If Black Sabbath are the grandfathers of heavy metal, then Judas Priest is the father that outdid them in almost every way. If you ask me to show someone what heavy metal is, I won’t hand them a copy of Paranoid or Master of Reality. I’ll instead hand them a copy of Screaming For Vengeance, British Steel, or Painkiller. That’s what Judas Priest means to the heavy metal community. Without them we wouldn’t have a classic look for heavy metal with studs and leather.
Thin Lizzy and Wishbone Ash might have been the first to use the twin-guitar attack, but Judas Priest was the one that solidified it in the heavy metal sphere. K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton were and still are probably the best twin guitarists for any band. It was set to be the 50th anniversary celebration for Judas Priest this year. To make up for those shows being postponed, it’s high time for Judas Priest-A-Thon. The brother to the album by album reviews, Iron Maiden-A-Thon and the cousin to our series of Rush album reviews. You’re going to be getting a Judas Priest album review, every business day, until we’re all through.
Screaming For Vengeance is the shining example of Judas Priest in my mind. It was their highest selling album and it contained their quintessential song in “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”. Their next effort, Defenders Of The Faith, would look to top that album. It wouldn’t be an easy task.
Background on Defenders Of The Faith
Judas Priest would return to Ibiza Studios to record and Bayshore Recording Studios in Miami, Florida from September to November of 1983. Tom Allom was back in the producers chair for this record. Judas Priest took 1982 and 1983 to promote and tour for Screaming For Vengeance. They would appear at the 1983 US Festival in San Bernardino, CA. That show was a major catalyst for their rise in popularity in the US. In addition to this, they had a hot single in “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”. The follow-up, Defenders Of The Faith would release January 4th, 1984. Judas Priest kicked off their tour on the same day playing in Europe, the US, and parts of Asia.
Like the previous three albums, Judas Priest would continue their lineup with KK Downing, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill, Rob Halford, and Dave Holland. The single “Freewheel Burning” was released earlier than the album, in 1983. It was a hit single and video in the US. It was performed on that short European tour before the worldwide release of the album. On the Metal Conquerors Tour in 1984, they played almost every song on the album live, except “Eat Me Alive”. That song would later be played on the 2008 Nostradamus tour, making it the third album that Judas Priest had played every song from live.
The album cover would also share the same artist with Screaming For Vengeance. Doug Johnson drew and designed the Metallian on the cover. The album was criticized at the time for not having a lead single like “Breaking The Law” or “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”. It was also criticized and called Screaming For Vengeance II for it’s similarities in sound. Let’s get to the music.
1. Freewheel Burning
Like I said before, critics made comments about how Defenders Of The Faith is basically Screaming For Vengeance II. That point is a crock of shit.
Defenders Of The Faith builds upon the already established Judas Priest sound and the sound of heavy metal in general at the time. It adds to it in an innovative and interesting way. You hear the rumblings of the sort of metallic, synth-heavy sound that’s coming for the genre. Without sacrificing any of the heavy-metal essence, it encapsulates the time period perfectly.
It’s among the best albums that Judas Priest have ever recorded. The title Defenders of the Faith evokes so much about what Judas Priest mean to people and the genre in general. Yes, there might have been some hiccups along the way, but for 50 years Judas Priest has been keeping the heavy metal faith.
As a beacon for the rest of the bands in the vast ocean of heavy metal, Judas Priest always rises to the occasion to meet any foes. For this reason and many others, Defenders Of The Faith gets top marks across the board. No matter the small blemish of “Heavy Duty”, if the worst song on your album is a throwaway 2 minute rocker, you’re gonna get a 10/10.
Defenders Of The Faith Continued
The album set the stage for the rest of the world, and if you didn’t know who Judas Priest were, you knew them after this album. While it doesn’t have any of the runaway hits like some previous albums, die-hard, and even moderate fans of the band know these songs. Collectively they’re better than the sum of their parts. Songs like “The Sentinel” and “Love Bites” blend that 70’s Judas Priest lyrical content with the suped up 80’s sound. In my mind, it’s a masterstroke by the band.
You can’t go wrong with nearly any of the songs on this album. It sets up one of my favorite phrases to live by. Rock hard, ride free, and defend the heavy metal faith.
I’ll leave you with the quote from the liner notes of the album about the Metallian:
Rising from darkness where Hell hath no mercy and the screams for vengeance echo on forever. Only those who keep the faith shall escape the wrath of the Metallian … Master of all metal.
Defenders Of The Faith
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