British Steel
Judas Priest
1980
Album Summary
British Steel is the sixth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 14 April 1980 by Columbia Records. It was the band's first album to feature Dave Holland on drums.
WikipediaMan, 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 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.
This was the tits but did get a little samey. Deffo gonna listen to more JP
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
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.
British Power metal, can see how Ozzy/Black Sabbath influenced these guys. Also motor head vibes. Yeh dope, 4 stars (just about...)
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*)
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 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 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...
Influential 80’s metal album, better metal albums would come off the back of this, and does sound a bit dated and cheesy now.
A lot of great songs in this album. First time listening to this album admin couldn’t get enough of it
A great metal album that maintains musicality and a powerful lead voice. Get pumped
Hard rock meets NWOBHM in an album that gets the best of both worlds. All-time classic!
A ton of fun. The hits were great, but a number of other tunes I'd never heard that frankly never got their due.
Real banger. Great for traveling, west coast, and out in the wilderness. Good for on way to destination. High energy throughout.
An absolute perfect encapsulation of 80s heavy metal. Every track is fierce, powerful, and surprisingly accessible. Rob Halford has the best range in metal and it shines through this whole album.
Wow, wasn't really into Judas back in the day but really appreciate this now!
This is an awesome 80's heavy metal album. An album with some meat to it! Songs like Metal Gods, Grinder, United not to mention the two great singles Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight. Great from beginning to end. Easy 5 for me.
-Just a strong album -Obviously "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" are great. Other tracks I liked were "Rapid Fire," "Metal Gods," "Grinder," and "You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise"
This is one of the greatest metal albums ever made, best among the best. It should be on anyone's short list who wants to get into this genre. It also has great mainstream appeal as metal albums go. Judas Priest adeptly straddles that line between metal and classic blues rock. I think that ultimately it gives a more timeless quality to the music. There's a reason you hear Judas Priest on classic rock radio more than you will hear most metal bands. But make no mistake, this music rocks hard, and how. Priest opened the door for metal that was actually metal, not just hard English blues. Music got harder, darker and faster after these guys showed up. Rob Halford is riveting as a vocalist. Piercing, growling, screaming, commanding, the man can do anything he wants with that voice. Oh and, lordy, those guitar solos are insane. That double barreled guitar assault by Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing defined their sound, and probably launched a hundred bands. Tight, powerful rhythm section manned by Dave Holland and Ian Hill. No bad songs, no filler, just an album full of beautifully crafted metal. So much fun to listen to, and it just freaking rocks. Fave Songs: Breaking the Law, Living After Midnight, The Rage, Steeler
Great metal album; has some songs I love, and no songs I dislike. Definitely not my FAVORITE album by Judas Priest, but still great. I've been a fan of them for a little while and prefer some of their other work. I love their unique, sleek metal sound; they were pioneers of the genre for sure, and this album definitely deserves a listen imo. This album has great vocal performances and catchy riffs, and the percussion is quite fantastic. I definitely like them better than the other the pop hard rock/metal bands of their era, like ACDC. I loved "The Rage." This one could grow on me a bit more perhaps, but for now I think I'll give it a 4. Almost a 5. Its a 5!
It's very gentle, I expected something heavier. +1 star for the album cover
45 mins of pure headbanging heavy metal. Bonus point for British way of lyrics writing. Favourite tracks: Rapid Fire, Breaking the Law, You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise, The Rage.
A really lively enjoyable thrash/metal album that features some amazing guitar playing by Glenn Tipton. What really struck me is how polished and tight the arrangements are and they really know how to build a song up to a climax. Rob Halford on vocals has a great range, sings in a number of styles and knows how to use his voice as effective instrument. I would sooner listen to him over someone like Robert Plant! The production is crisp and bold, there's a few neat effects here and there and the guitar solos are tasteful (i.e. they don't ramble). There's not much to fault on this album, which was an unexpected pleasure and is going on my discovery list. Cool cover artwork as well. Great stuff.
Where heavy metal sometimes falters, in its inevitable sameness that overtakes most albums, Judas Priest I think shines. Every song on this album was a joy to listen to, some obviously more than others like 'Breaking the Law' and 'You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise.' Judas Priest just does something for me that other musicians don't. They're strangely calming in their intensity, and British Steel is perhaps the best showcase of what they offer. Fantastic album, fantastic band. 5/5.
Metalklassieker! zalig headbangen, en af en toe wat kalmer nummer. Ik vind dit een fantastisch album
Rob Halford has one of the greatest metal voices of all time and this album showcases it perfectly. He does such a good job at everything a rock vocalist could want. Powerful chest voice, legendary shrieking high register yell, incredible finesse with when to release his voice and also when to keep it tame and build the tension. He's also a pioneer for gay men in rock and I think he probably single handedly made the biggest difference in heavy metal fans' outlook on accepting gay people into the culture. He's flamboyant in his own way- he doesn't make it his whole personality or make it a point that sees him stand out from others / take the attention away from the music. And yet at the same time he wears a ton of stereotypical biker leather with spikes (the whole band does as well- and the rest of the band are straight men) and has a "I'm gay, you don't give a fuck, let's jam" attitude. I love it. I once went to an Ozzfest when I was like 14 and Ozzy was set to sing with Black Sabbath, with Priest being the act right before Sabbath. Ozzy was sick and couldn't perform. Rob Halford sang the Sabbath set. One of the most amazing moments for a fan of metal to witness. I simply love this album, this act, and the musicians. When I hear Priest I think nothing can stop me- nothing can fuck with what I'm doing.
