ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION
The reunion that nobody thought would ever happen...
happened. The CD that no one thought would ever be released...
is out...and it's fucking amazing.
Purely from a songwriting point of view,
is outAngel Of Retribution is head and shoulders above any disc that Priest did with Tim "Ripper" Owens. I say that with all due respect, too. I
interviewed Tim a year ago, and he was one of the most down-to-earth guys, so I have no reason to bash him. The chemistry that KK Downing and Glenn Tipton have with Rob Halford is unmistakable.
is outAngel Of Retribution is 100% JUDAS PRIEST; it's exactly what you would expect this band to sound like, even after several years of absence by their original frontman.
The new disc pays tribute to every album in the band's arsenal, and I think that's pretty intentional. I don't want to pick apart every tune, but if you are a Priest fan, you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about the instant "Judas Rising" kicks in. Chunky riffs. Guitar solos. Shrieking vocals. THIS is Judas Priest. Every track sounds like it was poured over eternally to sound exactly as a Judas Priest song should...and if they weren't, then it's a testament to how well Halford, Tipton, and Downing write together.
If it sounds like I'm kissing the songwriters' asses too much, I apologize. I would never discount drummer Scott Travis, who gives a thunderous perfornance throughout. You know the song "Painkiller", right? Think of that when you listen to "Judas Rising"....this is why Travis is an amazing drummer. Ian Hill's bass lines fit Travis' drum lines like a glove, and his lead into "Revolution" is unmistakably Priest.
Speaking of "Revolution", they couldn't have picked a better first single. That song captures everything that makes metal fans salivate over Judas Priest, and Roy Z's production solidifies this as a quintessential collection of Priest songs. Shit, that sounded sol cliche. I apologize. I'm just really pissed that I missed these guys on their last tour. Dammit.
