New Judas Priest CD Review....

[phantomgt]

The boys are back in a big way, and they still got it.

I think with the return of Halford, they've been reenergized in a way they haven't seen in a LONG time, and it shows on this recording.

First off, the CD on the whole, is total classic Priest. Big chunky riffs, really good hooks, nice big production, typical inimitable Halford vocals, and Tipton ( that's my brutha ) and Downing are in top shape. Yes, there may be faster more techincal players out there, but none are cooler than those two in the heavy rock world. They are still technical enough to keep up with anything going on out there, but they have found their unique styles, and are able to bring that out very clearly.

You KNOW it's Priest just by hearing the guitar tones and riffs.

They've all but abandoned the gruff, scooped mid , drop C tunings from the last two CD's, which were in themselves, really good albums, but didn't have enough of the pre-established Priest sound, which is in one way, a good thing. They weren't being content, and were moving in different directions, which any mature and respectable band should. I really liked the albums they recorded with Tim Owens.

He wasn't Rob, and they knew it. They wanted someone with their own style ,but who could physically handle Rob's material. Not necessarily SOUND like Rob, although he did about 90% of the time!

They created a different direction yet again, and I really liked it.

The same goes with this new CD. They are stretching out in different areas, but it is unmistakably from the same original source, of the Tipton, Downing, and Halford writing team.

Halford's influence is most obvious on this record. Quite a few of the tracks are very reminiscent of his last two solo releases under the Halford name. But that's not a bad thing at all, since I loved those two CD's.

I think they've proved yet again, their superiority in the metal world, and also proved they still have what it takes to continue on at full steam without missing a step in the process, amidst all of the muck and garbage that is today's "Nu-Metal" scene.

Highly recommended listening.

\m/

[phantomgt]

Angel of Retribution is the title of the new CD, in case anyone was wondering.

In my zeal to proudly fly the banner of the Priest, as it were....I forgot to include the title of the damned thing!

[Armitage]

There are TWO versions out there. The regular plastic CD packaging, with one disk, a CD on one side and a SHORT DVD on the other. Then there's the crappy Digipack... WITH A SEPERATE CD AND LONGER DVD! I hate Digipack... but I want the longer DVD.

[phantomgt]

yeah. i got dicked on that. accidentally picked up the single disc one, because it did't specify 1 or 2 discs. it just said dual disc. what am i supposed to think, ya know?

plus they didn't have the 2 disc ones out front. only the dual disc.

so i had to take it back and exchange it the next day.

the dvd stuff is cool as hell.

i hope they release a full live DVD sometime soon. would be good to see their whole show with Rob back, playing the new stuff.

Downing said in an interview though, that they are most likely not going to play any Fight, Halford, or Priest with Owens material.

just classic, and new stuff.

that's ok, but i think it would be cool to hear Priest playing Halford and Fight stuff, or hear Rob re-sing Owens' stuff.

[wyldbil]

Glad to see someone else sharing my enthusiasm for the new/old Priest.

As I have said so many times before, 70s Priest is my favorite era, and Angel Of Retribution is liberally peppered with throwbacks to that time. Angel, in my mind, could have been on the Sad Wings album while Revolution, a little less "produced", could have fit in with the Hell Bent set. Same for Deal With The Devil- it sits neatly between Stained Class and Hell Bent. All in all, I think it was worth all the hype and anticipation, exceeding my expectations. (Expectations reduced because I don't generally like Roy Z productions and AOR surely put lie to that...)

This is the Priest album I have been waiting for since they started their downward slide with Point Of Entry. Never really got into their "bigtime 80s" stuff. Was always glad they got so big because they deserved it, but felt the music from that era was a bit... safe and homogenized. Kind of like Hagar-era VanHalen but not as much so.

The DVD (I bought the two disc digipack) is really fun in a "This Is Spinal Priest" kind of way and the live cuts are devastating.

If you love metal at all, buy it. It rocks.

[phantomgt]

Agreed. Although I did like the 80's stuff a little bit more than the 70's stuff.

I loved it all, except the Turbo album. The Star Wars:Phantom Menace, of metal.

An empire toppled for sure.

But even that album would have turned out ALOT better without all the synth chugginess in it.

The 70's stuff was awesome no doubt, but I think they didn't have the ability to really create what was in their heads due to technical restrictions, and money too.

So they were able to see their visions through in the later years. Granted, some of it wasn't as raw as the older stuff....but that's just the way it turned out.

[LordOfTheThighs]

"a bit... safe and homogenized. Kind of like Hagar-era VanHalen"

Oh Man! Your killing me here. LOL

Hagar by himself, and Roth era VH = Good Rock & Roll

But comparing 80's Priest to Van Hagar....No contest. I'd swap 100 Van Hagar CDs for a crappy sounding 8 track Turbo...HAHAHA!

But to each, his own.