Review Summary: Though it can't quite outshine its predecessor, Sin after Sin is definitely a gem in Judas priest's discography, despite occasional missteps.
Two albums into their career thing were finally looking up for a certain band from Birmingham. The mild success achieved by Sad Wings of Destiny got Judas Priest onto a major record label, Colombia. Unfortunately, Priest lost the rights to all albums and demos recorded during their time with Gull as a result of this less than amicable separation, which is why, to my knowledge, neither Rocka Rolla nor Sad Wings have ever received an official re- release, and are so difficult to come across. Now with their new label, Priest got right to work on a new album, Sin After Sin (named after lyrics from the song Genocide), and... wow, it is awesome! While it wasn't flawless, Sin After Sin proved that Sad Wings wasn't just a "lucky hit, and that priest could still produce great albums.
Judas Priest was:
Rob Halford, Vocals
Glenn Tipton, Guitar
K.K Downing, Guitar
Ian Hill, Bass Guitar
Simon Phillips (Studio Musician), Drums/Percussion
Track Listing:
Sinner: Right off the bat this album kicks it into high gear. Rob howls like a banshee in what may have been his best vocal performance at the time, and K.K Downing's whammy bar fetish makes its first appearance. And Phillips' drumming, GOOD GOD, it's fantastic, I almost wish he had joined Priest permanently! A very overlooked track in Priest's (admittedly extensive) catalogue.
Diamonds and Rust: Famous cover by Joan Baez, I don't need to say much, it's emotional and technically impressive, one of their most famous songs, and deservedly so.
Starbreaker: One of the weaker moments on the album, it's very cool and probably was intended as a crowd pleaser (something I'm sure it accomplished well), however, besides the sweet chorus, it doesn't really stand out much.
Last Rose of Summer: Another fairly weak song, it's a ballad (yeah a Judas Priest ballad) so it kinda stops the energy that the album had going for it up until this point. Not awful, but I usually skip it.
Let us Prey/Call for the Priest: Absolutely epic! This song really shows the dynamic Tipton and Downing had with one another, with probably the best guitar work on the album, one of the best songs here.
Raw Deal: The gayest song I've ever heard in my life, literally. This song is about going to a gay bar. Sounds simple right? Like it should be a bit of a filler song? WRONG! This is my personal favorite song on the album, something about the bluesy guitar work, and the incredible last minute or so really gets me going.
Here Come the Tears: This song is awful. The cheesy lyrics and somewhat boring guitar and vocal work make for a song that basically takes a dump in the end of the album. This disaster of a song keeps the album from scoring a 4.5 with me, that's how bad it is. Imagine Last Rose of Summer, but WAAAAAAY more boring. It kind of leads into the next song though, the only real reason to listen to it.
Dissident Aggressor: Holy crap, this is crazy! I don't think there's much I have to say here either, Halford's vocal performance is unbelievable and that riff is ridiculous! A true classic.
Well, that's it. Judas Priests third album may not have matched its predecessor in terms of sheer songwriting, but it sure as hell tries! Many tracks on this album are often needlessly overlooked, which is a shame as it definitely packs a punch! I feel it deserves a purchase, or at least a listen, from every metal head out there.
Recommended tracks:
Raw Deal
Dissident Aggressor
Sinner
Let us Prey/Call for the Priest
Overall rating: 4/5
