Judas Priest "Painkiller" (1990)

Lets set the scene, the Heavy Metal landscape is changing drastically, Thrash and Death Metal are on the rise with Grunge and Alternative set to grip the mainstream in the coming years. Metallica are the genres new juggernaut and Pantera have brought forth a new identity for Metal. Surely a band like Judas Priest are on the way out? Well no, the intensity of Painkiller arrives as the apex of their "heavier than heavy" sound priest always embodied. It goes toe to toe with any contestant and holds it own. Quite a remarkable bow out after twenty one years as it would be Rob Halford's last for now.

The album will always be overcast by its lead and title track, Painkiller, a thrilling frenzy of adrenaline inducing metallic might thats hellbent on thrusting the listener through a seemingly never ending amping up of intensity. Molten hot guitar solos ooze, Rob's screams pull down the heavens and its string of riveting riffs and battering drums seem to keep turning up the heat. And then there is the end of the song... just as you think things are starting to wind down, somehow they go at it again with another eruption, a raging inferno of guitar blazing madness. Tipton and Downing have somehow outdone themselves yet again, as does everyone in all reality.

Its an exceptional song, an unforgettable track, but the shadow it casts can't deter the rest of the record. Although that devilish intensity isn't reached again, you couldn't expect every song to pursue the same goals. What follows is Priest exploring wonderfully brutish themes as the Heavy Metal universe takes a turn down a dark nightly alleyway. In a ways It feels like everything has been leading to this point, Priest at their hardest, leanest, fastest and on A Touch Of Evil, they go epic and anthemic when the tempo shifts. Every track is a celebration of their attitude, style and personal, all embellished through this stunning mastery of intensity as they push on.

Much credit is owed to Producer Chris Tsangarides who finds a powerful aesthetic for the band to plow through. Most notable is the drumming of Scott Travis, his bass kick is given a lot of deep tone and shape, the snare has a thunderous snap. It takes up a lot of attention but never drowns out the guitars. The two tandem wonderfully when double pedal rhythms pound alongside razor sharp riffs. In general, its all immaculate, a crowded mix of intense instruments somehow not overpowering one another. Rob's chords are fiery as ever, the lead guitars blazing wild and cutting like a knife.

As good records do, the shifting song writing approaches Priest inhabit are wonderfully performed. A keen detail that grabs me is the subtle use of cheesy synths or drab organs. Bold and brash, whenever they drop in, its always enhances the spectacle of the song itself. It should also be emphasized that Downing and Tipton's lead guitar work is not just exceptional on the title track but throughout the record. That exhilarating rise of dexterous notation, luminous and unhinged returns often. They sail so many extremes of fret-board manipulation, its a gift that keeps giving.

Having reacquainted myself with this classic, It should not be understated, the "heaviness" in aesthetic is not its sole trick. This really is Priest at their best when it comes to song writing too. The themes ditch the fun and cheese of Ram It Down and the result is a serious flag wave for Rob's fantasy Heavy Metal lifestyle. There isn't a dud here and you'll be hard pressed to figure out your favorite tracks bar the title track itself, a never ending sequences of adrenaline shots. For the decades I've experienced it, still blows my mind till this day! He... Is... The... PAINKILLER!

Rating: 9.5/10

Judas Priest "Point Of Entry" (1981)

 

From the hardening rock of British Steel, to a throttling attitude Screaming For Vengeance unleashed, Point Of Entry seems to be a misstep along the way, rather than a missing link. Resting on their laurels, Judas Priest soften their current blueprint for an accessible cut of Heavy Metal. Settling on summery vibes and breezy warm temperaments, the trends of 70s arena rock and radio friendly topicality dominates the ten songs, which in turn recycles its "Rock N Roll on the road" persona one to many times. Never does Halford unleash a wild piercing falsetto. Tipton and Downing tone down the solos, keeping them brief, concise and caged. The rhythm section too plods along with the steely foundations that aided its predecessor greatly.

Although it may seem a smear to highlight the detour from a trajectory they will soon excel in. This light hearted, measured approach is spun rather well. The bands experience in song writing works through simple structures with its components all neatly aligned for a pleasurable listen. With nothing to ambitious concurring, its collection of riffs carries the theme well. Where the record fails is when its road cruising, carefree venture runs tired. Halford's lyrics are knee deep. Simple verses and expectant catch lines wear out quickly on this listener and thus once the point is made, its lack of diversity and variety has all the songs seeming the same.

If Point Of Entry has the right highway cruising vibes for you, then it may just be one to adore. For me it pulls me along for four or so songs and then becomes a repetitive blur. Perhaps its best cuts are upfront? It seems so but the reality is those songs make their point known and then the record has little more to offer. Not being particularly into its character, Point Of Entry is one to skip over when picking my favorite Priest songs, despite it not being terrible in anyway.

