Judas Priest Sad Wings Of Destiny

 

Origin:  UK

Year:  1976

Subgenre:   Heavy Metal

Rating:    88.63     Essential To Any Collection !

The Players:

Rob Halford     Vocals

Glenn Tipton     Guitar

K.K. Downing     Guitar

Ian Hill      Bass

Alan Moore      Drums 

An important album within the evolution of heavy music, I’ve heard several people claim that this is the first “real” heavy metal record. However the debate goes, it is certainly state of the art metal for 1976. No band could touch Priest in these early days; maybe Sabbath was the ultimate in “heavy” but Judas Priest ruled in the “metal” arena. The sound was incredibly poisonous, with the power-soaked guitars nicely accompanying Rob Halford’s eldritch vocals. 

Victim Of Changes announced a new direction in heavy music, while The Ripper oozed evil in a retelling of the Jack The Ripper story. Deceiver is incredibly heavy, featuring killer guitar tones. Tyrant, for me, is the crown jewel of the album; so incredibly heavy and poisonous. Genocide is another classic in the Priest catalog, lumbering along in its dark beauty. Album closer Island of Domination just kills ! These songs set the standard for heavy metal !  Dreamer Deceiver is a bit average, while Epitaph is a bit of a subpar ballad, which detracts a bit alongside the towers of excellence contained within. 

This album was one of a very few that started me on my personal journey into the realm of heavy music. Essential !

Victim Of Changes        93

The Ripper      90

Dreamer Deceiver      80

Deceiver      94

Prologue       Not Rated

Tyrant          96

Genocide     90

Epitaph      74

Island Of Domination       92

Tokyo Blade Tokyo Blade

 

Origin: UK

Year:   1983

Subgenre: Heavy Metal, NWOBHM

Rating:      82.33     An Excellent Piece Of Work !     

The Players: 

Alan Marsh     Vocals

Andy Boulton     Guitar

Ray Dismore     Guitar

Andy Robbins       Bass

Steve Pierce     Drums

Melodic NWOBHM sounds from Salisbury, UK, Tokyo Blade is still going strong today. It's this debut album, released in 1983, that is arguably the band's finest work.  The music features strong riffs, catchy songwriting, and well-done vocals. Typical of the NWOBHM, the guitar riffs are fast and powerful. The production is a bit thin, but doesn't distract from the listening experience and is actually pretty typical of the NWOBHM. I will say the guitar tones are loaded with super distortion (reminds me of Chateaux' power-soaked guitars). The superb songwriting does separate Tokyo Blade from its peers; so much so that I rated this debut #20 on my all-time Top 50 NWOBHM albums. 

Midnight Rendezvous opens the album in melodic fashion, full of hooks and riffs. Break The Chains, If Heaven Is Hell, and Liar are three of the best and heaviest songs on the album. Tonight is heavy enough, but is merely average and predictable. The rest of the album is very solid and consistent, with killer riffs and hooks aplenty. The maidenesque Highway Passion and Sunrise In Tokyo are particular bright spots, with each having an infectious chorus amidst the equally heavy sounds. 

The NWOBHM holds a special place in my musical journey; Tokyo Blade is one of the latecomers of the movement, but is well worth the listen. A great band !

Midnight Rendezvous     82

Break The Chains        84

If Heaven Is Hell      83

Highway Passion        84

Killer City       83

On Through The Night     79

Tonight     78

Liar      83

Sunrise In Tokyo      85

Bachman Turner Overdrive Not Fragile

  

Origin: Canada

Year: 1974

Subgenre: Hard Rock, Classic Rock

Rating:      80.0      An Excellent Piece Of Work !

