I quite enjoyed Redeemer, and I thought it was much better than Nostradamus. However, I will grant that I may have an odd taste: I prefer their material with a more hard rock feel, as opposed to their more metal stuff. My favorite song on the album was "Crossfire" because that bluesy riff is not merely badass by itself, it also makes a great contrast to the rest of the album.
My biggest impression from Redeemer is that Halford is now clearly the weak link in Priest. Reminds me of the similar decline of Ian Gillan. How the mighty fall; time cannot be denied.
I agree that Halford played it safe on Redeemer (for the most part). He is though in much better shape now than during the 08-09 tours. Rob has, for quite some time (at least since Crucible) started off the tours rather weak but improved after a bunch of shows under the belt.
Judging from the first few Priest shows this tour though (ok, the opening night was a bit rough compared to the rest), he's starting off pretty well. He can still pull the live shows off better than a lot of his peers. Hell, even Bruce's performances have reduced in quality the past decade.
Compare that to
Granted, neither compares to the 80's, but it's a heck of a difference. The bridge illustrates the increase in performance rather well.
No. Tivoli is a venue. I don't expect a festival there. Will check it out later. Some others are arena shows may or not be festivals. For now, only the first and last two look like festivals.
I was curious to see footage and I found 2011, so you were pretty close.
And I have a reason for not knowing much about it, because I was still "recovering" from the London meet that ended one day earlier! :--)
Holy shit, 3 months since the last update. So sorry for the delay. Life has been insanely busy these past few months and unfortunately this had to be the first thing to be put on hold. I can't guarantee consistent updates but hopefully they won't be coming three months at a time anymore! Without further ado:
Jugulator (1997)
The 90s were a turbulent decade for Judas Priest. Shortly after the Painkiller tour, Halford announced his departure from the band to further pursue his new band: Fight. For the first time in almost 20 years, Judas Priest was left without a singer. The future was looking bleak for Priest and the band was questioning whether they should even continue. After the release of the Metal Works collection, Priest mutually split with their longtime label: Columbia Records. Now label free without a singer and in a world where Metal was becoming increasingly less popular, it wasn't looking good for Priest. However this uncertainty didn't last long and by 1994 the band was began the search for a new vocalist.
The selection process turned out to be very lengthy, being delayed by several factors, including the making of Glenn Tipton's solo album. While Priest has never confirmed who they were considering for a replacement, a few singers have mentioned that they were invited to audition, including Ralph Sheepers of Gamma Ray, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, and Devin Townsend of Strapping Young Lad. However, the auditions were suddenly cancelled when Scott Travis received a tape of Tim "Ripper" Owens in his Priest garb singing with his Priest tribute band mentioned earlier. The band quickly invited him to audition and after hearing him nail Victim of Changes and The Ripper, there was no question that this was the guy for Priest.
After selecting Ripper as the vocalist, the album was made very quickly. All the lyrics and vocals had already been written but with Halford's voice in mind. While Ripper had made a name for himself imitating the Metal God, he still had his own voice and range, which the band wished to utilize. So some of the songs were reworked to better suit his vocals. Produced by K.K. and Glenn, Jugulator was stylistically similar to Painkiller in terms of heaviness, but also showed a progression in heaviness and a more modern sound to keep up with their contemporaries as usual. The anger and frustration over Halford's departure and the label issues are audible in the music. This is perhaps Priest's angriest album yet. Once again the band was rejuvenated and were not going to be stopped. Instead of finding a new major label to sign to, Priest started the independent Priest Records and signed distribution deals with several small international companies.
The album was met with very mixed reviews, with many fans disinterested in a Judas Priest without Rob Halford. The band's more modern direction was also subject to much criticism. It seemed like Judas Priest's glory days were long gone and that despite finding a singer and releasing a new album, the band's struggles were far from over. However, the band did score their 2nd Grammy nomination in the song Bullet Train.
Writing for this album was done solely by Downing and Tipton, with Glenn writing all the lyrics himself. While not a concept album, many of the songs depict similar themes of evil deeds and apocalyptic settings. Nothing too new for Priest and quite appropriate for the album's heavy sound. This album also contained Priest's longest song to date: Cathedral Spires. The album's closing epic. The band was still pushing forward and trying new ideas and techniques. They also tuned down the guitars for this album, going as low as C standard on Cathedral Spires. They also began tuning down to D at live concerts, to ease Ripper's vocals. This album also continued what has become a tradition at this point of including a song that appears in a movie. This time it was Blood Stained which also appears on the Bride of Chucky soundtrack.
