British Steel

Wish Thatcher would’ve taken this particular British Steel out of the public’s hands.

Man, 80s metal is so hit and miss. But THIS was a hit. Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and AC/DC defined a whole genre and spawned a dozen half-assed offshoots (coughHairMetalcough). This album is an absolute face-ripping example of the style and I love it. Normally, I comment on guitar tones but the real stand out on this album is the drummer. Dave Holland keeps things tight and crispy without the drums feeling overproduced. The whole tone and feel of the album is built on his nearly mechanical but powerful approach to his drums. Not much else to say. Just a great frikkin' album.

I went into this with low expectations and was shocked by how much fun I had listening. Bombastic, old-school heavy metal that finds a sweet spot of campy and corny without being annoying or insincere.

Wikipedia: This album was recorded in Ringo's house For some reason I feel that it's the most vital piece of info to share about "British Steel" S'good HL: the singles

This was the tits but did get a little samey. Deffo gonna listen to more JP

This is a candidate for an album I've listened to most in my life. My brother got this for Christmas in 1980 and I wore it out. Next to Sabbath, they're the most influential metal band of all time and it's easy to see why on this seminal album of the genre. There isn't anything I don't like about this record. Absolute classic. Sad Wings of Destiny should also be on this list.

Was anyone like "I had no idea that leather clad man with the beautiful operatic vocals was gay" when Halford came out in 1998? I was too young to remember but it seems pretty obvious when we look back on it. All in all a badass classic album that was pretty revolutionary for its time and influenced tons of great metal and probably non-metal bands.

Really liked this, more than I thought I would when I saw Judas Priest

I was torn between giving a 4-star vs. a 5-star review. I bounced of Judas Priest throughout my life; I always thought they were a little cheesy. But, giving this album a critical listen, I can see where I was wrong.

Classic British heavy metal album

British Power metal, can see how Ozzy/Black Sabbath influenced these guys. Also motor head vibes. Yeh dope, 4 stars (just about...)

Now here we go! I'm not going to lie, I haven't listened to a lot of heavy metal albums in their entirety ("heavy metal" in this case referring to the specific metal genre of heavy metal instead of the colloquial definition describing most aggressive music as heavy metal), but I think it is safe to say that this is the best heavy metal album I've listened to. I've sang the lyrics "Breaking the law, breaking the law," since I was a kid, after watching Beavis and Butt-Head sing it when Beavis chopped off Butt-Head's fingertip with a chainsaw. Anyway, one of the interesting things about this album being so good is that it is apparently the band's 6th release. In my experience the vast majority of bands are in decline at that point in their career, so it's cool to see such an iconic release at that stage of their career. My personal enjoyment: 4/5 Did it belong on this list: 4/5

It's kind of edgy but also some of the lyrics are pretty stupid. Guitar is pretty fire though. Although it's good, Black Sabbath is way better.

3/5 decent but didn't fully hold my interest. Definitely dated by now but can see where it would sit in general rock history

This bored me, for me it's at best an average entry for this genre. It's not a terrible album by any means but it gave me nothing. Also there are too many albums of this genre I'd rather listen to that would probably be 3* so it gets 2* from me.

The album that sounds like a motorcycle drove straight through your local cathedral and then held mass with double kick drums. This thing kicks off with “Rapid Fire” like it’s kicking you in the teeth, and just when you start feeling things again, it gives you “Breaking the Law,” which is the national anthem of angry teenagers everywhere. “Living After Midnight” is legally required to play whenever you buy leather pants. Rating: 5/5 Vibe: You’ve got dirt under your nails, a flask in your pocket, and a smirk that says “yes, I’m wearing steel-toe boots again, Brenda.” Honestly, this might be your gym soundtrack if your protein powder came with warning labels.

Hell yes!! This is what I’m talking about- the riffs, the vibe, the energy. It gets you going! Will listen to this album over and over.

This took me back to my teens. Still sounds amazing

The most interesting thing about Judas Priest is that they present very clearly as a heavy metal band, but their lyrical content seems like it actually toes the line really well with punk, which I think enhances the overall output exponentially as it taps into 2 genres seamlessly.

Wow! I've never really been into metal but this was great!

