Judas Priest

Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)

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Victim of Changes - 9/10
The song is super fun and the hook is great, but I really hate the section right before the solos. Everything is else is great. This sounds more like what I was expecting from this band! The second part is cool and very 70s sounding. It’s evident that Rob is coming into his voice. In fact, he’s coming into two voices: the full chested, great diction, depth-filled Rob and the shrieking, demonic, thin voiced Halford. The ending is a giant rallying cry to the people: this is where the band is going.

The Ripper - 8/10
The twisted guitar on this song is amazing. The tonality is so dark, especially for the time. I do really enjoy the riffs and leads, but some of the production choices leave me confused and cold. Why does the whole band stop during that main riff? It could have been so much more powerful with some percussive hits. Also, and I know this will be sacrilegious to every fan here, but Halford’s singing bugs me. I just want him to sing the melody. There’s something to be said for performing the part, but his talk-singing, elastic melodies just grate on me here. Part of that reason is they’re mixed way too loud. Also, this ends exactly the same as Victim of Changes. Still, a very strong song. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m excited to hear Ripper’s live versions of The Ripper.

Dreamer Deceiver - 10/10
Rob’s back! Man, his singing at the top of this song is marvelous. Even when he transitions into Halford it sounds great. Side note: I think I just discovered where Iced Earth got the template for all of their ballads. Another song, another Tipton solo and I gotta say I’m loving his playing. It’s melodic, it’s understated, and I’m starting to see the Adrian Smith comparisons. His lead here is wonderful. However, can we get one song that doesn’t end with the same Halford shriek climax?

Deceiver - 7/10
Love the groove, love the energy, but I haaaaaaaate that second verse. Halford crams a thousand words into a line that would’ve sounded better delivered straight. Nice acoustic recall at the end.

Prelude - 6/10
It’s a nice piece of music, but the power would I’m sure be different if I were listening to this as Side B of a Record with a pause before it. As just another track on a playlist it loses power.

Tyrant - 9/10
I really love this song. The riffs are big and chunky, the vocals are great (especially that post-chorus). I actually think the weakest parts here are the solos, which get a little clunky, but otherwise this tune rocks. Hey look, another Halford shriek ending!

Genocide - 5/10
This song does nothing for me. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, it just feels stock and a little forced. The chorus isn’t great. The “slice to the left, slice to the right” section is actively silly. I just don’t really get it. Halford’s tone is also a bit grating here.

Epitaph - 6/10
This is a strange little Elton John-meets-Queen song indeed. Rob’s in full-on Broadway mode, but the chorus of Halfords is mixed too loud and makes the proceedings sillier than they should be. The bridge vocals are great, makes me really curious to hear more piano ballads from Rob. It’s a nice little song, but ultimately too odd to be a favorite. Oh, and that “memory-pain” line is atrocious.

Island - 6/10
I want to like this song so much more than I do. It’s easily the proggiest song yet, but the vocal performance and melodies annoy the crap out of me. That bluesy middle riff is great though.

Album rating - 7.3/10
 
MrKnickerbocker said:
Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)

1000x1000.jpg


Victim of Changes - 9/10
The song is super fun and the hook is great, but I really hate the section right before the solos. Everything is else is great. This sounds more like what I was expecting from this band! The second part is cool and very 70s sounding. It’s evident that Rob is coming into his voice. In fact, he’s coming into two voices: the full chested, great diction, depth-filled Rob and the shrieking, demonic, thin voiced Halford. The ending is a giant rallying cry to the people: this is where the band is going.

The Ripper - 8/10
The twisted guitar on this song is amazing. The tonality is so dark, especially for the time. I do really enjoy the riffs and leads, but some of the production choices leave me confused and cold. Why does the whole band stop during that main riff? It could have been so much more powerful with some percussive hits. Also, and I know this will be sacrilegious to every fan here, but Halford’s singing bugs me. I just want him to sing the melody. There’s something to be said for performing the part, but his talk-singing, elastic melodies just grate on me here. Part of that reason is they’re mixed way too loud. Also, this ends exactly the same as Victim of Changes. Still, a very strong song. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m excited to hear Ripper’s live versions of The Ripper.

Dreamer Deceiver - 10/10
Rob’s back! Man, his singing at the top of this song is marvelous. Even when he transitions into Halford it sounds great. Side note: I think I just discovered where Iced Earth got the template for all of their ballads. Another song, another Tipton solo and I gotta say I’m loving his playing. It’s melodic, it’s understated, and I’m starting to see the Adrian Smith comparisons. His lead here is wonderful. However, can we get one song that doesn’t end with the same Halford shriek climax?

Deceiver - 7/10
Love the groove, love the energy, but I haaaaaaaate that second verse. Halford crams a thousand words into a line that would’ve sounded better delivered straight. Nice acoustic recall at the end.

