Judas Priest Album: “British Steel”

ahhhhhhhh yesssss one the best metal albums ever .its true sometimes the classic bands are better. this is a excellent cd .old priest as well as metal classics "breaking the law" "grinder" "living after midnight" and countless bands have tried to cover grinder but no one does it like priest ..they are the best metal band ever.hail j.p they rule.get this true metal fans this is a album one has to have to call themselves a metal freak....outta here.

British Steel was my first Judas Priest album, which I bought on casette back in junior high. Thinking back now, I can't remember what turned me onto it. Maybe it was the "Breaking the Law" music video I saw on Beavis and Butthead, but it's not important now. I listen to everything from Marilyn Manson to Cannibal Corpse and British Steel is still one of my top ten favorite metal albums.

It's not bone-crushing heavy, no. It's not that kind of music. I wouldn't call it "pop metal" but it's not lyrically deep or technically complicated. I would relate it most closely to ACDC's Back in Black. It's just real catchy, fun, and good.

It's more than just good melodies. There's a certain punch to it, and I think it's in the delivery. The mid-tempo song like Grinder and Metal Gods get a real good groove going and then just keep it up. It's something about Rob singing those short staccato syllables over the beat. Some of the tracks like Living After Midnight and Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise have more of a rock 'n' roll feel to them rather than what I think of as metal, but still rock none the less. And of course Rapid Fire is here as the obligatory fast tempo priest screamer with the banshee wail at the end. The Rage, while it does seem out of place on this album (as another reviewer pointed out) with its moody, brooding, sludgey feel and decidedly darker lyrics, becomes one of the album's best tracks with repeated listens. This song always gave me the most colorful mental imagery, though admittedly partly because of misheard lyrics (like early Ozzy, I find rob's voice sometimes garbles itself).

The big picture is that British Steel is a very solid (not one mediocre track to be heard) and fairly diverse collection of classic metal that's best heard while shouting along in one's car on the highway.

THE BAND: Rob Halford (vocals), Glenn Tipton (guitars), K.K. Downing (guitars), Ian Hill (bass), Dave Holland (drums & percussion).

THE DISC: (1980) 9 songs originally clocking in at approximately 36 minutes. This newly digitally remastered edition (2001) contains 2 bonus tracks extending the listen to approximately 45 minutes. Included with the disc is a 6-page booklet containing band photos, song titles, credits and lyrics. Recorded at Trident Studios in Tittenhurst Park (Ascot, England - home to John Lennon and Ringo Starr back in the 70's and 80's). All songs written by Halford, Tipton and Downing. Label - Columbia/Sony.

COMMENTS: "British Steel" is one of those landmark albums - a defining moment in British heavy metal history. Perhaps even on a larger scale than that... heavy metal history (on Earth) - period! Classic songs, 2 big hits ("Living After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law"), dueling heavy metal guitars with melody. The original 9 songs featured no filler - "British Steel" was one of those albums that you could easily listen to without skipping a song. In my opinion, Halford/Tipton/Downing's writing and musicianship were never better than on this album. Judas Priest may have been as good on "Screaming For Vengeance" or "Hell Bent For Leather", but not better. "Steel" has some roaring songs - "Rapid Fire" (my personal favorite of theirs), "The Rage", "Grinder", and the 2 hits mentioned above. The song "Rapid Fire" contains some great lyrics that really portray the feel of the album... "Pounding the world like a battering ram... Fast devastating and desolisating the curse... Leaving a trail of destruction that's second to none" - not to mention Dave Holland's holier than thou drumming on the toughest album cut. "Steel" also featured a 3rd and smaller hit with "United". Slower and melodic heavy tunes - "Metal Gods", "You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise" and "Steeler". Bonus tracks - the British anthem "Red, White And Blue" is painful to get through and should have been left off. The live version of "Grinder" is worthy to be included here. I remain one of those skeptics about bonus/extra tracks... I look forward to listening to them, but if they suck, I feel it really downgrades the disc. If an old album absolutely rocks, I often times think why mess with a classic (even if there's plenty of room left on the disc - timewise). "British Steel" is a classic and it belongs on the loftiest of perches... right up there with Britain's other fine exports of the early 80's - like Iron Maiden's "Number Of The Beast", Ozzy's "Blizzard Of Ozz" and Def Leppard's "Pyromania". An easy 5-star review.

This album is extremely good and just about as metal as music can get. Who could possibly criticise an album with classic songs such as 'Grinder', 'Breakin the law', 'Living after midnight' and 'Rapid fire'

Judas Preist ruled then and they still rule now.

This album may be old and the recording methods may not do as much justice to the songs as the methods used today but this is still an extremely fine example of TRUE BRITTISH HEAVY METAL!

Thus album deserves a place in your collection, order it today!

This is widely considered to be one of the top-10 greatest heavy metal albums of all time. Judas Priest defined leather and hard-rocking metal, and British Steel was the anthem.

Judas Priest took the sound engineering to the highest level on Screaming for Vengeance, but British Steel may be the band's peak for pure metal rock. Breaking the Law, Metal Gods, Rapid Fire, Grinder... you get the idea. Now get the album.