In the
days of yore, when pop music meant something, it was filled with nourishing
musical ideas and showed the tides of progress.
But then something happened, the ability for it to fill our soul has
nearly vanished, and the masses are starved on good music. There’s the occasional quality track that
stays good after multiple spins, but it has gotten to the moment where even
good pop music gets stale. We live in a
white-bread world in mainstream music.
However, there’s salvation from the drek that the masses need to know
about. In the words of Marie Antoinette,
or more accurately The Rods quoting her: “LET THEM EAT METAL!”
Hello degenerates,
heathens, weirdos, and deviants. I am the Rock Otaku, and I’m here to
show you worlds such as hard rock, metal, punk, alternative rock, movies, TV,
anime, video games, and anything that makes us scream for vengeance.
This is a new series
dedicated to the best that heavy metal can offer. As you will read, I will take you on a
journey though the annals of heavy metal’s storied history from its beginning
in early 70s, its crystallization in the late 70s and early 80s, its
breakthrough into mainstream conscience in the early to mid-80s, its maturation
in the late 80s and 90s, its dominance (sort of) in the 2000s and even today,
and the rare moments that very few talk about unless in the company of
like-minded fans. Not in that order, but
I’ll be looking at the footnotes oh metal history in the order I desire. In short, this new series is about metal,
plain and simple.
What better way to
start than to look into one of the more important albums to be released when
heavy metal was just one genre and state of mind before the splintering caused
by coke, bimbos, Reagan and Thatcher.
The year was 1982, and arguably traditional heavy metal had both its
last major hurrah or truly became mainstream and rewrote the rules of pop and
rock almost forever. The L.A. movement
was gaining traction while the New Wave of British Heavy Metal took the torch
of angry and dangerous music from punk and helped sink new wave with its
drag-wearing Californian brothers in arms.
Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Motörhead, Saxon, and countless others made a
splash in across the globe, and they were lead in their denim and
leather-fueled charge by Judas Priest.
Starting in the late
60s/early 70s, they came out of Birmingham (the same English town that birthed
Black Sabbath) with a heavy rock ‘n’ roll style that would inspire hundreds of
bands in the years they played. Their
seventies work included the usually-never-talked-about Rocka Rolla, the haunting Sad
Wings of Destiny, the heavy Sin After
Sin, Stained Class, which birthed
their iconic logo, and Killing Machine
aka. Hell Bent For Leather in the
US. During this time, they kept getting
heavier and more aggressive, that is until they released their 6th
album, the iconic British Steel, and
an album that I plan on covering in this series due to its status. Then Point
of Entry happened, and they ended up with another
usually-never-talked-about album, despite some success with “Heading Out to the
Highway.” After that, they released the
album I’m covering today: Screaming For
Vengeance.
Considered their true
commercial breakthrough and the moment where they became heavy metal staples,
Judas Priest made an album that is considered a metal masterpiece. While I could discuss the impact further, let
me tell you my story about this classic.
Like many young geeky guys my age, I was introduced to this album, and
Judas Priest in general, through “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” in Guitar
Hero. Around this time, I was more
fixated on bands like Aerosmith, Van Halen, Guns N’ Roses, Scorpions, and
whoever was playing on the radio alongside the soundtracks for modern Sonic
games. But it wasn’t until my interest
in harder rock and metal blossomed into being before the Guitar Hero, and later
Rock Band, franchises started dominating my focus.
However, it took me
three to four years (I started playing Guitar Hero seriously in 2007) before I
ended up finding this album in my mall’s FYE store, bundled with the equally
iconic British Steel. Because my metal
focus was more on iconography over personal preferences (with that playing into
certain album choices that time as well), I decided to buy them and add them to
my metal collection, which included Metallica, Iron Maiden, Dio, Motley Crue,
A7X, Mastodon, Slipknot, Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch, and Pantera. As a result, I gained a greater appreciation
of this legendary band outside of the hits (while I managed to pass
“Painkiller” in Rock Band 2 at this point), and my metalhead-status, I felt,
was even more proven, even after having, at the time, ALL of Metallica’s 80s
discography. As a result, there’s a sense
of nostalgia I have toward this album, as it was one of the albums I listened
to during my early semesters at Georgia Tech, even when I wasn’t popular,
getting straight A’s, or realizing just how hard things really were. Let’s just say this was one form of relief
from the pains I had at the time alongside, later, anime.
