Reviews (page 10 of 12)
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.
3.5/5 I was surprised to find out I had heard a couple of these songs. However, this is the kind of widdly guitar that I don't enjoy as much. It was pretty good, but in a kind of cheesy way almost. Meh, it wasn't bad.
Reminded me of Motorhead and Iron Maiden from the outset which isn't the worst thing in the world however I do find the latter's style of singing a little cheesy which definitely applies here. Also, not too dissimilar to yesterday's music which I preferred. It's okay, I'm not a new fan but I don't hate them.
Solid album where at least half is hits
Mostly tedious NWOBHM, but there are two or three standout tracks which would have made a great 7" single!
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
Bombastic, loud, daft and glorious. The root of the parodies. Steel Panther could never.... Banger after banger.
Generic hard rock. Minus one for that album cover.
Pretty much all I want from hard rock
Ok album
yep thats 80s metal its ok red white and blue was awful though
Great album, if only they could have more than just one on this list because there's better more important Priest albums.
Lekker
I don't know why I expected this to be 80s glam metal. This is legit metal. First four are a bit similar, expect breaking the law, which is actually more glammy pop metal, but I don't mind because it's fun anthem. United is also more glam pop metal ballad and is the only low point so far. Jarring to go from "breaking the law, breaking the law" to "united united united we stand". Lame, anyways. The second half gets more power arena metal but it's happening years before that style gets over done. And there's a couple last Surprisingly good. Some tracks don't hold up but I'm going to listen to this again.
The first song is a good up-tempo rocker with fast drums, which I like, and the quasi-radio friendly follow-ups are okay. The best I can say is that these guys aren't over-the-top parodies of heavy metal or too commercial. I find it interesting that under "Critical Reception" Wikipedia immediately jumps to the review by AllMusic, who weren't founded until 14 years after this LP was released.
Well this is a change from the bubble gum pop we've been receiving lately. At first it was refreshing to hear the driving jackhammer guitars and edgier vocals, but then they repeated it again.....and again...... and again. The only song that sounded different was United, but boy was that ever a clunker. This album has a lot of cliched guitar riffs and metal style vocals but I'll concede that if they were amongst the first groups to do this back in 1980 then they were actually innovative, so I'll give them an extra point for that.
i can see why this is spiros favorite band
Exactly what I expected. Not for me.
Better than I though it was going to be, still not very listenable for me though
Despite being a big metalhead in my younger days, I never gave Priest any attention. Refreshing to listen to now, though I think Maiden took their brand of NWOBHM and perfected it. Probably won't listen to anything else by them, but if it was 10-15 years ago I'd have been a lot more hooked.
a bit heavier than my taste, but technically solid album
Most of it was complete garbage...but the songs had the quality that at times I found myself muttering aloud "breakin the law....breakin the laaawww". 1.5/5
A classic for on a class act
Some big classics on the album but I didn't like every song. Still as great album.
Love me some 80s rock. Really enjoyed this record even though I think a lot of the songs are pretty barebones. Great guitar work though.
I'd say if you don't like Judas Priest you aren't human, but I just gave Stevie Wonder a 2/5 and feel really bad about it so I'll refrain. I've heard this album a million times. It's still really fun to listen to. Painkiller's still their best album in my opinion, and this one does get a little repetitive with just about every song being mid-tempo with a big sing-along chorus, but you still get all the fundamental Priest qualities you could ask for with this one.
Great, clean, consistent, cohesive. United and Life After Midnight and The Rage are really good!
Judas Priest is a formative band for me, so of course I love this album. Still incredible
Good, god fearing metal
JUDAS PRIEST!! ROB HALFORD!!!
3/5. Some good songs on here but several skips. It’s definitely still listenable but nowhere near perfect.
“The Rage” has a cool funk/reggae intro which was surprising in a metal track. “Grinder” is really catchy. Album: 4/5.
Classic heavy metal album featuring great guitar duetting by Glenn Tipton & KK Downing and superb vocals by the great Rob Halford. The solos are superbly executed and the riffs are catchy. Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight are now well deserved rock classics. 8,8/10
I say, decent for a mid-tempo workout this. Went for a jog, ended up jay-walking during "Breaking the Law". Felt like a real tough nut, I did. 2 bobbys out of 5 👮🏼👮🏼
4.5 stars. Great metal/hard rock album. Radio ready hits "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" interspersed into heavier, faster tracks. Expected more heavier metal sound, but the singing and arena rock-ish elements were a pleasant surprise. Record flowed well from start to end, keeping up the energy.
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
NWOBHM striked me as too uncomfortably close to glam metal. Too much bright, too pop, and too standard. And no, I'm not a metal purist who insist on making the genre edgy, extreme, and underground. I don't like this subgenre simply because it sucks. This album in particular sounds like AC/DC fans trying hard to sound like Queen (it IS inspired by AC/DC after all). Not something I would expect from the band who made "Painkiller". That song introduced me to this band. Everyone there was at their prime. Tiktok hit "Breaking the Law" on the other hand, while undeniably a banger, is a pretty soft hit. So... kudos for bringing NWOBHM into the mainstream, I guess?