The Players: 

Randy Bachman      Vocals, Guitar

C.F. Turner     Vocals, Bass

Blair Thornton     Guitar, Vocals

Robbie Bachman      Drums

Rising from the ashes of the legendary The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive is largely forgotten today, except for a hit or two played on classic rock radio. In the 1970’s though, BTO was a reliable hit machine, landing squarely in the Kiss / Slade camp. Not Fragile is probably the band’s heaviest album (and certainly the most popular album); every track rocks significantly, while the band changes up the styles enough to keep it from getting monotonous. It’s been decades since I spun this album all the way through. I’m glad I pulled it out; the entire album is solid, melodic, featuring thick guitarwork and masterful songwriting. 

Highlights include the lumbering title track, megahits You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet and Roll On Down The Highway, Second Hand, Sledgehammer, and the deceptive rocker Givin’ It All Away. A pleasant listen all the way through !

Not Fragile     81

Rock Is My Life, And This Is My Song      82

Roll On Down The Highway     79

You Aint Seen Nothing Yet     85

Free Wheelin'     79

Sledgehammer     78

Blue Moanin'      74

Second Hand     81

Givin' It All Away     82

The Ossuary Requiem For The Sun

Origin: Italy

Year: 2025

Subgenre:  Heavy Metal, Doom Metal

Rating:     84.25     An Excellent Piece Of Work !

The Players: 

Stefano "Stiv" Fiore     Vocals

Domenico Mele     Guitar

Dario "Captain" De Fakco     Bass

Max Marzocca      Drums

Gothic doom from Italy !  The band has released multiple albums, but this is the first recording that I have experienced. Upon playing the album, I was struck at once by the dark and chilling overtones. The music is hauntingly beautiful. Maybe due to the preponderance of reverb in the recording, but there is a detached vibe to the entire album. Listening to this just makes you want to smother yourself with warm blankets and say goodbye to the outside world for awhile. The vocals are clean and very well done, while the guitars are smotheringly heavy, all laid over a steady rhythm section. The reverb-laden guitar solos are tasteful and intricate, definitely adding to the creepy overtones of the tunes. 

The album begins with my favorite track, Sacrifice, which blends heaviness and gothic greyness in a melodic song structure. Altar In Black and Far From The Tree continue the weighted proceedings in fine fashion. Wishing Well is a little subdued, but The Others and The Volume Of Void are more great examples of the band's signature sound. The title track deftly uses dynamics to blend shades of frozen, gothic, melodies to produce a dark ode to depression. Eloise closes the album as it began, with brilliant songwriting and sounds of doom. 

The music is brilliant and the atmosphere is eerie. What else could anyone want in a doom album? An outstanding piece of work. 

Sacrifice     87

Altar In Black     85

Far From The Tree     86

Wishing Well     81

The Others     84

Requiem For The Sun      85

The Volume Of Void     82

Eloise         85

The Best Of The NWOBHM.........#1 to #19

                

Here they are !  Simply the finest albums of the NWOBHM......

#1  Iron Maiden      Piece Of Mind

#2  Angelwitch      Angelwitch

#3  Witchfinder General      Death Penalty

#4   Iron Maiden        The Number Of The Beast  

#5   Diamond Head     Lightning To The Nations

#6    Saxon      Wheels Of Steel

#7    Iron Maiden      Iron Maiden

#8    Quartz     Stand Up And Fight

#9    Def Leppard     On Through The Night

#10     satan    Court In The Act

#11     Tygers of Pan Tang       Spellbound

#12     Iron Maiden      Killers

#13     Def Leppard      High n Dry

#14     Motorhead       Ace Of Spades

#15      Grim Reaper       See You In Hell

#16      Saxon      Strong Arm Of The Law

#17      Witchfinder General       Friends of Hell

#18       Tygers of Pan Tang        Wildcat

#19      Motorhead       Overkill

Krux Krux

 

Origin:  Sweden

Year: 2002

Subgenre: Doom Metal

Rating:     88.13     Essential To Any Collection ! 

