Redeemer of Souls (2014)
1. Dragonaut - Lightning and thunder introduce this record, which kicks off with a pretty typical Priest chord riff. I can already hear Richie Faulkner's influence in that pre-verse riff right before Halford starts belting with a ton of power. The chorus is alright, but not incredibly catchy. Faulkner lands on the scene with a modern, blistering solo full of techniques we're not used to hearing in Priest leads. He's clearly upping the musicianship around here. There's nothing new about this track, but it still kicks some ass. Serviceable, driving, upbeat Priest.
8/10
2. Redeemer of Souls - I immediately love the bouncy, swing feel. Once again, the riffs and vocals don't pave any new ground, but it's still enjoyable as hell. Rob sounds good, the chorus has a nice hook, we get a riff stolen straight out of King In Crimson, the solos are nice again, the overall vibe is heavy and fun. I get Maiden and Sabaton vibes (I mean, it's basically Gott Mit Uns). Sounds like it would be a killer live tune.
9/10
3. Halls of Valhalla - A fade in on track three? This one must be worth it. OH FUCK IT IS. The opening guitar work that plays off each other is awesome, even if the right channel (probably Glenn) sounds a little sloppy. Rob's opening "Valhalla!" shriek is rad. Holy shit what a pre-chorus and chorus. This song immediately jumps into my Top 10 Priest songs. The guitars in the bridge are incredible. I love when the band sticks to their guns and just focuses on the twin guitar attack. Faulkner seems to have infused Priest with new vigor while also bringing them back to their roots. WAIT A MINUTE DID HALFORD JUST DO A DEATH GRUNT AND THEN TURN IT INTO A PIERCING WAIL?! Fuck, this song rules.
10/10
4. Sword of Damocles - The bluesy guitar and drum intro to this song is awesome, especially when they sync up at the end. I love the vibe here. The main guitar harmony and the chorus are literally among the best in the entire Priest catalogue. "Truth will find its reward if you live and die by the sword," is one of the catchiest, most triumphant moments in the band's history. I don't love the verses or the bridge (Rob sounds a bit twee) BUT THEN they make it heavy and I guess I'm wrong 'cause it rules. This is gonna be one of those songs that I like more than most fans, isn't it?
10/10
5. March of the Damned - Well, I guess we had to come down from greatness at some point. There's nothing bad about March of the Damned, it's just a little pedestrian. I do really love the Megadeth spider riff during the chorus, but I find the verse melodies cloying and the chorus boring. Sure, we get some insane shredding, but overall this one is meh.
6/10
6. Down in Flames - The intro to this song is outstanding, but gets cut off and only returns for a brief section before the final chorus. The rest of song is paint-by-numbers Priest and is vastly inferior to the intro. The lyrics are insipid, clunky, and uninspired. Not even Richie Faulkner's cool texturizing riffs can save this one.
4/10
7. Hell and Back - Our only ballad-like moment so far on the album opens this track, which is an average mid-tempo stomper. I'll give it one thing: it sounds like classic Priest. This could have been on any 80's Priest record and been remembered as one of the lesser tracks there too. It's just kinda boring. Halford again fumbles with the lyrics, writing another slew of vague words that sound uplifting. The last minute is pretty cool, but it doesn't save the rest of the tune.
5/10
8. Cold Blooded - We are once again treated to some really awesome guitar interplay during the intro. Faulkner and Tipton make a really good pair. I feel like Faulkner has an inherently melodic playing style that works really well with Tipton's axe-work. There's nothing super noteworthy about this track either, though the post-chorus Eastern-ish riff is badass (as-is the dynamic drumming and guitar work that leads into the solos). The musical progression throughout a lot of this album is unexpected and I love it, I just wish the meat of some of these tunes was as good as these instrumental parts.
6/10
9. Metalizer - The band pulls out the thrash here with a very fast guitar riff and some cool hits from the bass and drums. It's another letdown, though, as the lyrics and vocal melodies don't really do anything interesting with the exception of the chorus. Everything feels clunky here, especially the bridge and ending vocals. It's at the lower end of Judas Priest songs that end with -ER.
4/10
10. Crossfire - I appreciate that the band had the confidence to just throw a heavy classic blues rock song on here. I dig it. Rob sounds really passionate and the big drum stops help create a sense of dynamic urgency. A change of pace in the middle breathes new life into the song before bringing it back down into the wah-drenched blues jam. The lyrics here are pointed to religious extremists with some nice anger. I like this tune a lot.
8/10
11. Secrets of the Dead - The intro here is wonderfully moody again and the riff that follows finally lives up to it! The verses are crushing and diabolical, the chorus eery and dark. Secrets of the Dead takes the listener on a sonic journey and everything is successful here. Rob's vocal runs in the chorus and the guitar leads and riff changes during the bridge are epic. The only thing that knocks this song down a point is the cheesy speaking part before the final chorus. I get it, but it's just a little too lame. Otherwise, this is a great Priest track. It feels like a lot of
Nostradomus distilled down into a single song, which works.
9/10
12. Battle Cry - Grab the power metal chalice for this one! It's a driving, ripping, blast of a tune, but Rob sounds like he just might be too old for this type of song. He's pushing really hard here and even his falsetto work sounds thin. I like the half-time section and another instance of (I assume Richie) shredding away behind the singing. Still a fun song, though.
7/10
13. Beginning of the End - Ending with a ballad, huh? Interesting choice. I like it. There's a lot of mood packed into this song. Rob sounds good, the guitars are soulful, the chorus is catchy, there's not much to dislike. A bit of a downer for the closer, but it's got more structure and heft than some previous Priest ballads.
8/10
ALBUM RATING - 7.2/10
The good songs on
Redeemer of Souls are some of the absolute best since
Painkiller, but it would have been a much album if they had cut out some of the fat in the middle. They've definitely recaptured the sound of classic Priest, plus some welcome new stuff, but I think the inspiration is still a bit lacking in the lyrics.
Bonus Tracks:
Snakebite - Classic four on the floor, classic Priest pedal riffs, classic song about penises. Good bluesy solos. This would have been a decent track on an 80s Priest album, but I can see why it didn’t fit here.
7/10
Tears of Blood - A moody harmonized guitar intro bleeds into a driving pedal riff. I wish we had stuck in that intro a little longer or that it had more relevance to the rest of the track. The mid-tempo chorus is a nice touch. I love the guitar work during the bridge, especially the harmonized part. A good song.
8/10
Creatures - This one feels underdeveloped. The main riff fits the lyrical theme, but it just feels too simplistic when played under the (also simplistic) vocal melodies. The chorus vocals are a little lazy. A mediocre, kinda clunky track, despite some killer Eastern-tinged leads and riffing during the bridge. If they had turned that bridge idea into a whole song it would’ve been better than this. The outro is cool, though. I’ll bump this up to a
7/10.
Bring It On - A rehash of all those terrible album closing stadium tracks from the 70s/80s albums. It’s equally boring and uninspired.
2/10
Never Forget - The sentiment here is actually believable. It’s a nice odd to the fans and the playing is very beautiful. It’s not a top track and feels a bit like the template for a star-studded group sing-a-long to benefit 9/11 victims or something, but good on Priest for going full on sappy.
7/10
There's some much better songs in the bonus tracks, but I can completely understand why they weren't on the album based on subject matter.
