Metal Reviews
Metal Reviews
JUDAS PRIEST |
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My God, this is intense. Without
reservation I can say that this is the definitive live PRIEST collection.
With all due respect to Rob Halford, Ripper Owens just can not be
touched. The PRIEST beast is back and snarling viciously.
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Demolition Judas Priest |
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Judas Priest are: Glenn Tipton
- Guitars The tracks are: 1. Machine
Man From the 'Big Four' of '80's thrash (Slayer, Metalilica, Megadeth, Anthrax) to the burgeoning ranks of power metal bands, the original 'Metal Gods' have influenced generations with their trail-blazing brand of heavy metal. Black Sabbath may have invented heavy metal, but it was Priest who grabbed the beast by the chains and whipped it into shape. With an incredible 17 albums of skull-crushing, full tilt, balls to the wall metal, the Priest has returned! 'Demolition' is a suitably unambiguous title for a particularly intense aural assault. If you smack someone in the face with a baseball bat, you don't go calling it "facial realignment therapy". Do You? This 13 track album has a hefty dose of the 'classic' Priest sound, but with a savage edge and an outstanding performance from the man they call 'Ripper'. If you previously had any doubts about the replacement for Halford then this should surely change your mind. There's a good variety on the album, and I have to say that while there is more classic Priest stuff, influenced by a vocalist who can not only handle a more modern approach, but clearly leads Priest onto welcome pastures new. 'Machine Man', 'One On One', Devil Digger', 'Hell Is Home', are the sort of tracks that wouldn't sound out of place on 'Defenders Of The Faith/Screamiong For Vengeance', but the impetus isn't lost when they slow sown a bit for songs like 'In Between' (with it's Oriental Intro) and the hum along 'Ballad' 'Lost & Found'. Any self proclaimed Priest fan is gonna be chuffed to bits with this album, the songs are just gonna blow you away. Each man knows his role and fulfills it to the utmost. We all know what to expect from Priest and I can say they have once again delivered the goods. 'Demolition' is slick and well produced (by Glenn Tipton) and will go down as one of Priest's classics. Turn On, Turn Up, consider yourself 'Demolished' Released by SPV:
http://www.spv.de/ |
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British Steel
(1980)
Point of Entry (1981) Screaming for Vengeance (1982) Defenders of the Faith (1984) Judas Priest |
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Metal fans today would be hard pressed to point to any band, any song, any style that Judas Priest hasn't in some way had an impact on, directly, indirectly or otherwise. For instance, take many if not all of the premier Power Metal acts prevailing overseas right now and if the elements contained within their music weren't enough of a testament to the fact, ask them who their influences were and odds are the name Judas Priest figures prominently. Take the band Running Wild, German metallers, overseas legends in their own right, twenty years strong… you can swipe their name straight off of Priest's classic "Hell Bent for Leather" release back in '79. And Judas Priest, as they are to this day, remodeled, revitalized, cyclic revisionists and defenders of a faith that's rewarded they and their fans a hundred times over… such faith has allowed them to endure to this day and replace a beloved front man with a relative unknown who, surprise, was found fronting a Judas Priest tribute band when Glenn, KK, and the boys came calling. Priest's influence is boundless, everybody knows that and for those who don't, here's a brief lesson in Head banging 101… A long overdue reissuance of their massive catalog-one that began in relative obscurity in the not so golden age of early '70s Metal-then, a term too few could identify with, many knew what to do with. Simply, when you think of the terms "Heavy Metal," you think of Judas Priest, case closed. At long last the band's back catalog gets the remastering treatment-beginning with the four classic early '80s titles that few could argue against being their best work of all-time. Beginning with 1980's "British Steel," the follow up studio effort to "Unleashed in the East" live and acclaimed "Hell Bent For Leather" releases-and let's hold on right here, shut down the engine, turn back, there's little point in going any further… Considering the magnitude each of those records had at the time of their release, each signaling the next step in the world domination the Priest were well on their way to, no one had a right to think they could top themselves… "British Steel" had that sort of name where you just knew what it was about-yes the razor blade held carefully in the spike-wristed hand and the law of the land, laid down loudly to all who would listen-"Rapid Fire," a storming opening cut signaled right off something sensational was about to begin-rejoice, they didn't max themselves out yet… No they certainly didn't. This was the album that would go on to produce the universally acclaimed Heavy Metal anthems like "Metal Gods," "Breaking the Law," "Grinder…" and who could discount their longtime set closer "Living After Midnight;" simple songs, simply stated, but with such sheer power few could ever hope to match… "British Steel" delivered the goods on an equal scale as its "Hell Bent…" studio album predecessor and proudly proclaimed that there would be