Reviews (page 6 of 11)
5.5/10 not much to say
A younger me would have rated this a 4 but now it hits more like a 3.5. I still enjoy this more than the majority of albums I’ve been given so far but it’s clearly not Judas Priest’s best. Glad I finally listened though, British Steel was always a bit of a blindspot for me in my Metal days. Steeler sure is proto Electric Eye though, huh?
Fun. For some reason liked it a lot more than other albums of it's ilk
A decent heavy metal album. I’m very familiar with Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight, but every other tune was new to me. Heavy metal isn’t really my jam, but I was able to listen to this once without issue. The beats on a few of the songs were great and kept my attention.
British Steel isn't my favorite Judas Priest album, if I'm being honest there's a song or two i really hate on here, but it's a damn fine album nonetheless. Couple iconic songs and more than a few ripping bangers make this a great listen.
much more indebted to Sabbath and Zeppelin than their album from a decade later. slower, bluesier sounding. not as intense by any means. vocals can get a little bit grating and United is just syrupy as hell. still pretty alright. having a few "hell yeah \m/" riffs never hurts. deserves to be one of the 1001? i mean it's certainly not undeserving but over Screaming for Vengeance and PAINKILLER??? no thank you. the metal selection on this list is weird and sticks out as unrepresentative to me, and i barely go out of my way to listen to the stuff.
Since 2020, once a year, usually in January, I do a Judas Priest discography listen; as many JP albums (often, but not always, in chronological order) as I can over the course of one or two days. I can't remember exactly how this started, but I imagine it came a desire to greater appreciate the heavy metal canon. Priest has kind of escaped me over the years, but these marathons have given me a greater appreciation for their sound and contributions to heavy metal. That said, British Steel is not my favorite work of theirs and this listen did nothing to improve my opinion. It's a good record, and should be looked upon favorably, but I suspect the reason it's held in such high regard is because of it's mainstream appeal at the time of release. It's definitely more streamlined; there are more singalongs and the classic hit "Breaking the Law". It generally has more of a 'meat and potatoes' feel to it, rather than offering anything particularly heavy or challenging. That's not to put British Steel down. Any Priest is better than no Priest, but, again, I would rank other Judas Priest albums higher.
BREAKING DA LAW BREAKING DA LAW BREAKING DA LAW
album #41 BREAKING THE LAW! BREAKING THE LAW! ꩜ average track rating: 2.95/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): breaking the law, united, rapid fire ꩜ least favourite track(s): red white blue, grinder (live) ꩜ album rating: ★★★⯪☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,048 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 25 (+1 British Steel) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 9 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 32
It was fun but I don’t love this era of metal in general. It’s all a little campier than I’m looking for when I listen to metal. Fav song: The Rage
Metal, but not obnoxious
Classic. Shades of Metalica & AC/DC.
na minha época de rock eu tb não dei conta de gostar de judas priest, mas entendo pq o pessoal gosta tanto não eh a minha vibe mas n é ruim
tá aí uma banda que eu nunca gostei mto, nem na minha época de rock mas é até que legalzim. breaking the ló é um clássico mas o resto não fica mto atras não. bacaninha, até
Reminds me of classic got better throughout the album
Fun British heavy metal album
Solid British metal. A good listen, but not unlike a lot of other metal I listened to back in the day. It's good, not great. 3.5/5
God
Hmm, this is one where I can acknowledge that they are good at what they do and there are some bangers here but it’s not really my thing and not something I would ever choose to listen to
Uffa! Rocanrol :D
Spinal tap have ruined this kind of music for me, everything sounds like a parody...
Basic early 80s “metal” not bad but not stand out for me
Wanted this to be closer to Metallica then rush
Never was a fan of JP, but as I’m finding now that I’m 15 albums in, listening to an album from beginning to end does give context and better understanding of a group’s music.
Good Heavy Metal, it's a little overrated compared to Stained Class, Screaming for Vengeance, Defenders of Faith and Painkiller but it's fun. Does have strong riffing, some fast solos and the BPM are enough to keep headbanging.
3/5 Decent but not great. There were better Judas Priest albums before this one and they’d go on to put out a few records much better than this one after. The record does have a very strong opening stretch though running from “Rapid Fire” to “Grinder.” But then it hits a brick wall with the overly cheesy and sappy “United.” the lyrics in general are a weak point for me. But there’s still enough great riffs on here for it to be an enjoyable experience.
I was surprised at how poppy this album was. I didn’t object. I added “United” to my Generator playlist.
Undeniably good heavy metal music, maybe just not my cup of tea.
Fast, high energy, and more melodic than I expected. Trite lyrics at times though.
also didnt get to listen to it
Loved tracks like Breaking The Law, The Rage, Red, White & Blue, Metal Gods and Living After Midnight
#shtwt? FAVS (top 3): breaking the law, united, you dont have to be old to be wise mençoes honrosas: the rage podia ser melhor, nada de muito surreal mas é bom de certa maneira nota final: 3/5
A classic. Judas priest has an incredible sound. This album has a few stinkers but when it hits it hits
Gotta say, this list is making me realize I kinda like late 70's early 80's British thrash metal.
I’m surprised this is metal, because I didn’t hate it? Maybe that’s why all the metal and Judas Preist fans seem to say this is their worst album? Just going off the reviews here. It’s digestible metal, for the non-metal listeners like myself.
Pas si mal finalement
Fine. A bit too old to be nice
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Didn't make me want to barf
"Breaking The Law! Breaking The Law!"
Not too big a fan of the vocals, but most songs are pretty good.
Classic rock, felt like Tenacious D but serious.
Was a bit sceptical at first but kind of got into the groove. Still not something I would listen to on my own account
I enjoyed the sound of the hard rock album.
Pure entertainment
i think they want to break the law
5/10
I was glad to get a metal album after what seems like forever. This one is good. Thrash is a fun genre - fast and aggresive without being overbearing. Some songs are actually in major keys! And you can sing along to them! It's funny because I know at the time this was considered relatively fringe music, but listening to it now it just sounds like hard rock to me. Not a complaint! Solid record. THREE STARS
I like it!
More enjoyable than I would have thought.
