Album Rating: 3.0
Oh no, not worth a 1, I think my 2.5 is generous, but I must say that I quite like Turbo and Out in
the Cold. Granted, the rest sucks.
Though Locked in and Parental Guidance have really catchy choruses. But this is not up to the Priest
standard.
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I agree with the review in substance - pointing out that "Turbo" and "Out in the Cold" are the only really good songs on the record. That said, the sound is really amazing for its time, and I think the record makes a good case for just how diverse Judas Priest was in terms of delving into a lot of different subgenres. Nonetheless, as someone who was a fan of Judas Priest since 1978 and Iron Maiden since 1981 (thanks to my older brother), and a big metal fan in the 1980s, I feel the need to clarify some things here.
The popular myth is that this is Judas Priest's "hair metal" records - which is supported more by their choice of fashion than by the music. The closest progeniter of this sound was ZZ Top's 'Eliminator' (1983). I know of no "hair metal" band in the 1980s that was recording IN DIGITAL with guitar synths. 'Turbo' definitely has a unique sound, but nothing like Motley Cure, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Poison, or Warrant. More generally, I would say it was "pop metal" - as they had done before five years earlier with 'Point of Entry' (which doesn't seem to get mentioned with as much disdain).
Secondly, while people love to point out how 'Somewhere in Time' revolutonized the use of guitar synths, the fact is that 'Turbo' was released almost seven months BEFORE Iron Maiden released 'Somewhere in Time'. And curiously enough, 'Somewhere in Time' was recorded at Compass Points Studios - the same place that 'Turbo' was recorded and finished in December 1985. (Hmmm. I wonder who got the idea from whom?) I think the incessant comparisons of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden do a disservice to both bands. ('Iron Maiden' (1980) and 'Hell Bent for Leather'/'Killing Machine' (1978) are about as close as the two bands ever sounded, in my opinion.)
Is 'Turbo' one of their weakest records? Absolutely. But looking back all these years, I have to appreciate how the band never stagnated and took chances. Much more so than their contemporaries, the succession of records through Judas Priest's golden age - 'Sad Wings of Destiny', 'Sin After Sin,' 'Stained Class,' 'Hell Bent for Leather', 'British Steel', 'Point of Entry', 'Screaming for Vengeance', and 'Defenders of the Faith' - ALL really do have a different approach and sound to them.
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