Heavy Metal Review: Judas Priest-Defenders of the Faith 30th Anniversary Deluxe

Release Date: March 10, 2015

Label: Sony Legacy

Website

Defenders of the Faith is a Judas Priest classic metal album that is celebrating 30 years since its initial release. The 30^th Anniversary Deluxe Edition offers the original album remastered with two additional discs of live material. All the live recordings are from a show at The Long Beach Arena on May 5, 1984. The set comes in a cardboard fold out case with a slip cover the goes over the top of the demon on the cover. A booklet with some accounts of the band is included with several pictures of the time period. It is a quality package that music fans and collectors will appreciate.

The live material shows a band at height of their powers and in full command of their live set with the ability to energize a crowd, not to mention the Metal God had a full head of hair. The sound quality is excellent. I have heard some of these live tracks on previous reissues however this is the entire show all packaged together for this special release.

After going through their entire catalog over the years and having the opportunity review their box set three years ago, and then seeing how this album stood up against the rest I felt it was a good album but not great. Well I think after hearing it once again coupled with the two live discs I have a different viewpoint (of course that is ever changing and evolving with each passing year).

Defenders of the Faith does stand up there as one of their best and certainly they have several great albums that have been released in their long illustrious career, Screaming for Vengeance, British Steel and Nostradamus come to mind quickly. Having had the pleasure of seeing them three times now on a stage I can attest to their appeal to metal fans worldwide. I saw them on the British Steel 30^th Anniversary Tour and it was amazing. I don’t know if it’s in the cards to do the same thing with the Defenders of the Faith album but it would fun.

Of the ten tracks presented on the album most hold up well to this day. “Jawbreaker” still holds you spellbound with electricity and power while “The Sentinel” (albeit with some melodic guitar lines to kick it off) has always been a favorite and of course the tribute to the blood lusting vampire “Love Bites,” still can grab your attention and bring visions of horror and evil. “Heavy Duty” is just that, heavy metal at its very best. It has the perfect title and the term “heavy” is easily assimilated and envisioned through the music.

This is a strong album but not a 5 star affair as some of the aforementioned releases, however it is still very strong and given further recognition with this special anniversary edition that includes an excellent portrayal of the band in the 80’s. It is classic Judas Priest, what more can one say, it is without a doubt a must have for fans of heavy metal and a testament to their undying popularity and relevance in the metal community. The front cover should be adorned with the sticker “Gotta Have It!”

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Jawbreaker, Love Bites, The Sentinel

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-Write A Music Review Founder

April 7, 2015

Review Provided By Write A Music Review

Judas Priest In Concert At The Tsongas Center At UMass Lowell

Judas Priest In Concert At The Tsongas Center At UMass Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts

October 14, 2014

Priest, Priest, Priest…the familiar battle cry from an anxious crowd rings true whenever you attend one of their classic heavy metal concerts. This is the third time I have attended a Judas Priest concert over the last nine years. I can honestly say that every show was fantastic and the band has not lost a step in presenting the old and the new tracks from their enormous catalog.

This tour celebrates their recent release Redeemer of Souls album. After checking out their previous set lists I could see a definite pattern and knew what to expect. So much for expectations…what happened was they decided to mix it all up and provide a hungry audience with a diverse set list spanning the last 40 years of heavy metal. It was a nice surprise to hear songs I never expected to.

The warm up band Steel Panther kicked things off with their over the top “porn rock,” for lack of a better term. I was a bit surprised that Judas Priest would have a band like that open for them. I fail to see the connection to their music as there is a lot more to it than it being just metal. They are talented musicians but their lyrics and in between song banter I could do without. I was glad to see them leave the stage.

The traditional pre-concert song “War Pigs” only ran for a few minutes, not the usual full length before we could hear the Judas Priest guitars bursting out of the speakers. A huge curtain covered the stage while the band played and then it eventually dropped as they got the crowd into a metal fanatic frenzy with “Battle Cry.” 

I was a bit surprised at the subpar turn out for this show. I expected a packed house however there were many empty seats around the venue and even more surprising were the gaps on the main floor where all the head bangers reside. We sat to the left of the stage looking down with an excellent view of all the proceedings.

“Dragonaut” introduced their new material in a live setting and it sounded fantastic as anyone would expect from a seasoned band. Richie Faulkner has stepped up to become the featured guitar player (in place of K.K. Downing) and his youthful energy is like a rock double cappuccino to get your blood pumping. His guitar playing is excellent and Glen Tipton seems to feed of that energy as they do the call and answer guitar licks throughout a show. 

What can one say about Rob Halford?  It is beyond my comprehension how the man continues to sing like he does. His patented screams are legendary and as the night wore on I never heard him falter once, not even after repeated screams within one song. Who would have thought he would still have these abilities at 63 years old? He is a true star and phenomena of the metal scene.

As these heavy metal gods made their way through an impressive range of songs it reached a fever pitch between the audience and band. With Halford stalking the stage from side to side and Faulkner egging everyone on to clap in unison, it was a true team effort as band and audience became one huge wall of sound. It’s a beautiful thing to witness if you are a metal fan.

Old favorites such as “Hell Bent for Leather” and “Breaking the Law” drove everyone crazy with excitement and glee prompting those in attendance to sing along as requested by Mr. Halford. It was great fun and those are can’t miss numbers on any night. The song selection was excellent and well presented as I would have expected from this great band. It was well worth the trip for this music fan.

