THE Judas Priest thread - v. new album and tour in 2024

[Mosh]

I have to say, Priest was one of the best bands at evolving and adapting to what was hip in Metal at the time, and for the most part it worked for them. The only time I would say it was a mistake is when they were trying to be all glam with Turbo (and to a lesser extent, Ram It Down). That sort of thing doesn't work for everyone but I think Priest did it gracefully enough that they still sounded like Priest. Plus it produced one of my favorite albums of all time, Painkiller.

[El Barto]

Sometimes that worked for them and sometimes it was a disaster. Occasionally they'd up and change styles when they were really kicking ass before. The trick is to know when it's time to change, and when it's time to keep doing what works. British Steel was a pretty crappy album, but they knew enough to move forward and followed it up with one of their very best. Conversely, Defenders -> Turbo is probably the single worst one album drop-off of all time.

[eric42434224]

British Steel was a pretty crappy album, but they knew enough to move forward and followed it up with one of their very best.

I think British Steel was amazing...perhaps a quintessential metal album of its time.....and Point of Entry surely cant be considered "one of their very best".

[Scorpion]

Nah, I agree with Barto. British Steel has all the hits, that's true, but it's never held my interest like Desert Plains or Solar Angels did. Though I wouldn't call it one of their best either.

[me7]

I still can't get my head around how uneven Point of Entry is. It has Desert Plains, one of my favourites, but it also has ~20 minutes of pure filler.

I enjoy all of their style changes (even Nostradamus and Turbo) except of their Nu-Metal period. I generally like Nu-Metal, but I think that Jugulator and Demolition are to Nu-Metal what St. Anger is to 80's Metallica: a failed attempt to do something that the band just can't (anymore). It's like a parody, but without any humour.

[Dream Team]

I have to say, Priest was one of the best bands at evolving and adapting to what was hip in Metal at the time, and for the most part it worked for them. The only time I would say it was a mistake is when they were trying to be all glam with Turbo (and to a lesser extent, Ram It Down). That sort of thing doesn't work for everyone but I think Priest did it gracefully enough that they still sounded like Priest. Plus it produced one of my favorite albums of all time, Painkiller.

Ram it Down is by far their most under-rated album. The title track, Heavy Metal, Hard as Iron, Blood Red Skies, and Come And Get It are all killer tracks.

[KevShmev]

I got into Priest through the Metal Works double CD, which was awesome, and I loved all three songs from Point of Entry, so you can imagine my disappointment when I got around to getting all of the studio albums on CD and heard the rest of it.  There isn't any other song on it I care about.  Don't Go is painfully bland, Hot Rockin' sounds like it was written for 13-year olds who just got into metal, etc.  Shall I go on?  But those three main songs are all awesome, Desert Plains possibly still being my favorite driving song ever.

[eric42434224]

I got into Priest through the Metal Works double CD, which was awesome, and I loved all three songs from Point of Entry, so you can imagine my disappointment when I got around to getting all of the studio albums on CD and heard the rest of it.  There isn't any other song on it I care about.  Don't Go is painfully bland, Hot Rockin' sounds like it was written for 13-year olds who just got into metal, etc.  Shall I go on?  But those three main songs are all awesome, Desert Plains possibly still being my favorite driving song ever.

Point of Entry is the British Steel hangover album.  Half of it is uninspired filler, written and recorded in a drunken stupor on Ibiza on a high from the commercial success of British Steel.  Still, it is still a Priest album and did have some highlights.  But so far from "one of their best" it isnt even funny.

[KevShmev]

I'll never get the non-love some have for British Steel.  Rapid Fire, Metal Gods, The Rage and Steeler are all awesome, and everything in between is good.  Even if you are sick of Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight, you still have seven songs, the majority of which kick ass. What's not to love?

[eric42434224]

I'll never get the non-love some have for British Steel.  Rapid Fire, Metal Gods, The Rage and Steeler are all awesome, and everything in between is good.  Even if you are sick of Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight, you still have seven songs, the majority of which kick ass. What's not to love?