And now today, with
more words on later works or moments of my life I can retell depending on the
album, I’ve decided to give this album, with what was ultimately my first
introduction to Judas Priest, even if I didn’t know it at the time on by
brother’s PS2, the track-by-track review it deserves. If you think that this is a fruitless effort
on my part, and that I’m wasting my time here, then you’ve got another thing
comin’. Here’s my review of the iconic Screaming For Vengeance, starting with:
1.
The Hellion:
(Usually, both this
song and the next are lumped together, so I’ve decided to show that)
Starting this album is
this haunting instrumental opener.
Featuring one of the most iconic guitar licks ever recorded in heavy
metal, this is crafted around a melody that signals the descent of The Hellion,
a mechanical bird of prey that acts in the name of revenge on the unsuspecting
population below. It also shows how in
sync K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton are as co-lead guitarists once the dual
harmonies kick in. But as most Rhythm
game fans know, as well as those that have played Brütal Legend, this is a
great introductory track that segues perfectly into the next track…
2.
Electric Eye:
Starting off with one
of the best guitar intros in a metal song, “Electric Eye” makes it known that
Judas Priest are not toying around or playing coy, they are here to
dominate. Once the palm-muted riff
begins, Rob Halford starts his vocal rampage, telling the story of a
surveillance A.I. that tracks down those that would be a threat to the
totalitarian order and exterminates them on sight, the machine the song is
named after. The pre-chorus and chorus
reinforces this with lyrics like “I am perpetual/I keep the country clean” and
“I protect the Electric Eye” respectively.
Plus that guitar solo is something of beauty, a showcase of Glenn
Tipton’s talents as a guitar player.
This song is so iconic and so metal that you need to listen to it on
your own (especially with “The Hellion” added to the opening). There’s more to talk about, but I’m sure metal
scholars have already dissected this song enough to reveal every crook and
nanny about it, so moving on. A truly
badass song by a badass band for badass men (and women as well, let’s be inclusive about this).
3.
Riding on the Wind:
However, if there’s
one quality that Judas Priest are known for, a quality that has allowed them to
make heavy metal reach demographics that were unheard of in the 80s, one that
crossed the glam rockers and heshers, it’s their tendency to be badass. With this track, Judas Priest prove that
point in spades with a catchy riff that exudes manliness, a driving beat, and
lyrics that deal with how fast, loud, and large they tend to do things. The verses give off a sense of confidence,
with larger-than-life imagery alongside a chorus that screams confidence. The song is punctuated with a dual guitar
solo that adds to the confidence Judas Priest have in their craft. This is the kind of song that increases
confidence in the listener, like the best heavy metal when not dealing with
darkness. This song, as well as the last
two, is proof that Judas Priest are a badass band for badass people that do
badass things.
4.
Bloodstone:
This song’s guitar
intro, going into the main riff is the stuff of legends, showing the band’s
penchant for melodic badassitude. I’m
not sure what a bloodstone is entirely, but it sounds badass, and it allows for
a really catchy concert staple (not sure if it ever got radio play unless rock
radio was desperate at the time).
Ensuring the catchiness of the song, which ensures that you’ll be
headbanging throughout, is the aforementioned riff, being extremely hummable as
well as something you can take to the gym when you’re goal is to beat Son Goku
in a fight (or at least Krillen). There’s
the repeat of the title in the song and Rob Halford’s vocals, which sell the
lyrics, which deal with what I’m sure is being beaten down and dealing with
society’s gunk as well as a bloodstone, while demanding to be left out of the
nonsense, with aplomb. Plus, there’s a
great guitar moment that changes the key of the song before entering the guitar
solo, which falls under dueling guitars with each getting their own half. In short, this is another ode to badassitude
by a badass band for badass people who perform badass acts.
5.