Very metal, gets me going- third beer hits just right kinda energy

I like some heavy metal, always did. But I was always put off by NWOBHM, especially the dual guitar attack, wannabe Beethoven compositional approach of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. At first listen, this was no exception; I dismissed the first two tracks as totally insignificant, but acknowledged the classic status of Breaking The Law; Argentinean band Riff has a song from 1985, Dios Devorador, which features the exact same riff as Grinder; of course I am not saying that Judas Priest ripped off an Argentinean band, pretty much the opposite, but having known the Riff song for many years made Grinder sound more familiar to my ears. What with United? Isn't that a corny song? Were they attempting to re-write We Are The World for a metalheads crowd? Geez, that's horrible! On to You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise, great title but too long to re-type. Living After Midnight seems to give a template to a whole bunch of too-many-hair-metal-bands that were to come soon, especially out of LA. The Rage is really interesting! A reggae-like guitar, bass and drums intro that soon morphs into a classic metal, bluesy groove and comes back in the middle of the song; this one should have been huge, that's unfair. All along I can't help but think about some 80s movies with rebel teens in them or some kind of horror, and that's fun! And this is the whole point: British Steel comes up as a thing of its time. A second listen reveals some more details that make the experience more entertaining. Suddenly Rapid Fire seems to hint at the thrash that were still to come a few years later; Metal Gods is a headbanging anthem in the most irresistible way. Grinder still sounds great and even more so. I still don't like United though and I guess I never will, while the patriotic Red White And Blue could have been written by Ted Nugent were he British I guess. Let's face it: with its macho-ish, tough guy imagery of fire, steel, and epics, heavy metal hasn't aged well, but British Steel is still a lot of fun to listen to if only at an entertaining level; if you still listen to this with teenage conviction, that's ok honey, there's nothing wrong with you... but I would be worried. (*Hides underneath the table in order to call the psychiatric hospital*) 

An absolute solid album with some great tracks. I think this album is a great representation of the genre, the sound, the messages, all of it. I will definitely be giving this album another run through to hear some of the lyrics again.

Influential 80’s metal album, better metal albums would come off the back of this, and does sound a bit dated and cheesy now.

I somewhat like this, but is sounds very dated. You listen to this and then Master of Puppets by Metallica (86) or Appetite for Destruction by GNR (87) and this feels 25 years older...

This album is from a definite place and time. Not sure it holds up all that well even though there are a couple of great songs here. Don't think I'd listen to the album again though.

I cannae really be that eloquent here, just shite.

One of the most influential albums of all time. Hearing KK & Tipton’s guitars throughout - what legends!

Let's get something straight: it's a crime that this is the only Priest album on the list. There are many other albums by this band that deserve to be here as well. That said, it's a great metal album. Halford's singing is as good as ever, and the loud guitars and thunderous drums make for some invigorating heavy metal.

One of my husband's all time favorites. We saw Priest a few years ago and they were great, though for me the highlight of that show was Saxon. Rob Halford is a super decent human, and we need more people like him to be elevated. All that said, I am not a huge Priest fan. It's fine. It's just not my thing. I like the idea of them more than the actual music. It's hyper masculine. The lyrics are silly. The music is aggressive. The vocals are wild. I'm giving it a 5 for my husband and because it is hugely influential. It's probably more of a 3 going on my personal taste.

I will lay my bias out right now, because I saw Judas Priest perform live last year with my Dad, and they're still kicking ass over fifty years into their career. One of the pioneering groups of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, the band has been highly influential in heavy music, and their record British Steel is a testament to that legacy. From the opening guitar riff of "Breaking the Law" to the blistering speed of "Rapid Fire" and "Steeler", to pulse-pounding stompers like "Metal Gods" and "The Rage", to outright uplifting jams like "Living After Midnight" and "United", everyone in the group was firing on all cylinders. Rob Halford's soaring vocals, the twin-guitar attack of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, and the equally visceral rhythm support of Ian Hill and Dave Holland made for an electrifying experience, filtered through the well-balanced production from Tom Allom. These songs boast tight compositions, and the lyrics match the ferocity of the execution. Sure, arguments could have been made for later efforts, such as Screaming for Vengeance and Painkiller; those albums have also garnered popularity in their singles and more aggressive sound. Yet, it was British Steel that was chosen for the list because this was Judas Priest's breakthrough into the mainstream, and I'm inclined to say it still holds up all these decades later. They are Metal Gods among mortal men.