Some loved it, some hated it, but one thing was certain: Judas Priest was back! If nothing else, Jugulator is at least worth listening to once. It's still Judas Priest and isn't a huge departure from what they were doing already.
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'98 Live Meltdown (1998)
While Jugulator did well in Japan and parts of Europe, Priest was going to have to work to win back much of the US fan base. As a result, the band ended up playing smaller venues than before. The setlist for this tour featured 5 songs from the new album and an onslaught of the older classics, spanning the band's entire career.
Following this was Priest's first live album since 1988's Priest...Live. I love this album. I picked it up on a whim before hearing any of the Ripper era albums and I was seriously impressed. Not just with his performance on the older material, but with the Jugulator songs as well. If you're not sold on those songs, I highly recommend checking out the live versions. They sound so much better than what was put on the original album and it's what I go to if I want to hear those songs. Unfortunately not all of the Jugulator songs are included. It would've been nice to hear Burn In Hell, Jugulator, and especially Cathedral Spires. Aside from that small complaint, this is an awesome album and really captures the energy of a Priest concert.
Holy shit, 3 months since the last update. So sorry for the delay. Life has been insanely busy these past few months and unfortunately this had to be the first thing to be put on hold.
No prob. Priest took long with this record as well!
Burn in Hell is on '98 Live Meltdown. I especially dig Ripper during the British Steel songs. And he rules on Abductors. There's something not OK with the sound. As if the guitars and/or are too much in the background. Vocals sound good!
So it is. I guess I forgot about that one because it really isn't as outstanding as the other Jugulator tracks. The highlight for me is Blood Stained. This live version also cemented it as my favorite Ripper era track. That song seriously rocks.
I like the sound. It has a really raw quality, a nice contrast from their other live albums which are way too polished for me. With this one it actually feels like I'm at a live Priest show. Yea the mix is a little off but honestly at most Metal shows I go to there is always something funky about the mix, so there's a charm to it on this live album.
Retribution is the new album by Nightingale (@Night Prowler ! ), and main songwriter Dan Swanö recently told metal magazine Aardschok that for this album he was especially inspired by Night Comes Down by Judas Priest and Believe by The Mission. With these two songs he wanted to make new babies.
I haven't heard the new album yet (read good reviews), but strangely I also hear Night Comes Down on the debut album (from 1995!) and also on a 2005 release, which features re-recordings.
A clear link with the Priest track (check the chorus!):
1995:
2005:
Who knows Night Comes Down was important for every other Nightingale album as well.
Rob Halford - Vocals
K.K. Downing - Guitar
Glenn Tipton - Guitar
Ian Hill - Guitar
Les Binks - Drums
There's many who tried, to prove that they're faster/But they didn't last and they died as they tried
This album is notable for a number of things, the first -probably most obvious- is that it was released under two different names. In the US, it was renamed to Hell Bent For Leather due to "murderous implications" of the intended title. For everywhere else in the world, it was known as Killing Machine. Perhaps Hell Bent For a Leather was a more appropriate title, as the band had developed their signature leather and studs look by now. The US version also contained an extra song, a Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac cover: The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown). This song would become a live staple for the band.
Killing Machine shows several different sides of the band, who were still trying to define their sound. The commercial influences are stronger than ever; from the anthemic Take On the World to the ballad, Evening Star. However, Judas Priest's aggression is not lost and is shown quite clearly in tracks like Hell Bent For Leather and Delivering the Goods. The progressive elements are pretty much completely gone at this point though, with the band now opting for shorter and simpler structures and themes. Stained Class had only been out for 6 months when Judas Priest got to work on a followup. For the first time, they were recording with the same lineup as the previous album. The result is a more comfortable sounding band and probably the most refined Judas Priest sound so far. For a producer, they went with James Guthrie who worked on their Better By You, Better Than Me cover.