The Players:

Mats Leven     Vocals

Leif Edling    Bass

Jorgen Sandstrom    Guitar

Fredrik Akesson     Guitar

Peter Stjarvind     Drums

Carl Westholm     Keyboards

Formed by ex-Candlemass bassist Leif Edling in 2002, Krux was a bit of a minor supergroup that largely has flown under the radar.  Boasting members from Entombed, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Spiritual Beggars, the album is very high quality and well-produced. For fans of the horror genre, Krux fits the bill perfectly. Musically, the doom is strong here !  The vibe and subject matter is chilling, especially with those eerie keyboards thrown in. The guitars are crushingly heavy and the songs lumber along in the finest Scandinavian tradition. 

Black Room opens the album with a slow and poisonous riff that could have been lifted from the sons of Sabbath. Extremely dark and heavy !  The song Krux is more upbeat, but still bludgeons the listener into submission. Those keyboards add such an icy atmosphere. Nimis continues the dark proceedings with suicide as the main theme. Sibiria is an excellent acoustic number which produces the desired chilling effect. Omfalos uses weird background vocals and organ embedded within yet another tremendous guitar riff; beautifully dark. Enigma EZB picks up the pace a bit, producing a riff and chorus that spontaneously results in headbanging !  Popocatepetl is another frozen wasteland of pure doom, while Evel Rifaz is essentially a distorted bass solo (a bit unnecessary). The space-opera Lunochod is a very strange album closer that seems to incorporate multiple pieces; still heavy, just disjointed. Definitely interesting, trippy, and very effective. This track must be listened to in its entirety to be fully appreciated.

This debut album by Krux is simply one of the finest doom albums that no one talks about. The band would release three studio albums and a live album before calling it quits.  The guitar tone is raw and super distorted, but it's the background keyboards that add a frightening atmosphere to the entire album. Great musicianship, great production, and very interesting songwriting;  Krux kills !

Black Room     91

Krux      92

Nimis    86

Sibiria    82

Omfalos    90

Enigma EZB    89

Popocatepetl    86

Evel Rifaz     Not Rated

Lunochod     89

Helloween Giants And Masters

 

Origin: Germany

Year: 2025

Subgenre: Heavy Metal, Power Metal

Rating:   79.8     Solid And Above-Average !

The Players:

Andi Deris    Vocals

Michael Kiske    Vocals

Michael Weikath   Guitar

Kai Hansen   Guitar, Vocals

Markus Grosskopf   Bass

Sascha Gerstner   Guitar

Daniel Loble    Drums

This is the first album on the band's new label, Reigning Phoenix Music, and is the second album with the rejuvenated "Pumpkins United" lineup.  Helloween has always been that reliable power metal band punctuated by speed and quirky melodies; they truly are a unique band in the power metal world. The group sounds fresh and energetic, almost like they have a new lease on life. This is a fun album ! Musically, the band's performance is outstanding, complemented by a stellar, almost symphonic,  production. Great guitar riffs and vocals abound. The rhythm section, especially the drums, is very solid and demonstrates some great double bass-pedal work. The songwriting is interesting; showcasing great melodies and chorus lines amidst a speed-metal format. They don't seem to take themselves too seriously and there is a fun vibe to the entire recording. 

Giants On The Run begins the album with a nice riff, settling into an almost regal style, with a kickin' middle section. Savior Of The World is a fast rocker in the great tradition of the Helloween of old.  A Little Is A Little Too Much is a bit more mainstream, with keyboards lightening the load somewhat. It's back to more serious metal with We Can Be Gods, but those melodic overtones and keyboards still permeate. Great guitar solo in this one ! Into The Sun is a solid power ballad, showcasing the band's multiple vocalists. This Is Tokyo shines as another bright and catchy mid-paced rocker. Universe kicks butt and is Helloween in full power mode; more outstanding guitar work and fast arpeggios are featured here ! Hand Of God features more great guitar-work, but the chorus seems a little redundant and a bit mediocre. Under The Moonlight is also a bit commercial. Majestic ends the album in great fashion, heavy and epic-sounding, with some cool eastern melodies. 