Bought this album when I was in the 7th grade… takes me back every time I listen…

Classic album from an early British Metal legend.

"The Rage" = highlight This album slaps. Grinder = good. A few slow jams and hopeful anthems thrown in.

!!!

Perhaps the most iconic album from a band that was releasing an iconic album every year at this point. 5.0/5.0: Iconic

Cool metal album

Hard rock meets NWOBHM in an album that gets the best of both worlds. All-time classic!

Short, effective, energetic. A great rock album!

A great metal album that maintains musicality and a powerful lead voice. Get pumped

🤟Labi gabali

Brilliant from start to finish

A lot of great songs in this album. First time listening to this album admin couldn’t get enough of it

Quintessential heavy metal album. A must.

Very nice, been a long time since I listened to that :)

The riffs, the metal. It had me

🤘 🤘 🤘 🤘 🤘. Best track: Breaking the Law

i love that this used to be heavy metal and the devil's music. now it sounds like something in the background of a dentist office. 4/5

I've never listened to this whole album, it is pretty great. Living After Midnight and of course, Breaking the Law Breaking the Law, are the standouts. This is peak NWOBHM. Definitely worth a listen.

Breaking The Law used to be on some metal compilation CD I had in my car back in college, and whenever it came on me and my friends would roll the windows down and point at people during the chorus. Stupid. This album is great though. I’ve got a lot of time for Rob Halford, and he’s got one of the best voices in metal. This album sounds tight and runs along at a real pace. The drums are among the best sounding drums I’ve heard on a metal album as well; the sound engineer deserves all of the accolades. But yeah, a rare metal edition to the list that deserves to be on here.

As much as I want to make fun of this it unfortunately rips. It’s incredibly corny but I think that might be the point. The riffs are so fun that you forget this is overly theatrical at times. Breaking the law is so good. It's nice to have the line to follow from Sabbath to this to everything else it all makes a lot of sense now. I know Painkiller (the song) isn't on this album but since it's absent from the list entirely I'm lumping it in because that is a masterpiece that they need to be remembered for. I had an important conversation with my father who claims this as his first favorite album and I was trying to make fun of it in a complementary way (re: i think that might be the point) and he said no they're serious and that was what was great about it. To him, it was very mind blowing to hear dual guitar metal instead of the talking heads or dire straits at the time and I can vibe with that getting into 2007 screamo music as a response to being over the indie/alterative scene. History reshits itself.

Nice album! I'm a fan of Metallica, and I definitely hear some of their NWOBHM roots in this.

6/10. Good guitars and bass

Just your classic hard rockin British Heavy Metal band. Rob Halford brings alot of gravitas with his singing. Enjoyed this album not a whole lot of filler either. 4

Pedra seminal da NWOBHM - Breaking the Law!!!! 4 estrelas // A capa!

Breaking the law. Breaking the law. Breaking the law.

First time listening and really enjoyed. Not my usual sort of thing but had great fun with this and will return to explore more.

I'm too depressed to be adventurous at the moment, but I love this band. We used to listen to "breaking the law" on the way to rec soccer games when we were like 7.

I liked this! It was fun, not too cheesy/corny, with great vocals. Really enjoyable the whole way through.

My only experience hearing this band was on Beavis and Butthead… Breaking The Law! Didn’t really know what to expect. I always thought Judas Priest was metal, which I tend to avoid. This was great though, more like hard rock with some metal-esque guitar solos. Was this ahead of its time? I found it a little cheesy at times, but maybe that’s just because I’m hearing it for the first time in 2025. Maybe this was mind blowing back in the day.

rating the law, rating the law rating the law, rating the law

\m/( >.< )\m/

I love the theatrics of this band, especially coming from singer Rob Halford. What a fun time it was to listen to this! Some obvious hits, but the entire album is a celebration of metal <3

“Breaking the Law” is one of those songs that justify a band’s existence, “Living After Midnight” is fun, and the rest growls past amiably enough, but the limited palette of British heavy metal is gruel-like.