Killing Machine saw the band embrace the mainstream more than ever before. Priest was filming music videos for the first time, appearing on Top of the Pops and writing stadium rock anthems. They had always been an album orientated band, releasing only one or two singles per album. This album had 3 singles though: Rock Forever, Take On the World and Evening Star. Take On the World proved to be a success for the band, charting at number 14 on the UK Top 40. It was the first Priest single to chart. Unfortunately though, it didn't go on to become the singalong classic that they were hoping for.
The band hadn't appeared on British TV since 1975 when they performed on The Old Grey Whistle Test. They made their long awaited return in 1978 when they performed on Top of the Pops for the first time. Although a mimed performance, people got to take a look at the band's new look and helped propel their eventual mainstream success. Not all features from the new Judas Priest live show were featured though, as Rob Halford wasn't allowed to use his whip due to objections from Marie Osmond, who was sharing the stage with Judas Priest.
The whips and leather weren't the only new addition to Judas Priest's stage show; this also saw the debut of Halford's motorcycle, which he bought for only $1. The company who sold hoped that it would serve as a promotional tool for their sinking business. Halford was also known to shoot blanks from a machine gun into the audience during Genocide. However this received complaints from the fire marshall and was quickly put to an end.
Killing Machine marked the start of a new era for the band. One filled with mainstream success, classic albums, and memorable world tours. The band was instrumental in making Heavy Metal a genre that could be enjoyed by the masses and Killing Machine is the start of that. This album may be overshadowed by its followup, but it very much sets the stage for British Steel and the 80's in general.
As the decade began to draw to a close and with 5 albums under their belt, it became time for Judas Priest to release their very first live album. Recorded live in Japan, Unleashed in the East has gone on to become a classic live album. It covers a good chunk of material, although it has nothing from the debut and is oddly lacking in material from the most recent album: Killing Machine. The original album only had 2 Killing Machine songs! Although the Japanese version contained a bonus 7" with 4 extra songs, including 3 from that album. These extra songs were later included on the 2001 remaster.
What I find particularly strange is the lack of Take On the World, given the band's intention of making it into a live favorite. Putting it on the live album would've probably helped its status.
The album is heavy on Sin After Sin and Sad Wings Of Destiny material though, which is nice because we get to hear how refined these songs have become after a few years. Especially the Sad Wings songs are heavily improved compared to their studio counterparts. The improved production also helps quite a bit.
Like most live albums, the authenticity of this recording remains to be a point of controversy among fans. Rob Halford eventually confirmed that while the music was indeed recorded live, the vocals had to be redone due to him suffering from a cold that compromised his performance.
Unleashed in the East became a massive success for the band. It was their highest selling album to date, reaching the US Top 100, the UK Top 10, and even achieved platinum status. It was the first of only 5 Judas Priest albums to do so. It remains a favorite among fans and is considered one of the classic live albums.
Sadly, this would go on to be the last release to feature Les Binks. With the band's increasingly commercial direction, the need was for less technical drumming and a more direct, simpler style. Binks and the band agreed that it was time to move on and the band began searching for a new drummer. Fortunately, he was not forgotten and his playing on the three albums he appeared on is still loved by the fans.
Binks stayed active after Judas Priest and was even a brief member of Lionheart in 1981 with Dennis Stratton from Iron Maiden. He's been in a number of bands in the British Metal underground and also worked with Tony Parsons, another Maiden veteran. Before Judas Priest, he played on Roger Glover's The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast, a concept album that was eventually staged in an opera. This album also featured the talents of Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale, and Ronnie James Dio.
Recently saw Loudness play Texas on their 30th anniversary tour of Thunder in the East. Opening band was from Texas called Love and War who ended their set with Delivering the Goods and they NAILED IT! Also remember when I saw on MTV back in the early 90's when Sebastian Bach and Rob Halford sang the song live on TV. Killer!
It is a crime Priest has not brought that song back to the live set.
It's a shame that the Holland discussion dominated this week's album, but I suppose it was inevitable. Also partly my fault, as I didn't have as much time to participate in the British Steel talk as I'd like. Anyway..
Point of Entry (1981)
North America/Japan Artwork
Coming off the heels of the highly successful British Steel album and tour, Judas Priest decided to use a similar formula for their next album. The result is the even more radio friendly Point of Entry. Where the previous album still maintained the rough edge and Metal power, this album showed the band's commercial influence to be higher than ever. Because of this, Point of Entry has been somewhat forgotten, especially compared to the previous and following albums.
