Review Summary: 55 years into their career, these metal gods are still as vital and important as ever.
Back in 2022, a video of Judas Priest live in Austin TX would be uploaded to YouTube. The band were performing one of their most celebrated songs, “Victim of Changes”, and the atmosphere was electric. Seeing these veterans of 50+ years giving such a stellar show… well, it must have been
incredible to be in that crowd. But there’s a reason I’m singling out this particular clip, as something special happened at the end. Right as the song was about to close, metal god Rob Halford let out three massive wails – all at the highest register he could muster.
WHYYYYYYYYYY?
WHYYYYYYYYYY?
WHYYYYYYYYYY?
It was at this moment that I thought to myself:
these guys must truly be immortal. Judas Priest (most of the members, anyway) are in their 60s or 70s, yet they continue to run circles around most of their contemporaries. And while 2018’s
Firepower wasn’t quite as good as some of their classic material, it was still an impressive showing that told any potential naysayers, “like it or not, we’ve still got it”. The chops, the energy, the songcraft, the showmanship – all of these were still delivered in spades, and the band would exhibit the same vigor in their live shows. So now, six years later, I must pop the question: could they deliver the goods again with
Invincible Shield?
Spoiler alert: yes, yes they could. As soon as “Panic Attack” launches its opening salvo of triumphant guitar leads and rock-solid riffage, you know you’re in for another exciting trad metal thrill ride. So, what can we immediately glean from this opening number? Well, a few things. #1: Halford sounds even better than he did on
Firepower. While I suspect that some studio magic was used on his voice here and there, that doesn’t change the fact that his power and range are still utterly ridiculous. #2: wow, there’s a lot of
Painkiller influence on this thing!
Both of these points extend to a good chunk of
Invincible Shield in general.
Firepower already took its fair share of inspiration from
Painkiller-era Priest, but this one takes it even further. Expect plenty of speed/power metal riffs and rapid double-bass drumming, especially on cuts like the title track and “As God is my Witness” – both of which allow longtime drummer Scott Travis some extra room to show off his chops. This isn’t to say the record ever slows down or is devoid of atmosphere; it just happens to show a more aggressive side of Priest than usual.
Speaking of “chops”, the musicians are
more than up to the task of matching Halford’s impressive vocal performances. Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner remain a formidable guitar duo (despite the former’s recent health issues), throwing around intricate harmonies and trade-off shreds like they’re going out of style – check out “Trial By Fire” for an excellent example of both in action. Meanwhile, as one would expect, Ian Hill’s bass work is as solid and consistent as it’s always been; if I had to pick a highlight for him here, it would be his minimalist-yet-effective bass chugging on the doomy “Escape From Reality”.
Now, let’s take a look at that runtime for a second… over an hour long (including bonus tracks), which is even longer than
Firepower. You’d be forgiven for thinking
Invincible Shield would eventually lose its momentum over time – after all, most of the classic 70s/80s Priest records sit at a comfortable 35-45 minutes. They get you in, they get you out, and you’re satisfied. But if I were to single out
Invincible Shield’s secret weapon, it would be the record’s pacing. There’s such a good balance of barnburners and midtempo anthems here, yet those latter tracks don’t lose any of the energy their speedy counterparts have. “Giants in the Sky” and “Crown of Horns” are perfect examples, with the former’s infectious blues metal licks and the latter’s fist-pumping bridge standing out in particular.
Invincible Shield has many different atmospheres, moods, and tempos, yet none of them feel out of place in the tracklist.
Ok, ok… let’s back up for a second. Despite all my gushing,
Invincible Shield doesn’t really do anything to innovate or reinvent the Judas Priest sound. This is meat-and-potatoes traditional metal, written and performed by a group who have their craft down to a science. But goddamn, do the meat and potatoes taste
delicious. If
Firepower was Judas Priest proving that they’ve still “got it”,
Invincible Shield is them making sure no one else will steal their crown. Plenty of veteran classic metal acts are kicking around to this day, but none of them (not even Iron Maiden) still sound as vital, fresh, or vibrant as Judas Priest. Long live the metal gods!