10th listen btw 7/10
I don't know if I've ever listened to a full JP album before. Consistent, that's for sure.
Tää lienee aika perusjytää. Ei nyt kauheen innoissaan jaksa kuunnella saati perehtyä kun ei oo mikään nuoruuden suosikki.
No joo. Ei ihan oman suosikkigenren musaa ole tämä, mutta ei sinällään mitään vikaa. Ihan mielellään tähän käytti tunnin. Entuudestaan tuttuja oli Breaking the law sekä Living after midnight, jota itseasiassa en edes tiennyt Judas Priestin biisiksi, ja tähän päivään asti olen muutenkin luullut että se on Minute after midnigt. Kannatti herätä tänäänkin, kun tuon opin! Siitä kolme tähteä.
A decent 80s heavy rock album. The guitar riffs are nice and heavy, the drums are a bit repetitive and nothing special. Vocals are impressive. I do like other Judas Priest more, when they take bigger swings like with Painkiller. Overall the songs chug along and you can nod your head to them, but they lack anything captivating. Maybe I've heard Living After Midnight one too many times but it's such a lame song.
I'm not an absolute massive fan of Judas Priest but I do enjoy their stuff and this album is pretty good. A lot of bangers here.
Amazing sounding guitars. I don't think I will be coming back, even though some songs were amazing.
Pues bien, me ha gustado
Some decent old school metal. Nothing that set my hair on fire, but not bad.
ну этот жанр точно не мой, но поют они хорошо, молодцы! и всякие патриотичные песни красиво получаются
Very corny in a kind of fun way
I was aware of JP; it wasn't my scene, more of a GR fan. Ok, didn't do much for me despite being a metal fan. Some knarly drumming though so that bumps it to a 3
As far as I know, Britain is not particularly known for its steel. It probably ranks somewhere in the middle globally, which makes the album title quite fitting after all. A solid classic hard rock/heavy metal album.
01) Rapid Fire - 6,5 02) Metal Gods - 6,5 03) Breaking the Law - 7,0 04) Grinder - 6,0 05) United - 6,5 06) You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise - 6,5 07) Living After Midnight - 7,0 08) The Rage - 6,5 09) Steeler - 5,5 TOTAL: 6,44 (64/100) Current ranking: 574/818
As someone who doesn't like metal I liked this! The songs did all sound similar though
Wow I’m instantly watching a skate video. This kinda rocks. Breaking the law. Breaking the law. Living after midnight is also a classic. If I wasn’t in the mood of like, hell yeah skateboarding video type vibe, I’d probably think this was cheesy as hell.
This is OG metal! 🤘🏼Start to finish, it’s a solid album. British 80s metal hits different.
Just a fun album of metal. Metal is inherently an over the top genre. And Judas Priest is absolutely over the top. How fabulous is it to listen to Rob Halford sing "Grindahhhhhh...looking for meat". Good stuff. Yeah, ok - it can be corny at times. But they are all in, and I love that about the music. There's just no reason for hate here. Great music, great vibes, absolute devotion to the schtick. Rock on.
Honestly a solid album with some bangers on it. Not a big metal guy whatsoever but they made it palatable. (You can tell I’m not metal from that last word alone)
7/10 Great fun. Breaking the law is an absolute banger. Surprisingly good production too. I could do with some more beautiful melodies and nice harmonies though. United and Red, White and Blue are way too cheezy for me. Iron Maiden did it better. Highlights: Breaking the Law The Rage Metal Gods
First guitar riff makes me wanna speed. I feel like the singer is in a skit where he was a little British boy reading a scroll from the king to peasants and then spontaneously broke into a metal rock band. United kind of sucked. Red, White, Blue snore Even if you don't like this music, I feel like the influence of this album has to be respected. The one problem I have had with metal rock my entire life is the vocals, and it doesn't really stop here. The musician ship is amazing and a lot of the playing style is what later influenced greats like Metallica. Overall a very important and great album.
Baya iyi yaslaninca dinlenir. Abartilan bi album
Solid. Getting a little tired of metal but good album. My not be my go to though. 3/5.
3 or 4
I enjoyed the album, especially the hits, but some of the songs towards the end really blur together. I do like heavy metal, but I think I prefer Black Sabbath a little more.
I'm relatively bored of what this album does after the 5th song. It's heavy metal, with the heaviness coming from the thrash and intensity, but music has changed so much nowadays that it just feels like a pop album at times. This just isn't my thing. This is interesting to look at from a historical point of view, but it's just boring for the most part.
A pretty easy listen for heavy metal and there's nothing inherently wrong but it just sounds like any iron maiden album or just any power metal album of that time. That doesn't mean it's anything bad and I'm sure it's an amazing album for a lot of people and there some good songs but just for me it brings nothing new to the table it's just a really average power metal album. Bonus points for being the first though that's pretty auraful
I have always liked Living After Midnight, so it was fun to hear this album after all these years. Flashbacks to the early 80's when Metal and Hard Rock was taking over! Rob Halford was never my fave metal singer, but still quite listenable
Admittedly, this record was squeezed out by a large number of much better records in 1980. This LP didn’t make my Top 100. It’s an okay record. Breaking’ The Law was a catchy pop metal single, Ragin’ which is honestly a clone of AC/DC was also catchy, but the rest of the record is, well, meh, eh? AC/DC put out Back In Black, Iron Maiden’s debut record, Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, Circle Jerks - Group Sex, Moorhead - Ace of Spades, Black Flag - Jealous Again, Def Leppard - On through The Night etc. all of these were better than British Steel. They still are. This record doesn’t stay with you even the Halford’s vocals are just fine. It’s the sameness that dooms this record. It’s average metal by an average metal band. 3/5
A pretty heavy album, but sounds good - angry, vivid and powerful. Listening all songs back-to-back was a bit hard on the ears, but overall a decent album.
Ok rock
Just what I needed to drag myself to the office on a freezing Friday.