Rating: 5/10

Judas Priest "Screaming For Vengeance" (1982)

 

I've always adored Priest ever since discovering British Steel in my youth. Going on vacation gave me the perfect moment to pause on this record. Racing down the slopes with the hooks of Bloodstone, Devil's Child & Freewheel Burning stuck in my head, it all clicked. I'd never given their other records much of a chance to stick. Songs like Painkiller, Rapid Fire and Come And Get It grab you by the throat and scream in your face. In fairness, it seems that much of their catalog does to. Now with a maturer mind to really give any music a proper go, I've realized what Ive loved about Judas Priest has been lying in wait, abundant among their extensive discography, were I had not ventured far enough before in my ignorance.

 You've Got Another Thing Coming is the one song I knew well from this record. As a mid tempo track with a tempered chugging grove on the rhythm guitar and Halford's attitude drenched lyrics, it plays like a British Steel cut. Lying in wait however are fiery tracks. Cranking up the gears, throttling the pace and amping up the Priest persona, you can hear the group excelling on themselves. Heavy Metal's eternal pursuit of pushing extremes has led it to ridiculous places but before the birth of Thrash Metal you can hear Priest raising the stakes step by step, writing amazing songs along the way, never detouring to the trend, keeping the flame lit.

And thus Screaming For Vengeance is another spirited, fist pumping romp of blazing Metal! Priest churn out the riffs, rife with steely rattles of melody wedged between shiny grooves. Halford's falsetto wails youthfully with that leather cladded attitude, worming his hooks into you as his soaring voice sails off the back of electrified guitars. When they burst into solos the atmosphere is magnetic, their instruments at the mercy of Downing and Tipton's impressive roar off howling pinch harmonics, dizzying sweep picking and relentless hammering on. All happening in the blink of an eye.

Where the album excels is in its pacing. Tracks like Pain And Pleasure, Take These Chains & Fever brake up the motorway blazing pace with a touch of moody reflective blues wrapped into anthems. Every spin brings joy after joy as the high spirited onslaught takes a few turns and twists along the way. Some of these songs also sound rather foundational to shifts of temperament found on the later records. This certainly feels like a high point for the band. I'm not sure where In the discography I want to jump to next, maybe go right to the very start and hear the evolution? Eighties Priest is certainly something to marvel but just how did they get here?

Rating: 9/10

Judas Priest "Defenders Of The Faith" (1984)

 

Understanding Judas Priest's legacy through the impact of their extensive discography can be a tricky one. Expressed through classics like Breaking The Law, Painkiller, Turbo Lover & You've Got Another Thing Coming, their brilliance is all to evident. As a point of entry, excuse the pun, British Steel may be a Magnus Opus that says it all but much is to be left unearthed in their now eighteen records. For all my youthful adoration I barely scratched the surface of what Priest had to offer. With Defenders Of The Faith I find Priest in their prime, with an unassuming stance.

Just about every song creeps up on you. The flash and flair of Tiptop & Downing waits in lurking. The edge and thrill of their sharp, metallic Hard Rock riffs and razor blade guitar solos is a treasure rewarded after the steady build of well paced song writing. Such does Halford follow suit, baking in fantastic chorus and hooks fit for a Heavy Metal fans identity deeper into the track. No song bursts out the gate with the bluster of rock and roar. Most sound subdued as they get going, yet all find their stride.

This is Defenders Of The Faith's charm. Its rampant cries of "Rock Hard, Rock Free", "All Fear The Sentinel" and "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" are Metal anthems without seeming directly intended to be so. They bloom from stable foundations, giving the band an undeniable stature as they chew through sturdy riffs, tuneful licks, piercing falsettos and electrified lead guitars. As Turbo would pivot into the cheese of these tropes, Priest command them with an integrity and intent to endure on this one.

 Its eleven songs march at their own pace. Variety offers up shifts in tempo and tone with Love Bites and Heavy Duty offering up these burly dense guitars alongside the slow crash of reverb soaked snares. Priest have so much swagger and braggadocio in these moments. Their metallic musical beast lurches on with a grin. The latter pivots into the title track, carrying on the slow bass snare groove as Halford is accompanied by a choir of voices gleaming as together they cry the albums name in utter glory.

It honestly feels like a missed moment to build into an unfathomable rock out of epic proportions but alas the ninety seconds of wonder gives way to a harmonious outro. Foiling us with gentle harmonics and lush dreamy leads before shifting into one last blaze of Hard Rock Heavy Metal glory. For all the subtly remarked on, it has to be said Freewheel Burning kicks off with a real blaze of attitude. The opening riff very reminiscent of British Steel however quickly does the record move into a matured and progressed priest, one I never enjoyed in my youth. With two records wedged between this and that, I know exactly where to head next!