(Take These) Chains:
Ladies, gentlemen, and
children of all ages, welcome to the first ballad. Written by Bob Halligan Jr., who would later
pen “Some Heads Are Gonna Roll” for the band, the song deals with a
relationship that Rob Halford is dealing with that causes him to suffer
emotional pain, despite being currently miles away. As a result, he feels “chained” to the love
of his ex, and demands that they be removed from his heart. Sappiness aside, the starts with clean
guitars before being driven by distorted (you know, rock/metal) guitars,
palm-muted chords included, for the rest of the song as well as a tight rhythm section
from Ian Hill and Dave Holland. As for
Robby, his vocal performance is lower, but more emotional and conflicted,
dealing with the loss and desire to move on from the lyrics. Again, you get a well-crafted solo with the
feel to add to the song’s tone from Glenn Tipton. Overall, this is a badass AMV-friendly rocker
from a badass band for badass people with badass relationships.
6.
Pain and Pleasure:
Now we go from broken
relationships to sexy time, courtesy of these metal gods. While the last 5 songs had a driving beat,
even when mid-tempo (great for long-distance highway drives), this song is
clearly written for time in the bedroom.
What I mean is that the beat decreases in speed, set to a tempo that can
get any girl wet and guy horny, but there seems to be a more, well, desperate
tone to this as well. Fittingly, the
music is as hard and heavy as usual, with an air of sleaziness based around the
beat, with the guitars from Glenn and K.K., bass from Ian, and drums from Dave pushing
the music into sexual desire. Adding to
that is Rob’s vocal delivery, with shows his steamy side. For the lyrics, they are slightly more
tsundere than expected, dealing with both the pain and pleasure of a lustful
relationship with an air of S&M (look at Rob’s fashion sense). Plus, there’s another killer guitar solo. This steamy metal jam, which may make for a
pretty good Kämpfer AMV, is another slab of badass rock from these badass
rockers, made for badass people with badass lovemaking techniques.
7.
Screaming for
Vengeance:
Well, you can’t be
driven by love and lust all the time, so back to the odes to badassery. This song may be the musical equivalent to
screaming “WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?!”
And if anyone ever got that reference as well as the references from a
few entries, I wonder what your favorite anime from this year is. As for the song, that Gurren Lagaan line sums
it up as well as the title itself, dealing with being put down in life and
telling the oppressors that put you down to GTFO. To match that, Rob Halford delivers some
killer screams, K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton deliver killer riffs and a dual solo
that ends with a dual guitar harmony, Ian Hill delivers killer bass lines (when
audible), and Dave Holland, while not the best or most technical drummer they
ever had, delivers some killer drums. If
I were to say what the song’s best aspect is, it really is the fact that it has
a killer sing-along chorus, one that is best, well, screamed at the top of your
lungs. And the fact that the guitar
parts are awesome. This badass song from
this badass band is definitely for badass people with badass goals, may they
include becoming King of the Pirates, Hokage, slaying every Titan in the world,
or just restoring your lost limbs and younger brother’s body by finding a
Philosopher’s Stone (this coming from someone who’s not a huge Naruto fan).
8.
You’ve Got Another
Thing Comin’:
Speaking of badass,
this is an ode to how badass Judas Priest are in general, and how not acknowledging
that could be your doom. This song is so
awesome, manly, badass, daring, and other adjectives for awesome that it eats
Drake’s “The Motto” like gummy bears (not the cartoon, the candies). Screw, YOLO, this song’s title is the motto
to live by. I could explain how the
savage yet accessible riff, the sense of cool, Rob Halford’s vocal delivery,
the driving drums, and the guitar solo from Glenn Tipton that should be learned
by every aspiring metal guitarist (thanks for making it DLC, Rocksmith), but
every critic has dissected this song like a dead daredevil due to its
quality. All I can say that the
combination of Guitar Hero and the first Monsters of Rock compilation (you
know, those hair metal CD compilations from a while back) is how I was
introduced to this track and its majesty, and it ensured my growth in musical
badassery. The only drawback is how
rushed it may fell due to it being demanded by the label, but like “Pour Some
Sugar On Me” and “Cherry Pie”, this is a definite classic and a sign of Judas
Priest’s talents (specifically Rob, Glenn, and K.K.) as a whole. A true badass anthem from a badass band for
badass people with equally badass mottos that aren’t YOLO!
9.
