Judas Priest Discography Discussion (part 2 starting page 20)

The Ripper years (Part 2):

Demolition:
Well I remmember like it was yesterday when Machine Man came out and, of course, I rushed to buy it. After another fuzzy noise intro, the drums erupt into a breakneck pace and immediatly the rest of the band follows. Killer song again with some really cheesy lyrics and (as always) a monster vocal display from Mr. Owens. Subterfuge was ok too... something like "classic metal meets alternative metal bathed in Marylin Manson's post production". As difficult it seems the song kinda works decently. Other thing I really noticed was the guitar sound... and it was due to reasons faaaaaaaaaaar from flattering. I normally don't pick on production (hey... I like Grindcore) but there are some exceptions that really hurt my eardrums (isn't it true Mr. Bob Rock?). Demolition has this handicap. The damn guitars seem suffocated like some cheap VST layer that makes them sound more artificial than plastic itself. Then came the rest of the album.

Ok the good things first: Adding to Machine Man, Hell is Home is a gorgeous song (look for the live version since it is much more organic), In Between is a cool catch and go tune, Bloodsuckers is also great quality heavy stuff (those high notes in the chorus are as Halford as the original) and Jeckyll and Hyde's combines orchestrations with a brute fast tempo in a real refreshing mode. Devil Digger and Subterfuge are listenable tunes also. And then there's the rest... AND GOD HOW I WISH THERE WASN'T!

Feed On Me and Cyberface come as the usual fillers that add little to nothing. Close to You is an hyper uninspired power ballad ... not that it is horrible (and the lyrics on this one at least are quite decent unlike the majority of the record). But it's soooo cliche... boring and predictable as boring and predicatbele can get (in a record featuring another attempt of a ballad). Metal Messiah starts with a good riff and has a cool pre chorus/ refrain. But WHAT ARE THOSE RAP LIKE VERSES? The midi like synth on the chorus? And the lyrics must be near an all time low in music history's lyrical content. What to say about Lost and Found other than it sounds like a sunday school tune penned by some drunk Vicar with the music sensitivity of a herd of deaf buffalos? But the bottom of the pit is One On One. Once again the lyrics here are awful even to Demolition's low standards. And regarding "music" here's what's going on: start with a copy of Wollt Ihr Das Bett In Flammen Sehen's main riff (great song back when Rammstein was Rammstein) devoid it of the aggression of the original of the and stick it into a soulless, limp garbage of an atempt of a riff raff alterno-metal tune.

That being said this record's great defect is not lack of good/ enjoyable songs (as you can see I really enjoy half of the album). No... where Demolition fails blatantly is as one when you put together all the parts.
1- If that's true that some songs really seem to stem from the same band and are really "Priesty", tunes like Subterfuge, One On One, Lost And Found, parts of Metal Messiah and Jeckyll and Hyde (no matter if I like 'em or not... and some of them I really do) just seem completely out of place: some sound like heavy metal, others like lalala tunes, others like alterno metal a la White Zombie or M. Manson . Coherency stands for Demolition as hair brushes for utterly bald people: a long lost memory. 2- That plastic guitar sound and production really make my spine shiver I must stress. Some band members should be disallowed to come near sound mixing devices of al sorts. 3 - Jugulator's lyrics were cheesy and basic but at least had a focus (carnage, death and mayhem). Demolition's message is completely all around and nowhere at the same time not to mention the band managed to write even worst lyrical content than in the prior album (in some cases wwwwwwwway worst!)

To sum it all Demolition was a failure in various aspects: a) while atempting to bring back old fans estranged by the brutality of Jugulator, b) while retaining some new enthusiasts of their new punchier sound, c) while trying to appeal to new publics namely the modern/ alterno metal head of the late 90's and early 2000's and mostly d) to while solidifying Judas Priest's new line up. In return It was a letdown to almost everyone and the band's future was on the ledge once again. As an aftermath, Tim Owens was the sacrificial lamb despite doing a stellar job in both albums. So, backdoor moves were being put to action and the reunion with the Metal God seemed to be a reality (and a great way to rebound from the sea of deception that was demolition because of... well.... classic line up reunions... we all know how things work). Would the new release be their epitaph or the glorious comeback everyone wished? One could only root for the later.

Highs: A handful of good songs, especially Machine Man, Hell Is Home and Bloodsuckers.
Lows: One On One, Lost And Found, Metal Messiah are awful. Lots of fillers. Album lacks coherency. Plastic production and even worst lyrics than the previous album.
Rating: 4.5/10
 
Last edited:
Does anyone know why the title track of one of the best albums of all time is 1:30 minutes long <-> Defenders Of The Faith

And the song before it (''Heavy Duty'') is also very short (2:25).
 
Yeah, the album feels like it ends right when a mega-anthemic closer should arrive.

DOTF is such a great title for a album and the title track should have been a epic or at least a proper 5 minutes long song.

This is indeed the only mistake in this album - like the only ''mistake'' in Powerslave is ''Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)''.
 
Back
Top