Classic
Este es un excelente disco
Catchier than most of the metal so far, so I get the appeal.
Best Song: Rapid Fire. A nice (relatively) high-speed kickoff to the album. Worst Song: United. Just pure cheese. Can't imagine what kind of dorks there must be standing in a crowd, chanting this song with their whole hearts. Ditto for "Red, White & Blue". Overall: I find that Judas Priest really suffers from the significance of their influence. They - along with Motorhead - inspired a lot of modern thrash metal, and one thing those modern derivatives have done is really crank up the speed and intensity of the genre. The effect is that going back to listen to the progenitors of the genre feels like listening to thrash metal at half-speed, and I kept waiting for each track to kick into a higher gear. The music is still alright, and I can appreciate Halford's theatrics, but it kind of feels like an old man's version of speed now.
Very mushy in my opinion. It don't hate it, but could go without it.
E jo vokst opp med Judas Priest, så litt skuffa over at da ikkje føltes meir nostalgisk
I've listened to "Breaking The Law" many times since it sat in my iPod Nano in high school, but I hadn't ever sat down to listen to the full thing. It's Heavy Metal alright, but a little more upbeat and hoppier counterpart to what Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, etc. where putting out. This is achieved by the energetic drumming. However, I prefer the darker sound of the bands I just mentioned. You can definitely feel the sound headed in a more 'hair metal' direction, although not quite there yet. Rob Halford is an icon. His vocal work in "The Rage" was my favorite part of the album.
Fine
Fine
Hemska lyrics, de kan spela och sjunga med hur mycket teknik de vill, visionen känns så ytlig och tom som den bara kan bli... Living after midnight e också ass och ja kan inte köpa att detta nörd band skulle bryta mot någon lag....
If this album kept the quality of the first four songs over the whole album, this might've been one of the best albums in the (early) metal genre ever made. Rapid Fire is almost speedmetal avant la lettre and feel like where NWOBHM takes off, Metal Gods with its hypnotic rhythm that emanates the relentless march of the robots, Breaking The Law is a Beavis and Butthead classic banger and Grinder with its K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton guitar battle in an almost AC/DC like simplicity is pure rock 'n' roll. I was blown away by this part and then came United. What in the everloving metal hell was that? And The Rage. And the atrocious bonus track Red, White & Blue. Maybe broken up by a few decent tracks, but it really drops the average of this album quite a few points. And that's really too bad.
Massively let down by the vocals in places.
I didn't think I liked metal, but here I am listening through to this twice and zoning out enjoying it. Whether it's just this band or just this album, glad to have my mind opened! My favourite song was "Rapid Fire." It reminded me of certain Misfits songs. Speaking of things reminding me of things, "Breaking the Law" really reminded me of "Someone Super Like You" from Phantom of the Paradise. I am not sure if I will regularly return to this album since a few of the songs were schmaltzy and seemed like ballads dropped in randomly ("United" and "Red White and Blue"), but I will probably return to certain songs.
Very strong start with Rapid Fire. Nothing too different but it definitely has it's charm. Towards the end, the songs started to blend. Absolutely love the bass riffs, though. Also really cool album cover. Fave track(s): Rapid Fire, Steeler
Metal.
i hate metal. this was boring and uncreative
Demasiado
This is a very important record in the evolution of heavy metal, but it's outdated now. Production is remarkably good for a heavy record this old. Musicianship is great. The songs are just not that interesting to me. It's too hard rock for metal and too metal for hard rock. 5 stars when it was new, 3 stars now. Favorite song: grinder.
Mucho mejor de lo que esperaba. Nunca fui muy heavy en los 80 y lo poco que oía me parecía "muy duro" para mis gustos. Escuchado 40 años después es casi música ligera. Me han gustado "Metal Gods", "Breaking the law" y "United".
SNOOZE FEST. not a creative idea in sight. lame.
Love love love Judas Priest but remember this as never being my favorite. Several strong rocking tracks but punctuated by United, RWB, and some others that just got feeling same-y. Really hoping to see Sad Wings of Destiny / Screaming for Vengeance make the list . . . 7/10, will round up just for the strength of Halford's voice.
Very good
Solid metal LP from an outfit I've been meaning to check out for a while. Rides the line between genuine expression and outright cheese fairly well, and knows when a track has run its melodic course and needs to end. An enjoyable listen that goes to show less is often more (except when it comes to guitar tone).
Solid British heavy metal stuff, never really loved this kind of music. I prefer stuff like Death and Sepultura. Still cool though. 3/5.
Great album!
Byrjaði finnst mér alveg hrikalega, Rapid fire er ekki mín tónlist. En svo slaka þeir aðeins á og viti menn, þetta verður frekar áheyrilegt. Rödd Rob Halfords finnst mér lítt merkilegt, en hún sleppur fyrir horn. Gott metal heilt á litið.
I like metal and I'm not sure if I'm just not feeling it this morning, but I'm not feeling this. Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight aside, a lot of the songs seemed to go on too long, even though they were only 4 minutes. I was getting bored and wanting the next one on after about 2. Good riffs and energy but just... not enough tunes.