Rating: 8/10

Judas Priest "Turbo" (1986)

 

Feeling nostalgic and adventurous for more Heavy Metal, I thought id check out the controversial record released a couple years before Ram It Down. I barely listened to Turbo in my youth as it was often cited as their worst album. Interestingly it made for a commercial peak at the time. Title track Turbo Lover is also a cracking classic they still play live to this day. The critique I remember used to focus on the inclusion of synths, something they had not done so bold before. Having given it a good go, the electronics are barely a fraction of whats wrong with Judas Priest's tenth, Turbo.

 Softening the edges of their metallic might and looking for anthemic vibes in all the wrong places, Priest essentially miscalculate their strengths. Pivoting to themes more fitting of partying, excess and love. The records overall tone seems have one foot in the Glam Metal trend of the time. Every song brings a bigger than life attitude looking for the sing along stride of the time, which on paper it achieves but the you can sense the crowd pleasing lyrics falling flat. Oddly, this isn't too far from their kettle of fish but Halford's lyrics just don't strike a nerve. He doesn't feel authentic or real, often awkward or uncomfortable. its as if he is on auto pilot at someone else's show.

Its all so odd, song after song checks all the boxes yet it plays through a musical uncanny valley. The big riffs rock hard and wild guitar solo's blaze over top with that classic Downing & Tipton shred but it never escapes the gravity of its own softened tone. The old school analog synths don't flip the scale in either direction. On a couple of songs they are more prevalent but its mostly a soft aesthetic dressing. It is the Glam persona they attempt to take on that's mostly to blame. Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days is probably the best example. Halford crams all the lyrical cliches in but despite his phenomenal presence as a timeless front man, It doesn't suit them.

Turbo is a strange experience. On one hand I do kind of love the overt cheesiness, more so the delivery than words. On the other, it all plays with an awkward misfire that fails to land emotionally. The album does deliver another cracking tune tho. Locked In just about beats the Turing test. Its big crooning guitar notes and warm bass drive is a gorgeous moment. The synth break before the solos is fun too. Its no secret as to why this one is so contentious but that's nothing to do with the electronics. Its the song writing and lyrics to be blamed. I'm glad I checked Turbo out but I wont be returning.

Rating: 4/10

Judas Priest "Ram It Down" (1988)

To compliment yesterdays The Ultimate Sin, a dive into classic Heavy Metal, I thought I'd pick out another personal favorite. Again it comes with a streak of irony. After receiving backlash from fans with the experimental Turbo, Judas Priest decided to give them exactly what they wanted, a run of the mill metallic showdown. Ram It Down is a bastion of fist pumping, head banging Metal anthems navigating a lack of depth as its peaks and valleys do come with some contrast when the album wains in its mid section. When throttling forth with vitality and enthusiasm, it rocks with an infectious spirit. When tempos slow and atmosphere leads, the grooves get somewhat stiff.

Ram It Down's aesthetic rides its rigid and hard hitting backbone as the group chose to deploy an aged drum machine to handle percussion on this outing. The drum sequencing has both charm and limitations as a lot of arrangements are limited to big bass snare groves, which pound away wonderfully. The finesse of drum fills and more intense beats are drastically limited and it shows as any organic dexterity is a rarity. Massive tom drums chime in with large feedback reverbs, a big feature of the 80s sound. I am quite keen on how its utilized, it suits Priest well!

Around the drums hinge bright and brimming overdrive guitars. Loud bold and ambitious, the duo bring a lot of audible clarity to the tight rhythmic chops of classic palm mute chugging and power chord shredding. Behind them the bass guitar pounds away with strength, pulsing hard with power and punch in the rhythm section. Upfront, Rob Halford is a gem as always, gleaming with his ear piercing falsetto, having his finger on the pulse for turning these fine instrumentals into arena Metal anthems.

The music roars out the gate with a string of its best songs. The themes and concepts simply a self realization of their rock star personas as a band. I'm A Rocker and Heavy Metal hit hard on anthemic, sing along feelings fit to steal a live show. Come And Get It speeds on in a similar tone with a cheeky, raunchy spirit metaphorically adjacent to the music. In its best moment the music rips hard. The cover of Johnny B Goode another goosebumps track to flip a Rock n Roll classic into a Heavy Metal riot.

In my mind this could of been a finest hour among others for Priest but sadly the album stalls going into Blood Red Skies and never quite recovers. That's not to say its a bad song but the pivot to focus on atmosphere driven by its repetitive drums and subtle bass synths doesn't match the faster paced material. Monsters Of Rock best showcases this as the group try to flip the anthemic narrative into a lunging beast of slow moving weight. Its a half to Ram It Down's concept that doesn't quite land but for what they get right I simply adore this record. It gets the adrenaline going fast!

