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 !
No comments:
Post a Comment