Enjoyable if unmemorable UK metal. Notes of AC/DC and Hawkwind with some decent songwriting. No' bad.

Never having dug into their albums, it’s amazing how much good music is there underneath their massive hit singles.

Surprised by how lacking the instrumental is. On first glance it has everything you would expect from an early metal album. Heavy trudging guitar riffs. Occasional frantic solos. But everything feels so slow. Like the sound is caught in a layer of molasses or something. The end result is an album that sounds no heavier than Helter Skelter, and would be easily toppled by Metallica a few years later.

I’m doing an experiment today. Earlier this week, Captain’s Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica was generated for me, but I didn’t have a chance to listen to it, because it’s only available on YouTube for me and I figured I could use a day off after 1060 albums. So today, I’m playing catch up, but I figured I’d make it an insane listening experience: I’m going to go back and forth between this album and Trout Mask Replica and review them simultaneously. So, I’ll listen to 5-10 minutes of Beefheart and then switch over to Judas Priest, back and forth until I finish both records. This review is either going to be a work of art or I’m going to loose my goddamn mind in the process. I started with the first 10 Minutes of Beefheart and then fired up British Steel - I’ll probably break up British Steel into two track chunks. Rapid Fire and Metal Gods are up first: Ok, so the contrast between these two records isn’t as wide as I would be thought at first. Judas Priest is clearly more focused compared to Beefheart, but the amount of superfluous guitar solos going on in these two tracks feels not too far off from the free jazz guitar noise that’s happening on Trout Mask Replica. Judas Priest’s guitar solos that punctuate the lyrics in the back half of Rapid Fire feel weirdly improvised and sort of ill fitting in the same way that Trout Mask Replica’s reckless abandon does. (Beefheart Break) “Breaking the Law / Grinder” - Breaking the Law got me thinking about Beavis and Butthead and their escapades. Grinder…well, were people really that shocked when Rob Halford came out? Kind of seems like the clues were there, hearing this song. (Beefheart Break) “United / You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise” - Beefheart started singing “Gimme that old time religion” in Moonlight on Vermont right after I listened to the last two Priest tracks, which provided an interesting contrast, at least from a thematic perspective. As for “United” and “…Old to Be Wise” - again, I’m really surprised at how the transition between Beefheart and Priest is a lot less jarring that I thought it would be. In fact, I feel like Halford’s vocal delivery in the verses of “United” feels strangely similar to Beefheart’s vocal delivery. (Beefheart Break) “Living After Midnight / The Rage” - At this point, writing two in-depth reviews of these two records is proving to be time consuming, so I’ve settled on writing a short review later to encapsulate my thoughts on Trout Mask Replica and will focus on documenting my experiment here… The contrast between Beefheart and Judas Priest is now really evident as the pop-Metal of “Living After Midnight” plays. I used to know a guy who would play this song anytime he came around for a party and there was acoustic guitar around. It was obnoxious, but not quite as obnoxious as this experiment I’ve chosen to undertake today. Also, are Judas Priest trying to play Reggae on intro to “The Rage”? It’s really clunky, but also does not feel so far removed from some of the weirdness on Trout Mask Replica. (Beefheart Break) “Steeler” - So, I just listened to China Pig and My Human Gets Me Blues from Trout Mask Replica and it’s weird how nonplussed I am by the transitions between these two records. I’m glad this is the last track, though. This experiment was a terrible idea. I fucking hate the electric guitar right now and I still have a ton of Captain Beefheart to listen to. Conclusion: Going to give this record 3 stars, since it was pretty enjoyable. I DO NOT recommend listening to it in the fashion I did, however. I only did this experiment so that you didn’t have to. You’re welcome.

This is great! I love Spin̈al Tap!

Sounds like acdc. Hate the British flag song. But I’m Irish. Some cool songs on there, never really listened to metal

Iconic Metal Album!!!!