no stopping this beast as it headed thunderously down the highway… I'm not going to try to whitewash anyone into thinking "Point of Entry," Priest's 1981 follow up to the bruising "British Steel" outperformed its better known predecessor simply because it fits into a pretty little chronologically arranged significance… no, rather "Point of Entry" was not even remotely better nor would some even consider it amongst the highlights of the bands' career-which is not to necessarily knock the record but rather they had so many hits sooner or later there's bound to be breakdown from time to time… "Point of Entry" was a solid record that threw caution to the wind audibly and stylistically and was met with mixed results and still yielded some of the best songs they've ever done-the incredible opener "Heading Out to the Highway," for those who like to get a little tight-fisted on the throttle grips, consumed by a need for speed and want a little something extra to spit at the so-called "mod" crowd. It was a different record but undeniably Priest with many classic moments that remain crowd favorites to this day-"Don't Go," "Hot Rockin,' and of course "Desert Plains," which is also found as one of the two featured bonus cuts, here the live version, thunderously paced and recorded during their '81 tour. Okay so two albums in and we're rockin' harder than ever, flipping through the pages of a glorious past adorned with full lyrics, period photos and a top notch audio upgrade that leaves a pleasant buzzing in your ears long after the motor's shut down… Yet all the while my thoughts turn to drummer Dave Holland and what were they thinking? Few could deny the album that followed next was the one that vaulted an already mighty band into the annals of Heavy Metal supremacy. Of course if taking the world by storm weren't enough in the years leading up to '82s "Screaming for Vengeance," maybe shaking it by its foundations would do the job. If the band itself lies as the undeniable root of all things Metal, this was the album that's at the top of everyone's all-time favorites or damned close. Perhaps none more so, this album, as with many of the rest, stands the test of time, some twenty years later, still as powerful as ever! Upon the opening notes of "The Hellion," turn the lights off for full effect, you just knew something dangerously magnificent was about to occur… "Electric Eye," an immediate crowd-stirrer at any Priest concert past or present signaled the start of the mightiest of Priest records and from there, no turning back-the leather, studs, and decibel crushing volume, leveling all their path, the Birmingham bad boys turned everything up a notch on this one. "Riding on the Wind," ""Blood Stone," "Pain and Pleasure," the piercing title track, all unrelenting, undeniably fierce and then of course the Rock radio hit that broke down those unforgiving commercial barriers "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" that roared forth in true Priest fashion, broke those barriers till they begged for mercy and devoured the masses with an anthemic quality second to none. What more could be said about this record? It has it all, spared no rod, spoiled no one and offered no apologies-multi platinum success all on their terms and a must for any true head banger's catalog. And two years later, the birth of the "Metallian…" a term quite fitting the phenomenon that was Judas Priest, Metal legends in the prime of their career and with the release of this 1984 juggernaut, whatever seemingly insurmountable obstacles they created for themselves an album ago were immediately knocked to the ground by the massive might of the Tipton/Downing twin-guitar power surge and a Halford-led performance to raise the fists of the dead. "Defenders of the Faith" blazed a trail of fire and fury from the moment "Freewheel Burning" flew loose from the speakers and didn't let up till the final calling of their anthemic title track… to say this album was "heavy" would be a gross understatement. By this point, a little over a decade's worth of Priest style Heavy Metal, a music that broke all the rules and fostered an inspirational tradition that knew took no prisoners, this was ten tracks of pure power with nary the hint of a weakening link in the chain. The band's sound, continually rising in intensity, knew no compromise, bound stronger than ever, melody and aggression a perfectly matched union, the band successfully defended the faith to their legions of fans in storming through a set that included the likes of "Jawbreaker," "Rock Hard Ride Free," "The Sentinel…" free-wheeling, ass-kicking, fist-pumping, jaw dropping… even when they felt the need to take the more romantic approach and lay down their tough-guy personas for a moment, the end result, "Love Bites," delivered an devilish taste of fear in a compelling nocturnal setting that could've scared the Hell out of anyone who actually expected otherwise. "Some Heads are Gonna Roll" got the nod on Rock radio play lists this go-round and not lacking for heaviness, it faithfully kept the Priest pride intact while again raising listener awareness that Heavy Metal wasn't about to take the back roads on this journey… Really the creators could've decided to spotlight this most memorable of periods in the band's history and left it at that-four albums that defined for a generation of listeners what the cause was all about… and who was in command. Integral parts of any collection, these four reissues, remastered, plus extra bonus tracks, all featuring one previously unreleased album-era studio track and one live, plus original artwork, extra band images and brief notes on the making of the originals. A must have collection for head bangers, nay Sayers and brow-beaters of all types, these, the first four in a series of twelve overall to be released over separate intervals-so as not to overwhelm anyone all at once-they were the best Priest had to offer at the time, yet just when you thought they could do no more, they storm back stronger than ever. The music lies as it should at the forefront of these reissues though the bonus studio tracks are not of a too enthusiastic variety-revitalized and better than ever, they stood the test of time after all these years, now they'll conveniently ride right over it and leave it coughing in the dust… Released by Legacy / Columbia Records Review by Vinnie