Rating: 8/10

Judas Priest "Firepower" (2018)

The legendary Judas Priest return once again, delivering a mighty fine record that pays tribute to their catalog of eighteen albums across a career that's soon to hit a whooping fifty years. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't their last but it would certainly be a rock solid chapter to close their discography with. After several hiatuses, farewell tours and reunions it feels like the Priest guys just can't give it up and who could blame them? Now approaching their seventies the live shows have been muted for some time but in the studio they rock as hard as ever.

Firepower is a bright, crisp sounding record brimming with the Priest attitude, the triumphant march of Heavy Metal vitality sound potent and vigorous. At an hour and fourteen tracks it paces through its intensities with a few moments break. It starts with its first pumping anthems, loaded with hasty crunching guitar riffs and blazing guitar solos that soar and scale with an electric charge. After marching through a weight of head banging goodness the album steadily winds down the tempo and its slower, thematic songs take hold in the second half as calm, melodic intros set a tone for the more measured and steady lunge of Metal in their arsenal.

Halford gives one heck of a performance, sounding as keen, youthful and on point as ever. At sixty six years young his falsetto scream is as blisteringly sharp, as ferocious as its always been and when dropping in with his more twisted and layered hooks they hit hard! The theatrical nature of Priest and their songs about fantasy driven tales of evil and necromancers has always been a wonderful fit for Halford but this time around the chemistry is ripe, the music firing on all cylinders and he is the icing on the cake.

Initially I wasn't so keen on Firepower. It was a typical Priest album as I would of expected, their style unfaltering. As the quality of the songs quickly grew on me with each listen It became apparent that no one can do it as good as these guys. Sometimes you want band to evolve and grow, try new things but at this stage in their career their is only one thing these musicians want to do and its really reflected in the music. Approaching fifty years as a band they can still write music that will sound fantastic alongside their classics.

Favorite Tracks: Lightning Strike, Evil Never Dies, Necromancer, Rising From Ruins

Rating: 7/10

Judas Priest "British Steel" (1980)

Pounding the world, like a battering ram! British Steel is English Heavy Metal band Judas Priest's sixth album released at the beginning of a new decade for the band, the 80s, and would be their most definitive and celebrated record. Having pioneered a heavier, unique and charismatic style in the 70s with records like "Killing Machine" it was this record that it all came together to produce an anthemic collection of songs that paraded the hard metal and leather niche of Heavy Metal they had created for themselves. I was lucky enough to have found this record at a young age around fifteen years ago and time and time again its been a go to record for getting the adrenaline pumping with Heavy Metal fever.

Singer Rob Halford's unrivaled vocal range leads the charge with a commanding and fearless attitude through a forceful strength in his voice which despite being relativity smooth and audible has the grit and clout to enhance the bands heavy attitude. Alongside him the guitars blaze a trail like the sirens of Heavy Metal, assaulting the listener with crisp, metallic tones, dynamic and powerful as they combine a sense of melody and rhythm together in a power chord led offensive of endless tunes to hum along to. The bass takes a tamer roll, often mirroring the guitars but sounding solid and bold. The drums have a mighty tone, a rounded, cutting snare and a thudding bass kick that arrives in the higher ranges gets a workout with double pedal techniques cropping up on occasions. Considerably heavy and progressive for the time and holding up as sturdy backbones for the songs.

Nearly every other song feels like an anthem, or one of importance. The radio hit "Breaking The Law" probably needs no introduction. "United" a true spirited sing along that combines the groove and grit of metal riffage with a shoulder to shoulder chorus of unity. "Red, White & Blue" sounds like an alternative, metallic version of the American anthem and was actually a popular live song when they toured there. Each song has its own reason to be great and my favorite might just be "The Rage" for its genre bender intro which could pass as a piece of Reggae or Dub before crashing in with a thunderous beast of a riff, excelling into a ferocious atmosphere led by Rob's vocal foray.

Its the moments where Rob unleashes the high end of his range that are truly riveting. The power, speed and pitch is mighty and unrivaled as he broods his way through songs, ready to unleash his climatic falsetto at the given moment. Even more impressive is the length he can hold these notes for, reaching mountainous heights and holding his breath longer than the listener. The guitar solos also leave a lasting mark on metal with a slightly chaotic flair that would influence bands like Slayer. They erupt and explode with an energy that illuminates with a frenetic momentum that could go in any direction. The whole thing is an absolute treasure and for its time you can't find a flaw with it. Its stood the test of time and as much as it did for them then, its still a Metal classic.

Favorite Songs: Grinder, United, You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise, The Rage

Rating: 10/10