Preaching to the choir here brother!  AMEN!

[Scorpion]

Rapid Fire and Steeler are the only songs on that album that I stil enjoy, I'd say. The others are pleasant enough to listen to, but ultimately nothing that I would put on on my own.

Incidentally, that's pretty similar for me with Point of Entry. The reason that I rate PoE higher than BS is because the two tracks on there that I really, really like (Solar Angels and Desert Plains) are a little better than Rapid Fire and Steeler. Still, it's not even close to Priest's best - neither album is.

[Perpetual Change]

Are those really Priest lyrics, wolk? I've heard a few Priest albums and like them, but I've never paid that much attention to their lyrics.

But, those are bad. Like, Geoff Tate solo project levels of bad.

[The King in Crimson]

Are those really Priest lyrics, wolk? I've heard a few Priest albums and like them, but I've never paid that much attention to their lyrics.

The best way to enjoy Priest, IMO.

Yes, their lyrics are generally very, very awful.

[Scorpion]

Yeah, the only exception that comes to mind immediately is Beyond the Realms of Death - which is, incidentally, also my favourite Priest song.

[wolfking]

Yeah, the only exception that comes to mind immediately is Beyond the Realms of Death - which is, incidentally, also my favourite Priest song.

Les Blinks, best Priest drummer ever.

Are those really Priest lyrics, wolk? I've heard a few Priest albums and like them, but I've never paid that much attention to their lyrics.

But, those are bad. Like, Geoff Tate solo project levels of bad.

Yep, those are real, and they are just randomly picked songs.

[Mosh]

I have to say, Priest was one of the best bands at evolving and adapting to what was hip in Metal at the time, and for the most part it worked for them. The only time I would say it was a mistake is when they were trying to be all glam with Turbo (and to a lesser extent, Ram It Down). That sort of thing doesn't work for everyone but I think Priest did it gracefully enough that they still sounded like Priest. Plus it produced one of my favorite albums of all time, Painkiller.

Ram it Down is by far their most under-rated album. The title track, Heavy Metal, Hard as Iron, Blood Red Skies, and Come And Get It are all killer tracks.

Yea it's got some really good stuff. Some filler too though. It was a step in the right direction after Turbo.

British Steel is good, not one of their best but it's not bad. Certainly a quintessential metal album. Point Of Entry is pretty bland, one of my least favorites.

[Mister Gold]

Yeah, the only exception that comes to mind immediately is Beyond the Realms of Death - which is, incidentally, also my favourite Priest song.

Probably with you on that one. It's definitely one of their best songs. Kinda hard to pick between it, Dissident Aggressor, Dreamer Deceiver/Deceiver, The Sentinel and Painkiller though for me.

[wolfking]

I would probably rank Ram it Down as top 5, awesome album, very underrated.  Don't forget Monsters of Rock and I'm A Rocker.

[El Barto]

Well, now that I got everybody debating the merits of Point of Entry, I'll fess up. I was thinking Screaming and completely forgot about PoE. 

Personally, I think Solar Angels is as good as Desert Plains, and they're both great songs. On the Run is also pretty good. Beyond that, it's a slightly better album than BS,but still not great.

And Les Binks was the man. Along with the worst single album drop off, I also credit Priest with the single worst boneheaded personnel move. Can't think of any worse decisions.

[wolfking]

Yeah, going from Blinks to Holland was just a horrid move.

[Mister Gold]

Yeah, going from Blinks to Holland was just a horrid move.

I think this is probably one of the reasons why I mostly prefer Priest's stuff from the 70's and Painkiller. The drumming was just so much better. However, I will admit that Defenders of the Faith is a kickass album.

[Dream Team]

Yeah, going from Blinks to Holland was just a horrid move.