Apicella [va85@columbia.edu] |
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"Turbo," "Live,"
"Ram It Down," "Painkiller" Judas Priest |
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The final four in the ongoing renovation of the classic Priest catalog comes at the perfect time. With the current insurgency surrounding the modern day band and their latest failed attempt at new generation crossover, the reissues offer a smell of fresh leather in recharging the band's later years prior to their long layoff and subsequent revamping. "Turbo" lays the rubber to the road first and all things considered, probably not the first title true Priest fans want to hear in light of the "Demolition" debacle. Nonetheless,
"Turbo," in all its surgically exploratory splendor,
was a surprising commercial success as the band They were anthemic and appealing kid songs that marked immediate territory on MTV and Rock radio. "Turbo's" lasting effectiveness however is not in question. No Priest fans worth their weight in chrome will ever admit to this one being amongst their favorites but funny enough, tolerable to "Demolition." It is a kick however to see Ian and Dave, born before the camera, propped up in the decidedly more colorful regalia-a good four pages worth here-Priest as a whole rushing the hair band wave before time ran out. Listeners who stuck around long enough would realize close out tracks like "Hot For Love" and "Reckless" were among the album's strongest and "Turbo Lover," and "Locked In" for all their Pop harmonies and shimmery overtones are a welcome blast from the past. Probably the best thing to come out of "Turbo" was the fact the band had an excuse to come back rougher than before. This would happen
two years later but not before they'd strike with their first full-length
live album, "Priest… Live!" Featuring 1200 cc's
of on yer bike favorites that went far back as their "Metal Gods"
days, the set opened with the And try as I might, four and five times later, "Desert Plains" still didn't magically appear in the tracklist for this "Fuel For Life" set! It does however turn up in live form somewhere else in the overall reissue collection. "Priest… Live!" was everything Metal was allowed to be in the big '80s and allowed them to not only reach larger and larger audiences but to display their most extravagant production on stage, if not the world's greatest captured on tape. Fans that fed their need for the pre-glory years with "Unleashed In The East" wouldn't mind this one for it captured the moment, and for those that didn't, go back to the first four and live it up! Cheesy as it was, I still don't know the thought process that went into the cover design, but "Priest… Live!" served its purpose and redirected the band's focus back to being the potent Metal force they had always been. Enter "Ram
It Down" and right from the first look of the album cover,
there was little doubt of Priest's return. A pounding fist breaking
the clouds and slamming into an unsuspecting earth below, they made
immediate impact with the searing title track and "Heavy Metal"
follow up, a lyrically inspired tight fisted property in spite of
subtle traces This record was underrated in its time and is overshadowed by the mighty "Painkiller" follow up. All things being equal and in spite of an abominable "Johnny B. Goode" cover, this was a definite return to their "Screaming For Vengeance," "Defenders…" form. "Come And Get It," overlooked, remains a true Priest anthem, unsurpassed for pure volume and riffability. "Hard As Iron" drops the ball halfway through, a battering Tipton/Downing workout wrought of escalating harmonies effectively crushing all doubt of the band's ability to reaffirm their roots. Bonus additions include live versions of "Night Comes Down" and "Bloodstone" both worth a listen or two or three, but no more. "Ram It Down" was the first step toward a new beginning for the band while ironically signaling the end of the road for long time producer Tom Allom and drummer Dave Holland. With 1990's "Painkiller," Priest's rebirth was complete, their impact incomparable. They unleashed a pure Metal massacre that bordered on thrashing rage-welcome aboard Scott Travis and Chris Tsangarides, drummer and producer. This album ripped from first note to last. Taking their cue from "Ram It Down's" impressive return to sonic solidarity, "Painkiller" opened the nineties with an impact few, if any of their peers could've expected. With the tearful tragedy that was "Turbo" a long distant memory, gripping battle ready anthems as "Painkiller," "All Guns Blazing," and Speed Metal tactics "Leather Rebel" and "Metal Meltdown," "Painkiller" rose right to the top of the heap for Metal veterans and new generation warriors with a barrier breaking multi-lateral