I have to get into this. Black Sabbath, beyond a shade of doubt.
Judas Priest are a great band, and when they hit the mark, it's really bulls eye material. I am talking Beyond the Realms of Death and Touch of Evil here. But just as often as they hit the mark, they miss it. For every Stained Class there is a Point of Entry, for every Painkiller there is a Ram it Down, for every Angel of Retribution, there is a Nostradamus. In short, for every diamond, there is a stinker. Also, I don't think any of their musicians are particularly exceptionable. Rob Halford is a good singer, but he's far from being the best ever. I'm not particularly fond of his shrieks, and while he has his stellar moments, he does bubble under sometimes. The guitarists are both again, good, but I don't really see them anywhere near the things Tony Iommi does. Only Scott Travis is a drummer that really does stick out to me. In short, I like Priest, I like getting my semi-regular dose of theirs, but they are far from being my favourite band.
With Black Sabbath, on the other hand, things are quite different. They did have a few failures in the late seventies, and I guess some of their nineties stuff is also not all that great, but the thing is, when they hit the mark, they completely destroy the target. What is there in the world of music that can compare to songs such as NIB, Children of the Grave, Heaven and Hell, Falling off the Edge of the World or When Death Calls? I've heard my share of heavy metal in my lifetime, and I have never, ever heard anything that comes close to it. Not even Iron Maiden can emulate the mood and spirit of the early Ozzy albums or the divinity of the first two Dio ones. I do prefer Maiden for other reasons when it comes down to it, but it's the closest call imaginable. I know it's cool to hate Ozzy, especially as a Maiden fan, and yes, he is quite far from being a technically brilliant singer. However, at least on the first couple of albums, it's not about that, but about the sinister, demonic mood he is transmitting. He sounds like a possessed devil of some sorts, and that's what the whole thing is supposed to be about. Not one single song by Judas Priest is so hauntingly memorable as the first five Sabbath albums. And that's just talking about Ozzy. Iommi is one of the greatest guitarists ever, perhaps the single most recognisable one in the world of heavy metal. Whether it's his riffs or his solos, you just always know who and what is behind it. And then, you have the Dio era. When Dio and Iommi come together, the chemistry and magic created is just beyond belief. Even on Dehumanizer, arguably one of the weakest post-Ozzy albums, you can feel it. The Tony Martin albums are great as well, even if they go a bit heavy on the aura thing and the qualities that made the early Ozzy and the Dio albums so special are lost a bit - but I still think that the worst Martin album is on the same level as the best Priest album.
I'm sorry, I like Priest, and they are better than quite a lot of bands out there, but against Black Sabbath, they don't have a hint of a chance.
