sco703
Senior Member
I don't know too much Judas Priest, but I'm seeing them live tomorrow night. Figure I might as well catch them on their final tour.
Judas Priest (Official Thread)
- Thread starter LG
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METALPRIEST
Senior Member
I think Judas Priest are one of a very few select bands who can do radio friendly albums and still retain a very big fanbase of said albums such as British Steel, Point of Entry. Even Turbo is one of those albums that despite the criticism it cops I think it is still a pretty successful album commercially. Judas Priest never sold out, they just wanted to experiment with these albums a bit. They never lose their edge.
That would be the key to Priest's individual success, whereas many bands - certainly in my opinion - lost their way when they tried to go down the same route.
I guess to summarise, Priest walked the tightrope trying to balance where they came from and where they wanted to go, but many others fell off or nearly fell off.
Got my ticket to see the boys at Hammersmith in May
Lynch
Here for the cookies and the tunes
One of the best live acts I've ever seen (and I"ve seen them a number of times). Last time I saw them was in 2008 (I think) and Halford's voice wasn't anywhere near his prime, but he still did pretty good and the rest of the band was spot on!
I'll give it a try. When I first heard Priest their new album was Stained Class but the first one I heard was Sad Wings of Destiny. If you hear an album like that and Sin After Sin, then the live album and then Stained Class your expectations are extremely high for anything that comes from the band.
I was going to break it down song by song but that will sound as if I dislike the album. I really don't (or Hell Bent which is a step up from British Steel but a serious SERIOUS step down from Stained Class) but it's such a dissapointment compared to those early albums that I find it hard to listen to.
We actually viewed Screaming for Vengence as a return to the non commercial really heavy sound that typified one of the more interesting sides of early Priest. But since this album (and everything past Stained Class) lacked any real hint of progressive metal it was always second tier as well.
They aren't bad albums, and some of the power pop is really among the best in that sub genre so I guess it's mainly a matter of what kind of metal you really like. The other obvious thing is that Halford replaced his operatic wailing with just grumble and roar. Now I have nothing against that style of singing either but from Halford we grew to expect much more.
I hope that answers it from at least one man's perspective.
METALPRIEST
Senior Member
Good explanation Khor. Me and my old gang felt that way. There was a MAGIC to the old Priest sound, that they never quite captured again. Although I thought Nostradamus was a return to this style. IMO, it was an album alot of fans didn't like, mainly because they were more familiar with British Steel on up.
But upon FIRST hearing British Steel back in the day?? I LOVED it...I really did!
But upon FIRST hearing British Steel back in the day?? I LOVED it...I really did!
Lynch
Here for the cookies and the tunes
I STILL love British Steel. 
