Right from the majestic instrumental opening of The Hellion, this album means business. There is not one bad groove on this whole album, that is unless you listen to nothing but jazz, then I’m afraid you’re beyond saving (if you know, you know).
The Priest were on a roll when it came to the recording of this, their 8th studio album, and it turned out to be the pinnacle of their career. This is my Mobile Fidelity version, and it sounds amazing. I mean, it sounded great anyway, but this version is the cherry on the top. The big single was You Got Another Thing Coming, which (with the help of MTV) cracked the band in the US and they became mega huge.
Every song is killer with the riff-o-meter being off the scale for most of the album. My personal favourites are: Bloodstone with its monster riff and groove, Screaming For Vengeance is Priest at their very best, and the close out track Devils Child, which I’ve always had a soft spot for. There is nothing complicated here, it’s all quite simple – and that’s the beauty of it. Catchy riffs, big hooks, and sing-a-long chorus – I’ve said that enough times it should be my mantra. Sometimes the simple things are the best, and this album is testimony to that.
Defenders was an attempt to replicate this album but it fell short, and then it was a steady decline until now, where they have recaptured some of their past glories.
10/10 from The Grooveman.
