cripper's Full Review: British Steel [Remaster] by Judas Priest
Judas Priest's British Steel was one of those albums I decided to purchase on a whim. I was not too familiar with the Judas Priest catalogue but I had heard a lot about Judas Priest's influence on the heavy metal scene particularly through British Steel. Being a fan of heavy metal myself, I was intrigued about this album and decided to purchase the album at A$8 (about US$7) at a CD shop near my work place. I have to admit that given all the hype surrounding the album, I certainly expected a lot more from the album.
The band consists of Rob Halford on lead vocals, Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing on guitars, Ian Hill on bass and Dave Holland on drums. As far as I know, all these members are still in Judas Priest except Dave Holland who is currently serving a prison term for the attempted rape of a 17-year old male (this was not why he left the band though). He has since been replaced by Scott Travis.
The album opens up with Breaking the Law. The guitar riff is infectious and incredibly catchy and performs against the backdrop of an unfortunately simplistic and mundane single-note bass line and amateur-sounding drums. The instrumentation for this song is far too simple for a professional band. Halford's voice is passionate and filled with the anger needed for this song about breaking the law in order to "put some action in my life". However the lyrics are somewhat childish and this is shown particularly when Halford screams "you don't know what its like" before the instrumental section of the song. Its the kind of phrase you hear your 5-year old child scream out in anger as opposed to a grown 24-year old man. There is also some unintentional humour where Halford's singing of the phrase "breaking the law" can be mistaken for a phrase such as "Ricky Galore". The guitar riff that saves this tune from becoming a terrible tune. Some cool police siren sound effects during the instrumental section also fit in with the subject matter of the song. As its a riff that one can head bang to, its not a bad beginning to the album.
Rapid Fire certainly lives up to its name with a juggernaut of distorted electric guitars establishing the rapid fire tempo of the song. Again, the guitars take centre stage and dominate with a variety of delicious guitar riffs and the duelling guitar solos during the song's bridge is definitely one of the highlights of the song. The drums are also a bit more flashy and there is no single-note bass line here. Halford gets to show off a bit more range with his voice starting each verse at the lower register before utilising his vocal range at the end of the verse and at the end of the song. The lyrics are better in this tune but are still not that great. Although the lyrics seem to describe the idea of rapid fire reasonably well (using phrases such as "pounding the world like a battering ram" and "leaving a trail of destruction that's second to none"), words that do not exist such as 'desolisating' are used. I know I am strange but I am just not a fan of any person that tries to use a big-sounding word that does not exist (although I have been accused of doing this in the past). Despite this small flaw, this song is decent and sounds of thunder end this song and lead into...
...Metal Gods! Beginning with a driving guitar riff, high-hat tapping and yet another uninspired bass line, it is clear why Metal Gods is often the tune most heavy metal fans associate with Judas Priest. There are many highlights including Glenn Tipton's melodic guitar solo, the interaction between the robot-sounding vocals uttering "metal gods" with a crunchy guitar lick responding to the call and the combination of the penetrating guitar riff and metal clanking at the song's end. The lyrics seem to focus on the idea of machines taking over the world and the atmosphere created by the instrumentation is one that is industrial and feels machine-dominated. Again, the instrumentation is far too simplistic and this, along with the bass, lets this tune down. Otherwise this would be a fine piece to add amongst the echelons of heavy metal classics.
Very tight, staccato notes are effectively used in the opening guitar riff for Grinder. The bass is also effectively used in pushing the tempo of the song and as support for the main guitar riff. The drums and general percussion are solid as well and I particularly like the percussion used during the bridge. The drum solo at the end is powerful and typical of any good heavy metal act. Halford's vocals are really solid in this tune too. The rebel in Halford is set free through the lyrics. Phrases such as "been inclined to wander/off the beaten track/thats where the thunder/and the wind shouts back" and "got no use for routine/I shiver at the thought" highlight the theme of rebelliousness expressed by Halford. The chorus of "grinder/looking for meat/grinder/wants you to eat" seems to infer that the grinder is the force which crushes whatever is rebellious and the chant of "grinder" between Holland's two drum solos is very ominous. All in all, this is a very solid tune.
