Tuesday Two-Fer I: Judas Priest

Today's post is from our friend HIM. This is a special Tuesday series we'll explore over the next few weeks, all penned by HIM.

My distaste for “lists” is well-established. Increasingly, it seems that every metal site with space to fill features lists of the “greatest” or the “best” or the “ultimate” songs by bands. Often, these just reduce down to whatever songs the author likes, often with a thin veneer of justification as against any other competing list of its kind.

I tend towards the middle period of Judas Priest. That is partially a function of when I started listening to them, partially a result of what I think “makes” Priest so awesome. Can I enjoy a cover of Joan Baez? Sure. Can I get behind, ahem, “Ram It Down”? You bet.

First Pick: “The Rage,” British Steel (1980)

It is hard for me to find a Priest song that so perfectly captures all the different tones in the ‘classic’ Priest canon. Does it rock hard? Undoubtedly. Does it features quirky digressions? Ditto. Is Halford’s scream used like a weapon, dispatched only when needed? Certainly. The song retains some of the lyrical elements from their earlier years, while not straying too far into the paint-by-the-numbers range displayed on later releases.

Second Pick: “Night Comes Down,” Defenders Of The Faith (1984)

I realize that many see Defenders as Screaming-lite. I see it as more of a continuation, and one that doesn’t suffer by comparison to the slightly better previous release. This song shows how easy it is for Judas Priest to switch into reflective mode, only to ramp it right up when the moment requires. It also highlights the variations in Halford’s vocals, the way he can amp up the emotional content without leaning too hard on those screams for which he is rightfully celebrated.

Honorable Mention: “Devil’s Child,” Screaming for Vengeance (1982). Don’t drink all of Priest’s gin.

Dishonorable Mention: “Johnny B. Goode,” Ram It Down (1988). Not goode. Not goode at all.