faded. The band have released two more albums since but will be remembered for being the sound of 2004 and the mark they made on music this decade.
Words by Kev Meagher