There are many MANY bands that don’t get to a sixth album let alone their sixth in only six years as a band. British speed metal gods show why they are still relevant y making a timeless metal album that sounds good still to this day.
nice. pretty generic. nothing special
Solid sample of 80's metal with an element of controlled thrash that actually allows for the music to be heard.
Meh, found it a bit repetitive and annoying. A few catchy riffs, but... not for me
An album I'm not familiar with from a band that I have a basic knowledge of. The middle third of the album feels like nothing but filler. The first and final third are worthy of your time. In fact the final third is outstanding. There is protothrash here and moody sludge and radio friendly hair metal, pretty much the next ten years of hard rock radio laid out as a template for everyone to use. I think I would have included Screaming for Vengeance instead.
Great way to kick off 80's metal!
Surprisingly listenable
I'm a huge Priest fan, but I never found this one more than simply good. That balls-to-the-wall heavy metal sound that everyone loves on breaking the law? yeah, that mostly only exists on that one song. The rest of this album is much closer to stadium rock than heavy metal. It's because it's a foundational album to the genre, but that doesn't mean it's an exceptional one. In the end this feels more sanitised for a larger audience than the albums that preceded it and lacks the power of the albums that succeeded it.
I love Judas Priest but this is far from being one of my favorites from them. There are some great track in there, including the classics Breaking the Law, Rapid Fire and Living After Midnight, but there's also some lukewarm moments that prevents it from being a classic in my book. Also United is just terrible, a poor attempt at making an anthem that everybody would shout in concert.
Just because it's their most commercial album doesn't mean it's their best.
Perfect song to scream during a concert or wasted in a karaoke
This might be one of the Judas Priest less impressive album. Of course, the hit "Breaking The Law" is insane and there are a few great songs like Grinder, Steeler or Rapid Fire, but it's not a strong Judas Priest album overall. Tracks like United or Red, White & Blue are so bad it hurts.
Started out thinking it had neither the adrenaline-fuelled riffs of some heavier, thrashier bands, nor the silly fun of some of the more OTT metal bands. It's a not-completely-satisfying mix of the two, but by the end it won me over a bit by veering off in unexpected directions, like reggae (The Rage). 2.5 / 3
Nicht so mein Fall
Great metal album of it's time
Nope. Not for me. This would be good for anyone that likes AC/DC
A best of album would be better...
A 5 star heavy metal album ruined to 4 star by too horrible songs. United (1) and Red, White & Blue (<<<1). The latter might be the worst heavy metal song ever.
Solid (hard) rock album, but too mainstream for me to really enjoy it.
Rather straightforward hard rock album, less heavy than I had expected.
The OG of heavy metal. At 42 years old, it's still a very listenable album. 11/10.
Didn't really know what to expect going in, but this was pretty good. It went harder than I expected it to. It's closer to the type of metal I like than some other metal albums on here. I think the opening song is a great way to introduce the album. Didn't really like United, but everything else was good. My favourite songs were The Rage and Breaking the Law.
Baita album
Listened Before? N You should always study the classics. Especially when it comes to metal! This album is an all-time influential great. Everything from the hard and fast thrashers, to the slow grinders. Even though it's from1980, this is still hard, heavy stuff. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Breaking The Law, Living After Midnight
British Steel is almost the platonic ideal of this style of metal. I've always thought of Judas Priest as just this side of parody, pushing the leather and the spikes and the law breaking just to the edge of ridiculous. Which I find perfectly entertaining.
Did not like it then and still don’t. Lacking intelligence and talent.
I don't know how to review this one. It's definitely not my genre (metal), but it has its catchy, rockin' moments. The album is cohesive, very well produced, and the drums are stellar. Compared to other metal albums on the list I've heard so far, I actually quite liked this one. Not like I'll go out of my way to hear it again, but there is a fun driving energy in this album. For me, it's a 3 - it's not my thing but I like it.
A lot of fun
This album was awesome. I'm not sure that I would categorize it as metal like they do during it, but it's great hard rock. Really fun to listen to. Favorite track: Steeler
Surprisingly pretty good
Will never listen to this again, but it was surprisingly solid.
Love 'breaking the law'
A good fun album. Close to a 4.
Surprisingly good album
Some real highs on here. Imagine it would be brilliant live
Boring. No.
cool
7/10 it’s got a fun sound but it’s really kinda fucking cringe
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.
Well balanced berween metal and ballads. Would love more high tempo tracks though
So 80s and kinda anti capitalism. I liked to listen to it while doing homework cause it was energy inducing
Cool but does not stand out
Old people rock
Would have been better as a single album
Rock Album...Gives Energy While Listening...Added to fav.
Sabbath did it better.
Grandmother's favourite band. Precious memories <3
Diesel forge Cold hard molten fumes Playful brute
Eh.
Heavy
Я ожидал совершенно другого в плохом смысле слова, довольно разносторонний даже в рамках жанра релиз, так еще и выпущенный в то время, когда конкурентно он возможно был одним из лучших, 1980, я конечно пока не сильно осведомлен за металл того времени, но этот релиз хотелось дослушать до конца, не потому что тут какие-то бешенные хиты, а просто потому что он разный и интересный, особенно. Лирика тоже на уровень выше ожидаемого, но надо понимать что это первый релиз Judas Priest прослушанный мной.
