"British Steel" was the album that really secured Judas Priest a spot at the top of the heavy metal heap. They had become metal gods. The road (at least in terms of albums) wasn't bump free, though. Their output during the period between "British Steel" and Rob Halford's exit was filled with albums of varying levels of artistic and commercial success.
Point of Entry
If Judas Priest had forged out their new form of heavy metal with "British Steel," it didn't mean they were content to become complacent. 1981's "Point of Entry" was a whole new kind of heavy metal. In fact, they coined the term "progressive metal" to describe it. It was not nearly as heavy or aggressive as "British Steel."
"Point of Entry" represented a change for the band, and it didn't get a completely welcome reception from the fans. That said, tracks like "Heading Out to the Highway" were popular. It did show that this was a band that weren't interested in stopping their experimentation just yet.
Screaming for Vengeance
The title for Priest's 1982 release seemed apt. First, the band's reviews (critical and in terms of fan response) for "Point of Entry" had been tepid. Secondly, this disc screams out with one of the most consistently aggressive metal approaches they had done. From the opening one-two punch of "Hellion"/"Electric Eye" it was obvious Priest were taking no prisoners on "Screaming for Vengeance."
In addition to the previously mentioned opening two-fer, "Screaming For Vengeance" introduced such Judas Priest classics as "Riding on the Wind," "Bloodstone," "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" and the title track. It was a definite winner for fans of the more aggressive side of Judas Priest.
Defenders of the Faith
If there's a real problem with "Defenders of the Faith," it's that it seems too much like a copy of "Screaming for Vengeance." It has many of the same strengths as that set because this 1984 release really does share a lot with that album. Even the covers are very similar. However, songs like "Freewheel Burning," "The Sentinel," "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" and the title track made the album popular with fans.
Turbo
The band made one of their boldest shifts with "Turbo." The 1986 disc moved away from the metallic side and more to the melodic. The guitar dominance was replaced by a major reliance on keyboards.
The album was a bigger flop (in terms of the critical and fan response) than "Point of Entry" had been. The song "Turbo Lover," though, had some degree of success. Still, it's Halford's vocal performance that dominates most of the disc because the music was rather lackluster.
Priest...Live
1987's "Priest...Live" was the second live album from the group. While "Unleashed in the East" had a somewhat over-produced texture to it, there was also an aggression and fire. The band seemed hungry. That's somewhat missing from this set. It just doesn't have the energy of the earlier live release.
Ram It Down
"Ram It Down" has always seemed almost like an apology for "Turbo." The group returned to their metal roots with the 1988 album and delivered a strong (if perhaps too safe) disc. They included a cover on the album, their version of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode."
Painkiller
The title track leads this disc off and from the opening moments, it's obvious a big change has transpired. New drummer Scott Travis brings this in aggressively and the band (and Halford) up the ante to compete. The disc is one of the meanest and darkest the group ever produced, embracing the new world of thrash metal while still maintaining the magic that was Judas Priest.
While the 1980's are considered to be the golden age of Judas Priest, looking at the albums they produced between "British Steel" and the end of the decade, it's obvious it wasn't a consistent time for the group. Bigger changes were on their way as "Painkiller" would be the last Judas Priest album for over a decade with front man Rob Halford.
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