Hardcore, Punk & Heavy Metal > J Hardcore, Punk & Heavy Metal

Advantages: It's different to anything else released by the band, therefore deserves a listen
Disadvantages: maybe alienate a few fans

This is a very difficult album to review for me... the Priest were one of the first metal bands I became a fan of back in my teen days in 1978, so I've been with them every step of the way for the last 30 years now. Over that time they've released several classic albums... Stained Class, Killing Machine, British Steel, Screaming For Vengeance, Painkiller, and even the last album 'Angel Of Retribution'. They've also stuck out a couple of average albums... ...
...new one... heck, this one had me stumped from the day they announced the concept (what were they thinking of?), until I actually bought it and gave it a few listens. Based loosely on the life and prophecies of Nostradamus, it's a double CD. A lot of it sounds like your typical Judas Priest material, but a lot of it is far from it. There are many pieces of music that 'link' the main songs, and these contain things you would not normally associate ... Read review

Advantages: A nicely diverse album of early material.
Disadvantages: Poor production and bad decisions.

...One for the Road 2. Rocka Rolla 3. Winter 4. Deep Freeze 5. Winter Retreat 6. Cheater 7. Never Satisfied 8. Run of the Mill 9. Dying to Meet You 10. Caviar and Meths The album begins on a disappointing note with the repetitive and bland 'One for the Road,' based on a tedious blues riff that lacks the usual Judas Priest energy in all areas apart from Rob Halford's voice, which is up to its usual high standards regardless of production. After ...
...to reveal its real charms with the great title track, a typical Priest song about love and rock with plenty of great harmonies, solos and riffs from Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing. It's a little derivative, with contemporary influences all over the place - the verse sounds like Roxy Music, while the chorus sounds like David Bowie - but the guitars are distinctly Priest. Halford even offers a brief harmonica section similar to Black Sabbath's 'The ... Read review

Advantages: Brilliant, Catchy Tracks with Remarkable artwork
Disadvantages: Some tracks sound slightly like other Priest tracks

Painkiller by Judas Priest is surely one of the top metal albums ever released. As soon as the drums begin you can tell the sheer power of the opening track and WOW! when the guitars kick in it really blows you off your feet. And of course, no one can beat Rob Halford’s unmistakable screaming voice. This album it truly a sensation to the ears. The more you listen to it the better it sounds and the more addicted you get to it. Some of the best tracks ...
...and ‘All Guns Blazing’. Apart for the music the cover and the cd design like most Priest albums is sensational. Also inside the booklet it has the LYRICS! Most of the people I know, including me, hate it when there are no lyrics in the booklet so you have to spend time searching for them on the internet before you can sing along with your favourite songs. Overall it is an excellent buy and it has given me many hours of pleasure. ... Read review

Advantages: A couple of early Judas Priest classics.
Disadvantages: Mostly dull and repetitive, lacking in energy.

A shorter review this time, because I don't have an awful lot to say about this slab of metal history. Having been dropped from Gull Records after the excellent 'Sad Wings of Destiny,' which remains a Judas Priest classic to this day, the band was fortuitously picked up by major label Columbia in a commendable display of foresight. Consequently, this third album is sometimes viewed as the first 'true' Priest album, which is wrong both factually and ...
...early 1977, and continued to develop the band's distinctive sound towards the famous and much-imitated style that would dominate eighties metal while also remaining largely commercial. Nonetheless, there is a noticeable lack of the energy and aggression that characterised the previous album, to the extent that a more relaxed tone dominates and the band even heads into the previously avoided territory of rock ballads. The production values have shifted ... Read review

Advantages: Some good tracks
Disadvantages: New sound used that doesn't fit Priest

There is a lot of controversy about ‘Turbo’ by Judas Priest. Many Priest fans who prefer the original heavy sound despise it with a passion, but it has also created many new fans who like the new sound that they decided to try. Personally I don’t mind the album but it is there are certainly better tracks to be found in the Judas Priest collection. Some of my favourite tracks on the album are: ‘Locked In’, purely because it is quite heavy compared ...
...it seems to be more like traditional Priest tracks than most of Turbo’s tracks. ‘Reckless’, this isn’t a normal Priest track but I just like the whole way it is played with high guitar bits and solo’s however I still think that Rob Halford should use the power in his voice to its full extent as not many people have such a great singing ability as him but he doesn’t always use use it. Overall I don’t mind this album and I am feeling generous so ... Read review