Fortunately I like Judas Priest plenty - although not as much as my buddy Ross. Shout out to Ross for catching my mis-spelling of Ozzy. It has now been repaired. Now, on with one of Ozzy's musical offspring - Rob Halford.
Disc 272 is...British Steel
Artist: Judas Priest
Year of Release: 1980
What’s Up With The Cover?: OK I feel a bit stupid here, but I don't know what that is. Is it a razor blade with the Judas Priest logo on it? I think that's what it is. Because of this album's iconic status, it doesn't matter what it is. You see it, and you know you're looking at the British Steel album cover before your mind ever begins to source out what the picture is.
How I Came To Know It: I only recently purchased all of my Judas Priest - in the last ten years or so. In my youth I did know the hits ("Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight") but had no idea of the other songs until I bought the album in later years.
How It Stacks Up: I have ten Judas Priest albums. I'm going out there right now and saying "British Steel" is the best - so #1.
Rating: 5 stars
When I reviewed 1978's "Killing Machine" back at Disc 261 I was tempted to rank it my favourite Priest album, but it just wasn't quite heavy enough to be the best of the best.
When I reviewed 1984's "Defenders of the Faith" way back at Disc 35, I was similarly tempted to put it #1, but I mistrusted myself - thinking that it might just be the importance of that album to my heavy metal youth. Also, looking back, "Defenders" didn't have as strong a melodic quality - something I really liked about "Killing Machine".
Enter 1980's "British Steel" to end the debate with the perfect mixture of melodic rock, and pounding metal. This album, to me, is Judas Priest at their absolute best.
Want pounding metal riffs that blast you out of your chair? The album has those to spare from the very beginning. "Rapid Fire" opens the album with pounding drum and a powerful Tipton riff. The opening lyrics tell you what's in store:
"Pounding the world
Like a battering ram"
The album then proceeds to do just this. Following up on "Rapid Fire" is "Metal Gods" which is metal in mid-eighties form, five years before its time. Thor wishes he could write songs like "Metal Gods". Also, I love early references to 'metal' - a genre that is second only to rap in its penchant for self-reference.
"Metal Gods" is followed by the metal classic, "Breaking the Law" which still gets play on video shows when hard rock or metal are featured. Well into the eighties, you could count on seeing "Breaking the Law" on the Power Hour. The song could be released today and still be a hit.
But the genius of "British Steel" is that it isn't just a driving metal album like "Defenders of the Faith", it incorporates the hard rock infectiousness of "Killing Machine" in equal measure. Songs like "Living After Midnight" are those catchy, but heavy songs you could see leather-clad metal babes singing along to back in the eighties. They'd be leaning against their boyfriend's Camaro in the high school parking lot, big blown-out hair bobbing slightly to the music, a bottle of Molson Canadian in one hand.
These girls were all denim, leather and danger. They invariably seemed a couple years older than you at any given time. When you were thirteen, they were fifteen. When you were fifteen, they were seventeen. Just old and tough enough to scare the hell out of you, but not to the point where you didn't still want them. Good memories.
Even the bonus tracks on this remaster aren't offensive. Yes, they do put a live version of "Grinder" on which isn't demonstrably different than the studio version, as well as another soccer-chant style track with "Red, White & Blue", but they fit in well enough, and don't make the album over long.
As for the original album, it is a metal masterpiece in every sense, and deserves every ounce of its five stars.
Best tracks: All tracks. There are no bad tracks on "British Steel."
1 comment:
This album rox fer shur. Stained Class is greasier, but this is some slick metal, oh yeah! ~Ross
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