Judas Priest Albums (21)
What The Critics Say
Nearly 40 years since their initial formation, Judas Priest are as strong a live force now as they were at their early-'80s peak. Frontman Rob Halford virtually created the archetypal metal look with his studded leather garb, and the band's ultra-clean, technophilic riffing, and fleet dual lead guitars set the standard for power metal on an arena-filling scale. This is the band's fifth live album, following 1979's glorious Unleashed in the East, 1987's disappointing Priest...Live!, and the two they recorded with Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals, and it's much closer in quality to Unleashed than any of the others. Part of that is no doubt due to the state of the band in the 21st century: Halford's 2004 return lit a fire under the others, and the two studio albums they've released since are among their most satisfying and, in the case of 2008's Nostradamus, shockingly ambitious. This disc, recorded on tour in 2005 and 2008, features one song from Angel of Retribution and two from Nostradamus ("Prophecy" and the crushing "Death"), and otherwise concentrates on deep album cuts from the band's copious back catalog. Fans are spared one more run-through of "Breaking the Law" or "Electric Eye," instead getting thunderous versions of "Between the Hammer and the Anvil" from 1988's underrated Ram It Down, the powerful "Beyond the Realms of Death" (during which it doesn't seem like anyone in the audience committed suicide) and "Dissident Aggressor," a song so heavy that even the mighty Slayer couldn't do much but speed it up a bit when they covered it for South of Heaven. The band even busts out "Eat Me Alive," their hilariously PMRC-baiting sex anthem from 1984's Defenders of the Faith. This rip-roaring live set proves that Priest are still putting on one of the best shows in metal. ~ Phil Freeman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On 2005's (almost) divine comeback album Angel of Retribution, Judas Priest fans got a modern day update of the band's genre-bending 1976 classic, Sad Wings of Destiny. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends return to the mines for 2008's Nostradamus, though this time it's another band's treasure they're looting, specifically Iron Maiden's 1988 concept album, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Heavy metal's obsession with seers, sorcery, and anything else that falls under the nebulous blanket of the "dark arts" is legendary, and Maiden's loosely knit tale of a visionary "chosen one" provided listeners with one of the last great albums of the pre-grunge, epic metal era, due in part to some truly memorable songs that remain fan favorites even to this day. Nostradamus, on the other hand, manages to live up to nearly every Spinal Tap cliché (non-deliberate, laugh-inducing cover art; melodramatic spoken word interludes; rhyming "fire" with desire). At nearly two hours long, one expects a certain amount of filler, but the dated keyboard strings, soft piano, and bluesy, minor-key guitar licks that populate every nook and cranny in between (and often throughout) each track sound like discarded incidental music from The X-Files or an RPG video game "cut scene." The songs themselves are hit or miss, with the emphasis falling on the latter, due mostly to an over-reliance on three-chord, midtempo filler, but as is the case with nearly every Priest offering, when they're on they're dead on. Disc one closer "Persecution," after a lengthy organ/guitar intro, unleashes Nostradamus' finest six minutes, boasting one of the best choruses the band has produced since 1988's "Hard as Iron" (few things sound as natural and satisfying as Rob Halford's metallic voice running through a phaser, and his signature scream, when it arises, still has no equal). The predictable but effectively apocalyptic "War" (taking a cue from Holst's Mars, Bringer of War) spawns one of the few great orchestral breakdowns on the record, while both "Death" and the nearly seven-minute title track feature stunning guitar work from Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing. None of this, however, can save Nostradamus from the fact that even if it were reduced to a single album (it should have been), its flaws would far outweigh its triumphs. Excess and metal go together like blood and guts, but even gore loses its ability to draw a reaction after the umpteenth beheading. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The second studio release with "Ripper" Owens, Demolition is an intriguing album. Listening to this one sometimes makes you wish that they had decided to go with a moniker other than Judas Priest. The reason is that, although this album is very strong, it really does not fit in with the historical sound of the band. It seems like a completely new group might have released it. Such a distinction almost seems to deserve a different band name. There are moments that do feel like older Priest, but the overall texture is harder and more modern. At times Owens comes across like Rob Halford (listen to the first verse of "Blood Suckers"), but he is really working to carve out his own identity. If you are a fan of classic Priest, maybe you should hear this one first, but if you are into more modern dark metal, by all means, pick it up. ~ Gary Hill, All Music Guide
'Point of Entry'
Release Date 5/29/2001
Tracks 10
Label Columbia/Legacy