Rapid Fire: 6/10 Metal Gods:5/10 Breaking The Law: 4.8/10 Grinder: 4/10 United: 5/10 You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise: 6.4/1 Living After Midnight: 5/10 The Rage:5/10
The funny thing about this randomizer is that it feels ever so slightly not random. We all know there is some control over it, that's why everyone got an Ozzy/Black Sabbath album after he died, or a Beach Boys record after Brian Wilson passed away. Beyond this, there are times when things go on runs that seem more than just coincidental. That's where I am at right now, as in the last 4 albums I have had Iron Maiden, a live Motorhead album, and then this one. All early 80s metal and, chronologically, I think these albums are within 20 of each other in the countdown. Kinda strange. Unfortunately, for JP, that means they are being compared directly against contemporaries which I had just listened to and this record, while good, pales in comparison to the other two. There are some highlights, Living After Midnight is an excellent track. The Rage was a great one for me. But another listen to Breaking the Law and others on this record just feels like it is lacking a bit of something. Maybe best said, I think this felt a bit more formulaic than organic for me - i.e. Iron Maiden's debut album and the live Motorhead had more raw energy and power to them. In addition, Rob Halford is a good frontman, I just found some of his abilities a bit lacking on this. All in all, good to go back and explore this album, but nothing that really wowed me, and maybe some inherent bias down because of recent listens which were considerably better.
fun listen. my favorite was grinder, hard af
Loved the first half, the second half was really boring to me
way more fun than i thought! breakindalawbreakindalaw
I thought the sound will be like....a razor blade on glass... But it wasn't that bad!
Never listened to much of their stuff, but liked the hits just fine. I'm trying harder to take the release date into context on these reviews, which is much easier when/if I was alive when they were released. I like these songs plenty, I don't find myself checking how many tracks are left on the album, like I have on other days. It's difficult to know the impact a record like this had without knowing the sonic landscape before, during, and after its release. Is this album groundbreaking, or just a Judas Priest record? "United" doesn't seem to fit on this record. Maybe neither does "The Rage". "Red, White & Blue" also seems out of left field. 3, would be a 2.5 if I could do it. Went and checked out their highest plays on spotify. Maybe this album is exactly what I think of when I hear "Judas Priest" is the cause of my underwhelmed take away. I listened to "Painkiller" and felt a whole other way about Judas Priest as a whole.
Foundational yet dated. A lot of the songs just kind of blended together.
malo je pederski al je lepo. od tih kao hardrock/metal (ne bih ovo nazvo metalom) brijâ podsjeća me najviše na black sabbath, koji zapravo nečemu i valja. i ovo je bilo okej poslušat, ugodno iznenađenje, tako da trojčica
ich weiß nicht, hat mich beim ersten Mal durchhören nicht so richtig überzeugt
Good.
Although this is not my type of genere the lyrics and the sound are a pice of art
Not my tempo
Echt gut, nur das Genre ist Mist…
Überhaupt nicht mein Genre, aber wirklich sehr gut gemacht.
Like Spinal tap with a straight face (?)
I mean it's alright but since I'm not a big fan of this band I did not enjoy the album as well but I can see why people like it Just not my thing
parts are super good!!
I’ve been looking forward to tackling some Judas Priest as I have a few friends who praise this band. I’ve listened to songs from Judas Priest. Never full albums. I had to keep remind myself that this is the cheesy metal. I bet that will piss off a lot of Judas Priest fans… but it’s kind of the metal that people make fun of. Dressing in leather, cheesy lyrics, but the riffs are great. The guitar solos are killer, and Rob Halford has incredible vocal ability. This record is very similar to early Iron Maiden. In a good way. I bet there is a huge cross over of fans between the two bands. Unless there is some sort of rivalry that I’m unaware of.. sort of like Neil Young vs Bob Dylan, or The Stones vs The Beatles. Never understood either comparisons… but here we are. This record was…. Ok. I don’t love it. Again, I had to keep reminding myself that this was super cool at the time. It definitely doesn’t hold the test of time, lyrically. Maybe that’s where and why it lands sour for me. Or perhaps it’s the praise my peers give this record. Nothing on this album is shocking or awe inspiring. Its a straight forward, on par album.
I genuinely liked it, it was a nice metal rock album to listen to (acc not sure if it is that genre) and there were very nice tunes i could add to my playlists. this album made me realize that there are more metal rock albums i should listen to, to expand my music taste, this was a great start, overall maybe a 7/10, some songs sounded similar but overall it was a great album
en vrai très sympa comme découverte, du heavy metal mais étonnement accessible. L’album commence très fort, bien énervé bien provocateur bien métaleux ; après un grinder qui décrit parfaitement une société qui broie les individus, le son united arrive un peu comme une lueur d’espoir, ensemble on peut combattre cette machine aliénante. J’avoue que je trouve que la fin de l’album perd un peu en intensité et en intérêt, même si pourtant rage avec l’idée d’une colère intérieur rampante et l’énergie de steeler sont cools. Mention spéciale pour « you don’t have to be old to be wise », la jeunesse envoie un peu chier et c’est cool.
I've never been a huge Priest fan based on the singles I've heard. It's decent for what it is. I don't mind it, but I don't particularly love anything here. "Breaking The Law" is fun. I liked "Metal Gods" more than I thought I would.
Fun and crunchy, but not really my bag
Some of these songs are pretty one-note. Not bad overall, but not anything which I'd return to. 2.7/5 -> 3/5
wanted to hate it but breaking the law is a great song
3 Stars - Overall a solid album with a great start but not entirely consistent throughout with a somewhat lackluster Side B in comparison to tracks like "Rapid Fire" "Metal Gods" Breaking the Law"
A couple good songs, solid album. Rapid Fire ★★★☆☆ Metal Gods ★★★☆☆ Breaking the Law ★★★★☆ Grinder ★★★☆☆ United ★★★★☆ You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise ★★★☆☆ Living After Midnight ★★★★☆ The Rage ★★★☆☆ Steeler ★★★☆☆ Red, White & Blue ★★☆☆☆ Grinder (live) ★★★☆☆ Average Album Rating: 3.2/5.0 ★★★☆☆
not normally my kind of thing but didn’t hate this as much as i thought i would…. i actually didn’t mind united
Tutto di fila too much peró è storia del metal
3.11
This isn't my thing at all, so was going to give it a 2, but it's not that bad so I'll go with 3.
