Review Summary: Priest delivers a mixed bag that nonetheless stands out on its own when compared to other recent albums.
In almost every classic heavy metal band’s career, there is a certain time period, be it only one album or a string of releases, in which the band hit their climax, be it critically or commercially. For Black Sabbath, it was from
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath to
Sabotage. For Metallica, it was from
Ride the Lightning to their self-titled album. For Judas Priest…. Well, it depends. Critically, Priest hit their zenith from
Sad Wings of Destiny to
Stained Class, but commercially, it was from
British Steel to
Defenders of the Faith. However, it is mostly agreed that the band’s undisputed masterpiece came in their 1990 comeback album,
Painkiller. But, unfortunately, as with Sabbath and Metallica, Priest was never able to truly rise back up to what they once were. Sure,
Angel of Retribution was a nice return to form after the travesty now known as the Ripper Owens era, but even then, after the excitement of Rob Halford’s return died down, the album just didn’t seem to be anything besides above average. Worse still, in 2011, longtime guitarist K.K. Downing left the band, and the band ceased any studio activity for the next two years, leaving fans with the disappointing
Nostradamus as the seemingly final taste of Judas Priest that they would ever get. Then, last year, Priest began making several announcements leading up to the release of a new album:
Redeemer of Souls. In the following months, the fanbase turned into a warzone. Some argued that the band sounded too old and tired, and that they should simply stick to touring live. Others showered praise upon the band, and stated that no one could remain a true Priest fan unless they had undying devotion to everything the band would release. So, the question remained: Could Judas Priest finally create the masterpiece that we had all yearned for them to give to us?
The answer is yes, and no.
Right off the bat, there will be several glaring problems within the music. Rob can’t sing as high as he used to, Richie is an inferior replacement for K.K., and the lyrics are okay at their best and cringe-worthy at their worst. But here’s the thing: These “problems” shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Rob is 63 years old, K.K. was one of the greatest metal guitarists of all time, and essentially all of the band’s post-Stained Class lyrics are cheesy as hell. These “problems” are benign and aren’t capable of truly “ruining” the music for anyone who has spent even a remote period of time listening to 80’s Priest. But, are there actually any positives for the album? The short answer is, yes.
Richie is definitely nowhere near as respected, skilled, or accomplished as K.K., but he does actually make decent use of his talents. Sure, the riffs aren’t anything you haven’t already heard before, but they still do manage to come off as somewhat catchy. Lead guitarist Glenn Tipton is a different story. His input isn’t bad by any means, but his solos don’t nearly have the flair or energy of earlier works, and just sound, dare I say it, lazy. Surprisingly, the best performance on the album comes from drummer Scott Travis, who keeps a steady support for the other instruments with solid drum beats and makes do with even the most monotonous of fills. The biggest disappointment comes from bassist Ian Hill, who, as the last remaining member of the original incarnation of Judas Priest, could put out more of a standout performance from an unexpected end of the musical spectrum. Unfortunately, he usually just blends in with Richie and Glenn, and there are times where his bass is far too low in the mix. This may not be a big deal to most fans, but it just feels like they could’ve done more with him. And that’s ultimately where this album’s Achilles heel lies. The band just sounds tired. It’s almost as though they recorded an album only because of the fact that their record label forced them into it as part of a contract, and they came up with the songs as quickly as possible to compensate for a lack of ideas.
Overall, if you’re a big fan of Painkiller or Priest’s 80’s material, you’ll probably dig this album. However, if you were hoping for a love letter from the 70’s (and if so…… really?), you will be disappointed greatly. But to say that this is somehow the final nail in the Metal Gods’ coffin would be straight-up hyperbole. There are still some fantastic tracks on here, such as “Halls of Valhalla”. To exaggerate and say “R.I.P. Priest” is just absurd. It’s obvious, that, like most bands, Judas Priest will never truly be able to recapture what made them so amazing in their youth. But to just dismiss the fact that, even in their 60’s, the members are still alive and kicking, would be downright disrespectful. Because in the end, this isn’t Priest’s version of
Brave New World or
Endgame. It’s closer to
13 by Black Sabbath or
Death Magnetic by Metallica: Not great, but still a much better piece of work compared to their recent albums.
