Priest had been knocking on the door of the Premier League of Bands for two albums before this one was released, asthey were just missing that certain song to join the big leagues. With British Steel everything came together for them, as two non metal tunes, Breaking The Law, and Living After Midnight, would give the band the success they deserved. When you mention the term heavy metal, Priest are the first band to top your list. The twin guitar attack of KK and Glen, the solid rhythm section that holds that groove down, and the ultimate metal Front Man with Rob Halford – what a perfect band for this type of metal.
So we go straight into Rapid Fire, no intro, just boom!!! Keeping it simple and catchy with the riffs and the unforgettable chorus. Lesson number 1 in the “how to do metal” textbook. The anthemic, Metal Gods, is next – it was a crowd pleaser then, and it still is today. Breaking The Law follows and what can I say that hasn’t been said already? Yes, it’s cheesy as hell but it’s also a very memorable song – all the best ones are. Priest are the kings of the simple riff, and Grinder is the perfect example, along with United – another single from the album. With it’s football chant chorus – it was a sure fire winner. You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise is the somewhat forgotten track on the album/ Its surrounded by classics, and the band very rarely play it live, which is a shame as I really like it. Mega single number 2 is up next with Living After Midnight, it shows just how good Priest were at writing catchy pop songs. The oddest track on the album, The Rage, is next with its almost reggae beginning – seems a little out of place until the fat riff kicks in. The last track, Steeler, finishes the album on a high as it’s one of my favourite Priest tunes. It has a killer riff and groove, and when you get to the middle and end sections with the epic chugga riff and wild solo – I’m sold!
They were on a roll when they released this. The two previous albums, Killing Machine, Stained Class, and the three after this one Point Of Entry, Screaming For Vengeance and Defenders Of The Faith were platinum albums. This loses half a mark for United.
9.5/10 from The Grooveman.
