Judas Priest - Musical Style, Legacy, and Influence

Musical Style, Legacy, and Influence

Judas Priest were one of the first heavy metal bands to modernize the twin-guitar sound, with the duo of K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton. They combined this sound with Rob Halford's unique vocal style to create their own distinctive style of heavy-rock.

Many people, including influential musicians and members of prominent hard rock and heavy metal bands, believe that among the foundations for what would define "pure" heavy metal were three early Judas Priest albums: Sad Wings of Destiny (1976), Sin After Sin (1977), and Stained Class (1978).

The band often played faster than most rock groups of the time and brought a more "metallic" sound to the guitars. The songs varied from simple and straightforward tunes (e.g. "Starbreaker", "White Heat, Red Hot") to fairly structured material, changing from fast and loud to slower tempo and softer tunes in one song (e.g., "Victim of Changes", "Run of the Mill", "Beyond the Realms of Death"). Some songs, such as 1978's "Exciter", were groundbreaking for their sheer ferocity and speed; few, if any, bands excepting Motorhead, played with the same tempo. Other songs, like "Dissident Aggressor", "Sinner" and "Tyrant", are considered to be the heaviest songs of their day, and today are considered classic metal tracks.

Their 1978 album Killing Machine (retitled Hell Bent for Leather and released in 1979 in the USA) saw a change of direction towards shorter, poppier, more American-influenced songs. The following release, British Steel (14 April 1980), took an even sharper turn in the same direction and was perhaps the first heavy metal album to record radio-friendly songs with pop hooks, in a concise format.

The band's next effort, Point of Entry (26 February 1981), is harder to define — the sound was very "raw" (i.e. minimal sound manipulation) and the songs were somewhat moody, and paced at a slower than usual tempo. As guitarist Glenn Tipton later admitted, Point of Entry had the tough task of living up to the standards set by its predecessor, and failed to do so. Subsequent albums Screaming for Vengeance (17 July 1982), which contained the popular radio hit "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", and Defenders of the Faith (4 January 1984) once again set high standards in intensity and production, and continued to influence the sonic shape of heavy metal. Turbo (15 April 1986) found the group introducing a "synth-guitar" sound to their metal template.

Ram It Down (1988), an album containing several cast-off and reworked tracks from the previous album Turbo, including the eponymous tune, garnered little commercial attention. The style was heavier than the material found on Turbo but still contained the synth elements of the previous release.

For Painkiller (1990) Judas Priest returned to a more straightforward heavy metal style with more technical and double-bass drumming from new member Scott Travis. This album represents one of the heaviest and most intense in the band's discography, with Halford's trademark high-pitched wail rising to an ear-splitting shriek on certain tracks.

Judas Priest also released two albums with Tim 'Ripper' Owens following Rob Halford's departure. Jugulator introduced a much darker sound, with the lyrics focusing on much harsher themes than any of the band's previous work, taking influence from thrash/death metal. The follow-up album, was an attempt to offer something for every possible fan after the mixed reaction to Jugulator, creating an amalgam of Jugulator-style riffs, references to 80s Priest, and sporadic nu-metal additions such as quasi-rapping, samples, and industrial-style beats.

Judas Priest's Angel of Retribution (2005), which was Rob Halford's first Judas Priest album since 1990, contributed to the current revival of classic heavy metal. It contains songs in the band's classic style, such as "Judas Rising" and "Hellrider", as well as mid-tempo songs with clear and prominent drums and less prominent guitars ("Worth Fighting For", "Wheels of Fire"), a ballad ("Angel"), and the epic ("Lochness") which runs 13:28, a length of song the band had not done since its concerts in the early 1970s.

The latest installment in the Judas Priest discography, Nostradamus was released in June 2008. The double-CD/triple-LP concept album details the life of the 16th century French prophet Michel de Nostredame. The style is mostly slow to mid-paced heavy metal, though some songs (particularly the title track) still display the band's trademark heavy metal sound.