Album Review: JUDAS PRIEST Invincible Shield

I’ll all the time love the 80s. There are so many explanation why. For metallic followers, this was a magical time when metallic appeared to rule to the airwaves of FM rock radio. Judas Priest, with records like Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith, firmly established themselves because the metallic gods throughout this decade, and far of what they created throughout that point has achieved legendary standing.

With Judas Priest, nevertheless, the irony comes some three a long time later as 2018’s Firepower truly charted increased within the US than any of their earlier recordings, additional cementing the storied band right into a realm of distinguished longevity few might ever think about of achieving.

Firepower was a file that made a press release. An instantaneous basic practically as quickly because it was launched, the LP silenced any doubters who could have thought Judas Priest was achieved. In comparable vein, some six years later, the band comes again with one other barnburner in Invincible Shield, which is a little more reticent of these famed 80s Judas Priest records that so many people love so dearly.

Admittedly, the primary single off the file, launched plenty of weeks again, "Panic Attack" gave us shades of 1986’s Turbo with the synth intro and accents all through the lower. I used to be personally greater than okay with that as a result of whereas, admittedly, I used to be not a fan of Turbo when it first got here out, I’ve grown to really respect it over time. I consider it as the last word "grower." However, t took me about zero seconds to develop a love for "Panic Attack." Between Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford nonetheless hitting the excessive notes and guitarist Richie Faulkner‘s blisteringly unique lead work, "Panic Attack" is correct up there with the band’s all-time biggest hits with none doubt.

In normal, Judas Priest provides us an absolute shred fest with the solos on Invincible Shield. The solos on each "Sons of Thunder" (performed by Glenn Tipton) and "Escape from Reality" (carried out by Faulkner) actually dial up the depth and showcase simply how adept the unique masters are at their craft. The songs themselves do not stray from that songwriting system Judas Priest actually honed on these early 80s records and people us pushing 50 will get chills from the nostalgia.

The bluesy "Giants within the Sky" is a deep, riff-heavy lower that then additionally slows down and offers listeners a quick acoustic interlude earlier than bringing us again to the bass-driven bridge and refrain. Keeping alongside the blues-based theme, "Fight of Your Life" is a snarly, nasty quantity that options Halford in his higher vocal vary for a lot of the verses. It’s so superb that, even now at over 70 years of age, The Metal God is not afraid to tackle songs that also contain some vital threat. Most metallic vocalists largely would not try and sing a tune like "Fight of Your Life" at 32, not to mention 72.

"Vicious Circle, " which additionally includes a Tipton solo, is an upbeat rocker that clocks in simply over three minutes. I alos love Richie‘s chunky guitar tone on this one. Same with "As God is my Witness" which might have simply come off the Painkiller file.

The file closes with the epic "The Lodger," which once more options synths. This radiantly executed monitor appears like nothing else on the album with its elaborate orchestration and Queen-like amalgamation of sounds blended collectively. Halford closes out the file along with his hauntingly lyric "Vengeance is miiiinnnnnnee" delivered solely in the way in which the Metal God can.

People typically criticize bands that keep round too lengthy. Some bands simply have to pack it in when age creeps up too rapidly or when the chemistry is not there. Judas Priest, nevertheless, would possibly truly be at their apex proper now, some 5 a long time after their formation. Every single facet of the manufacturing of Invincible Shield excels. Every single sound on this file has a objective. A whopping 14 cuts of absolute heavy metallic radiance. This is the most effective file of 2024 up to now.