assault that would even send a classic like "Screaming…" hurtling into oblivion. Attributable in no small part to the band's intensity to deliver the goods at the dawn of a new decade, the addition of Racer-X's Travis pumped the octane immeasurably with his double-bass firepower, pushing the sound to groundbreaking extremes that couldn't have been conceived of or achieved earlier. And then there's the classic '70s style Priest reaching into the catacombs to inspire "Touch Of Evil," their follow up to the "Painkiller" single and equally as effective with fans. In similar fashion, the band includes "Living Bad Dreams," a dreadfully-inspired power ballad bore "Night Comes Down" demo-friendly framework, before concluding with a vicious live version of "Leather Rebel." The latest chapter's still yet to be written for Metal's most enduring and inspiration band. These last four reissues round out the twelve disc collection, all fully remastered and repackaged, with brilliant quips and liner briefings and scrap book photos-all the traditional accoutrements, present and accounted for. The real sell however, is the improved sound quality and 26 previously unreleased bonus tracks, two to three on each. Where do Priest fans go from here as they wait and wonder if it's the end or the dawn of another new beginning? Looking back or looking forward, Priest's reworked collection will ensure the return trip's an enjoyable one. Released by Legacy / Columbia Records Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu] P.O. Box 20252
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"Live In London" Judas Priest |
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Anyone who thought this band was dead in the water after the departure of one Rob Halford and several years of inactivity and the subsequent recruitment of a no-name Priest cover singer was obviously a little out of touch… myself included. Not so much that I ever thought Priest could comeback sans Halford, considering said vocalist lost much of his own credibility from departing the scene for favor of experimentalist BS, but more so, sustenance not on their past, but a future that required rewriting. So Judas Priest, some five years after their comeback "Jugulator" release, still stands, proud as they once were; a few years older, maybe a chord or two slower, yet no less severe as their latest "Demolition" release ascertains. And while again I'll be quick to add that "Demolition" is not the long awaited rerun classic album we've all hoped for since their re-emergence, for all its forward looking dynamism, is a formidable album that's unflinching in its ferocity, and with positive long term growth prospects… not quite the dismissive "Turbo" result that was too easily swayed by the quick skip. And such brings us to the "Live In London" DVD, recorded from their "Demolition" tour at the end of last year and follow up to '98s "Live Meltdown." First point I'd like to make is this… How difficult is it to believe that a guy named Holland once manned the drum kit? Just a thought. You've got a tireless band storming through decades' worth of material, spanning the expected hits, occasional misses and all out mindblowers through a near twenty song recreation and resurrection of an age old Metal machine running full bore. I first saw the renovated model four or five years back and they blew by expectations only moments after Ripper rode in on the Harley… They've pulled a few new twists and tricks nowadays but by the end of the set, here or there, you're consumed in sweat and the seismic effects of true Metal blaring through the speakers. "Metal Gods" makes for the inviting, and somewhat unexpected, opener, followed by the equally unlikely "Touch Of Evil" and stammering "Blood Stained," making for an odd trio… until caution succumbs to the wintry wind of their unparalleled "Victim Of Changes" where Owens' really shines… and the first song that got him the original gig of course. Of the newer material, the band cuts through "Demolition's" first single, "One On One," a confrontational mid-paced shredder; "Feed On Me," of a similar design, and "Hell Is Home." Neither of the last two seemed to pack the same wallop as the former, but yet fit in not a degree less than any of their '82 era staples. As such we're treated to "Running Wild," "Electric Eye," and "Hell Bent For Leather," the set closer and still we're left feeling less than satisfied not for any such deficiencies related to delivering the goods, but simply not enough time to throw in eight or ten more worthy occupants. Of a real head-turning quality, we'll peg titles like "Diamonds & Rust," which I can't remember the last time they played, "Desert Plains," and the "Turbo Lover" kicker which while many will turn a deaf ear to, it's nostalgic enough and it jammed. While "Live '98" will naturally involve that many more Priest classics of the time, "Live In London" four years further, has some tabloid quality BTS footage made all the more interesting by a band of legendary status, all very real and very Rock n' Roll… with cheers going out to Ripper, who throughout practically every interview we've seen of him, never quite adds up to the offbeat personality portrayed here. For those hurrying to see where
they'll head and for how long they'll last, many doubts are dismissed
in the latest 2+ hour chapter of a no quit band built for speed, built
on skill, and built to last. Released by SPV: http://www.spv.de/ Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu] P.O. Box 20252
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