A solid heavy metal album and really highlights why Judas Priest is a real classic in the genre. Never having heard much of their stuff, with this album as their sixth outing, they clearly haven't lost any steam with their face melting guitar riffs, heaving drums no doubt influencing the era of 1980s hair metal bands. Best: Breaking the Law Worst: Red, White & Blue
🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
Ughhh I didn’t wanna shit on it but it did just feel very samey and like knockoff black sabbath (even if British steel came first idk). That being said it wasn’t awful, I did enjoy a few bangers such as breaking the law but in general I wasn’t hyped to listen…
I liked this way more than expected
Notes - Hard rock/heavy metal band - Lots of chuggy guitar, driving drums and bass, gritty kinda operatic vocals - Similar to zz top and guns n roses, motorcycle music - Used to see the tab book for this album at the place where I took guitar lessons as a kid, the art stuck with me - Vocals remind me of iron maiden a bit - Started listening to it, immediately was like “I’m not in the right mood to enjoy this” and went back later and it was muuuuuch more enjoyable - Recorded at ringo Starr’s house? Lol Fav - The rage - Love the opening and the guitar solo! Least fav - Red white and blue - Super cheesy, was included as a bonus track but not necessary Fun time! Not for me though 3/5
had a good time
Pretty good
felt cute, might break a law later
I mean it’s Priest, what needs to be said. It’s amazing music.
Decent, not a band that ever clicked with me although I like some related bands
Lige på og hårdt, højt tempo, old school metal, stadig ti at lytte til
Honestly more fun than I really give them credit for. Some goofy moments but overall it's very enjoyable metal. Their drummer is basic af though.
More fun than I expected, proper Bri'ish metal
BREAKING THE LAW BREAKING THE LAW.
Da nema ove aplikacije, bome ne bih slušao ove albume nikad, bar ne u ovim godinama, razdoblju. But here I am. Breaking the Law je the jam.
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 is like the most boring pop music if it was metal. And I like pop music!
Generally quite enjoy NWOBHM and this is no exception to that, great album!
Not quite as hard/heavy/fast as I expected. Good, solid rock
It was fun to hear the hit songs again. Half the album holds up pretty well, half suffers from poor songwriting. In the end, I did not need to hear this entire record. It is a cool album cover though.
Queer and can’t listen to Breaking the Law without thinking about the Pansy Division parody song.
Sorry, but I’m good
A NWOBHM classic. This album goes hard and doesn't let up. Not quite as good as Screaming for Vengeance.
Packed social sat? Lose to forest, hirschorn, sneak in to insta exhibit, bike home, light clean, walk about gt, chill with bryce, then to housewarming, decent, bike to monuments, braut
After a pretty dreadful run of albums I was not looking forward to this. Not my genre and anticipated a lot of clichés and not much fun. I was wrong, best thing all week, more varied and interesting than I anticipated. Some good songs. Breaking the Law the obvious best song.
Not a fan. Weak metal.
Heavy metal. Dos megahits. Vinilo.
breaking the law breaking the law
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...
I’m surprised that I liked this album as much as I did. Almost has a bit of a punk feel to it.
I can’t with the cringe. “Breaking the law breaking the law!” Lol
Ok. Little too 80s heavy.
Album is ok, so many the earlier albums are quite better and heavier. They moved more into the hard rock in this one. Some decent songs besides the hits like Grinder and Steeler, but United, Red,White & blue are just so awful. Tough call between 3 and 4, I doubt there will be another Priest album so 4 it is.
Rapid Fire and Metal Gods are real highlights. Great rock & roll, wasn’t into JP at the time, more into punk, but this was very fun to listen to.
Breaking the Law was ok.
Solid album. Nothing amazing, nothing bad. Sounds like the soundtrack to a movie set in the early 80s for a specific type of character.
What Tom Dyke said…
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.
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: yeah, enjoyable dad rock but not mind blowing Favourite song: Track 5 - United
The guitar tones are great but I kinda hate the lyrics. It’s a tough one for me, if we hadn’t had so much metal recently I might feel differently
this is about as highly as i can personally rate a metal album. it’s good, but not for me
Auténtico discazo de uno de los precursores del heavy metal británico. Canciones con ritmo y auténticos temazos
4 Classic
Classic Metal. coming to it so late it does suffer from sounding slightly cliched but only because it was one of the Metal templates.
Interesting to hear metal influences
yeah its good, but I likely won't go back.
I tend to like Judas Priest, but I must say that with my mood today, it does not fit so well. Good album, at least one classic of all times for the metal world but nothing so remarkable compared to other stuff on this list.
Not my cup of tea but I admit it's good
Apparently Megadeath are "progressive metal" and Judas Priest are "groove metal". Either way that's a lot of metal in two consecutive randomly selected album. (Fingers crossed for something more soothing tomorrow.) Turns out I think I like my metal more groove than prog
Pretty decent, better than expected. Catchy and melodic in places which is a nice surprise considering the reputation metal has.
