Was founded in 1980 by Paul “ Shorty” Van Camp (lead guitar + lead vocals) and “Fat Leo” (drums) who had just splitted up their previous band “Mothers of Track”.

After a few auditions “Spooky” (bassguitar + lead vocals) joined the band. They decided to stay a powertrio and started working on the songs.

Already after 4 months a first record “Ready for Hell” was recorded and released by major company WEA (Warner Bros). After this release Killer knew a very fast evolution and became a well respected and major band allover Europe and even abroad. Killer was managed and adviced by Alfie Falkenbach, Leo Felsenstein and Stonne Holmgren, the guys who later founded “Mausoleum”, one of the first independent Heavy Metal labels..

“Killer” was the first Belgian metalband inspired by upcoming success of the NWOBHM bands such as Saxon, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard etc.

Due to the trio formula, the rough voices, speedy uptempos, and double bassdrums, Killer was always compared with “Motorhead”. This was rather an honour than an insult.

Killer and Motorhead were speedy bands long before the existing of “Metallica”, so in a way we were innovators in the early eighties. Although “Killer” was not punky but always very melodic.

Fat Leo was more a Rock and Blues orientated drummer and at the end on 1981 he was replaced by Double Bassdrum monster “ Double Bear”.

Early 1982 a second album “Wall of Sound” was released on the Lark label and this meant the international breakthrough of the band.

“Killer” was also a very energetic and typical live band which resulted in a lot of touring and performances on several festivals in “Europe”.

Influenced by “Killer” a lot of other Belgian bands came on the scene and now Alfie and his companions decided to start up their own record company : “Mausoleum” was born.

One of the first releases of “Mausoleum” was “Killers” third album “Shockwaves” wich was a real hit album. We recieved excellent reviews from all European countries and even in USA, Brazil and Japan the press was very positive. Now Mausoleum launched new Belgian bands such as, Ostrogoth, Crossfire, Danger, FN Guns, Lions Pride etc…. Also Wildfire (UK), Faithful Breath (D) and of course the first “Warlock” (Doro) album became bestsellers.

In 1985 time was ready to record a double live album containing al the best “Killer” hitsongs and even a few new compositions.The album was recorded with “Dieter Dierks” (Scorpions) mobile studio in a sold out venue in Antwerpen, in front of an outrageous crowd. During the last song even more than 100 fans climbed on stage to sing along with the band. The release of this album would have definitely been the worldwide breakthrough of “Killer”. The expectations and presales were very high.

But……

Unfortunately the album never saw daylight due to financial problems of Mausoleum. Album title would have been “Still alive in eighty- five”. Artwork was finished, tapes were mixed but kept in the studio owners safe due to financial and legal difficulties with “Mausoleum”.

A short time after that “Mausoleum” ceased to exist and everything was lost. We never succeeded to recover the finished tapes from the studio. Probably they are deleted by now ?

This was the beginning of the end for “Killer”.

Another highlight in the career of “Killer” was the Poland tour in 1986. It was not so evident for a metalband to tour behind “the Iron Curtain” at the time, but we did and how. Sold out venues

(around 10.000 people every night) and an enthousiastic crowd kept us alive for a few more months but bandmembers and crew were still very disappointed and discouraged because of the non-release of the live album. We all still felt blockaded in our evolution and this caused the first split of the band in early 1987.

In 1987 Shorty released a solo album “Too wild to tame” under the name “Van Camp” at CNR records. This album was in the best Killer tradition but a lot more guitarhero orientated with long complicated songs and long flashing guitarsolos.

In 1989 Spooky and Shorty decided to start-up “KILLER” again with new drummer “Rudy Simmons” and second guitar player “Jan Van Springel”.

A fourth album “ Fatal Attraction” was recorded in Germany and released by the also reformed “Mausoleum” label. In the beginning (1990) this album was only released in Germany and the band operated and toured mostly in Germany. Later the album was also released in other countries.

Victim of the upcoming grunge-rockstyle and the general fall of melodic metal “KILLER” splitted for the second time in 1991.

Shorty and Spooky performed in a power bluesband “Blues-Express” from 1993 uptil 1999 but after some musical differences they splitted up. In this period “KILLER”did 3 occasional reunion gigs with new drummer “Ivan Opdebeeck”.

Shorty started a new classic rock – metal coverband “BLACKJACK” in 1999. This band still exists and is celebrating the 10th birthday very soon. They are very successful and are keeping the spirit of KILLER alive.

In 2002 the the grunge fashion was burning up and melodic power metal is again on the rise, Mausoleum was restarted by Alfie Falkenbach, and KILLER was offered a new record deal again

Shorty started KILLER again, this time with some younger guys in the line up and with addition of a keyboard player to make the sound a bit more modern and bombastic.

They recorded the well respected come back album “Broken Silence” (what’s in a title) and soon they went again on stage together with for example “Dio / Motorhead / Queensryche / Doro. KILLER was even opening act on the big “Graspop” festival on main stage in 2003 and they did some German festivals as well. In 2005 a follow up album “Immortal” was recorded in Germany, and up so far this is the best album ever. After some line up changes now finally in 2009 happened what everybody was hoping for

THE REUNION of Shorty and original Bass-player Vocalist Spooky.

End 2010 original bass player Spooky decided to leave KILLER again after a rather short return. The reasons where more practical and personnal and there was no trouble or fight or whatsoever. We are still friends and we wish him al the best. Finding a new bass player was not so difficult because old time friend and bass player in BLACKJACK ("Shorty's" coverband) "Ian Anthony" was a logical follow up. He is part of the family and he knows the other bandmembers and KILLER better than anyone else.

In fact he was already asked in 2002 to be part of the re-union and the "Broken Silence" album, but at that time he was not ready and willing and so "Spin" became the bass player. Now we are ready to hit the stages again and KILLER has never been better and stronger than before. Ian Anthony is not only a strong bass player but he is a real show and stage animal as well.

For the near future we are hoping to make another album, but due to changing line-ups and other (musical and non musical) activities, it takes longer than we ever hoped or wanted.

Anyhow Shorty has written a lot of new songs and we hope te record soon.

keep on supporting us..............

0==(KILLER:::>

CONTACT:

shorty.paulvancamp@skynet.be

devanne@pandora.be

killerbookings@hotmail.com

_____________________________________________________