I think this is probably one of the reasons why I mostly prefer Priest's stuff from the 70's and Painkiller. The drumming was just so much better. However, I will admit that Defenders of the Faith is a kickass album.

My introduction to JP; still rank it highly.

[jammindude]

Defenders is still my all time favorite Priest album.   That was my first JP album (I had heard their hits on the radio previously...but Freewheel Burning was what made me go out and actually buy an album).     Still don't get the love for SFV.   No doubt it has some amazing songs.   H/EE is still one of the single greatest opening tracks in the history of metal, Bloodstone is awesome, and even though I've heard it a million times I still love YGATC.     But I give a gigantic "meh" to tracks like Fever, Devil's Child, and Pain and Pleasure.    Take These Chains is pretty good for a single...but gets very old, very fast.

[jammindude]

Btw...I can't believe no one has mentioned Stained Class yet. Probably my favorite 70's album...but Hell Bent is right up there too.

[Mister Gold]

Btw...I can't believe no one has mentioned Stained Class yet. Probably my favorite 70's album...but Hell Bent is right up there too.

Stained Class is probably my favorite Priest album, though Sad Wings and Painkiller give it a good run for its money.

[El Barto]

Yeah, Stained Class is probably my favorite album. I might occasionally rank SWoD higher, depending on the weather. After those two is a huge drop-off to the next best albums, Screaming and Defenders. The title track and Saints in Hell were two of the songs that turned me from casual listener to die-hard fan. First time I saw them play Realms, circa 89 or so, it really knocked me on my ass.

[Mister Gold]

Yeah, Stained Class is probably my favorite album. I might occasionally rank SWoD higher, depending on the weather. After those two is a huge drop-off to the next best albums, Screaming and Defenders. The title track and Saints in Hell were two of the songs that turned me from casual listener to die-hard fan. First time I saw them play Realms, circa 89 or so, it really knocked me on my ass.

Switch out Screaming with Painkiller and you've got my Top Four Judas Priest Albums! And yeah, the title track of SC and Saints in Hell are absolutely killer.

[wolfking]

Defenders is top 3 for me too.  Stained Class for me was awesome but some songs were hit and miss.

[Mladen]

Stained Class for me was awesome but some songs were hit and miss.

This. I used to love it, but some of the tracks got old rather quickly.

Pretty much all of their eras had some great songs, but if I had to choose a side of Priest I prefer, I'd probably go with the simpler hard rock / heavy metal style from Killing machine up to and including Defenders of the faith. Those albums have some incredible songs indeed. 

[Zydar]

Hell bent for bumping

I've been in a Priest mode for a week now, relistening through most of their albums. I watched the Epitaph concert DVD this weekend and I have to say Richie Faulkner is a great fit for the band. He's a great guitarist, seems to have really locked in with the band's playing, and gets the crowd all pumped up. They couldn't have found a better replacement for KK.

[wolfking]

I honestly can't stand Richie.  I can't watch that DVD.  I find him pretentious and annoying.  Glenn needs to knock him back into line.

[Zydar]

Really? Huh, interesting.

[wolfking]

Truly.  Can't stand him.  And I'm not just saying that as a fan boy.

[me7]

I haven't seen it live, but I heard complaints about Faulkner ruining songs with unnecessary fills. When I watched the BluRay, I noticed that you can see Faulkner play a lot of undesired fills, but you barely hear them.
Apparently he is already being knocked back in line.

[wolfking]

I haven't seen it live, but I heard complaints about Faulkner ruining songs with unnecessary fills. When I watched the BluRay, I noticed that you can see Faulkner play a lot of undesired fills, but you barely hear them.
Apparently he is already being knocked back in line.

Really?  What do you mean, can you elaborate.

And yes, the fills he put in every single fucking bar of every fucking song drives me crazy.  I don't know where he gets off coming in and doing shit like that to legendary songs.  I hate him to be honest.  I really don't want an album with him, IMO that would just taint the Priest legacy.  If anything, Glenn should be the only guitarist on the album.