That was a pleasant surprise. If I ever start working out again I would definitely put that on.
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.
I like it
Good piece of music history. Of its time.
Those guys are British?
Some heavy metal. Not great, not terrible.
Fun refresher
🤘
Some nice heavy metal. But I can't help comparing it with Iron Maiden, and I like them better than Judas Priest.
o sea bien! pero bueno basta de esta música ah kqksjsjs 7 / 10
I’d never taken much time to listen to Judas Priest and only really became familiar with their hits a few years ago. I found British Steel to be enjoyable throughout, it’s fun and I never felt like I wanted to skip a track. It doesn’t set my world alight, but I’ll definitely be revisiting it as there are some great songs
Metal is not my favorite genre, but I much prefer this Judas Priest type of metal to the modern screamo. Breaking the Law is of course iconic, for very good reason. I also loved Living After Midnight.
Not a huge Judas Priest fan, but definitely appreciated this album. I was already familiar with "Breaking the Law" but I also enjoyed the shredding in "The Rage".
Cool
Classic heavy metal album.
2/5 Classic rock album. Meh
p460. 1980. 1.5 stars. Well done of its type, but definitely not my thing. Rob Halford can't sing, and there is a lot of filler. It's dull and left no lasting impression, and the final track (Red White And Blue) is an abomination. Really struggled to listen to this one all the way through. Not essential listening.
I used to like this kinda stuff when I was in my teens. I just find it a bit cheesy now. I mean it ticks all the classic heavy metal boxes but its all a bit meh. Post Sabbath riffs..angry vocals, iconic sleeve. Even a couple of hit singles.
Discazo. Los vivos y breaking the law ases.
Wirkt eher rockig als wirklich wie heavy metal. Kann man durchaus nochmal hören.
Not my style of music.
It may be sacrelidge to say this in the rock community but I am not a fan of Halford's voice. That said this album delivers classic Priest. The riffs and rhythms are strong throughout, and on the occasions when Halford sings rather than chants the vocals are good. One of the foundational albums of 'metal'. I can't give it a 5 because of the vocals. If they had been sung instead of shouted it would have been 5. As it is 4
Not my favorite type of music, but for being heavy metal it’s not all that bad. 4/10
I’m not a heavy metal maniac
I always like the sound of these heavy metal bands, but if I had to tell you if a random song was Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, or Metallica I could not.
Solid, but not outstanding
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Grinder (4) 2 - Breaking the Law (3) 3 - Rapid Fire (1) Honorable Mention - Steeler (9)
Un bon classique
Catchy heavy rock songs with a nice sound, but only a few standout tracks and wouldn’t add many to my regular playlists
Heavy metal, fuck yeah
A fine effort from Judas Priest, but was nothing memorable at the end of the day for me. Still culturally important for the hard rock and metal scene, but it's no Black Sabbath (1969)
ooooh yeahhhh! actually found myself bopping my head along a lot. the vocals aren't my favorite but there's a time and a place for the beats and tempo, and apparently time and place is digging through spreadsheets.
Very Rock ‘n Roll. This one reminds me of School of Rock. This is a terrible way to rate music, but whatevs.
Classic metal album!
It alright
I like much song of this album. On "Breaking the law" and "Living after midnight".
Really good straight forward metal. Simple song writing, great guitar work. I do feel badly for the bass player. Pretty lame work for him. This is a great album to just pop in and get to work.
legal, 3/5
One of the flagship albums of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Judas Priest know their strengths and they deliver with screaming guitars and Rob Halford’s inimitable snarl.
So good to hear some rock again ! An easy 4*
Just what I needed today.
They really balance between dark and silly. So much so that when the sing something like "United" I just don't trust it. Fun music to turn your brain off to.
Can't deny this super fun metal. Every song is an anthem.
Surprisingly OK, can't say I've listened to much Judas Priest but it basically sounds like Jack Black doing his metal voice. More melody that I was expecting and some bangers here, not too shabby.
My previous knowledge of this album was limited to Beavis and Butt-Head. This project has again helped me find what I like in genres I had avoided. This is good, pure, enjoyable, rockin' metal for almost 100% of the album.
Not quite what I expected. Sounded like hard rock from the 80s. I wasn’t bad, but also seemed kind of generic to me.
A heavy metal album where the songs all sound different? That's pretty swell. I am super impressed with the differing styles of the guitarists and Rob Halford's deft vocals. A pleasant surprise.
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…
GRINDEEEER Looking for meat. either there are so many things about judas priest and this album that are overtly gay or i need conversion therapy. I mean have you seen how they dress? it's like they found a book of stereotypes, saw the one for an attendee of a gay club and were convinced there and then that that was the look they should go for. i was under the impression they were a band for stonewashed jeans and black t shirt clad old men supping trooper down the local rock pub but on the basis of this album they seem more suited to the eurovision song contest. maybe the rock pub blokes are in to them for the weird flag shagger ode to britain. that shit is well strange, i suppose there was probably more to be proud of back in 1980 but its like some sort of shit that Walter Raleigh would have penned. then you've got a couple of songs that get loads of airplay. my confusion levels are off the charts with this one. good work, Rob, Glen and Kenneth.
