| CD REVIEW Judas Priest |
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Band : Judas Priest To celebrate that 30 years ago a great monument of Heavy Metal was released, although maybe at that time people didn't realize it, Sony Music has reissued the album, or lets say has reissued the 2001 remastered album, and added two bonus tracks. This special addition also contains a DVD, which combines a 16-song concert filmed in august 2009at the Seminole Hard Rock Arena in Hollywood - Florida. Whereas the music itself has stood the ravages of time, ans sounds as fresh and energetic as in 1980, the same cannot be said about the band. Particularly Rob Halford is showing the wear and tear. He's gained a few pounds, has lost a lot of hair, which he may be trying to compensate by growing a beard, but what drew my attention was the fact that during the whole show he didn't shed his coat, even after a change of costume he kept some kind of coat. Also in his vocal performance he seems to have a bit of trouble hitting the high notes like he did in the eighties. The other band members on the other hand are rather well preserved, OK, their hair may have grown grey, but other then that they seem fine. And not only does Rob seem to have lost some of his vocal abilities, he's also not showing the same energy on stage as he used to. OK, Bruce Dickinson may be some six years younger, but if you compare him on stage to Rob... I remember hearing this album for the first time. Being A Maiden fan at that time, I became a Priest fan as well, that's how good these songs were. Just listen to "Breaking the Law", or the opening riffs of "Living After Midnight". Song by song these were masterpieces, which tempted me to buy all following Priest albums without hesitating, but after "Defenders Of The Faith" I took a break, because at that time I became more interested in AOR, but I picked up again with their latest album "Nostradamus". I'm very pleased with this reissue, cause this gives the younger metalheads the chance to learn to know one of the pioneers of NWOBHM. 97/100 Erik Morren. |