Fever:
Like “(Take These)
Chains” this starts with a clean, near-acoustic guitar intro with a subdued
vocal delivery from Rob Halford that gets more intense in the chorus and in the
final verse. Then the drums kick in and
the song’s status as heavy ballad comes into play, as the song deals with how someone
causes Robby to feel all warm inside, comparing it to a fever, hence the
title. May it be a good or bad thing, we
don’t know, but it becomes clear that’s it’s bringing him both pain and
pleasure. The driving beat, the guitar
interplay, including a guitar solo with moments of harmony, and a really catchy
chorus that goes well live, and you get one hell of an underrated Judas Priest
track, and somehow it tops both “(Take These) Chains” and “Pain and Pleasure”
in quality with everything that happens.
Overall, this one monster ballad is proof that if you have a fever from
bad mainstream music, your best prescription is Judas Priest. A badass medication from a badass band for
badass people with bogus conditions that prevent badass actions.
10.
Devil’s Child:
I almost forgot,
apparently metal involves Satan in some manner.
Here, Judas Priest sing about a person that is a lot like him or a child
of Beelzebub. But gathering what I know
from the lyrics and Robby’s delivery, I get a vibe that screams this:
With a driving beat
(expect this when they are not emulating their 70s work), razor-sharp guitars
cutting through the song, and Rob Halford’s flattering language and combination
of normal and high-pitch singing, they paint a picture that compares a person
that’s screwing Robby over or treating him like a house elf to Lucifer or any
of his kids. Let’s just say that’s it’s
an angry song, and K.K. Downing decided to play lead guitarist this time around
(I haven’t forgotten about you buddy).
He’s great on this track as well.
In short, without “Prisoner of Your Eyes” (aka. The original printing),
this serves as an excellent ending to a badass album filled with badass anthems
by THE badass heavy metal band for badass people whose hearts are pure.
11.
Prisoner of Your Eyes
(Bonus Track):
For certain prints,
this is between the studio version and a live version of “Devil’s Child,” and
apparently, this was recorded during the Turbo
sessions. Unlike the other “love” songs
on the album, this is more consistent as a ballad (despite being 7 minutes),
and it makes for a true love song you can serenade to your special someone,
even if you’re having issues with them.
Unlike the other songs on the album, this is proof that Judas Priest are
not just badass, but have enough of a sensitive side that allows for some
beautiful tracks, even if they were recorded during the sessions meant for their
arguably worst album. The guitars are in
ballad mode, the drums are nice, the use of keyboards and synthesizers is well
used, primarily for atmosphere, where they are used best in heavy metal, and
Rob Halford provides on great vocal delivery.
Also, the guitar solos are good.
In short, it’s a great showcase of Judas Priest at their most sincere. A badass ballad from a badass band for badass
people with badass feelings like love and affection, because love is badass.
12.
Devil’s Child (Live)
(Bonus Track):
Do I even have to
repeat myself from last time, but this the live version of the album’s closer
that they released for the reissue, and it’s arguably as savage, if not more,
than the studio release. I don’t need to
say anymore, I’ve already said my piece.
In short, we get a live version of the last song on this badass album by
a badass band for badass people that do badass things.
If my recurring claims
of badass mean anything, then this song has aged not just extremely well for
80s metal, but for me as well. It’s as
enjoyable now as it was then (both at the moment in life I’ve referred to and
the early 80s). The production is
spectacular, giving the audial clarity and distortion that helps give the album
punch. Every band member, even their
latest in line of drummers at that point, is on fire here. It’s nowhere near as accessible as British Steel, nor as aggressive as Sin After Sin or Stained Class, but it does an amazing job at being both accessible
and aggressive. In short, this is one of
THE metal albums that provides the foolproof template for mainstream-friendly
heavy metal with bite for the 80s and beyond.
If there’s a track that’s strongest, I’d have to give it to “The Hellion”
and “Electric Eye” at the same time, “Bloodstone”, “Screaming For Vengeance”, and
“You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’”. If
there’s a weakest, it’s hard to say as there’s no filler on this track, but “Pain
and Pleasure” may be the weakest on the virtue that it’s good/great on an album
that’s consistently great/awesome, but some may make the claim for “Prisoner of
Your Eyes” to be the weakest when discussing new prints. If you haven’t bought this album yet, DO IT!
Final Rating: 9/10 (Awesome
slab of heavy metal).
Next time on Let Them
Eat Metal: The Number Of The Beast By
Iron Maiden
Until
next time, this is the Rock Otaku. Live
Loud, Play Hard, and Eat Metal.
All used references
are done under the rules of fair use and are owned by their original creators.
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