As a proud Priest-head, I can't really put into words what this record means to me. As a young man without identity when I first heard the lyrics, I wept. Finally someone had voiced every feeling I had bottled up inside me. This release was so powerful and completely turned my world upside down. In a good way. I felt that I could wear what I wanted, shag who I wanted, love what I wanted, without any prejudice. I owe these guys everything and if they are reading this, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU! You made me the man I am today.
Probably at least one pervert amongst them. Check the hard drives.
When I think back to Judas Priest, I feel like everyone called it heavy metal, and maybe it is, but it just seems like a hardworking rock band to me now. The album and the band were much better than I remembered. The relentless pounding rhythms in Steeler were excellent. There were a few popular tunes like Breakin the Law that I remembered with some fondness. These were counterbalanced by the dreck of United and Red, White & Blue which were both difficult to chew through. Not sure I would be up for a deeper dive of JP, but it was interesting to hear some of the sounds countering my internal narrative about this band.
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.
How heavy does metal have to be to be heavy metal? There are much heavier metals than steel, though it remains undetermined whether British steel is heavier than other steel. Now an album called "British Tungsten," that would probably shred. But this is "British Steel" - not a particularly heavy metal in the greater scheme of things. Judas Priest may have a reputation as helping to build the foundation of heavy metal, but it only makes scant appearances on "British Steel." The first four tracks were heavy. But not all that good. There was a definite shift though, starting with the corny arena-rock anthem "United." "You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise" and "Living After Midnight" are also more of a blend of 70s arena rock and 80s hair metal. The album ends with "Red, White, & Blue," which might not have been on the original release? Who knew these lads wielding their British somewhat heavy metal were such American patriots? What's that you say? There are 43 countries with red, white, and blue in their flag? Ok, I stand corrected. Still kind of odd for some semi-heavy metal chaps to wax poetic in a goofy anthem about a flag. Anyway, that's all for this edition of "Fun With Flags." While Judas Priest may have failed to deliver sufficiently heavy metal during this sellout period of their career, at least they reminded me of this gem that I hadn't thought of in a while... https://c.tenor.com/FxcYgqxzmgMAAAAC/beavis-and-butthead-head-bang.gif
My least hated metal band yet? I guess that’s good enough for a 3.
First of all, I didn’t know that Judas Priest rocked this much. Or metaled this much? I can hear future 80s hard rock/metal in these tracks. Second, I often rail against lead singers that don’t have great voices singing. So when one that can’t sing well uses his voice smartly, like Rob Halford, I must applaud him. Rob doesn’t have a great singing voice, but…brilliant idea…he doesn’t try to sing a lot. He talks musically and kind of grunts, which works great for both his voice and Judas Priest’s sound. He does sustain a sung note from time to time and it works because 1) his voice isn’t bad and 2) he doesn’t do it very much which allows the occasionally strained note to be forgiven. Although I’m relistening to The Rage while writing this paragraph and I might be underselling his vocal quality a bit. Third and most excitedly, I finally get the references in Sun Kil Moon’s song Glenn Tipton from the Ghosts Of The Great Highway album. I now know Glenn Tipton is a guitarist is Judas Priest. It’s strange that the opening song is titled for Glenn because there is only one line in the song referencing him (“Some like K. K. Downing more than Glenn Tipton”). I now also know that K. K. is a guitarist in Judas Priest. I have to say they both shred. Continuing with my albums-that-are-not-on-the-1001-list asides. GOTGH is a really good album. Stylistically, it’s nothing like Judas Priest. It’s more folksy indie rock. It gets my recommendation seal of approval. British steel is likely not much different than steel from elsewhere around the world because they generally use the same standards. However, British Steel is made of the stronger stuff.
This album was good. Have not listened to them before but will definitely be checking their other stuff out. Feels like a 3.5 for me. 1. Rapid Fire 2. Breaking the Law 3. The Rage
I may not be up to date on the definition of heavy metal or perhaps it's progressed over 30 years. But the pop influence on this album was so undeniable that it felt like glam. Regardless I was just happy to not have another 90 minute trance EDM slog.
Two monster hit singles, and barely a bad track on this. A bridge between Sabbath and 70s metal and the NWOBHM, with its poppy concision. Can see why they were huge.
Great fun, great influence.
This is class. I always get nervous about metal because I hate screamer songs, but this is not that at all, I'd barely class it as metal really. Little bit cheesy in places, but it stands up forty years later and I will definitely be listening again. 4/5.
I’ve heard a lot of Priest songs but this is the first time I’ve listened to an album all the way through. I can’t help but think of summers in the 80s watching my uncles lift weight on rickety, makeshift benches. Good album.
