British Steel

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.

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

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.

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

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

Classic British heavy metal 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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

I cannae really be that eloquent here, just shite.

Cool metal album

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

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

Short, effective, energetic. A great rock album!

Quintessential heavy metal album. A must.

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

Brilliant from start to finish

🤟Labi gabali

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

The riffs, the metal. It had me

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

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*) 

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

I'm not that into metal in general, and talking specifically about this kind of classic heavy metal, Judas Priest is probably the only band I would rather listen to a full record instead of going to the dentist. But man, this one is SO GOOD.

Rapid Fire, Metal Gods, Breaking the Law, Grinder, You Don’t Have to Be Old to be Wise, Living After Midnight and Steeler. Amazing riffs, great drumming and iconic singing by Sir Rob Halford. Amazing and Painkiller should be on this list as well. 9/10 but giving 5 stars because it’s better than other 9’s.

Metal

Real banger. Great for traveling, west coast, and out in the wilderness. Good for on way to destination. High energy throughout.

Today I decided to return to 1001 albums after a week-long pause. *click* "did not listen", and the next album showed up. Judas Priest - British Steel? No way! I listened to it last Wednesday - it must be destiny or a sign. What do I think about the album? I can appreciate a good album if I hear one and for sure it's an album we must hear before we die! Its history and influence on other artists speak for itself. The best tracks: Breaking the Law (obviously), Living After Midnight, United. I've to admit I can't stand looking at the cover.

Great listen! Went through it twice. Lots of classic hits in this one.

cool, very classic metal album

Pretty much all I want from hard rock

Judas Priest is a formative band for me, so of course I love this album. Still incredible

So metal

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!

another great album, and i feel like there's not a huge selection of metal/hard rock albums in this 1001 list (either that or the randomizer hates me). this might be my favorite priest album, but the only one I know more than a song or two from is screaming for vengeance. the songs here are solid and there are definitely more hits than duds. it's not the best album ever but really lays the groundwork for future JP tracks and the metal genre at large. also, why oh why did Rock Band only get the crappy live version of this when the studio version is so much better? favorites: metal gods, breaking the law, united, living after midnight, the rage, steeler

Pinnacle

JUDAS PRIEST!! ROB HALFORD!!!

Can't go wrong with Judas Priest.

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

Well balanced berween metal and ballads. Would love more high tempo tracks though

I mean it’s Priest, what needs to be said. It’s amazing music.

The OG of heavy metal. At 42 years old, it's still a very listenable album. 11/10.

Heavy metal. Dos megahits. Vinilo.

Best

YES!

-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"

Very good

This is a pivotal album in heavy metal and rock history. It completes Judas Priest's transformation from niche metal/rock band to "Metal Gods". Rapid Fire starts off by punching you right in the face, setting the stage for "Metal Gods" which tells everyone who they are. Are they the evil robots mentioned in the song? Of course not, but we know that they are on another level. Then, the iconic "Breaking the Law" which is a major crossover hit. The album is great, and while maybe not the best Priest album (Screaming for Vengeance?), It is worthy of its legendary status. 4 or 5 stars. Was even better than I remember. The extra track doesn't work though.

Great album!

What Tom Dyke said…

🤘

Fucknig Judas Priest

One of my top ten albums!

My cup of tea. An all time classic from one of the all time greats!! Most know Breaking The Law and Living After Midnight. Those got radio play. But pale in comparison to the heart of this powerhouse heavy metal masterpiece. Tipton and Downing in stellar form. The crunch and the speed. Halford and that rythym section. Rapid Fire. Metal Gods (from the Metal God himself) Grinder (I think there’s even an app they named after it LOL) You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise. It’s about time they were finally out in the Rock and Roll HOF!!

I really like this album. This distinctive (maybe a little bit industrial) Judas Priest music with unforgetable Rob Halford voice is just too good. Breaking the law was probably the first song of Judas Priest I have ever heard. It still is one of my favourites.

solid

I'm not usually a fan of metal but I really liked this album. I found myself headbanging for a bit. Very solid album with plenty of good tracks.

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

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.

Great 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 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.

cool

Rock Album...Gives Energy While Listening...Added to fav.

Baita album

Righteous metal. Wasn't sure what was gonna happen to the JP legacy after RH walked out of the closet. So good to listen to this.

Metalklassieker! zalig headbangen, en af en toe wat kalmer nummer. Ik vind dit een fantastisch album

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.

One of the best examples of best heavy metal albums!

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

A ton of fun. The hits were great, but a number of other tunes I'd never heard that frankly never got their due.

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.

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.

This album fucking rocks so hard.

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…

Metal clássico, raiz.

Classic album from one of the founding bands of NWOBHM

Een van de meest belangrijke heavy metal albums, bijna perfect

INJECT THE METAL DIRECTLY INTO MY VEINS GRRRRRRRRRRRR

High school vibes 4 me!

hell yeah

I loved it.

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.

Classic

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.

Heavy metal. Dos megahits. Vinilo.

ah yeah (in metal voice)