judas priest
The new album by the Metal Gods
Original image found on JudasPriest.com

Back at the end of May, I posted a couple of new songs by the metal band Judas Priest. Rumor had it for months that the band was working on a new album. And sure enough, last Tuesday, they released their 17th studio album “Redeemer of Souls” which is a nice return to the hard metal sound that was found on albums like “Stained Class” and “British Steel”

This marks the first album that does not have K.K. Downing as one of the lead guitarists. He left the band right before the last tour started up in 2011. His replacement is Richie Faulkner, who I saw on tour that year and he was quite capable of shredding the metal. And he and the rest of the band prove they still have it here on this latest release.

Track List

  1. “Dragonaut”
  2. “Redeemer of Souls”
  3. “Halls of Valhalla”
  4. “Sword of Damocles”
  5. “March of the Damned”
  6. “Down in Flames”
  7. “Hell & Back”
  8. “Cold Blooded”
  9. “Metalizer”
  10. “Crossfire”
  11. “Secrets of the Dead”
  12. “Battle Cry”
  13. “Beginning of the End”

Bonus Tracks

  • “Snakebite”
  • “Tears of Blood”
  • “Creatures”
  • “Bring It On”
  • “Never Forget”

Back To Greatness

Upon the first start to finish track by track listen I did of this album, it was instantly evident that this album was the best release since 1990’s “Painkiller”, which was the last Judas Priest album I really liked a lot. The 13 tracks here are insanely great. Songs like “Dragonaut”, “Down in Flames” and “Redeemer of Souls” are strong and well constructed. Rob Halford’s voice is top notch, including hearing him scream on songs like “Halls of Valhalla” and “Hell & Back”. Richie’s guitar work, along side Glenn’s riffs is perfect together. Even the bonus 5 tracks are nothing short of really great songs and not filler like most bonus songs normally are.

They are doing a tour for this album, which if any long time Priest fan knows, their last tour was supposed to be their farewell. Shades of KISS going on here? I mean, if they still have it in them, then so be it… tour away and let the fans hear these new songs live. But I admit to feeling a bit duped by these “wait, let’s tour again” decisions.

If you are any type of Judas Priest fan, you will need to get this new album. Strong, hard, fast and going back to their original non-keyboard heavy sound.