Judas Priest Album: “The Essential 3.0 [Digipak]”

Judas Priest's compilation album entitled The Essential Judas Priest (first released as a 2-CD retrospective covering the classic heavy metal band's 1976-2005 career in 2006) was re-released in 2008 as an economically priced 3-CD set.

Judas Priest weren't just called the Metal Gods for nothing. For decades, the core of Judas Priest which are guitarists KK Downing and Glenn Tipton, bass player Ian Hill and lead singer Rob Halford and the cast of drummers have successfully defended the faith of metal!

The Essential Judas Priest contains forty-one (count them 41) tracks overall. Released by Columbia Records, the set covers the band's Rob Halford years from 1976-1990 and reunion in 2005. It covers tracks from twelve of the band's fifteen studio albums released over the years.

The band's 1974 debut Rocka Rolla was not covered though some would have wanted its title cut here.

The band's sophomore effort 1976's Sad Wings of Destiny is represented by the classics and finally properly remastered versions of the studio recording of "Victim Of Changes" and "The Ripper". Whilst the album, like its predecessor was on Ovation Records (a long out of print label here in the US), didn't sell well upon release it did find the band's sound that it would adopt for the rest of its career.

The band's third album (their first for CBS/Sony affiliate Columbia) 1977's Sin After Sin (which saw the addition of powehouse drummer Simon Phillips (who would work with Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford on his Smallcreep's Day album and with Pete Townshend and The Who and later Toto in his career)) is represented by "Diamonds And Rust", "Sinner" and "Diisident Aggressor" (which was left off of the 2-CD edition for time constraints but is on disc 3).

The group's fourth album, February 1978's Stained Class (which was the band's first studio album with drummer Les Binks) is represented by "Exciter", the classic "Beyond the Realms of Death" and on the third disc is the infamous "Better By You Better Than Me".

The band's fifth studio effort titled Killing Machine in the UK (released in October, 1978) and as Hell Bent For Leather here in the US (released in February of 1979) is represented by "Hell Bent For Leather", "Delivering The Goods", "The Green Manalashi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)" and the ballad "Before The Dawn". The album's UK hit "Take On The World" is missing but the other songs from this album featured here are superb.

The band's 1980 breakthrough album British Steel (which was their first with new drummer Dave Holland and producer Tom Allom) is represented by "Breaking The Law", "United", "Metal Gods" and "Living After Midnight" plus "Grinder" which is on the third CD. No Priest compilation is complete without "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight", so the set has that base covered.

The US Top 40 charting Point Of Entry from 1981 is represented by the big US rock radio smash "Heading Out To The Highway" and the UK hit "Hot Rockin'". On the third CD you ger the concert favorite "Desert Plains".

The band's biggest selling album in the US 1982's three million plus selling Screaming For Vengeance is represented by the band's signature track "You've Got Another Thing Coming" plus the superb opener "The Hellion" and "Electric Eye" plus Screaming's title cut and on the third CD you get "Riding On the Wind". All great picks.

The 1984 follow-up, the US Platinum selling Defenders of the Faith is represented by the big hit "Freewheel Burning" plus album favorites like "Love Bites", "Jawbreaker" and "The Sentinel". Great choices plus on CD number 3 you get "Rock Hard Ride Free".

The 1986 Platinum seller Turbo is represented by "Turbo Lover" and the classic "Out In The Cold". When Priest experimented with guitar synthesizers with Turbo, the album and got a very mixed reaction. Nonetheless, the album still did well in the eyes of many of the band's fans. "Locked In" (the album's first single) is missing though.

The next studio album 1988's Ram It Down is represented by its title cut and "Blood Red Skies". Another controversial album for the band. I wish "Monsters of Rock" was on here but c'est la vie.

The band's 1990 album Painkiller (their first with current drummer Scott Travis) is represented by the title cut, "A Touch Of Evil", "Night Crawler" and "Hell Patrol". The third disc also has "All Guns Blazing" which was always one of my favorite Priest tunes. Painkiller was the swan song from the classic lineup, until the 2003 onwards reunion. After two questionable pop-metal albums, the band released their heaviest album to date. The title track is killer. The other tracks featured here are no slouches as well. Still, the epic "One Shot at Glory" could have been included.

After Rob Halford left in 1992, Priest soldiered on with singer Tim "Ripper" Owens and released two mediocre albums 1997's Jugulator and 2001's Demolition (neither album has any songs featured here thankfully).

The band's 2005 triumphant comeback and reunion album with Halford titled Angel Of Retribution is represented by "Judas Rising" and "Revolution". Good choices but "Deal With The Devil", "Wheels Of Fire" and "Loch Ness" should have been included as well (but you can't have them all).

If you are a newbie, start with this SUPERB compilation and then work your way through the catalog.