Point of Entry was written with a unique approach for the band. Normally, they would write most of the album before hitting the studio, writing maybe one or two songs during the recording sessions. For this album, they decided to write and record everything spontaneously in the studio. Priest did write an entire album's worth of material, but scrapped it before recording sessions began. Perhaps a failed experiment, as far as I know they never did this again.
Judas Priest was not a band to stick to the same sound for too long; they were always willing to update their sound to stay relevant to current trends. While Point of Entry has its heavier moments such as Heading Out to the Highway and Desert Plains, it has a much larger focus on more radio friendly tunes like Don't Go and You Say Yes. Even the heavier songs have big choruses and "hit single" qualities.
Despite lacking in the Metal department, Point of Entry is not a bad album, it does have some nice moments. Desert Plains is a stellar live track and Solar Angels is a bit of a hidden gem. Of course the opener, Heading Out to the Highway, became a bit of a Priest "classic". And even if the songs sounded more commercial, they were at least good at writing catchy tunes. But obviously not what most fans look for in good Judas Priest material.
There were some issues with the artwork for this album. The band was unsatisfied with the ambiguous sleeve and attempted to have a new one designed for North America and Japan. Despite being somewhat more appropriate to the music, they found this new artwork to be even worse! Although this new sleeve did introduce the 3D Judas Priest logo that was used throughout the 80's.
Sadly, this album wasn't the big commercial hit that the band hoped for. In fact it was less successful than both the previous album and the following, Screaming for Vengeance. Perhaps this served as a wake up call for the band, that a heavier album was in order. Although Heading Out to the Highway did become a hit in the USA, cracking the top 10 singles chart. Two other singles were released, but were less successful.
In spite of the album's shortcomings, the 1981 World Wide Blitz Tour was a big success for the band and their biggest live show yet. Big lights, massive hydraulic platforms and a star shaped lighting rig helped create an over the top production that characterized the 80's well. Of course many old features were still present, such as Rob Halford's motorcycle. This tour also saw Glenn and KK's switch to wireless guitars, making it easier to run around stage.
Point of Entry might not have the same legacy as other albums from around this time and unfortunately seems to be forgotten by the band itself, but it does have its moments. Despite being a bit of a black sheep in the catalog, it does show the band in a transitional phase and in the grand scheme of things, it makes sense that they'd make this album. Judas Priest was still trying to figure out what worked and what didn't and now they had the experience needed to make the next couple albums. Two albums that are very highly regarded by Priest fans.
To my knowledge, POE was the first Priest vinyl LP to print the lyrics on the inner sleeve. Am I correct? If so, they waited a LONG time (7 LP's into their career) before finally printing the lyrics! Songs prior to this such as Saints In Hell and Raw Deal are VERY difficult to understand if you never had a lyric sheet to follow. Rush and Sabbath printed lyrics long before this so don't know why Priest waited so long.
Rob Halford – vocals
K. K. Downing – guitar
Glenn Tipton – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Dave Holland – drums
From the first note of Turbo, it becomes quite clear that listeners would be in for a surprise. No huge drum hits to start a epic twin guitar lead, no 16th note attack before heading into a riff, instead we're given the sound of a guitar synth! That's right, Judas Priest has discovered the world of synthesizers and were pushing into a very mainstream sound. And more importantly, Rob Halford had a mullet.
Coming off the heels of yet another album and tour, it was time for Priest to explore new horizons. After taking a hiatus from touring in 1985 (their only performance that year being a brief appearance at Live Aid), the band got to work on another album. The initial plan was to release a double album titled Twin Turbos. Recording sessions took place at Compass Point Studios in Nassau (a location that should be very familiar to Maiden fans) using brand new recording technology. In fact, Turbo holds the distinction for being the first Metal album recorded entirely digital. 19 songs were recorded, giving a glimpse at various Priest styles. The idea was to release it for the price of a single album, but the record label refused to go along with this. So instead, the band picked out the most commercial/up tempo songs and Turbo was born. As for the other songs, a few ended up appearing on Ram It Down and others were released as bonus tracks on remastered albums and box sets. As of 2014, only two songs from the Turbo sessions remain unreleased.
With the double album idea scrapped, Priest then set out to release a commercial hit. Influenced by Glam Metal bands such as Quiet Riot and The Scorpions, the idea was to create an album that could appeal to a wide audience. While the album sold well, the reception wasn't as great as the band had hoped. Fans were divided and many accused the band of selling out.
