Tuesday, May 02, 2006
STAINED CLASS
When it comes to classic Metal, no band, other than Black Sabbath, defines the genre like Judas Priest. During the seventies Priest followed in the footsteps of fellow Birmingham natives Black Sabbath, paving the Metal road for those who would follow. Judas Priest's 1980 release, British Steel, set the bar for eighties Metal, but it was on their 1978 LP, Stained Class, where the band hit their stride, and drew the Map of Metal.
Opening with 'Exciter', a blistering ferocious tune about the second coming, Priest drummer Les Binks originated the double bass 'machine-gun drum' style that would permeate Thrash Metal in the eighties.
'Beyond the Realms of Death', the Priest fan's fave, set another standard with it's alternating ballad-esque verse - slamming chorus structure, and it's end-out guitar solo that builds sweetly into a climax of string bends and vibrato that has yet to be topped - by anyone.
The record offers history lessons ('Savage'), theology lessons ('Saints in Hell'), rock casualty lessons ('Heroes End'), warnings of imminent alien invasion ('Invader'), as well as the song that brought them more notoriety than even the most ardent satan worhiping metal band ('Better By You, Better Than Me'). It's ironic that that particular song, the basis of a late eighties law suit against the band on the grounds of alleged backwards messges that allegedly led two boys to take a shotgun to themselves, was not only just an average love song with an above average vocal melody, but was the only song on the album not written by the band.
All told, it's a classic, influential record that rocks top to bottom.
When it comes to classic Metal, no band, other than Black Sabbath, defines the genre like Judas Priest. During the seventies Priest followed in the footsteps of fellow Birmingham natives Black Sabbath, paving the Metal road for those who would follow. Judas Priest's 1980 release, British Steel, set the bar for eighties Metal, but it was on their 1978 LP, Stained Class, where the band hit their stride, and drew the Map of Metal.
Opening with 'Exciter', a blistering ferocious tune about the second coming, Priest drummer Les Binks originated the double bass 'machine-gun drum' style that would permeate Thrash Metal in the eighties.
'Beyond the Realms of Death', the Priest fan's fave, set another standard with it's alternating ballad-esque verse - slamming chorus structure, and it's end-out guitar solo that builds sweetly into a climax of string bends and vibrato that has yet to be topped - by anyone.
The record offers history lessons ('Savage'), theology lessons ('Saints in Hell'), rock casualty lessons ('Heroes End'), warnings of imminent alien invasion ('Invader'), as well as the song that brought them more notoriety than even the most ardent satan worhiping metal band ('Better By You, Better Than Me'). It's ironic that that particular song, the basis of a late eighties law suit against the band on the grounds of alleged backwards messges that allegedly led two boys to take a shotgun to themselves, was not only just an average love song with an above average vocal melody, but was the only song on the album not written by the band.
All told, it's a classic, influential record that rocks top to bottom.
Comments:
I'm pretty certain that you and I share the same thoughts on JP as far as jumping the shark goes. This one is awesome, Hell Bent, British Steel, Sad Wings, and the most excellent live album.
I had actually worked up an acoustic version of "Desert Plains" that was sounding pretty good. I had planned to bring it up to S&M at one point, but have since completely fogotten how I was doing it.
I had actually worked up an acoustic version of "Desert Plains" that was sounding pretty good. I had planned to bring it up to S&M at one point, but have since completely fogotten how I was doing it.
kk and Glen... dueling leads...
Oh
Hells
Yeah!!!!!
I feel like I'm back in high school while I read this post.
Oh
Hells
Yeah!!!!!
I feel like I'm back in high school while I read this post.
The KK/Glen solos that follow that Victim of Changes scream by Halford on the live album will go down in history as one of the most ripping solos ever.
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