I love Judas Priest and I love this album. ❤️
quite fine, actually. 3.5
Fuck live bonus tracks...
better than i expected
I only know Breaking the Law, but I’m excited to listen to the rest! I’m not at all a metal aficionado but I’m struck by the MeatLoaf-esque theatricality first and foremost. Rob Halford has the perfect metal voice to deliver a mix of standard hardcore metal lyrics and unique clever metaphors denouncing patriotism and such. Besides Breaking the Law, which is classic, I am interested in United which is a kind of tongue-in-cheek pop-inflected tune that seems to try to subvert patriotism. It came as a surprise after the first few tracks, which hopefully will key my ear in to the other unique qualities of this album. Of the other hard rock albums I’ve listened to so far during this project, I think I like this one the best. I appreciate that the lyrics are not unnecessarily dark and morbid and are instead songs with some kind of message towards society. I do recognize that this album has a bit of a commercial sound, which suggests a double edged sword (rock in the mainstream can be great for the musicians! Rock in the Mainstream can be restricting or even inauthentic.) Songs like “Living After Midnight” are simple songs about having a good time and being young, which are simultaneously characteristic of the rock ethos and a bit too commercialized and sanitized. As the album continues, I really really like the song The Rage! The guitar riff is awesome, and Halford is especially sounding like Ronnie James Dio, whom I love. The interacting bass riff and guitar interlude is particularly standout!! I recognize that this album is a really quite good hard rock/metal album, though I admit it’s not really my thing! I will totally return to “The Rage” and “Breaking the Law” but the others were just okay to me. I will give this album a 4 though!
Never really thought a lot before this project about how much early Metal is a product of the UK. I’m sure this means something, though I couldn’t say what. Can’t really fault any of it for what it is.
I assumed the worst. 80s heavy metal. However I am surprised. I could escalate some of these tracks to a favourite playlist. Not sure what he’s singing about but the sounds are cool Cover art 4/5
7/10 Best Song - Breaking the Law
4.1 - Classic heavy metal! This is black leather, motorcycles, smoky pool halls, and pints of whiskey that are shattered on the ground. Rob Halford plays the part of metal overlord to a tee. Love the screaming guitar solos, too!
Decent riffs.
Nä det här var ju tråkigt. Heavy metal snarare heavy snoring haha förstår ni vad jag menar
Solid metal. AC/DC meets motorhead, with fire vocals and soloing. Campy fun 👍
Steelers and Grinder are enough to save a bordering on boring album.
The album births elites in the rock/metal works, and you can hear a lot of influence of Metallica and Van Halen etc. It just doesn’t do much for me
Metal is dumb.
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.
Great album!
Ooh okay not too sure what to expect… Rapid fire opens up the album and yeah that’s rapid fire tempo. Great drumming especially must be hard to keep up with the time. The only thing is that the lyrics are just very generic metal lyrics but it’s not the main attraction to be fair. Metal gods has a great little riff going on it’s not as cool as the last song but still good enough though. The end is interesting though with the noises. I do recognise breaking the law It’s a good single ( especially by metal standards) it’s a very destructive sounding track which I love about it the only problem is that chorus is so repetitive. Grinder is a cool sludgy stomper probably a favourite. Just not much to say I like the handclaps of united and it’s a good idea for a song but it just feels too much of a mix between a hippie song and a dumb football chant. You don’t have to be old to be wise is a true anthemic track not a favourite to me but one that I bet would be amazing in a live setting. Living after midnight… eh it’s alright but is just the most generic commercial sounding thing on here makes sense as a single though. I love the bass line at the start of the rage actually the crunchy guitars are amazing too it’s one if those ones that feels like the listener has been on a journey amazing! The album closes with steeler it’s a fun little jaunty track good but not spectacular. The songs are solid, but all samey you know I liked it but didn’t love it 3/5.
Rock the fuck on
These guys are just having a lot of fun. Enjoyable album from start to end. I was going to go with 3 stars until I read that Rob Reiner based Spinal Tap off of Judas Priest. That's a bonus star from me.
This was pleasant and melodic. Like I can play this at a party and not annoy everyone. Jack Black approves
I like living after midnight and United.
I dont like that type of music.
Some positive moments. But overall not my preference.
\m/ ^_^ \m/
Hell yeah! Riffs galore! Big drama! Great energy. Really fun stuff. Their rhythm section reminds me of a train chugga-chugging along relentlessly. It makes for an awesome foundation for the songs.
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.
Not an album I thought I would enjoy but it’s good!
Metalklassieker! zalig headbangen, en af en toe wat kalmer nummer. Ik vind dit een fantastisch album
Really impressed with this album, enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.
What I expected. Nothing more nothing less.
Love this from my past!
I do not typically like Heavy Metal and this isn't exactly a exception to that rule either. I understand Judas Priest's importance to metal as a whole and I am sure the metal I do enjoy was influenced by them. Also "Breaking the Law" is an all time classic. The album cover drops the slight thought of a 3 completely out of my mind and settles it as a 2 for me.
I don't know a lot about Judas Priest but this is good old (80s heheh) heavy metal so I guess it's time to start my education. Fave: Grinder
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.
Metal clássico, raiz.
As an album it was coherent yet didn't flow. Still solid, and lots of strong work here. As it's not nostalgic for me I'll probably not revisit and still glad to have listened.
I heard a couple of their hits in my youth, but never really paid much attention to them. This album is...okay, I guess. I was mostly bored listening to it. It's quite reminiscent of other bands I do like, such as AC/DC, and, frankly, it sounded a little Spinal Tap-ish, too, but, I don't know, it just doesn't grab me nearly as much as AC/DC did and still does. It's not bad, per se, I'm just not interested.
