Band: Judas F
ucking Priest
Genre: Heavy/Speed Metal
Label: Sony
Year: 2005
Lineup:
Rob Halford - Vocals
K.K. Downing - Guitar
Glenn Tipton - Guitar
Ian Hill - Bass
Scott Travis - Drums
Tracklisting:
1. Judas Rising
2. Deal With the Devil
3. Revolution
4. Worth Fighting For
5. Demonizer
6. Wheels of Fire
7. Angel
8. Hellrider
9. Eulogy
10. Lochness
Welcome back boys! WE MISSED YOU!
Finally, the highly anticipated Judas Priest album with the lineup that was present on 1991's speed metal classic, "Painkiller". While this is definately no Painkiller, and most certainly not another Sad Wings of Destiny, this
is definately a solid album by the best heavy metal band ever. "Judas Rising" is here to tell you that, hey, we're back!
First for the highlights. This album's sound and production is great, and isn't over-produced like Demolition was. It's clear, yet it's got that edge that brings out the aggression displayed on the riffs in this record. Scott Travis' drumwork is also very tight, accompanying the guitar quite nicely. The fills are also executed with great precision, not overdone and not just little tomrolls. The guitar tone is your typical heavy metal guitar tone, but with a bit more crunch to spice things up a bit.
The songs on here show a variety, and at times borrow from different eras in Priest's history. "Deal With The Devil" has Screaming For Vengeance written all over it, and Demonizer and Hellrider take from Painkiller. All three of those songs are complete PWNAGE too! They have biceps and testicles the size of dumptrucks.
This album also brings a modern sound in it too. "Revolution" is a great example of this. It's got more of a hard rock with metal influences vibe (with seemingly more studio work too), and due to this it becomes one of the less interesting songs on the album. "Worth Fighting For" is also like this, but it's more of a ballad-esque song. It wouldn't, however, be too out-of-place on Sad Wings.
Going back to the better songs, "Wheels of Fire" is another highlight on this album. Nice moderate paced riffing, topped off with a Tipton/Downing solo.
The three other tracks, "Angel", "Eulogy", and "Lochness" are songs that feature acoustic segments, which are effective and sometimes build up to a heavier and more upbeat part of the song. "Lochness" would be considered an epic, seing how it clocks in at around 13:30 and displays a wide range of Priest's talented cast of characters.
While this definately isn't Priest's top album, it sure as hell is a great return album for the band. Rob's voice hasn't sounded this good in years! If you are a fan of heavy metal, this album is definately worth your money.
Standout tracks = Judas Rising, Deal With The Devil, Demonizer, Hellrider, Wheels on Fire, Lochness
Overall Rating = 4/5