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Having reinvented themselves as an arena metal act with the hugely successful British Steel, Judas Priest naturally opted to stay the course with Point of Entry, keeping things simple while adding a bluesy boogie in places, a sound they hadn't really attempted in quite some time. However, where British Steel's simplicity was an effective reworking of the band's sound, Point of Entry's songs aren't always up to par, making its less well-crafted tracks sound like lunkheaded, low-effort filler. When Point of Entry works, it works well -- "Heading Out to the Highway," "Solar Angels," and "Desert Plains," for example, are great, driving hard rock songs, but British rock anthem hits "Don't Go" and "Hot Rockin'" seem oddly generic given Priest's reputation for inventiveness. Even if Point of Entry is somewhat disappointing overall, though, it's partly because of the album's genre-transforming predecessors; it does have enough good moments to make it worthwhile to diehards and fans of the group's more commercial '80s output. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
''98 Live Meltdown'
Release Date 9/29/1998
Tracks 24
Label CMC International
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Once Rob Halford left in the early '90s, Judas Priest was thrown for a bit of a loop -- it took them seven years to decided to have another stab at success. The remaining Priests hired the menacingly-named young gun Ripper Owens as a vocalist and recorded Jugulator as their comeback album. Surprisingly, it's a thoroughly solid affair. Owens is no Halford -- he simply doesn't have the presence, charisma or boneheaded wit -- but the group sounds hard, muscular and heavy and guitarists KK Downing and Glenn Tipton spit out riffs and solos at a blinding rate, sounding as good as they ever did. Judas Priest doesn't have anything new to say on Jugulator, but fans should be pleased to know that they're finally re-stating their familiar themes with some style and authority. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With Hell Bent for Leather, Judas Priest had begun the task of developing their image for increased mainstream attention, reveling in leather-and-motorcycle trappings while beginning to simplify and streamline their sound. British Steel brings that process full circle, offering the band's catchiest, most accessible set of tunes yet, while retaining the precision guitar assault and quasi-operatic vocals that had come to define their sound. It was the simplest music Priest had yet attempted, but thanks to the (mostly) top-notch songwriting and AC/DC-like willingness to allow the songs' grooves room to breathe, the record is a smashing success overall, with maybe one or two subpar tracks. There are a couple of trends beginning here that would take their toll later on -- the lyrics are a bit more juvenile, and the music seems to prize commercialism over complexity -- but in this context, neither really matters, as Priest display a real penchant for stadium-ready anthems. "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" became genuine hit singles in the U.K., and deservedly so, while the album became their first to reach the U.S. Top 40, going platinum in the process. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although Sad Wings of Destiny wasn't a huge seller, it did land Judas Priest a major-label deal with Columbia, for whom they debuted with the fearlessly experimental Sin After Sin. Retaining the progressive elements of its predecessor, Sin After Sin upped the levels of instrumental technique and melody while incorporating a greater variety of influences. It's possible to hear touches of Jimi Hendrix, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Southern rock, not to mention one of the most effective left-field cover choices in metal history on the Joan Baez tune "Diamonds and Rust" (which became a minor hit in England). As a result, it isn't the most metallic or musically cohesive Priest album, but overall, it's extremely close to the same level of brilliance as most of their '70s output. Every track is worthwhile, although "Sinner" and "Dissident Aggressor" (later covered by Slayer, a real testament to its heaviness) are two particular highlights. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
An indisputable metal masterpiece, Stained Class is the apex of '70s Judas Priest, a sinister, muscular collection that ties the disparate strands of their style together while jacking the adrenaline rush up to previously undreamed-of levels. Even the lone slow-tempo track, "Beyond the Realms of Death," has an exciting, visceral intensity, and the whole band is at the absolute peak of its powers in terms of technical execution. Lyrically, Stained Class is probably the darkest moment in a career filled with them; the whole second half of the record is positively obsessed with death (although the ridiculous 1989-1990 court case alleging that the album provoked two Nevada teenagers' suicides was instead centered around the Gary Wright/Spooky Tooth cover "Better by You, Better Than Me," in which Rob Halford allegedly embedded the subliminal, backward-recorded message, "Do it"). At any rate, the air of malevolence about Stained Class, and the sheer power of its jackhammer guitar riffs, was unrivaled in heavy metal upon its release (even in Priest's own catalog), stamping the album an instant classic and solidifying Judas Priest's status as arguably the most original and musical metal band of its time. More than any other Priest album, the style of Stained Class also laid the groundwork for the thrash and speed metal that would rise to dominance in the mid- to late '80s, making it a defining moment for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement and one of the genre's all-time landmarks. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