Not as good as bands this guy is grouped with
Not my vibe. Very loud
Favorite Track: Breaking the Law
Día ya me olvidé (6 creo??): primer álbum que escucho de judas priest, y me esperaba algo mucho más pesado, con ese nombre. Tendré que seguir indagando en la banda, pero banco el metal.
I feel like you gotta be in the right mindset and scenario for this music. Like pumping iron in a gym, this music is perfect. A fast n steady rockin guitar rift with some crazy guitar runs and solos. They definitely don't stray far from the mold for this one, each song sort of falls into adjacent circles of a ven diagram for metal, and joyous hairpin metal. Breaking the law is a fucking classssic, love that song, and there are defs some head bangers in here. 7/10
Great beats, more fun than a lot of hats rock, of choice with united but maybe they landed a football contract.
Unexpectedly good
first heavy metal album here and i'm kinda disappointed
It's an 80s rock album. Does what it says on the tin tbh. Inoffensive for the most part and has the 'one song on the album that means you HAVE to listen to it'. Can imagine this makes the old white people move for the first time in years. Songs are all pretty good, similar sound throughout means it all kinda blends together as an album though.
-continuing my foray into British heavy metal with this one. definitely liked it more than i thought i would – it’s not a genre i had much experience with before doing this, and it honestly sounded a bit like Diet Black Sabbath to me.. that being said it had great energy and made for a very fun listen. would experience again -Favorites: Rapid Fire, The Rage
I'm more familiar with Painkiller. However this album is full of hits for a reason.
Okay, expecting stereotypical British metal. Distortion, fast guitars, terrible lyrics and taking themselves far too serious. Let’s see… Backing pretty impressive but lyrics make it all a little too close to spinal tap for me. Just struggle with how close it is to parody now. Yeh, have to say, pretty much as expected. Does what it does very well and can see myself grooving to this in a dingy bar or club but otherwise, not so taken (3.5)
Well 'ard. The sound of Birmingham. Obviously good at what it does but means nothing to me. Three and a half
Not for every mood but still a good album
It’s crazy listening to this as a 59 year old - JP were one of my favourite bands as a teenager. This album sounds surprisingly good all these years later. In my head I had relegated Judas Priest with Saxon, Tygers of Pang Tang etc to the lower leagues or ‘Spinal Tap’ end of heavy rock -keeping Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Rush in the Premier League. But I was wrong. Yes the lyrics are a bit cringy, and Rob Halfords forced vocal style can grate a bit - but blimey there are some really great riffs and songs on here. I want to give it 4 stars but I’m removing a star to allow for my rose tinted nostalgic spectacles. Really enjoyed listening and would have probably died without ever hearing it again were it not for 1001 albums. Hooray!
Punchy and raw at the time. It sounds thin and 2 dimensional compared to other metal
Repeat
Ive had too many rock albums in a row so might be an unfair rating, not fully my taste
So this is why my dad would always say “breaking the law breaking the law”
I never really got into Judas Priest in my headbanger years, but I always respected them, especially Rob Halford's distinctive voice and vocal range, so I'm glad to see them in this collection. (I also respected Halford even more when, many years later, he came out as gay on MTV, and despite his fears of being shunned by metalheads everywhere, he also got a lot of support.) And while this album doesn't really have many of their enduring hits, it seems like a good selection of the (limited) range of Judas Priest's heavy-hitting spiked leather metal, and of course the long-time classic "Breaking the law" (with a pretty amusing bank heist video) and the hard-hitting anthem "Living after midnight". Long live the long-lived elder statesmen of metal!
Nothing
I knew a couple of these. Solid.
I've been meaning to listen to more classic metal, twas very good. I was pleasantly surprised as I thought it was going to be quite cringey.
Pretty fun, mostly just reminds me of Guitar Hero and/or Rock Band, I forget which one, LOL. Not really my thing but enjoyable enough.
This was fun, but too samey
Solid NWOBHM offering. Performs as expected Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆(6/10)
An iconic cover artwork and three all-time-banger ("Breaking The Law", "United", "Living After Midnight") and a decent rest sum up to a strong three stars album for me. 3,5
Love the hits, a few of the songs are really solid, but honestly, I’m kind of disappointed considering it’s Judas Priest. I’ve listened to multiples of their albums outside of this and maybe that’s by me a little bit, but I feel like every other album. I’ve listened to is quite a bit stronger. It’s close to a poor, but I’m gonna go with the three because the ones that aren’t hit don’t have as much better impact.
Wasn't offended by it.
3.5 (36:10, 9 tracks on the "U.S. release", 6th album, 1980) Heavy Metal Who would have ever thought that a guy in leather singing a song about Grinder (looking for meat) would have turned out to be gay? I like this album. Recognize Priest and Sabbath contributed more to heavy metal than almost any other bad. The thing is Sabbath did it in 1970 (coincidently, or not I got Paranoid (Sabbath) just the other day. I give a lot more credit to Sabbath for clearing the path but the English sure did embrace metal. This was their 6th album, and I consider their best, moving away from a darker sound and more melodic (some criticize as 'over polished' but I like it - what is wrong with music sounding good? However, if you were into their earlier stuff there is no doubt this sound must have felt a bit like 'selling out.' Remember no British Steel, no RATT (some may say that's argument against it) or any of the other metal that surged in the 80's)
Honestly liked it more than I thought I would.
Strong 3
Pretty good! Was unsure when I heard the first song but enjoyed the rest. Recognized some songs too!
Solid, well-crafted collection that is pretty palatable to a non-metal head (me).
A bunch of dudes wearing full leather fits, singing about Grinder? Ahead of their time tbh. Love sum priest! This album is pretty good, feels a little samey from time to time, but Breaking the Law is really there best song.
Classic Judas Priest
All I knew of Judas Priest was the song Turbo Lover. This album widened my appreciation of the group. The songs rock although the lyrics are lacking. Flat out fun! 3.5 on my scale.
Not a heavy metal person
Lange überlegt, ob ich 3 oder ganz knapp schwache 4 Sterne geben soll. Spaßiges Album, „Breaking The Law“ alleine ist schon einer dieser ganz krassen Songs. Insgesamt gibt es aber andere Heavy Metal Bands mit denen ich mehr anfangen kann und irgendwie hat das Album an der einen oder anderen Stelle doch ein paar Längen.
