Review Summary: The perfect Judas Priest album.
Few bands in metal are as important or influencial as Judas Priest. Most would agree that Iron Maiden is better, but the fact of the matter is Priest came first. It's quite possible that Maiden would not exist if it wasn't for Priest. They layed the foundation for countless of British metal bands that would eventually attempt to re-create their style. Their first album, "Rocka Rolla" was released in 1974, but it was two years later they would put out their absolute masterpiece. "Sad Wings of Destiny" is one of the best metal albums of all time. Period.
The album is amazing, but the stellar production raised it to a level of success the band probably didn't think was possible. Of all the bands releases, none of them show off the talent of metal icon Rob Halford like "Sad Wings" does. 'Dreamer Deceiver' contains some of his most beautiful vocals to date. If it's not the best metal ballad I've heard, it's surely in the top five. Other songs like 'Genocide' and 'Deceiver' have a nostalgic black sabbath feel to them. The albums most badass track, however, has to be 'The Ripper'. The song's packed to the brim with excellent guitar work, well timed solos, and Halford's high pitched screams. Thanks to production, he sounds great whether he's singing in a lower key or letting out his high squeals.
From the impressive opener 'Victim of Changes' to the albums final track, we are given a hearty dose of good old fashioned metal. Each song is great and due to the variety on the record it never becomes stale or repetetive. Although their entire discography may not be as impressive as lets say Iron Maiden's, albums like "Sad Wings of Destiny" prove Judas Priest are a force to be reckoned with. This is a real metal staple here, folks. It has a nostalgic feel to it that will please fans of Black Sabbath or earlier 70's metal. If you enjoy Priest's other work and you haven't heard this, you're in for a real treat.