Boy, between this and Iron Maiden, metal really popped in 1980. Personally, I would consider Screaming For Vengeance for this list, but I think British Steel is a worthy choice to put here. It is a vital piece of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and it’s just a classic of 80’s metal overall, retaining its edge without going into corny territory. Shame this is the only Judas Priest album I’ll get here. Favorite track: Breaking the Law Other hits: Rapid Fire, United, Steeler, Metal Gods, The Rage, You Don’y Have To Be Old To Be Wise

A cornerstone in the world of heavy metal. Whilst "metalheads" will and have debated about British Steel being a heavy metal record, there is no denying that these 9 tracks rock!

Bin eigentlich gar nicht so der klassische Heavy Metal-Hörer, aber diese Platte ist wirklich voller Hits. Eigentlich neben Kreator die einzige Metal-Band aus der Zeit, die immer noch relevante Musik produzieren.

Ich weiß nicht, ob es nur ist, weil ich mich im Genre etwas besser auskenne, aber das funktioniert für mich gleich viel besser. Bisher noch nie gehört, weil ich mit Priest eigentlich nicht so viel anfangen kann. Scheinbar zurecht eines der wichtigsten Alben.

Fast nur Hits und absolut wegweisend, da gibt es wenig zu diskutieren. Ich rechne dabei den Faktor "Ist halt alt" bewusst raus.

Ouch

Rock on metal heads

Un clasico insignia del heavy metal, THE METAL GODS. Discazo en su totalidad, puros temas emblematicos llenos de actitud y poder lml. Lo he escuchado ya muchas veces antes, 10/10 siempre.

great

9 - EXCELLENT

A beast

ImI >.< ImI Der Sound noch ne Ecke geiler als bei Iron Maiden "The Number of the Beast" daher 5 Sterne

Amazing

Pure classic metal.

I love it.

Original review from my other "project" "Classic metal album! "Breaking The Law", "Living After Midnight"... man, what a cool album." Not wrong, still a 5.

Breakin' the law, Breakin the law!!!

Despite the overplayed breaking the law and living after midnight I love this record. It’s like the b tracks are so much better than the hits. Steeler, the rage, rapid fire, old to be wise, grinder are all great tracks. This is prime Judas Priest. Super simple rhythm section Before halford changed his vocal delivery with the painkiller record. This record was a huge part of my childhood in the 80s. Love it.

This surprised me as I’m not usually a huge metal fan. This leant more in the Black Sabbath direction and I liked that aspect of it. I can’t stand thrash/screamo type metal and this, thankfully, wasn’t that. I’d heard Breaking the Law before and it’s a great song but the rest of the album was just as good! Great guitars, great drums, great bass and great vocals, a banging album!

Solid. Listened to it multiple times.

Dude Judas Priest fucking rocks! 🔥

Classic British Metal album.

This is THE Judas Priest album. Great stuff

punk rock

I think I probably have the lowest average rating for British musicians of anyone that uses this site. I find Brit pop insufferable and there is something fucking terrible about hearing rappers with a British accent. There is one thing that is undeniable however when it comes to hard rock the Brits do it better than anyone and this album is a perfect example of what the hard rock genre should be.

Every single song on this album is awesome.

A couple of songs I recognize from this album. Definitely a solid metal album of the very early 80's. There was one section in Rapid Fire that felt like the guitarist had a great rift idea but had trouble executing. That being said, it's very solid classic metal that is enjoyable to listen to. Red, White & Blue kinda sucks though and really clashes with the rest of the album.

Quintessential metal album.

Judas Priest is secretly my favorite metal band. I grew up with my mom blasting them in their car and they were part of the first metal show I ever saw (along with Testament, Motorhead, and Dio-led Sabbath). Even on the Nostradamus tour JP absolutely brought it. Their whole deal has aged better than Iron Maiden's (less problematic history, more hot rockin'). Rapid Fire and Steeler are great proto-thrash song (singular on purpose - it's the same song). Metal Gods and Grinder are good steady jams. Living After Midnight is the best hair metal song. Breaking the Law is punk less in it's subject matter but more in its recognition that crime happens when society fails to meet your needs. The Rage is such an oddball and an absolute ripper. You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise is here too (and it's good). Even United and Red, White, and Blue can't mar this perfect record (and honestly I love those goofy-ass songs). Rob Halford is the coolest dude ever and he still sounds great live.