Album Review: Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith (1984)

Judas Priest feel like an underappreciated band at times, and yet their presence and influence is well known.  The mainstream media never paid a huge amount of attention to the band - perhaps even less than most other metal bands - but their status as a staple of the heavy metal genre is nonetheless solid. The most publicity they received at the height of their career was perhaps their most unfortunate, as they, along with numerous other bands and artists, were caught up in the PMRC investigation of the mid-eighties, with one of the songs on the album being reviewed here,"Eat Me Alive" from Defenders of the Faith, being accused of supposedly promoting oral sex.  Of course, the band survived the scrutiny and if anything probably gained free promotion from it.  And despite the moral panic, the band are doing fine, and so are their fans. "Eat Me Alive" is a great song, no matter what Tipper Gore thinks of it, and so is "Rock Hard Ride Free", "Jawbreaker" and "Freewheel Burning."  If I were you, I'd probably get ready to have your finger (or mouse pointer) on the skip forward button for the likes of "Love Bites", "Heavy Duty" and "Defenders of the Faith." Not the album's finest moments, but hey, no album is perfect, right?  All up, a very respectable album.  Every budding Judas Priest fanatic should definitely own this album.  Everyone else?  Check it out at your own leisure.  B+

Album Review: Judas Priest - Painkiller (1990)

Grew to like British Steel.  Loved Screaming for Vengeance from the beginning.  And I eventually learned to appreciate (a lot) Ram it Down too - even its fatal mistake, a cover version of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode."  Painkiller from 1990 has some kick ass tracks on it as well - it's fast, furious, metallic, angry, and vengeful.  Which is everything a good speed metal record ought to be.  And Rob Halford's voice never fails to mesmerize - and mesmerize it damn well should, as it is easily one of the best in the heavy metal business.  Along with Screaming with Vengeance, Painkiller is a stereotype of the heavy metal sound, something you'd expect non metal fans to think of when they think of heavy metal music (and usually, quite unfortunately, despise).  Of course, it's a good stereotype.  There's some big hits on this album - if you've owned a best of compilation album (such as The Essential Judas Priest), you'll instantly know "Painkiller", "Hell Patrol", "Night Crawler" and "A Touch of Evil."  And they're the best songs on this album of course.  "Leather Rebel" and "Metal Meltdown" will get some love too on the next few play throughs - the rest will get the play button treatment every now and then as well.  All up, a sterling effort by one of metal's giants.  Love it.  A-

Album Review: Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance (1982)

When I first heard the acclaimed British Steel, my initial perceptions of the album were lukewarm.  It didn't feel like a metal album to me - after all, I was acclimatized to the heavier, harsher thrash metal sounds of bands such as Metallica and Megadeth.  But since then it has grown on me significantly as the classic album that it righfully is.  Now, when I listen to the album I'm reviewing here, Screaming for Vengeance, I'm thinking to myself, "this is perhaps a more mainstream archetype of heavy metal music, this is certainly my impression of heavy metal as it was when I was a kid.  And it's friggin' good too!"  This album is why I love the band.  That, and 1990's Painkiller.  Halford's piercing scream, coupled with Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing's ripping guitar work, creates a unique and sensational sound that quite rightly deserves its perception as a de facto poster boy of sorts for the heavy metal subgenre.  A great opening with the prelude "The Hellion", which in turn leads on into the powerful and electrifying "The Electric Eye."  "Screaming for Vengeance" rips your ears a new one with its speed metal rage attack, and let us not forget the classic "You've Got Another Thing Comin.'"  If you're into classic heavy metal and don't know that song, you're in trouble.  "Riding On The Wind" and "Fever" are likewise worth listening to as well and shouldn't be skipped under any circumstances.  One of Judas Priest's best albums by a country mile.  A-

Album Review: Judas Priest - British Steel (1980)

OK, enough with the A grade ratings you might say.  Enough with all the metal reviews, you may ask.  But I'm going to get this off my chest while the iron is still hot.  And yes, that is is a pun.  Sort of.  Let's face it - I LOOOVE heavy metal music.  Some say it's uncouth and unsophisticated.  Others say it's the work of the devil.  But ignorance, contrary to popular belief, is seldom bliss.  So many albums prove this to be the case - Ace of Spades by Motorhead, Master of Puppets by Metallica, - Reign in Blood by Slayer, The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden.  The list goes on.  And on.  And on.  But it is a genre that is misunderstood by those who seldom listen to it, and often fully unappreciated by those who do.  But it has put out some corking works -  British Steel by Judas Priest is an example of this.  Initially it wasn't metal enough for me.  But now I appreciate it for the magnum opus that it actually is.  Hell, even Beavis and Butt-head can appreciate the finer aspects of "Breaking the Law."  And I can see why.  I can also see why "Living After Midnight" is so respected.  But my favorites after the former are "Rapid Fire", "Metal Gods", followed by "United."  This album commands respect.  I hope it commands yours.  A-

Album Review: Judas Priest - Ram It Down (1988)

The stereotypical sound of heavy metal for me in the eighties, and that very stereotypical sound I also loathed in the eighties, belongs to no other than Brummie metal legends Judas Priest. The album outwork, the dual guitar format and Rob Halford's brilliantly operatic screaming is what would come to mind whenever I heard of the music that, at the time I despised just as much as a fundamentalist King James Only pastor would have. Nowadays, however, it is a different story; I think heavy metal rocks, and Judas Priest are epic. From the breakthrough British Steel to their 1990 masterpiece Painkiller, Judas Priest defined metal more so than Black Sabbath ever did. But like all epic trendsetting bands they did have their weak spots, such as 1988's Ram It Down. Granted, there are a couple of good songs on here, such as the powerful "Ram It Down" and the appreciable "Heavy Metal", but it is also marred by the likes of a cover version of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode", which might have sounded like a good novelty thing, but in practice has proven nothing but to prove that this cover attempt simply didn't work. The album is certainly not rubbish, and is listenable, but it is far from being a highlight of their career. Stick to the likes of "Ram it Down", "Heavy Metal" and perhaps "I'm a Rocker" and "Monster of Rock." B