Halford and this band show no signs of slowing down at this point and that is good news for heavy metal fans worldwide. They are the keepers of the flame right now and continue to burn bright as ever.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-Founder of Write A Music Review, Rate The Tracks, Prog  Rock Music Talk and New Age Music Reviews

Heavy Metal Review: Judas Priest-Redeemer of Souls

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Label: Epic

Website

It’s hard to imagine that 6 years has passed since Judas Priest released their double album Nostradamus. Some fans found that a tough one to swallow because they tried something different. I applauded it and thought it was a true masterpiece. Then K.K. Downing retired and we thought what now? Then another live album arrived titled A Touch of Evil a year later introducing their new guitarist Richie Faulkner. Again I thought this was another good move for the band to keep things rolling and Faulkner seemed to be a good fit. Once Faulkner got his chops down and did some touring with the band it was time to step back into the studio to see how that worked without Downing for the first time.

So now we have Redeemer of Souls which by all accounts is a return to form and I could not agree more. There are three editions of this release available, the regular one CD package, the deluxe two CD set and the double vinyl LP version. I decided, as I always do, to go for the gusto and get the deluxe CD version. I was glad I did as I found out the bonus CD is like an entirely different album, not some out takes or unreleased live material (like most bonus tracks are). I also received the LP version for review which was another added bonus that I welcomed. 

The album art by Mark Wilkinson is eye catching and prolific and very “metal” so we are off to a good start. As the album begins then explodes with the onset of the opener “Dragonaut,” Halford belts out “Welcome to my world of steel, master of my domain, cower as the pain’s unsealed, disasters where I reign.” You get the idea; the heavy metal music that goes hand in hand with the lyrics is a guarantee. How else would we want it? This music is like a battering ram straight between the eyes, perfect!

How many metal albums have 5 tracks that nearly reach the 10 minute mark? You will be hearing one if you pick this up. The first CD is powerful set with some excellent musicianship and being a long time Priest fan and one of their biggest supporters I was not disappointed in one track. The title track is amazing, sweeping, energized heavy metal; it does not get any better than that track. “Halls of Valhalla” is another beast, an epic track with all the glory of a warrior’s promise to reach the place of their calling after doing what they were destined to do, die in battle. Halford remains a wonder at his age and his ability to sing a song just as he always did. Priest would be a shadow of itself without him at the helm and we all know that.

The interplay of Faulkner and Tipton is quite the pairing and every bit as satisfying as the previous lineup. You cannot deny how strong this release is. Let us not forget the rock solid bottom end of this lineup with Ian Hill (bass) and Scott Travis (drums). Perhaps one of the best examples of that powerful duo on display is the hammer of the gods coming down in “Sword of Damocles.” If you were wondering, that phrase is a figure featured in a single moral anecdote, an allusion to imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power.

“March of the Damned” continues along the same lines as the preceding tracks. Its thunderous bass lines and juggernaut drums followed by beefy hard rock guitars are well suited to the doom and gloom of the lyrical content. And so it goes throughout the first disc, like a steamroller on mission, wave after wave of heavy metal comes at you. It is classic Priest jugging along at their very best. The first CD is relentless in its power and scope. This is a showcase of a heavy metal band hitting its stride and shining at all positions. By now I am wondering when I will hear a weaker track or one that I can say I don’t really like but that time never arrives. “Cold Blooded” and “Metalizer” continue to hammer away at your consciousness shaking you down inside and out. If you turn up the stereo with this music you are subject to shaking walls and shattered ear drums so heed the warning my metal head friends…or just go ahead and crank it and enjoy, I did.

What may come as a big surprise to fans are the bluesy roots in “Crossfire.” It is Priest because you have Halford on the vocals but if you had a different vocalist you would not know it was the same band. I have to say I thought the change was welcome and I loved the song. Some of it has the patented heavy riffs entering the mix but this one is real different and it shows how talented and diverse these musicians can be. This band is certainly not one dimensional.

The bonus CD was intended to be enjoyed as an entirely different album and it sounds that way. This is more of the classic Priest during the earlier years such as British Steel. The energy and power does not subside a bit so don’t worry. What you get is another side of Priest but the volume does not get turned down one iota.

As I made my way through the second disc, I became even more exhilarated by what I was hearing. “Snakebite” is excellent with Halford spewing out the venom of the past, giving the new fans a taste of where this band came from so long ago. It’s only four tracks but they pack a powerful punch and it’s well worth the additional investment to add them to your collection.

I also listened to the 180 gram vinyl edition of the album (minus the bonus tracks) and it sounds fantastic. You won’t be missing anything here; there is no sacrifice for quality of sound. Judas Priest sounds good in any format however this type of music is well suited to vinyl and it always was. 

This heavy metal carries on the tradition of Judas Priest and it will surely bring in more fans by the masses once they hear this music. It is one of their strongest efforts since the release of Screaming for Vengeance in 1982. If you love metal just make sure you get this!

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Redeemer of Souls, Sword of Damocles, Crossfire

Tracks:
Disc: 1

01. Dragonaut
02. Redeemer of Souls
03. Halls of Valhalla
04. Sword of Damocles
05. March of the Damned
06. Down in Flames
07. Hell & Back
08. Cold Blooded
09. Metalizer
10. Crossfire
11. Secrets of the Dead
12. Battle Cry
13. Beginning of the End

Disc: 2

1. Snakebite
2. Tears of Blood
3. Creatures
4. Bring It On

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-Write A Music Review Founder

August 23, 2014

Review Provided By Write A Music

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