Lyrically, the album was also a departure from previous efforts. More "love" songs were present, as opposed to songs about Metal Messiahs and other fantasy themes. Parental Guidance was written as an attack on the PMRC, who listed Eat Me Alive on the infamous "Filthy Fifteen". This was a theme that was also popular in the late 80's, appealing to rebellious teenagers. The Twisted Sister influence is quite clear. The final line in this song also has a nod to You've Got Another Thing Comin'. The song Reckless was set to appear in the film Top Gun, but the band declined since they didn't expect the film to do well and it would mean not having the song appear on the album. Reckless also has the distinction of being one of the first Priest songs (along with Wild Nights, Hot and Crazy Days) to be recorded in an alternate tuning.
New grounds were also explored when it came to promoting this album. More elaborate music videos were made; Turbo Lover and Locked In had music videos that acted as a sort of "series", with similar plots, costumes, and special effects. And on top of the normal magazine ads and radio promos, the band even created TV commercials to promote the album!
The tour for this album was also huge. Priest was playing arenas around the world, with a huge elaborate stage show and new glamed up costumes. The setlist featured many live favorites from the 80's, with the only pre Killing Machine song being Victim of Changes. There was also a large focus on the latest album, with all but two songs being performed. This would be remembered as one of Priest's biggest tours ever and was immortalized in the live album/video titled Priest...Live!.
In retrospect, Turbo remains as one of the most controversial albums in the Priest catalog. While it has its moments and the band seemed to be quite clear with their intentions, it still leads to the question of whether or not they were "selling out". At the end of the day, it is clear that Priest do care for their fans and want to make music that can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. Commercial sounding singles weren't new to the band either. Priest has also never been a band to keep the same sound for too long, which I can appreciate, personally. Sometimes it involves some wrong turns, but it also breeds creativity and can result in some really great material. After all, we did get Painkiller because of this. And besides..
...I can respect this attitude much more than the "no taking risks" attitude of the new album.
Recorded in Atlanta, Georgia and Dallas, Texas on the Fuel For Life tour, this live album is a great snap shot of Priest at the top of their game in the 80's. Compared to the highly studio modified previous live album, Unleashed in the East, Priest...Live! features a much more live sound, and feels more like a live performance. It was also a longer album, being released as a double live album. This release also had a video counterpart. Recorded in Dallas, the video showcased the band's stunning visual performance and featured songs that weren't included on the original LP/CD. It was later released on DVD in the very awesome Electric Eye collection. Unfortunately, this album was a bit of a flop for Priest standards, only reaching gold. This is a shame as it's a very strong release and I would go as far as to call it one of my favorite live albums. The video is also a must.
The first thing listeners are greeted with when listening to Ram It Down is the sound of Rob Halford's piercing scream. A long time since we heard that! Coupled with the rest of the thrashy opening title track and the aggressive album artwork, could it be that the heavy metal Judas Priest is back? The tracklist seems to say so, with titles like 'Ram It Down', 'Heavy Metal', and 'Monsters of Rock'. Now these seem like metal song titles! Much moreso than 'Turbo Lover', 'Private Property', and 'Wild Nights, Hot and Crazy Days'. It's true, this is a much heavier effort than Turbo and overall a step in the right direction, though it still has a very polished production style and the commercial songs are still sprinkled throughout the album. Not to mention a severe lack of real drums, but I'll get to that later. Priest hasn't yet returned to pure metal, but they're halfway there.
In 1987, before the sessions for Ram It Down began, Priest was approached by their manager and asked to record a song for a movie titled Johnny Be Good What better song to record than Chuck Berry's classic 'Johnny B. Goode? True to Priest's aesthetic when recording cover songs, the band decided to put their own spin on the song. Interestingly, the band was asked to use Reckless from the previous album in the movie Top Gun, but they declined due to the fact that they wouldn't be able to include the song on Turbo. Ironically, there was no intent to include Johnny on the next album, but once it was completed, they decided to replace one of the songs (Thunder Road) with Johnny. The band caught some flak for this song, especially from many of their fans at home who felt like Priest was "selling out" to American audiences. It was true that they hadn't toured their home country in 4 years.