United takes good advantage of a delay effect on the opening guitar riff before the drums and bass enters the song. The instrumentation and the vocal delivery create an anthemic feel particularly with the stomping sound of the drums and the chorus of "united, united, united, we stand/united, we never shall fall". Its an anthem for all heavy metal fans to stand up for the love of heavy metal. Halford's vocals, of which the tonal quality is akin to Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses when he sings at the lower register, rouse up this spirit in the listener. The guitars, bass and drums are very tight throughout this song but, again, are a bit too simplistic for my liking. The soft-loud dynamic contrasts are used to good effect in this track. Unlike the other songs on this album, this song represents a good change from the heavier material which is prevalent in this album.
A thumping drum introduction opens up Living After Midnight before the guitars and bass come sweeping in. The vibe created by the instrumentation is one that is rocking. The guitar solo is free flowing and is loosely based on the song's melody. In spite of the rocking melody, the lyrics are about drug addiction ("got gleaming chrome, reflecting steel/loaded, loaded/ready to take on every deal/loaded, loaded") and Halford's vocal chanting is suitable for this tune although it can be a bit boring at times. There are elements of The Ramones and KISS in the tune which is probably why this tune is accessible to a lot of listeners. For heavy metal listeners, a number like this can be a bit generic.
A ringing guitar riff begins You Don't Have to be Old to be Wise and this builds up with the other guitar coming in with the drums and the bass line finally coming in. The bass line introduces the song's main riff for the guitars before Halford's vocals come in. The lyrics show that this is the ultimate rebel song. Just look at the title. Also, with lyrics such as "I'm sick and tired of being programmed/and told what I ought to do" and "so it's off with the ties, no compromise/wanna taste what it's like to be free", the rebel theme of breaking away from the authority of parents, schools and other things one deals with at a young age are bluntly portrayed. The way Halford sings the chorus of "I'm getting sick and tired of the same old lies" is filled with the frustration of a teenager and is brilliantly shown. The guitars face each other off with some wailing guitar solos during the instrumental sections of the song. The guitars also face off with the vocals at the end. Easily one of the better songs on the album.
The Rage is Ian Hill's finest moment on the album and perhaps the best track on this album. The sound of his lone bass opens this song before drums, a high-pitched guitar chords and more guitar chords enter the fold. This relatively quiet introduction sets up the song's main driving guitar riff to enter the fold. The guitars interact with the vocals quite well and the instrumentation in this tune is a bit more complex with guitars filling in gaps with quick little ditties during Halford's verses. The soft-loud contrasts are also used effectively between the groovy introductory bass riff and the main guitar-driven riff used in the verses. Halford gets to show off a bit more of his vocal range in this tune and he gets to vary his vocal delivery in this tune. The lyrics are a bit poetic as well containing phrases which summarise the feeling of rage such as "is pain better than the grave" and "when we talk with other men/we see red and then". Like I said, this is easily one of the better tracks in this album.
Unfortunately the album ends in a whimper with its finale, Steeler. A flurry of guitars starts off this song before a pulsating bass line and drums push the tempo of the song. Halford's vocals are ordinary and show no range whatsoever and the lyrics seem to show elements of paranoia ("always someone at your back/biding their time for attack" and "waiting like jackals to sneak up and trick you/wolves in sheep's clothing, slow death in consoling") but I cannot see how the lyrics of this tune relate to the word "steeler". The guitar riffs lack creativity even though the guitar solo does add a bit of spice to the song. Although the drums show off a bit of flair during this song, the instrumental sections are a bit uninspired for a fast-moving heavy metal song. Only the occasional whammy bar trick is thrown in between the very tedious sequence of chords which are supposed to build up to the end. There is no real tension in the build-up to the end and, to be honest, I felt gipped by the ending. One expects a heavy metal album to lead up to a big climax and a massive finish but this is not the case with the album which seems to end on its weakest track.
Let us get one thing straight: British Steel is not a bad album at all. However it is not a great heavy metal album and I have reservations about calling this a good heavy metal album. There are a lot of tracks on this album which are missing key elements that would make great heavy metal tracks and it is just frustrating listening to songs you know are good but are missing one or two key elements as a result of limited instrumentation or poor lyrical content. Also, the fact that a lot of the tracks sound incredibly mainstream will lose appeal to some heavy metal listeners. Whilst I still recommend this album, there are a lot of better heavy metal albums out there than this one.
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