The entire album is a very enjoyable listen, the songwriting starts out very strong and ends a bit more average and more commercial. The guitars kill and the melodies are upbeat. Helloween has cranked out another great release. Enjoy it !

Giants On The Run   84

Savior Of The World   84

A Little Is A Little Too Much    75

We Can Be Gods    83

Into The Sun    73

This Is Tokyo    78

Universe    85

Hand Of God    76

Under The Moonlight    75

Majestic    85

The Best Of The NWOBHM........#20 to #29

               

 

#29     Jaguar     Power Games

#28     Witchfynde     Give 'Em Hell

#27     Girlschool      Demolition

#26     Savage     Loose 'N' Lethal

#25     Fastway      Fastway

#24     Praying Mantis     Time Tells No Lies

#23     Holocaust     The Nightcomers

#22     Samson     Shock Tactics

#21     Tygers Of Pan Tang     Crazy Nights

#20     Tokyo Blade     Midnight Rendez-Vous

A List Of Legendary Songs

 A running list of songs rated 90 or above. These are the Hall of Fame songs !

Aerosmith - Dream On     90

Angel - Tower 97

Angel - Rock & Rollers  93

Angel - Broken Dreams  90

Angel - On And On  92

April Wine - 21st Century Schizoid Man  91

Judas Priest - Victim Of Changes     93

Judas Priest - The Ripper      90

Judas Priest - Deceiver      94

Judas Priest - Tyrant      96

Judas Priest - Genocide      90

Judas Priest - Island Of Domination      92

Krux - Black Room   91

Krux - Krux    92

Krux - Omfalos    90

Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love  91

Led Zeppelin - What Is And What Should Never Be  95

Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker  93

Led Zeppelin - Bring It On Home  91

Queen - White Man  91

Rush - 2112   97

Rush - A Passge To Bankok   90

Rush - Something For Nothing  90

Testament - Shadow People  90

Testament - Nature Of The Beast  91

Wings Of Steel - Winds Of Time  92

The Best Of The NWOBHM........#30 to #39

               

#39  Raven    All For One

#38   Ethel The Frog     Ethel The Frog 

#37   White Spirit     White Spirit

#36   Diamond Head     Borrowed Time

#35   Tank     Filth Hounds Of Hades

#34    Myrthra   The Death And Destiny EP

#33    Demon      Night Of The Demon

#32    Gaskin      No Way Out

#31    Witchfynde     Stage Fright

#30    Demon     The Unexpected Guest

A List of Essential and Legendary Albums

Here is an outgoing list of albums that are graded 85 or above.

Angel - Angel    90.14

Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny     88.63

Krux - Krux   88.13

Rush - 2112     85.33

Led Zeppelin II   85.0

The Best Of The NWOBHM.........#40 to #50

This short-lived era was extremely impactful to me. I was in high school when these bands hit and we were just blown away ! We would anxiously visit our local record stores and scour the import section for the next gem. These albums form a major cornerstone of my collection. There were many bands that either didn’t put out full albums or released them at a later date. Bands like Trespass, Sweet Savage, Soldier, Weapon, are still fully part of the NWOBHM. The music was fresh, unique, and powerful. I personally have so many great memories listening to these. Here’s my attempt to rank them.

#50   Wildfire   Brute Force And Ignorance

#49  Girl   Sheer Greed

#48  Vardis   100 M.P.H

#47   Chateaux  Chained And Desperate

#46   Bitches Sin   Predator

#45   Girlschool   Hit And Run

#44   Gaskin   End Of The World

#43   Fist   Turn The Hell On

#42   Samson   Head On

#41   More   Blood And Thunder

#40   Hollow Ground   Warlord 

Wings Of Steel Winds Of Time

 

Origin: USA

Year: 2025

Subgenre: Heavy Metal, Power Metal

Rating:   81.0    An Excellent Piece Of Work ! 