The band officially started the sessions for Ram It Down in December of 1987. To contrast Turbo, a songwriting approach similar to the earlier 80's albums was used: Several riffs written and then melded together to create a song. This helped create a more guitar riff driven album and contributed to the heavier sound. There were also some leftover songs from the Turbo sessions that were redone for this albums, including Monsters of Rock, Hard As Iron, and the title track. Interestingly, these are some of the heavier songs on this album. Apparently the band had little say in how the final product came out, presenting more songs to the label than needed, it was ultimately the record company's decision as to what made it on the album and what was left off. So like Turbo, there are a lot of songs from these sessions that never made it on the album. Of course these were later unveiled in box sets and bonus tracks for remasters.
The band intended to make a heavier album with Ram It Down, and there is a slight return to the roots in the lyrical and musical themes. Songs like Ram It Down and Monster of Rock praise the genre in a British Steel type attitude. This album also contains the beastly Blood Red Skies. The 8 minute epic is the 80's answer to Victim of Changes, and features Halford shrieks that hadn't been heard in years. You can also hear a sense of speed and aggression in Hard As Iron, complete with a soaring chorus.
Despite the heavier nature of the album, it still had a very polished sound with processed guitars and there was still a commercial nature to songs like Love Zone, Come and Get It, and of course Johnny B. Goode. To make matters worse, drummer Dave Holland wasn't able to attend most of the sessions so the majority of the album was recorded using a drum machine. Honestly, Holland's drumming was so stale in general that I can't tell which songs use real drums and which songs don't. This would become Holland's last appearance on a Priest album. This was also the band's last collaboration with produce Tom Allom (Not counting work on a live compilation A Touch of Evil). And with that, Ram It Down marks the end of yet another era in Judas Priest history. Appropriately closing out the decade of decadence.
Something strange occurred after Priest had some downtime upon completing Ram It Down. They were asked for a favour by their manager, to record with hit producers S/A/W. This was the company responsible for many of the cookie cutter hits in the 80's, including the internet's beloved Never Gonna Give You Up, by Rick Astley. So what was Judas Priest doing recording for this company? The band themselves never said too much on the subject, mostly writing these sessions off as "experiments" and for use if they were ever asked to record music for soundtracks, since this was a common thing for them at the time. Three songs were recorded during these sessions, two song written by the company titled Runaround and I Will Return, and a third cover song. As far as I know, these songs have never been released and there isn't a whole lot known about them. Even the intention of these recordings remains somewhat unclear. Even the reception of the band to the recordings has seen mixed reports.
Despite heavy promotion for this album constantly describing it as "hardcore metal" record and a return to the metal roots, Ram It Down didn't exactly have the reception the band hoped for. While there was heavier material than on Turbo, it still wasn't the Priest that most people knew and loved. The album was over processed and polished, lyrical themes were still often shallow and juvenile, and even during their heavier moments, anthems like Heavy Metal come off as a parody. Still a step in the right direction, and it's safe to say that on their next album, Judas Priest would finally get it right.
Saw Priest on this tour. Remember when the CD first released and a DJ was about to play MOR (this was back when rock and metal was still played on FM) and she guessed it would be the opening track of the tour (obviously long before the internet setlists postings existed). It was a good guess, but they surprised us by opening with TH/EE from SFV! Was shocked when they did NOT play BRS (but I did see them finally play it live 24 years later on the Epitaph tour!)!
This was the first Priest cassette to finally print the lyrcs in the foldout! Again, don't know why they waited so long. Maiden, Rush, and many other non metal bands such as Loverboy and the Police had already been printing the lyrics with the cassettes as early as 1983 (5 years prior to RID). Especially strange when you consider that back then cassettes far outsold the vinyl.
Holy shit, 3 months since the last update. So sorry for the delay. Life has been insanely busy these past few months and unfortunately this had to be the first thing to be put on hold. I can't guarantee consistent updates but hopefully they won't be coming three months at a time anymore! Without further ado:
Jugulator (1997)
The 90s were a turbulent decade for Judas Priest. Shortly after the Painkiller tour, Halford announced his departure from the band to further pursue his new band: Fight. For the first time in almost 20 years, Judas Priest was left without a singer. The future was looking bleak for Priest and the band was questioning whether they should even continue. After the release of the Metal Works collection, Priest mutually split with their longtime label: Columbia Records. Now label free without a singer and in a world where Metal was becoming increasingly less popular, it wasn't looking good for Priest. However this uncertainty didn't last long and by 1994 the band was began the search for a new vocalist.