I’ve avoided this album for 42 years. Another one my older sister owned, but when I borrowed this I quickly returned it. I’ve avoided Judas Priest ever since. What the hell was wrong with me?! I LOVE THIS!! I loved every song! These guys know their way around those instruments. The guitars and drums are fantastic. And those vocals - hits the high notes with great harmonies! What a great album! Given my absolute love BRITISH STEEL maybe its time to reassess everything…
Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight are obviously great, but Rapid Fire and Steeler are great opening and closing tracks. United is slower and more accessible, but has really has a solid groove and is a nice showcase for Ian Hill and Dave Holland. I'm not a big metal guy, but this is a top shelf album, and is a really nice representation of the genre as a whole.
Auténtico discazo de uno de los precursores del heavy metal británico. Canciones con ritmo y auténticos temazos
Easy 5, but thankful to listen again. I'm very familiar with Judas Priest, but not this album as a whole. Groovy, poppy, heavy metal! There's some 3 star songs, but a lot more 5+ stars.
Well balanced berween metal and ballads. Would love more high tempo tracks though
I absolutely love Priest and this album was what started it for me. When the first song you ever hear from a band is "Living After Midnight".....yeah....game OVER. I can't believe that "United" never became an anthem played at sports stadiums everywhere.
The OG of heavy metal. At 42 years old, it's still a very listenable album. 11/10.
Le mostre el album a mi viejo y m dijo que este album es PURO METAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL. me desgusto la noticia q era rock, pero este album encabezo la ola del heavy metal a principio de los ochentas y coloco al hevy metal en la escala mas epica, me encanto. 9/10
Judas Priest is a formative band for me, so of course I love this album. Still incredible
Wasn't exactly what I was expecting from Judas Priest. I'm more familiar with Painkiller and that "side" of Judas. And Christians were up in arms about this band? Did they even listen to the albums? I loved the drums and the vocals, two iconic sounds, on likely an iconic album.
🤘🏻Al fin algo de Rock. Es increíble pensar que esto es casi casi contemporáneo a otras cosas soporíferas que hemos oído. Es divertido también darse cuenta que hace 40 años esto era llamado "pesado" y hay rolas muy poperas y hasta cursis como la de United.
Heavy Metal demasiado Heavy para su época a mi parecer, varias canciones repetitivas pero que banda no las tiene. Sus riffs me parecieron bastante movidos pues se comienza a escuchar el speed
De los álbumes que hemos escuchado hasta ahora este destaca, no sólo por el género, sino porque escucharlo me puso de buenas, con energía y ganas de hacer cosas. Es interesante pensar que en su época probablemente se consideraba música muy “ruda” o “pesada”, pero ahora hasta podrías ponerla de fondo para estudiar.
Not an album I ever would've sought out but yeah, there are some bangers on here. Rapid Fire is sick. I don't know if I liked anything else as much as it though. I know when it came out this was like METAL. But it feels kind of Dad-Rock in 2021. This isn't to say it wasn't great, it's just interesting how time changes perceptions.
Un disco para agitar la cabeza de inicio a fin. Pareciera estar organizado en 2 bloques, cada uno de 4 canciones más pesadas que la quinta, lenta y con tintes de himno (United, Red white & blue). No solo rockean duro sino que presenta momentos muy melódicos que contrastan perfecto con las partes más agresivas del disco. Muy balanceado y entretenido. Tracks: Living after midnight, The rage, Metal gods y la obvia Breaking the law
This was fun - give me a trans am and see what happens - 8.2 - first time listening all the way thru
Nice, always liked Judas Priest. This is often regarded as their masterpiece, and I'm trying to figure out why. Don't get me wrong, there are genuine bangers on here, I just don't feel it hitting the same highs as Screaming for Vengeance does for me. Still, a great album and a very enjoyable listen, even if some of the tracks start to run together. Good old-fashioned heavy metal. Also "Breaking the Law" is a song I know very well thanks to Adventureland. Feel like I'm giving a lot of 4's lately, but that means the list is working like it should. Favorite tracks: Breaking the Law, United, Metal Gods, The Rage, Grinder. Album art: Definitely iconic. I prefer some of their more cartoony covers, like Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith (what a cover), but this one is bold and instantly recognizable for me. Sort of reminds me of the hand we saw on the SOAD self-titled. 4/5
Interesante disco. Hay canciones que podrían ser cercanas al pop, al hard rock ligero y los riffs que ya apuntan a algo más heavy. Rolas: grinder y steeler