Prelude - 6/10
It’s a nice piece of music, but the power would I’m sure be different if I were listening to this as Side B of a Record with a pause before it. As just another track on a playlist it loses power.

Tyrant - 9/10
I really love this song. The riffs are big and chunky, the vocals are great (especially that post-chorus). I actually think the weakest parts here are the solos, which get a little clunky, but otherwise this tune rocks. Hey look, another Halford shriek ending!

Genocide - 5/10
This song does nothing for me. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, it just feels stock and a little forced. The chorus isn’t great. The “slice to the left, slice to the right” section is actively silly. I just don’t really get it. Halford’s tone is also a bit grating here.

Epitaph - 6/10
This is a strange little Elton John-meets-Queen song indeed. Rob’s in full-on Broadway mode, but the chorus of Halfords is mixed too loud and makes the proceedings sillier than they should be. The bridge vocals are great, makes me really curious to hear more piano ballads from Rob. It’s a nice little song, but ultimately too odd to be a favorite. Oh, and that “memory-pain” line is atrocious.

Island - 6/10
I want to like this song so much more than I do. It’s easily the proggiest song yet, but the vocal performance and melodies annoy the crap out of me. That bluesy middle riff is great though.

Album rating - 7.3/10
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Victim of Changes: 10/10. It's better than Hallowed be Thy Name in my opinion.
The Ripper: 9/10
Dreamer Deceiver: 10/10 Great vocals by Rob.
Deceiver: 8.5/10
Tyrant: 10/10 Awesome riffs.
Genocide: 9/10. It's an awesome song with great riffs
Island of Domination: 9.5/10 Great guitar breakdown in the middle.

I agree that Epitaph and Prelude are the weakest songs.

I would give Sad Wings of Destiny a 9/10. It's one of Judas Priest best records.
 
Talk singing, elastics, performance art... I rather look at it like this:

An important strength of Halford lies in aggressive, fast and rhythmic singing. He shoots his words like a machine gun. Not a constant salvo but more percussive. With intervals and some shots are more explosive than others (louder accents). Unusual perhaps because many others do not and cannot sing like that. And I admit that there are several moments where I cannot understand what he says without reading the lyrics. But I never had to get used to it. I admire his timing. He can deliver fast and cram in all these words. With all these accents and the rhythmic aspect, one does not often need straightness nor melody.
 
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The jump in quality from Rocka Rolla to Sad Wings is astounding. The only other band that comes close (that I can think of off the top of my head at least) is Dream Theater with WDADU to Images & Words. I'd take everything on Sad Wings over anything on Rocka Rolla (not counting Prelude and Epitaph). The bluesy influence from the previous album still shows up in songs like Genocide and Island of Domination but it just works so much better here. It's heavier and more adventurous. Mellower moments have been more refined and don't plod like on the previous album. Some really great melodic moments and awesome heavy riffing. Rob Halford really comes into his own here too with some of his most incredible vocals in the band. I'll agree that he's still figuring things out, but it's still a very impressive recording that holds up in many ways. Victim of Changes and Dreamer Deceiver in particular stand out. Another one that always impressed me was The Ripper. It's such a short song but it has so much content. One of their most exciting tracks and it barely misses the three minute mark. On the other hand, Victim of Changes comes close to 8 minutes but not a single second feels like a waste. It also has one of the most exciting climaxes in Metal.

I'll join the Victim of Changes is better than Hallowed camp, although that's an unfair comparison for me because Victim of Changes is top 5 Priest while I wouldn't even put Hallowed in my top ten Maiden. To me, Victim is more dynamic, exciting, and all around more exciting. Also better vocals (Hallowed suffers from wordy Harris lyrics).

Anyway a very special album all around, partly because it sounds like nothing else Priest has done.

Some fun facts about the album:

The sides were actually mixed up. The album was meant to start with side 2 (starting with Prelude) and end with Deceiver. A later CD version fixed this but that was super recent, so I don't think anyone truly listens to it that way. I tried it once and it didn't really make much of a difference to me. You could start the album with either side and it would have the same effect, although I think ultimately the way it was released was best because it has an incredibly strong start and hooks you in right away. Side 2 isn't as good.

Some versions of the album (mostly US pressings I believe) omitted Prelude. Not sure why, but again the album doesn't really lose anything by not having it.
 
I prefer Rocka Rolla to Sad Wings Of Destiny any day of the week. I find that the latter sounds incredibly dated owing to the aweful production. Having said that, Judas Priest have always sounded better live than in the studio.
 
@MrKnickerbocker perhaps I am too late but you never know. Please wait with listening to Sin After Sin. There's something I'd like to point out in advance, if possible. I'll try to do it tonight. The albums were remastered in 2001 and some things went wrong with the cutting between the last three tracks on this album: Raw Deal / Here Come the Tears / Dissident Aggressor. I'll point it out more exactly but I hope you'll get a good idea of the correct starting and ending moments. On YouTube there are several wrong cuttings, so to speak. Lifted from these remastered CD's.
 