The selection process turned out to be very lengthy, being delayed by several factors, including the making of Glenn Tipton's solo album. While Priest has never confirmed who they were considering for a replacement, a few singers have mentioned that they were invited to audition, including Ralph Sheepers of Gamma Ray, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, and Devin Townsend of Strapping Young Lad. However, the auditions were suddenly cancelled when Scott Travis received a tape of Tim "Ripper" Owens in his Priest garb singing with his Priest tribute band mentioned earlier. The band quickly invited him to audition and after hearing him nail Victim of Changes and The Ripper, there was no question that this was the guy for Priest.
After selecting Ripper as the vocalist, the album was made very quickly. All the lyrics and vocals had already been written but with Halford's voice in mind. While Ripper had made a name for himself imitating the Metal God, he still had his own voice and range, which the band wished to utilize. So some of the songs were reworked to better suit his vocals. Produced by K.K. and Glenn, Jugulator was stylistically similar to Painkiller in terms of heaviness, but also showed a progression in heaviness and a more modern sound to keep up with their contemporaries as usual. The anger and frustration over Halford's departure and the label issues are audible in the music. This is perhaps Priest's angriest album yet. Once again the band was rejuvenated and were not going to be stopped. Instead of finding a new major label to sign to, Priest started the independent Priest Records and signed distribution deals with several small international companies.
The album was met with very mixed reviews, with many fans disinterested in a Judas Priest without Rob Halford. The band's more modern direction was also subject to much criticism. It seemed like Judas Priest's glory days were long gone and that despite finding a singer and releasing a new album, the band's struggles were far from over. However, the band did score their 2nd Grammy nomination in the song Bullet Train.
Writing for this album was done solely by Downing and Tipton, with Glenn writing all the lyrics himself. While not a concept album, many of the songs depict similar themes of evil deeds and apocalyptic settings. Nothing too new for Priest and quite appropriate for the album's heavy sound. This album also contained Priest's longest song to date: Cathedral Spires. The album's closing epic. The band was still pushing forward and trying new ideas and techniques. They also tuned down the guitars for this album, going as low as C standard on Cathedral Spires. They also began tuning down to D at live concerts, to ease Ripper's vocals. This album also continued what has become a tradition at this point of including a song that appears in a movie. This time it was Blood Stained which also appears on the Bride of Chucky soundtrack.
Some loved it, some hated it, but one thing was certain: Judas Priest was back! If nothing else, Jugulator is at least worth listening to once. It's still Judas Priest and isn't a huge departure from what they were doing already.
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'98 Live Meltdown (1998)
While Jugulator did well in Japan and parts of Europe, Priest was going to have to work to win back much of the US fan base. As a result, the band ended up playing smaller venues than before. The setlist for this tour featured 5 songs from the new album and an onslaught of the older classics, spanning the band's entire career.
Following this was Priest's first live album since 1988's Priest...Live. I love this album. I picked it up on a whim before hearing any of the Ripper era albums and I was seriously impressed. Not just with his performance on the older material, but with the Jugulator songs as well. If you're not sold on those songs, I highly recommend checking out the live versions. They sound so much better than what was put on the original album and it's what I go to if I want to hear those songs. Unfortunately not all of the Jugulator songs are included. It would've been nice to hear Burn In Hell, Jugulator, and especially Cathedral Spires. Aside from that small complaint, this is an awesome album and really captures the energy of a Priest concert.
Saw Priest on this tour. Was shocked when they did not play the title track (especially considering the named the tour and album after it!) Actually wish they had played more material from the Jugulator LP live. Only played 2 songs on the date I saw. I agree that the Jugulator songs sound much better on 98 Live Meltdown.
To my knowledge, POE was the first Priest vinyl LP to print the lyrics on the inner sleeve. Am I correct? If so, they waited a LONG time (7 LP's into their career) before finally printing the lyrics! Songs prior to this such as Saints In Hell and Raw Deal are VERY difficult to understand if you never had a lyric sheet to follow. Rush and Sabbath printed lyrics long before this so don't know why Priest waited so long.
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