Judas Priest – Defenders Of The Faith/30th Anniversary Edition – Columbia/Legacy
By Jeffrey Easton
1984 was a pivotal year for Judas Priest. 1982 saw them releasing what was so far the defining metal album of the 80’s, Screaming For Vengeance, and they had to top that master stroke. So what do they come up with? Defenders Of The Faith, that’s what. Not only did they top Screaming, they left that in the dust, proving to all those around them that Priest had indeed sharpened their razors edge. The album opened with what would become a mainstay in the Priest live set, the monumental Freewheel Burning. Not only did they jack up their sound, Rob amped his approach to singing and sounded more forceful than ever. Throughout the album, there are nothing but stinging anthems like Jawbreaker, Heavy Duty, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll and Love Bites. There was zero filler here, only concert ready, fist in the air metallic bruises that were ready to be unleashed. As an aside, the stand out track on Defenders for me is Eat Me Alive. That stands as the most graphic, mind numbing, head banging Priest song, ever. To me Rob came into his own as a writer with that and left no taboo unturned. With this being the 30th Anniversary of Defenders, no reissue would be complete without the live set from the same tour and they went overboard for this issue. Included in this set is their stop in Long Beach Arena in 1984 while touring for said album and it’s an ear ringing affair. This was when the bands really promoted a new album on tour, the days before social media where a band really had to shove their record down your throat. The set is packed with nearly the entire album, slinging out cuts like Love Bites, Jawbreaker, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll as well as the title track and Freewheel Burning. The set is also littered with the masterful gems Metal Gods, Sinner and Hell Bent For Leather amongst the crushing metal they delivered. This is the set of sets, the one that the diehard Priest fan must own, the one that is going to blow your speakers like it did the first time you put it on.
Official Judas Priest Site
BUY Defenders Of The Faith 30th Anniversary Edition
By Jeffrey Easton
1984 was a pivotal year for Judas Priest. 1982 saw them releasing what was so far the defining metal album of the 80’s, Screaming For Vengeance, and they had to top that master stroke. So what do they come up with? Defenders Of The Faith, that’s what. Not only did they top Screaming, they left that in the dust, proving to all those around them that Priest had indeed sharpened their razors edge. The album opened with what would become a mainstay in the Priest live set, the monumental Freewheel Burning. Not only did they jack up their sound, Rob amped his approach to singing and sounded more forceful than ever. Throughout the album, there are nothing but stinging anthems like Jawbreaker, Heavy Duty, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll and Love Bites. There was zero filler here, only concert ready, fist in the air metallic bruises that were ready to be unleashed. As an aside, the stand out track on Defenders for me is Eat Me Alive. That stands as the most graphic, mind numbing, head banging Priest song, ever. To me Rob came into his own as a writer with that and left no taboo unturned. With this being the 30th Anniversary of Defenders, no reissue would be complete without the live set from the same tour and they went overboard for this issue. Included in this set is their stop in Long Beach Arena in 1984 while touring for said album and it’s an ear ringing affair. This was when the bands really promoted a new album on tour, the days before social media where a band really had to shove their record down your throat. The set is packed with nearly the entire album, slinging out cuts like Love Bites, Jawbreaker, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll as well as the title track and Freewheel Burning. The set is also littered with the masterful gems Metal Gods, Sinner and Hell Bent For Leather amongst the crushing metal they delivered. This is the set of sets, the one that the diehard Priest fan must own, the one that is going to blow your speakers like it did the first time you put it on.
Official Judas Priest Site
BUY Defenders Of The Faith 30th Anniversary Edition