Sad Wings of Destiny is a massive improvement from the debut. There's still some throwback in the songwriting department to the first album but they're beginning to emphasize the things that will became their trademarks. The title track is a Priest classic for a reason. Massive main riff, memorable vocal melodies in the verses by Halford, a mellow piece, two great solos...The finale with Halford screaming his lungs out. All great and makes for an even better live song. The ultimate version of this songs is probably from Unleashed In The East, which is a fantastic performance. I don't really want to compare it to Hallowed, but if I have to then I think musically I probably do prefer Victim of Changes - But lyrically I don't think it's as strong. The theme about a woman losing herself/fading away due to alcoholism and in the process ruins a relationship, is just not as epic as the lyrics to Hallowed :D

The Ripper is also really fantastic. Again, Riffs! Sharp and punchy. Great Halford performance.

Dreamer Deceiver - another fantastic performance by Halford here who really carries the entire song on his shoulder. My favorite moment in this song, perhaps even on the whole album, is that "He said in the cosmos is a single sonic sound/That is vibrating constantly/And if we could grip and hold on to the note/We would see our minds were free...oh they're free" which is introduced by that very quick Spanish flamingo guitar bit. Just love that part! I've never been able to understand just what the song is actually about though.....Very spacey lyrics.

Deceiver and Tyrant are both great. Again guitar riffs and Halfords voice in perfect unison.

The last couple of tracks don't seem all that memorable to me. I can't really recall them that much. I have a pretty big dislike for Epitaph though, I don't like the cabaret style with it's piano, Queen-ish choirs and Halfords singing style. Woulden't mind if it was left off the album to be honest :D
 
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Forostar said:
@MrKnickerbocker perhaps I am too late but you never know. Please wait with listening to Sin After Sin. There's something I'd like to point out in advance, if possible. I'll try to do it tonight. The albums were remastered in 2001 and some things went wrong with the cutting between the last three tracks on this album: Raw Deal / Here Come the Tears / Dissident Aggressor. I'll point it out more exactly but I hope you'll get a good idea of the correct starting and ending moments. On YouTube there are several wrong cuttings, so to speak. Lifted from these remastered CD's.
Click to expand...
@MrKnickerbocker this full album vid on YouTube ...
... makes the correct separations in between the songs:
A: Raw Deal and Here Come the Tears and
B: Here Come the Tears and Dissident Aggressor.

ad A: Here Come the Tears should start (as in vid: 07 Here Come the Tears 32:55) with the dreamy calm opening chord and Halford's opening lyrics:

Once I dreamed that love would come and sweep me up away
Now it seems life's passed me by, I'm still alone today
Here come the tears

The song ends with an explosion. When the explosion fades away, slowly new music (with sound (guitar?) effects), fades in, leading to a riff. That signals the beginning of the next track: Dissident Aggressor: 08 Dissident Aggressor 37:30 (ad B ).

The remasters (and lots of MP3's) fucked all this up and made Here Come the Tears start later: with the acoustic guitar, as if the intro belongs to the end of the previous song Raw Deal. Blasphemy! And if I remember well, they also fucked up the end of Here Come the Tears: the start of the explosion suddenly became the beginning of Dissident Aggressor!

Enjoy this album. Headphones recommended! It is my favourite album of the seventies. Not in the least because of the insanely awesome drums by a 19 year old Simon Phillips. :notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:
 
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Thankfully the version on Spotify seems to have all the tracks listed and mixed correctly! I already listened to it once and my first impression was relatively positive. We'll see how it changes after a few more spins!
 
Forostar said:
ad A: Here Come the Tears should start (as in vid: 07 Here Come the Tears 32:55) with the dreamy calm opening chord and Halford's opening lyrics:

Once I dreamed that love would come and sweep me up away
Now it seems life's passed me by, I'm still alone today
Here come the tears

The song ends with an explosion. When the explosion fades away, slowly new music (with sound (guitar?) effects), fades in, leading to a riff. That signals the beginning of the next track: Dissident Aggressor: 08 Dissident Aggressor 37:30 (ad B ).

The remasters (and lots of MP3's) fucked all this up and made Here Come the Tears start later: with the acoustic guitar, as if the intro belongs to the end of the previous song Raw Deal. Blasphemy! And if I remember well, they also fucked up the end of Here Come the Tears: the start of the explosion suddenly became the beginning of Dissident Aggressor!

Enjoy this album. Headphones recommended! It is my favourite album of the seventies. Not in the least because of the insanely awesome drums by a 19 year old Simon Phillips. :notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:
Click to expand...

My remastered version is all fine. I guess they might have fixed the problem at some point.

Great album, one of my favourites from the band.
 
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