Review Summary: Judas Priest continues to outshine their peers and challenge their legion of acolytes to get on their level
With time’s arrow making it so six years between Judas Priest albums doesn’t feel as long as it used to, it isn’t too surprising to see the momentum from 2018’s Firepower carry over to their nineteenth installment. The band’s power remains potent after half a century with Halford’s vocals still as dexterous as ever, but it’s also worth noting how integral drummer Scott Travis and guitarist Richie Faulkner have become in preserving their energy on top of Andy Sneap’s pristine production. Fortunately there’s enough variation in the songwriting to keep Invincible Shield from feeling like an outright replica of its predecessor.
For starters, the faster tracks seem to hit considerably harder this time around. “Panic Attack” kicks off in dramatic fashion between its synth-driven build and appropriately anxious chorus that “The Serpent And The King” and the title track follow up with a one-two blast of furious chugs and relentless wails. “As God As My Witness” is another strong entry later on with extra intense rhythms that feel like a modernized “Hard As Iron” and “Sons of Thunder” offers a hefty hard rock thrust.
The more mid-tempo songs also round things out nicely. “Crown of Horns” and “Trial By Fire” come the closest to reaching the previous album’s epic flair, the former especially playing like a followup to “Never the Heroes” with its determined, almost bittersweet verses and life-affirming chorus. “Escape From Reality” is a particularly solid outlier with a chunky stoner-groove that one doesn’t see come out of the Priest camp too often.
And like 2014’s Redeemer of Souls before it, the bonus tracks also manage to be interesting. “Fight of Your Life” and “Vicious Cycle” admittedly feel like they could’ve come from one of Accept’s recent outings, but “The Lodger” is the most intriguing number they’ve done in a while between its ominous atmosphere, spellbinding chorus, and a tale of revenge that might even be a sequel of sorts to “The Ripper.” As much time as I spend wondering if a given Priest album is going to be their last, I wouldn’t be opposed to them exploring this sound even more on a hypothetical next go-around.
While much of my experience with Invincible Shield has been comparing it to Firepower, it’s ultimately a great album in its own right. Firepower’s high points are arguably stronger while Invincible Shield’s slightly leaner runtime makes it feel more streamlined, but each ultimately offers the same mix of immediate satisfaction with enough space to grow on the listener. Either way, Judas Priest continues to outshine most all of their peers and challenge their legion of acolytes to get on their level.