Abgesehen von den beiden Hits ziemlich langweilig. Schwache 3 Sterne.
3.5
Segueix sent metal que no m'encanta, no m'ha parescut tant heavy com Megadeth, pero weno. M'agradat sa canço Red, White and Blue, es una reinterpretació d'un imne nacional (crec), pero no se si el de UK o US
Better than expected. The metal felt like punk. The red white and blue song could be on a pogues album.
Just imagine commercials for Grindr that play the chorus to Grinder. That’d be rad
- Não é meu estilo musical - Entendo que a música é boa, mas pra mim todas parecem iguais - Não gostei
For metal it isn't that bad. Mastered pretty well and the rhythm is enjoyable. Vocals aren't muddied or harsh, which makes it actually listenable. Kudos to Judas Priest.
Kinda fun, actually. I was never a big fan, but the hits hit.
A fist-pumping, heavy-riffing metal album...for the first four songs at least. Those four songs have everything you could want from an 80s metal album: catchy choruses, frantic drumming, and ripping solos. Then we hit "United," which leans way too far into a commercial metal sound. The sing-a-long chorus is incredibly limp, especially next to the other songs here. Elements of that sound are present in the choruses of other tracks too, though the other tracks usually have a solo or riff that rocks to make up for it. Overall this is an exhilarating listen - it falls short of the band's best albums, but it's a quick enough listen to not wear out its welcome.
Not sure if it’s my vibe, but started sounding a lot better after a beer. Guitar tone is great too. Had a fun time listening, really liked the middle/2nd half. Some other parts just didn’t do it for me
Hmmmm I struggle to define exactly why, but this just doesn't quite do anything for me. I understand its position though, releasing this right in 1980.
I wanted to like this more than I did. It had a solid start that transitioned into a middle that made me want to quit, then some of the last few songs (The Rage, Steeler) finally had some bite. A lot of it sounded like generic 80s music to me. Which, after finding out it was actually from the start of the decade, made me realize that meant they’re pretty influential to what came after. Still, nothing wowed me that much, especially knowing there was stuff like Black Sabbath that came years before and still holds up to this day.
For an album described as heavy metal, I wasn't expecting it to sound like an early Def Leppard joint (without the glam charm that makes them unique). I think they have good energy overall, and even a couple of bangers, but this is not a style of metal I'd return to. Standouts: Grinder • The Rage
Right after Iron Maiden, i think it’s a minor step down for my tastes specifically, but i still enjoyed a lot that this album had to offer.
I really enjoyed the Live portion of the album.
Nice guitar! Good solid album!
Sounding a little dated but can hear influence on rock and metal bands who came afterwards. A little bit too widdly for me in parts but ok.
Hell yeah. Just some good, down the middle rock. So much so that some of it falls in the Jeremy Jamm “General Rock” category but still a fun listen. Some great lead guitar parts - You Don’t Have To Be Old stands out - and a classic British rock tone. Definitely a collection of songs more than a cohesive album. There were a couple of head scratchers — were United and Red White and Blue literally pro-UK government propaganda commissions? Two skips. That said, I enjoyed the album in general. Do yourself a favor and go look at the album art for their 1,000 albums. It’s awesome and cheesy in the best way.
Solid guitar solos, heavy powerchords, memorable vocals, what’s not to love? Some of the best rock that the 80s had to offer but still not quite up to the “Back in Black” standard that we set early on.
Heavy metal at its finest …
Favorite track(s): Metal Gods, Breaking the Law, Grinder
Prior to this list I hadn’t spent much time pinning down exactly when certain music happened. To me, who was unborn until the mid-80s, this is classic "80s Metal" and it's wild to realize that it came out in 1980, was their SIXTH album, and they were already kinda famous. So I guess this is actually late 70s Metal and that puts JP squarely at the forefront of the genre. Some of this feels more like "Hard Rock" by modern standards, so it's a good place for the Metal-curious to start. The genre is obviously defined by its crunchy distortion and 'widdly-wah' guitar solos, (this album is no exception!), but I'll also mention the new-to-them drummer, Dave Holland, who puts in a nice tight performance here on his debut JP record, and JP’s forever bass player, Ian Hill, who lays down a few really fat (almost funky?) baselines I wasn't expecting (like the intro to "The Rage"). I don't picture myself working this into my normal music rotation, but it's a pretty good occasional listen! "Living After Midnight" > "Breaking The Law" PS: The track order doesn't make a lot of sense in a post-vinyl world, but "United" was originally the last track on Side 1 of the record. That's great placement because you're always gonna get up to turn that bullshit off anyway, so you might as well flip the record while you're doing that. Pure genius. "Red, White, & Blue" is pretty awful too.
Not my favorite. +1 because I recognized some songs from childhood (thanks dad), but just not the type of music I would go back and listen to.
I’ve never been a big NWOBHM fan aside from Diamond Head and going on an Iron Maiden kick in high school. Just never really got into Judas Priest other than listening to a few songs. Rob Halford was always the real deal though. His vocals absolutely carry this album, and there are a handful of tracks that genuinely hit. This didn’t convert me into a Priest fan, but I get why people love it.
3 out of 5. I hear what everyone says about the drumming, but it wasn't enough to get my rating any higher.
I thought I wasn't feeling metal today but turns I am feeling metal today! Breaking the Law Breaking the Law Breaking the Law!
Didn’t mind it tbh. Got a bit bored towards the end as it all started to sound very similar but was bopping my head to most of the songs
This was better than I thought it was going to be. Pure heavy metal without the gravy
This is an awesome NWOBHM thrash/power metal collection of songs. Only 'United' lets it down. Otherwise it's a 4. Very good.
120/1089 a solid heavy metal project. I could see this rating a little higher on a revisit just because i’m feeling a little fatigued on rock/metal (or adjacent) albums on this project. Breaking the Law is the easy standout and is really good, i also like The Rage. I don’t think there’s necessarily a weak spot here which is cool, it’s just a genre that i’m not super enthused by, so there’s a bit of a limit to my appreciation 58/100
Didn't jump out to me much.
Cool sound. Had me listening to British Metal all day.
this is so good for 1980
I am not sure what it is, but Judas Priest doesn’t really do it for me other than the big anthems. There are some good songs here, but overall it is fine. Liked Songs: "Rapid Fire" , "Breaking the Law" , "Grinder" , "United" , "Living After Midnight" , "Steeler"
Living After Midnight and Breaking the Law are obviously great but the rest of the album's a little forgettable. One more memorable track might have kicked this up to a 4 but I'm gonna have to go with 3/5
hell yeah man (the singles are the standout on this one, which is a shame, but I had a good time the whole way through)
Great album. Typically Judas Priest fare, solid all the way through.
Let off with a caution.
a privatisation success story
I have a lot of time for Judas Priest however I'm not an obsessive. I love albums from all parts of their career but occasionally they get a little base for my tastes. I had Painkiller spinning only last week, I love the really early stuff and their most recent run has been awesome. I am so glad they found the success they deserved on the global stage, but sometimes I am less enamoured with the music that gained that larger success. Where does British Steel fit into my nuanced relationship with the band? Well, I can definitely see hints of their quest for the big time sprouting on this album, but equally there’s a lot of quality on show. Beavis and Butthead favourite “Breaking the Law” kicks things off but while it might be the most cartoonish song here, even it isn’t quite the teenage headbang fodder they would dabble with on later albums. “United” and “Living After Midnight” also seem like conscious reaches for the pop charts, but in between these we get a solid and sometimes forward thinking heavy metal album. There are obvious influences that I'm sure they wouldn’t deny; “Rapid Fire” takes that intense double-kicker Motörhead drumming and uses it to pave the way for thrash while “You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise” owes a lot to AC/DC. But elsewhere they allow for some experiments in sound and arrangement that show they were still going to be themselves. Everyone in this classic lineup is delivering what they do best and the result is possibly definitive Priest…if not my favourite.
Never been a Priest fan but I am a casual metal fan. Let's f'n go. When you get down to it, this is simpler, more accessible version of what Iron Maiden does so well. Priest sounds a lot like Kiss but with a bit of a harder edge (though, in 2025, we might get into an argument about whether or not this is metal). It's catchy and driving but it's less melodic or dramatic than Maiden or even Kiss. If I were to be uncharitable for a moment (and I gave three stars to a Kid Rock album, so take my presumption of good faith seriously), I'd say this is probably popular because it's really simple and a little repetitive. Vocals ok, rhythm section solid and serviceable, and KK Downing's solos are pretty cool. There's a certain 80's metal template that this sets and is later refined into thrash. I'm cutting some slack for a band that every 90's metal giant cited as essential listening but it comes of a little slow, dynamically flat and mildly boring to my modern ears. I'll have to try some of their earlier stuff. 'Living After Midnight' is a classic. Still a super repetitive melody though. 3/5 -- it's fine but you're unlikely to be as inspired by this as James Hetfield and Max Cavalera were.
AC/DC vibes, totally fine. Energetic, hectic.
Breaking the law Carrie’s this album. Solid 70’s/early 80’s metal
First time listening. I enjoyed it well enough. I liked the sound of the album - it was heavy and driving without being overdone. Fun, fast riffs.
3.5
Super cool. 3.
This is classic album. Probably 'Breaking the law' is the best song of the album but more or less the rest of the sogns are quite similar.
ok
Was ok. 3.4
Another I know the name far more than the music. The only track I knew before coming into this is the famous, Breaking the Law. I have to say, I enjoyed this more than I expected to as for the most part it was a lot of fun. My perception was possibly that this might be a bit naff. Clearly a lot of Sabbath influence here, which is not surprising considering they were formed in Birmingham.
Solid enough heavy metal album. They're an incredibly influential band on the genre, and this is one of their trademark albums. However, I just didn't find it particularly exemplary or that memorable. "Breaking the Law" is fun, but it just kinda treads the same predictable heavy metal motions until it's over. Still good, just not great.
Heavy rock doesn’t really do it for me. It can be fun, but not something I would intentionally put on
Love hate relationship - love the driving guitars - hate the timepiece that is the cringe inducing falsetto.
Not my type of music, but honestly I could see it hitting in the right mood
Confusing album that doesn't quite hold together on first listen (spanning the genres). Some great tunes though.
Gamle helte. Dog ikke mine helte.
Mit første dyk ned i Judas Priest efter at have dyppet tæerne i Breaking The Law gennem årtier. Det er ikke et badeland jeg køber årskort til. Musikalsk lægger de sig et sted mellem Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden og Kiss’ party-rock. Eller måske roder de mere rundt mellem de ydrepunkter. Det starter egentlig godt ud med nogle gode metalnumre, men så falder kæden mere eller mindre helt af efter de første 4 numre. Der er en afstikker til fællessang i United der mest af alt giver mig We Are The World feels. Nummeret starter ellers ud med et mega lækkert riff og en tung baslinje. Men hold da op den går helt galt på omkvædet med trommer og korsang. Living After Midnight har uden tvivl har inspireret mangt et 80er Hair-Metal Band. Højdepunktet er selvfølgelig den rå perle Breaking The Law. Den bliver jeg ved med at soppe i fremover. Resten kan de ha’ for dem selv.
It's just so cheesy. I love metal. I love all the flavors. And I love this. But I was a teenager when grunge hit and this just couldn't age well against the grittier types of music that came after.
Not always my vibe, but definitely a fun album
ganz gut. irgendwie so hardrock/metal würd ich sagen
There wasn’t anything outwardly bad about the album. The vocals were solid and the band was tight. I think the songs just dragged on and lacked variation. Didn’t sound like anything unique to me.
i mean its fine
at risk of sounding like someone who's only ever heard Iron Maiden, listening to their second ever heavy metal album: getting a lot of iron maiden vibes from this...
Really thought I’d be into this more than I was. I enjoyed it, there are some decent riffs from KK Downing and Glenn Tipton, Halfords voice is perfect for a metal rock album. Grinder stands out as my favourite on this record with what I thought was the best guitar on it and some pretty classic metal lines. I kept wanting a bit more though, felt a little too formulaic at times, where the sound is good but just very standard rock that dude working on his car would play in the garage whilst crushing a 6 pack of Budweiser. Which is totally fine, there’s a time and place for Judas Priest for sure. I listened to the song Painkiller after and first and foremost notice a bit more energy from their new drummer, Scott Travis, I know that song is a 10/10 so maybe it’s not a fair comparison but I’ll have to give that full album a listen. British Steel felt like a few great songs with quite a bit of filler but decent filler. Great cover art though. 3 stars
This album invokes feelings of meh. There are several hits but overall unremarkable for the genre. I respect the band and their influence but this isn’t their best work. 3/5
Have not heard this in a while. I thought I would like it better, but it's quite boring, really. A classic, nonetheless.
unexpectedly a lot of fun!
Point trop n'en faut
time hasn’t been kind
british steel is a good time, the dads are going crazy for this one
Classic early metal
I didn't mind this as much as I thought it would tbh, could have done without that god save the queen shite at the end though. Breaking the law still has one of the thickest guitar riffs of all time
I appreciate the musicianship but I always think I'll love metal bands more than I do.
We have Black Sabbath at home Black Sabbath at home:
Fun and classic hard rock
Good album… great guitars! For some reason I was never a JP fan although I loved solo Ozzy, Sabbath, AC/DC, BOC, something about the voice quality didn’t sit with me! I was in a basement band that played “you got another thing coming”, “breaking the law”, and “grinder” so those were fun memories…. The song “United” was so contrived and cheesy I almost shut it off. But I battled through and listened to the whole thing! Great 80’s metal - 3 stars
Couldn't have named a single Judas Priest song. I actually think my brain knows "Breakin' the law! Breakin' the law!" more as a Beavis and Butthead quote than as an actual song. Album sounds fine but didn't do much for me.
Despite my extensive experience listening to metal music, to my surprise, I've listened to a Judas Priest album for the first time. I expected to hear something a bit different, more in the vein of the song "Painkiller." In the end, I got an album of mid-tempo songs, which is more akin to hard rock. "Breaking the Law" is a hit for sure; I liked the ending of "Steeler," where some genuine heavy metal broke through. Despite the cult status of this album, I can't rate it higher than a 3. p.s. Iron Maiden is better.
Typical 80s metal album, a couple of great singles and a lot lot of decent filler
An improvement from most of the 80s British albums on this list.
I remember a friend of mine from grade school going on about how good of a song "Breaking the Law" was. Only now, like, 17 years later or whatever it is, did I listen to it in completion. Definitely my favorite song on the album Rest is alright
Just guys bein’ dudes.
Solid
medium rare
Pretty good but not oustanding. Favourite Song: Living After Midnight
solid metal album, i could see this being a light 4
A pretty boring slog
I always thought Breaking the Law was just ok. Living After Midnight is great though. A few other songs are nice to jam to and a few others are definitely meh like Red, White, and Blue.
I guess I kind of like 70s/80s british heavy metal. Heavy metal before the real heavy metal. Really reminds me of what heavy metal on broadway would sound like. I don't think I'll listen again but am happy to know where the "Breaking the Law" song comes from.
It was alright, but didn’t really impress me all that much
Hadn't heard this before, still struggling with early metal. Spinal Tap may have ruined me. 3 Heard before? No Owned: Yes 12/1001, 12/49 (24%) Will I get? No
More fun than expected! Living After Midnight and Metal Gods were my faves. 3.5
Pretty solid, liked the hits, like the energy in painkiller more
British Steel is a cool name for an album. Always appreciate a band that takes their name from Bob Dylan. Listening notes: -Rapid fire is a little corny, but on the curve for metal, more or less acceptable -Metal Gods is dope. I like the little guitar riff that feels like it's quoting "You sexy thing" though I'm pretty sure that's coincidental. -Breaking the Law. Okay, now we're stretching forgivable corniness, but it is kinda fun. Overwrought comment (outgrowth on Breaking the Law): For months I've been trying to get a feel for when I like Metal. Metal is a weird genre. We have Sabbath, who I think are dope, and Zeppelin who aren't really metal, but are important and a top tier band. Neither of these feel like ideological bands, but both have an authenticity to their sound. But then there's GNR, Pantera, Van Halen. They also have nothing to say but feel vaguely manufactured for reasons I can't put my finger on, and I they feel machine-extruded. Motorhead has nothing to say but is at least proudly nihilistic. I guess where I'm landing here is that authenticity is really important for me to "buy into" metal. And the GNR, Van Halen, Pantera don't feel like they have it. Towards the end of writing this comment I noticed that all the metal I like is British and all the metal I dislike is American. I don't have a strong view on whether that matters. Anyway, Judas Priest feels fairly authentic, but the doomy low riffs of sabbath appealed to me more (probably couldn't just have copied them). A few of their tracks are kinda corny (common enough for metal), but in general I'm pretty okay with it. They have a lot of this like halfway political stuff, that refuses to take a stance but wants to be cool and comes out as platitudes (Who are "they" in United? If "you don't have to be old to be wise", what does your wisdom tell you? why are we "breaking the law"?). You don't have to be political for me to like you, but this sort of half-assed political stuff really grates. They're a lot stronger on "Metal Gods" when they're just talking about nonsense giant robots. So I think we'll give them a 3 star-review. I enjoy Metal Gods for sure, but a lot gets a bit too overdone to be my thing. Definitely a band that could get a 4 stars if I was in the right mood, but I doubt that mood will come around often.
Lots of rebellion and frustration with convention. The music isn't really my thing, but I can see how it would energize disaffected youth.
Hearing this for the first time, I can appreciate the influence on later bands that I'm more familiar with.
Songs were hit or miss for me personally. Really liked some of them and had fun listening to it overall but wouldn't listen to it again probably.
Dont mind a bit of judas priest
Ripping!
I do like it, but it reaches me too late. When I was an Iron Maiden fan, I´d have loved it. For now, I just like it.
This might be the most amped up an album has made me Just an all-around fun album that doesn’t have any standout tracks but doesn’t need any since every song is full of energy (excluding the closer) Very solid Favorites: None Honorable Mentions: You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise, Living After Midnight
I like the albums this inspired more.
This album is decent. Not my cup of tea but recognize their influence on other music. The solo guitarist is killer good and rightfully steals the show.
Enjoyed it but was lacking depth, very typical post glam rock era though
Dad- 6 Mom- 6 Mike- NA Lori- 6 Michael- 7 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 6.25
Some solid riffs but a bit too samey. Sick album cover
This was quite good as far as metal goes. Still just not a huge fan of the genre, but will earmark this one
Some catchy tracks, but a bit repetitive by the end.
Kicks ass like a good metal album should, if inconsistently. The best songs are obviously Breaking the Law and Grinder, or really the first four, after United tho, which is a terrible song... it starts losing steam pretty quickly, but I still enjoyed my time with this one, Hopefully if other Judas albums are on the book they will be even better
Not my favorite, some hits, but others were meh
3 Not my taste. Can hear why it is well liked though.
This was a fun listen. That early British metal sound is unmistakable here, and it holds up well, although by comparison to modern sounds, it's probably not as hard as it used to seem. Still, it's definitely a good album to jam to.
This album is a pretty standard 3 stars for me, not bad but not something that really wowed me. Perhaps on the low end of 3 stars, 2.75 rounds to 3.
Eh, it's just pop metal. Especially Living After Midnight. It's fine, but it's not their best work.
I still think I like *Screaming for Vengeance* more, but that could also be because that was my first Judas Priest album. Also, that album might not exist without this one. "Living After Midnight" is still an awesome song, but, like Kiss's "Rock and Roll All Night," the album version sounds like a demo compared to how it's played live. Still a great album, though I'm wondering if I'll run into *Vengeance* later, as that's not only a fiercer album, it marked when they captured MTV.
Yup, that's Judas Priest. Fun if I am in the mood. 3
Good
This is actually less heavy than I expected. I don't really feel compelled to turn the songs off, even if they aren't songs I would generally choose to listen to. Breaking the Law is super catchy though.
Kinda cheesy, kinda cool
Notable only for being a lot better than I assumed it would be. If there's anything this Project has taught me, it's that I like nothing better than judging a book by its cover, except maybe judging a rock band by how much hair might be in their metal. Anyway, this was pretty decent really.
Breaking the law breaking the law dumdumdum Some good tracks, it gets quite samey. Lyrics are pure corny metal. For those that thought Judas Priest was cooler, go listen to Painkiller
The most enjoyable album of this genre I've listened to through this project. Seems to have a sense of humour that isn't based on tedious innuendo like so many others. Some entertaining choruses and melodies too, and not just overwrought guitar theatrics.
Fun listen. One hair away from hair metal. I love they went all trash later on.
Too britishy and not my type of metal for me not terrible at all just not my cup of tea need to listen too again some time highlights: breaking the law, metal gods, living after midnight
British Steel by Judas Priest has undeniable energy and metal craftsmanship, but for me, none of the songs really stuck after the last note faded
Honestly the metal is kinda fun it’s just not my kind of music and I don’t anticipate to ever return. But where other genres that I appreciate from afar can really blow me away with a distinctive sound, this is just for head banging. The last song is unintentionally hysterical: “GRINDER! (du nuh nuh) Searching for MEAT”
Quite enjoyed listening but nothing stayed with me afterwards.
Pretty solid hard rock record. You could see how it would inspire/influence some of the classic metal bands and albums that came out in the years following. You could also hear the influence of some of what came before it. There were a few pretty good songs on here, and the rest were solid at worst. The only negative I can really say about it is that I didn't find anything here particularly great. It kind of hit a ceiling at pretty good. But the overall quality of the album stays at that level pretty much the whole way through. The main reason I don't rate this higher is just that other albums on the list did it better. Not taking away from this on being good; it just wasn't "great" and wasn't as good as some of the other hard rock stuff I've gotten here from that era. Still, I enjoyed it and could see myself listening again. Overall: 3.4/5
Metal not my thing, but enjoying listening to stuff I wouldn’t usually - didn’t like enough to search out more stuff, but not bad at all
3.4
It has been interesting hearing the evolution of heavy metal music from Deep Purple through Judas Priest to Metallica. I am sure there will be more bands to fill in the gaps as I continue this project. I am all in for the Deep Purple leg of the trip and would be nowhere in sight by the time Metallica came around. I think I'd be on board for Judas Priest but would know where the exits were in case things kept going in the same direction. Lots of power and energy but I like music with more of an emphasis on melody.
Judas Priest was not on my bingo card for my commute today BUT I must say solid album. I certainly arrived in a better mood than when I listen to podcasts on current affairs. Rating it a 3 as it’s not my type of music but respect.
Judas Priest, seemingly at their poppiest here. The tracks differ between good old heavy metal to some awful 80's cheese. This really isn't their strongest album, but it's fun to listen to nonetheless. Songs like Grinder and Breaking The Law are great and metal classics. This album is brought down by some of the more anthemic poppy songs on here. This could've been a great album with shit like United and Red, White & Blue.
Never heard these guys before, in earnest, and was digging it!
(Beavis Voice) Breaking the law, breaking the law!
Surprisingly me gusto bastante, estare escuchando mas musica asi. Roca y rueda o algo
Great album
well, it was definitely a piece of music. moderately enjoyable! I'm thinking.. 6.1/10
Fast and loud. Just as l expected
Sounds like spinal tap
Breaking the Law is a jam.
Breakin the what?
Solid
Fand die Texte spannend und den Sound gut, denke es ist ein sehr gutes Album an sich Aber leider einfach nicht ganz mein Geschmack, muss dafür in der richtigen Stimmung sein
Some great classic songs here. Grinder could be Big Black
It's not bad, classic rock, but I keep on getting distracted by something more interesting.
From the 1st track I’m reminded of Motörhead, which came first? My 1st exposure to Judas Priest came at the hands of my cousins in KC, pre-teen me didn’t have a ton of other music playing around me so that was memorable
I've heard better 70s hard rock. There's nothing horrible here, but nothing that I want to come back to either. Maybe this era of music is not my thing.