That back catalog? Man, these guys have created masterpieces and dogs alike (sometimes within the same album). "Screaming for Vengeance" was my first taste and, at 13'ish, it seemed like the heaviest substance on Earth ('The Hellion' may still be the best intro to any album), and I easily followed them through "Defenders of the Faith". Saw them on that tour, even. I can't listen to either of those records anymore. I've grown backwards, Benjamin Button style, with these guys. The older records sounded too small and rock 'n' roll for my burgeoning metalhead self of 14. Now they sound like dark classics. It's almost as if, in the early 80's, the Priest were dumbing themselves down to meet me and my friends on our level and now, all grown up and metal smart, I've come around to their early stuff. Suddenly, in 2014, we are meeting as peers. Yes I do believe their career has revolved around me. You have evidence to the contrary?
Why do I dig this record so much? You do ask good questions, Greg. It feels like Priest (minus Glenn Tipton unfortunately. That hair!) just set out to make a solid piece of metal without any of the trappings of sounding current or making some misguided epic ("Nostradamus". Yeesh). I think that is easier said than done as Priest have been all over the map stylistically. Are they the Bowie of metal? Give me another 1000 words and I can probably talk myself into believing that. So how do you make a classic Priest album? You say "fuck it" and just write song after song revolving around massive, galloping riffs and bare chested mountain top choruses. You keep it stripped down to the basics but still sound larger than life. And you just let Rob Halford take care of the rest. Holy crap does Halford sound amazing.
Highlights for the lazy? Let's see. Try 'Halls of Valhalla' out and see if you aren't ready to fight to the death. I'm listening right now and I have to stop typing from time to time to hit that air ride cymbal to my right. I feel no shame. Heck, Priest even out Sabbaths Sabbath by throwing in a li'l blues with "Crossfire". Right, you know and I know but maybe Greg doesn't know that Priest brought metal to its most recognizably metal by eliminating the blues. Sabbath are clearly the first metal band but they were still using a blues template. By eliminating the blues, Priest gave metal its metallic edge. In fact, most of the early 80's speed metal stylistically stemmed from what Priest were doing more than Sabbath. Slayer's "Show No Mercy" is basically Priest played 4 times faster. What was I talking about? Who cares. Let's talk "Metalizer", possible my favorite song of the year. It may have earned that honor on name alone. That said, it kind of distills all things metal into one tidy bundle: crazy fast riffing, double bass drumming, and Halford alternating between high pitched screaming and deep throated (no pun intended) guttural singing. And and and....it's called Metalizer and is about, I'm guessing, a guy who metalizes? No matter, I can't get enough of this song, man.
Oh look, this actually came out like a review more than I intended. Great. I think in my head I assumed it was going to be about me being old and into metal and how comforting it is when a band you've worn like an old shoe for years pops up and blows your mind unexpectedly. I think at this point you guys can just read all that subtext between the lines without having me shove it down your throat (no pun intended). Just know I never really expected to put another Priest record into the rotation but I'm just as inclined to put on "Redeemer of Souls" as "Stained Class" now. And, heck, I'd say that's pretty cool.
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