The Players: 

Leo Unnermark   Vocals

Parker Halub   Guitar

Stefan Bailet   Guitar

Mathieu Trobec   Bass

Marcel Binder   Drums

Now this is power metal done right ! Wings of Steel is yet another California-based band that is perpetually rooted in the glory days of 1980’s-era heavy metal. Talent practically oozes from this 5-piece group of rockers; the instrumentation and production are impeccable. 

Vocalist Leo Unnermark is masterful with an incredible range, while guitarist Parker Halub proves to be a phenomenal shredding machine. Musically, one can hear glimpses of Priest, Queensryche, Accept, and Maiden. Has it all been done before? Sure, but it’s refreshing to see a young band embrace power metal so competently. 

The highlight of the album, Winds Of Time, starts the record off in epic fashion. The band pulled out all stops on this 10-minute track; Dynamic sections and change-ups abound ! Saints and Sinners, Burning Sands, and To Die in Holy War are barnbusting headbangs, as the band hits on all cylinders. 

With such a young and talented band such as this, the future looks bright for heavy music. One of the best releases of 2025 !

Winds Of Time     92

Saints And Sinners   83

Crying   75

Burning Sands   86

To Die In Holy War   83

Lights Go Out   76

We Rise   78

Flight Of The Eagle   75

Album Rating Method

Many years ago, when Kevin Brown and I were mere schoolkids, we devised a method of rating our favorite albums song by song. The average of these songs would form a final rating. We based our ratings on a 1-100 system.

Years later, I was exposed to Martin Popoff's rating method from 1-10. We wanted to go a step further, listing individual tracks, so that the reader could see how the averages worked. 

In order to classify albums apart from a number rating, here are the categories we came up with:

Below 60      A piece of junk ! 

61-69.9         Generally subpar.....

70-74.9         Average / Mediocre

75-79.9         Solid and above-average !

80-84.9         An Excellent piece of work !

85-89.9         Essential to any collection !

90 and above   Legendary

Each song is rated according to the above guidelines, and then averaged for the album as a whole. Short or instrumental tracks that serve as intros or outtros are generally not rated, as these pieces really serve to add a dramatic flair to the album as a whole. 

April Wine Harder....Faster

 

Origin: Canada

Year: 1979

Subgenre: Hard Rock, Classic Rock

Rating:   82     An Excellent Piece of Work !

The Players: 

Myles Goodwin  Vocals, Guitar

Brian Greenway   Guitar, Vocals

Gary Moffet   Guitar

Steve Lang   Bass

Jerry Mercer   Drums

One of my favorite albums from the late ‘70’s, Harder….Faster was timed perfectly to coincide with the NWOBHM. Definitely the band’s heaviest, this album was a perfect blend of hooks, melodic hard rock, and chops. Always whispered about in hard rock circles, this album literally vaulted April Wine into superstardom, gaining the band a coveted spot on the ensuing Monsters of Rock tour, alongside such heavy hitters like Judas Priest and Scorpions. 

The star of the show was Myles Goodwin, lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter; what a talent ! Although the instrumentation and production are stellar, the real strength of the album is the superb songwriting. Radio hit I Like To Rock leads the album off, while Say Hello and Tonite are mid-paced, melodic rockers. Ladies Man simply rocks! Before the Dawn starts off slow, but picks up nicely. So melodic ! Babes in Arms sports a great riff, while the catchy chorus infects the listener's brain. Better Do It Well is a rambling tune that typifies the best of late '70's hard rock. The album ends with a superb rendition of King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man; the band's cover is better than the original and showcases the tightness and intricacy of the instrumentation. So heavy ! 

In my opinion, Harder...Faster is April Wine's best, blending a perfect mix of great riffs, songwriting, and melodies. Canada's finest !

I Like To Rock   78

Say Hello  75

Tonite   83

Ladies Man   88

Before The Dawn   79

Babes in Arms   83

Better Do It Well   79

21st Century Schizoid Man  91