Reconheço a importância e qualidade da solidificação do metal.
It was alright, not sure what I expected from this album but can't say it was anything special for me. this album is probably a 2.5 maybe but ill give it 3 stars anyway.
Hard, heavy, and repetitive. A clear influence on loads of bands I love, but a bit sterile and underwhelming for me. Would listen again, but mostly to have another go at picking out bits that went on to be "borrowed" by bands I like more! Also, NWOBHM is possibly the worst genre/movement name in all of music history!
EXCLELFENTE ROCK MIEDA AKALSKLASFKBREking thelawbreakingthealw
leider eines der schwächeren judas priest alben, vereinzelt aber trotzdem geile songs 3.5/5
Good rock, liked it.
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.
Only giving it 2 stars as breaking the law remind me of beavis and butthead but generally bollox.
Classic metal, just not my thing
Classic heavy metal. Well made, but just not my thing.
I never really listened to Judas Priest, other than Breaking The Law, I didn't know much about them. Enjoyed this album, headbanging most of the way through.
A "cleaner" sounding metal band, leaning more towards rock to me than metal. A good listen!
This album left a lot to be desired for me. The drums were pretty much the same on all songs, not much variety there and the vocals aren't overly exciting either. Some interesting guitar parts but that was about it.
“Just a grinder looking for meat” is one of the funniest lyrics I have ever heard. I think this album is great. Very early signs of hair metal, but still some elements of classic rock. I wonder if Metallica got some of their sound influence from Judas Priest?
Fun album, knew a few songs.
this album was great!!! the heavy metal was a work of art. i didn't realize judas priest was so heavy metal--i thought they were more rock--nor did i realize how influential they were on the heavy metal scene. i mean, this album came out in 1980! it's weird to hear so much heavy metal yet there are two rather patriotic songs (okay one was a bonus track) on this album when they're a british band. regardless, rock on, judas priest.
I found this album to be an excellent display of 1980s heavy metal. The tracks are chock full of excellent guitar riffs, the vocals are over-the-top and perfectly theatrical. There are no duds on this album; each track has an exhilarating power of its own, and that power does not let up until the very end. That said, I still find the album to be incredibly accessible to someone who might be a little metal-shy or metal-timid. Though they are undeniably great, this album is SO much more than just the well-known Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight. I loved every minute of this album.
One of the best examples of best heavy metal albums!
I'm half-way through and it's a drag. Not awful but not my thing. Their hits are great but the secondary tracks just... aren't. Didn't add.
A very accessible 80s metal album, clearly setting the stage for hair metal to come. I didn't hear anything that was too mindblowing, but a good album nonetheless. Liked the energy and Rob Halford's vocals. 3.5
Not my usual kind of stuff, but really liked this mix of grunge and metal, and the new to me songs
Simply great heavy metal. Signature falsetto vocals and killer riffs makes almost every song a banger.
Enjoyed this more than I expected. A load of fun, while laying down the groundwork for the best of what 80's metal had yet to bring us.
Decent, i liked rapid fire, grinder, the rage, steeler. Good guitar riffs
Van Halen but harder and not as talented. How did I miss these guys til now?
How many times have I seen this album cover and wondered if I'd like the music? I love that the project gave me cause to do so. Unfortunately the cover, while great, is way more enduring than the contents. Some of it, like United, and Wise, is so damn corny. It's a fun time but hardly fills the heart or head. The Rage was the song I enjoyed most.
Classic album from one of the founding bands of NWOBHM
Feels like if metal music was lazy.
Buen disco de metal. Más tranquilo de lo esperado
Plenty that rocks in this album. Breaking the Law is still just pure anti-authority joy. Metal Gods just feels silly to me though. United is chant worthy. Beyond that, it's metal in a way that didn't feel weighed down with all the cliches.
Just a solid early metal album, really feels like Iron Maiden took a ton of inspiration from Priest. Definitely enjoyed this one, the two singles Living After Midnight and Breaking the Law were alright but almost enjoyed the deeper cuts better. Overall this album really feels like the foundation that so much metal, thrash, and rock through the late 80s and 90s built off of. You can see how they do so many things that later bands would pick up on, and improve on. What Judas Priest creates here really is just so solid, and maybe seems more simple because of what came after, but it might be one of the most truly influential albums I've heard so far in terms of being able to hear the legacy they left through memories of other bands I've had close connections to growing up.
Proper anthemic metal. The first half of this album slaps and I was going to give it a higher rating but I think it tailed off a bit after Living After Midnight
Hardcore and probably not for me
Classic metal album with hit after hit. \m/
I hadn't listened to this album before now. I was nineteen when British Steel hit the airwaves, made me familiar with Living After Midnight and Breaking the Law as metal anthems, but I couldn't relate to the whole black leather and chains identity. Not a bad song on this album though. I'm not sure British Steel is the defining metal album of all time but it's certainly a great point of entry. Best liked: Metal Gods, Rapid Fire, Grinder and You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise.