Reviews (page 9 of 12)
The vanguard of 80s metal. Booming lyrics, face melting shreds, Judas Priest at its best.
I enjoyed this album! Short and sweet. I was a little amused because this is considered Heavy Metal but to me it fits in Rock? I'm not entirely sure how the genre/sub-genres are defined and who decides this shit. I enjoyed the crunchy distorted guitars and the solos. Rob Halford's voice is also solid, it reminded me a LOT of Bruce Dickinson's voice. Honestly I was reminded a lot of Iron Maiden but I think that's the genre? Disclaimer: I've listened to Iron Maiden WAY more than I have Judas Priest. Don't know who came first and found their sound first. Also I'm honestly shocked SuperNatural the TV show never had ANY Judas priest songs :| If they had just let go of fucking "Carry On My Wayward Son" they'd have had some great options. Vibe: Motorbike roadtrip and driving 20-30% over the speed limit the whole way through. Standouts: Rapid Fire, Breaking the Law, Grinder 3.5/4
not my cup of tea.
Definitely a piece from its time. Groundbreaking for sure, however the genre has since developed much more. A good album, but not one that suites my tastes.
I get the influences these guys had on bands to follow them but this album is very beginner heavy metal. Overall the instrumentals chug along at a good pace but it's far to by the books and rigid. The two big singles from this album end up being generic party rock anthems that were probably edgier at the time of release but have since aged into corny & cringy.
Not a big heavy metal fan, but I did enjoy this. After awhile it all sounds the same, though.
Rapid Fire* Metal Gods Breaking the Law* Grinder You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise Living After Midnight The Rage Steeler Would definitely listen to again for some classic bang your head rock. Should give Judas Priest more of a chance.
Somewhere between punk and heavy metal. Wasn't crazy about any songs.
Not bad for a genre I don’t care for
Good
Um bom álbum que ilustra o auge do metal. Rebeldia jovem pura e muitos riffs, mas nada que o torne marcante
You can hear all the little seeds of future bands being sewn in this album. I can’t not think of Beavis and Butthead when I hear “Breaking The Law” though heh heh heh.
Rob’s voice isn’t my favorite, but there are several songs I like.
It's good, but I prefer a lot of their other records, but its definitely a solid heavy metal record. 6.5/10
classic
This is a real metal classic. I never listened to it completely but I really enjoyed it. A lot of energy and good ideas
4.25
Run of the mill early 80s hair metal. I didn’t find this overly memorable, but nor was it bad either.
Nice and solid heavy metal record. Not my favorite of the band, but still not disappointing. Keeps the vibe going throughout the 10 songs.
Not everything from the '80s needs to brought back. Sometimes what happened in the '80s should stay in the '80s.
Another surprisingly good metal album. I don't have the knowledge of metal to determine if this is good, bad, or average. All I know is it was very listenable. I won't be rushing out to buy it or listen to any other Judas Priest albums, but all in all a positive experience.
rock on🤘🏻
first track 5 min after waking up, good morning 😂 a wild mix on that album
Didn't quite click for me but the music was fun.
I call a lot of other early metal albums "proto metal" but this one still holds up even in 2023. It isn't even in my top 10 but it is good.
Would listen again, couple cheesy songs but still some bangers
no use nunca cuero asi que medio que le paso por el costado a este disco
Rock-y, I like it
Judas Priest was never really my thing. The music is good but just not interesting to me.
High octane, a little angry but good fun.
At times on this I was even more sorry about being British than usual. Pulled it back with some solos in the 2nd half but dated and meh
I spent a lot of time listening to metal as a teen and young adult, and could never get into Judas Priest. Gave this a few goes start to finish and it's still not for me, but I can hear the good in it. Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight are bangers, but it doesn't do it for me. 3 stars.
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I’ve never seen myself as a huge Judas Priest fan, but the guitar work was great and it was very digestible. However, this time I happened to notice a lot of similarities between them and AC/DC (which I also don’t particularly love).
Not sure that Judas Priest is objectively better than any other hard rock band, but their style appeals to me more than others. A 4 for personal preference.
Classic metal.
Honestly, the rock is supreme in this. They have excellent chord progressions and solos are very tasty. I enjoy the music, but I think the singing is what turns me off. He has this monotone vibrato that is ok, but just doesn’t click for me. I appreciate many things about this and see myself listening to it again.
Generally not my sound, but there are good songs here. Standouts include Breaking The Law, United, Living After Midnight, and The Rage.
I was familiar with the two popular songs: Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight. I'm impressed at how tight they sound in the live track: Grinder. But otherwise I'm not really into it, and don't really feel a desire to listen again.
Probably seemed edgy and transgressive in its day, but just feels... quaint... now.
I could hear the seeds of bands like G&R in here - but it mostly sounds really dated. Like, if this came out today, I'd think it was a parody band.
it wasn't really what i was in the mood for but i listened nonetheless. i enjoyed it more than iron maiden but that's relatively speaking. highlights were Rapid Fire (very cool way to start an album (i love seeing what a band's choice is for their album's first song)), Grinder (again relatively speaking), You Don't Have to be Old to be Wise, and Living After Midnight, the latter of which i actually did enjoy a lot. again though not really what i'm into, i can respect it and appreciate it from a distance
I don't think I'm ever in my life gonna think to myself; you know what I would like to listen to today? Some judas priest. So on that basis I'm feeling a solid 2.
I don’t know why I didn’t listen to more of this in the 80s. Really enjoyed it.
I like this album a lot. Favorite tracks: Breaking the Law, Living after Midnight.
Red, White, and Blue is a cool song. Overall, very solid album by a band I don't normally listen to.
This album really surprised me. I thought Judas Priest was much more heavy metal, but I guess I should’ve known they were more so in the 80s hard rock space with songs like “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight” being radio hits. Besides those two standouts, “United” was the sleeper hit, a song that made me want to run through a brick wall and rally the troops. Just really enjoyable 80s cheese throughout the album and at 35 minutes never too much of it. I can easily see myself listening to more Judas Priest in the future after hearing this definitive album.
absolutely not my taste of music :)
It’s fine.
I haven’t really listened to these old metal albums before and I can’t tell if they’re supposed to be somewhat cheesy or if it’s just that they’re 30-40 years old but I have trouble taking them seriously. Still pretty fun though, guitars sound great.
Meh is right.
3.6 straight ahead british heavy metal. The louder you play it the better it get. Pretty solid, enjoyed grinder and obviously the radio hits. red white and blue, was a stinker
The guitar and percussion- like, come on now; the tempo is ideal for headbanging; some absolutely gorgeous guitar solos, and I enjoy the way the songs are structured to highlight the instrumental work; the strain and veracity of the vocals adds to the atmosphere of intensity and lyrical violence and soul; would love to hear Gaga perform Metal Gods; has elements that remind me of Foreigner, Queen, The Who, and AC/DC, and which would later build towards works such as Nine Inch Nails or Guns N' Roses. A few of the melodies are flat and lacking a certain je ne sais quoi that might elevate the tracks to a higher sonic and spiritual place; Several anthemic songs that I can totally see hyping up a sold out arena. Interestingly, I expected this album to be much 'harder' than it was: there is a nice variation in volume, intensity, and feeling, which works well to keep me engaged and demonstrates a level of craft and vision for the complete album. More and more it reminds me of Foreigner/Styx and AC/DC, with that kind of tenor mixed with powerful rhythmic guitars and solo expressions to keep people roused and dancing. Standouts: Rapid Fire, Metal Gods, Grinder, You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise, The Rage.
buenisimo, inesperado que me guste tanto
One of the most significant hard rock albums of its times. Has defined a lot the genre for the years to come. Loved especially Breaking the law.
80s metal rock!
I loved almost every track in this album! One of the most famous Heavy Metal bands of all time! Highly recommend! Favorite Song(s): "Grinder", "Breaking the Law", "Rapid Fire"
Enjoyed it, a nice listen but nothing stood out to me.
If you like heavy metal then this album isn't for you.. this is the album where the legendary Judas Priest went commercial. Crap same same routines. I'm being generous giving this a score of 2.
I was having a good time, then United came on and really ruined the rest of the album for me. Still has some good stuff but I really hated that song man. Will I listen to again: 20%
3.1
3.5/5 not sure about this, i'll have to relisten. niceish vibes though
Living after midnight and Breaking the law
lmao this might be the most fun I've had so far this whole project I just had a blast. Except that weird final patriotic song that was weird but I'm pretending it didn't happen
Ticks all the classic hair metal tropes and it's as silly as the rest of them but I thought it had more variety and better riffs than the average. Only knew breaking the law beforehand but it tells you most of what you need to know about the album. Not really one to be over analysed is it, you know what you're getting. Enjoyed it for what it was.
Rock-by-numbers. Not really interesting, didn't find anything novel or exciting.
Some cool riffs and drums here, but it just isn't that interesting. Goes in the same category of AC/DC or kiss for me. This is classed as "metal" or "hard rock" here, but feels more like rock for the masses. Quite poppy. Not a fan of breaking the law. Living after midnight slightly better Didn't dislike it, but not sure what makes it make this list really. Won't be back. 2.5
It’s like Led Zeppelin if they only used power chords and wore bondage gear.
Never was a big Judas Priest fan but this is the band at its best. Strong songs, tight musicianship and high quality production shows how quintessential this album is.
A solid Judas Priest, has some of their best songs, but it's also a bit softer than some other JP releases
1980. At first I didn’t like it. Didn’t like the tempo and The loud treble sounds - snake and cymbals. I liked Breakin The Law. Not for me.
Day 9 and the first album I've liked considerably more than I thought I would, having not been hugely familiar with Judas Priest. I cranked my headphones up loud and was loving the riffs and solos..it's a little dated but it rocks. Docked 1 pt because I'm not a huge fan of the singers voice, but enjoyed this overall.
metal.
A bracing screamer of an album. Not my normal wheelhouse but quality.
no skips
Not a big fan of metal these days, the album is solid AF, but my personal enjoyment level was the 2 star rating.
Absolute classic. Would have given it a 5 of it weren't for the two mediocre songs on the album.
Love Judas Priest. It's just good.
Yeah this rocks. Awesome riffs, great energy, great vocals. The couple of more anthemic songs don’t really land for me but otherwise 🤘 Best song: Breaking the Law
This album is good. Its actually really good, but why is this here over like 4 of their other albums that are more influential then this one. Like yea this has the big hit song, but thats about it.
Tvrd uvod s Rapid Fireom. HC. Breaking the Law je ikoničan. Vjerojatno gateway u Judas Priest. United nekako uspori. Refren zvuči ko da bi mogo biti Man Utd fan chant. The Rage ima cool bass riff. Ne predug album. Slično Maidenu i Metallici.
One great heavy metal album! And poppy tunes too!
Good classic heavy metal
Grunky
Weird to listen to right before an ethics test but super fun! Didn’t know how many hits were on this album! Best song-grinder.
Aside from United and The Rage, every track on this rips. Maybe not for everyone, but this totally clicks for me. The end of Steeler is so good.
First and foremost, this album’s rating was single-handedly saved by my realization that Red, White & Blue is a bonus track not included on the original release (thereby being excluded from my scoring). That song bites. Anyway, pretty great album. I find a bit of nostalgic comfort in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal sound, and the execution here is superb. Great guitar tone, big riffs, I love the way the clean basslines are utilized in the rhythm sections, etc. The one real stinker for me is the song United which closes out side one, but aside from that even the songs that could have been lackluster for me (You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise springs to mind, and Living After Midnight is admittedly super corny) at least end up sounding okay thanks to the great musical arrangements. Classic sound, great record. Top tracks: Rapid Fire, Breaking The Law, The Rage, Steeler
I liked it more than I thought, but still kind of blends together for me in a very uninteresting way. In the soundtrack of my life I’ll probably skip this
Listenable, not memorable
Seriously surprising. Never rated metal and ripped the piss out of friends who did at the time, but there are a lot of bangers on this album. Not sure when / if I'll listen again, but glad I did.
Very good!
This was so good, at no point did I think "when will it end". Next time I need some high powered rock I will come back to it.
Nothing particular about this album jumps out at me, but the tunes are good. It sounds like perfect car mechanic music. I can see listening to this again some time.
This album makes me think that, had I been an adult in 1980, Judas Priest would have been my favorite band. It sounds a bit dated 40 years later, but it still rocks. 4.5.
Good, solid rock. I enjoyed the experience and wouldn’t mind hearing it again.
What really impresses me about this record is that it is two albums in one. If you don't know anything about Rob Halford post 1998 this is a great boys being boys, youth in revolt, record. I can see high school football teams using this record to be ready to win the game. If you know anything about post 98 Halford then this is one of the gayest metal albums ever. It is ::wink wink:: boys being boys. BREAKING THE LAW, for the first 15 years of Halfords life homosexuality was illegal. UNITED and GRINDER, pretty self explanatory. I am here for it, we need more LGBTQIA+ metal records. Perfect.
Love the guitar.
Pretty gay. Mostly cringe lyrics. Rob’s voice is amazing but just too extra for this early of an album
soft
I might have grinder stockholm syndrome but I liked it
I knew Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight from the radio. Other than that I don't know much about Judas Priest. The vocals aren't bad. There are some good riffs here. Metal isn't my thing but I can enjoy it now and again. 3 stars.
I’m not a metalhead, so this isn’t really my comfort zone. What turns me off with most metal isn’t usually the music itself but the vocals— I don’t like screaming, yelling, and or even too much macho growling. Luckily, Rob Halford only does the latter one of those three, and he does enough actual singing that I was able to listen to the whole album. There were times when his voice got on my nerves a little, but not as much as standard metal vocals. As for the album itself, I was surprised to realize I was already familiar with two songs. I’ve liked Breaking the Law for a long time— it and You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ are the two songs I readily identify as Judas Priest. What I didn’t realize was that Living After Midnight, which I’ve heard and enjoyed on the radio many times, was also them. Both are super catchy and have been stuck in my head for the past 24 hours. Some other things that stuck out— some nice drum fills and guitar riffs in the first few tracks and an amazing guitar solo in Grinder. On the downside, there were a few songs where the vocals began to annoy me a little, but the biggest turnoff for me was United, which seemed really corny and out of place for me. The version I listened to online had Red, White, and Blue tacked onto the end as a bonus track, which I didn’t realize until after, and I was just thinking ‘another hokey patriotic song? What’s with these guys?’ So maybe that colored my opinion too much. Maybe I’d have given this four stars if I’d listened to the true record and not a special edition.
Not my favorite Judas Priest album. This is after they began hitting mainstream radio play with catchy guitar hooks and radio-friendly choruses. Rob Halfords still has one of the most powerful, 10/10 voices in Rock history here. Overall I still prefer earlier albums Sad Wings of Destiny and Hell Bent for Leather.
rahh
These guys sound like they’re more interested in being rock stars than actually making good music. This selection is so uninspired and derivative that it begs the question, why make an album at all? The production is good and so is the playing, therefore, whatever. 3/5
Solid if a bit repetitive rock n roll. Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight are classic
Oui, c’est un album culte. Des les premières notes tu t’en rends compte. Le hard rock anglais a connu de sacrés bons jours quand même.
Can definitely hear some AC/DC influence on some of these songs, and also hear how this influence future metal albums.
Breaking the Law has a pretty sick riff but other than that nothing very notable
Hell yeah Judas Priest!!
I can appreciate that this is many people's favorite album ever, but it's not really for me. But Breaking the law breaking the law is dang fun
Love this album
J'étais un peu déçu par le début, mais en fait faut le temps de rentrer dans l'ambiance (surtout quand on sort de Christina Aguilera). Grinder est très bien, vraiment pile ce que j'attends de mon hard rock, et à partir de /Living after midnight/ ça enchaîne les hits (sauf Red White and Blue qui fait un peu trop patriotique)
too much. 1.
not my favorite genre but generally enjoyable all the way through
Some interesting melodies and guitar riffs
I feel like I always enjoy the metal albums on this list. I'm not really sure why that that is, though I suspect it's because (just like jazz) there are not a lot of metal albums on this list relative to, say, 90s alternative rock. The end result is that there is a much better crop of metal albums than genres that are more represented. This album really feels like an inflection point between the metal of the 70s and the metal of the 80s. Likely, that's because all of the 80s metal was influenced by this album. That makes sense, because this album kicks fucking ass. It's consistently good, with some absolutely classic metal songs 4/5
Epitome of dad rock. nice instrumentals but the lyrics feel over the top and too dramatic, sometimes even ridiculous.
listened to a little. decent
Setting the tone for thrash metal in the following decade, British Steel is straight up terrific. The sound of new wave of British heavy metal never disappoints and Halford is a legendary frontman. The only miss is 'United' which is barely half a song. I get that it was meant for live performances, but on an album it just doesn't work and really kills the flow of the record.
I mean… It’s Priest. So it’s pretty damn good heavy metal. It’s a bit too radio friendly to be my favorite of their records - especially “United” is a mess that should have been left for a live album.
5/5
Tässä on vain biisejä biisien perään, kaipaisin yhteneväisyyttä/sidoksia. Jotenkin enemmän raskaan rockin ideaa kuin oikeasti tunnetta. Mieluummin kuuntelisin Iron Maidenia. Pidän Breaking the Lawista.
Kämäistä sillä huonolla tavalla, jonka valitsemista punkin kämäisyyden sijasta en ymmärtäisi, vaikka eläisin 200-vuotiaaksi.
Great album. Love the hits. Don't love the whole thing as much.
I like judas priest, enough said
heavy metal? it doesn't seem to weigh that much? nah jk, this is pretty okay music -- did have a headache before starting 2,5* but let's round that down to 2 because of the horrible football stadium songs like United and Red, White & Blue
Judas Priest inspired a lot of the thrash bands that I love, but I just can’t get into them. It all feels so cheesy, almost like a parody of itself. A bit fun to listen to, but there’s nothing to really chew on.
Even though I’m not a big fan of heavy metal, I liked the musicality of this album for the tune. It had rhythm, and lyrics- but overall I probably wouldn’t pick it unless I was feeling angry/angsty.
The first track sounds like a neutered version of Mötörhead, without the spark that can make the latter thrilling. The second track sounds like a neutered version of Black Sabbath, without the spark that can make the latter thrilling. The third track is a famous single, admittedly catchy. The fourth track sounds like a neutered version of Van Halen, without the spark that can make the latter thrilling. Or is it a neutered version of AC/DC? Or some proto-Guns'n'Roses? Anyway... I can't decide if the fifth track is as moving as an old union song, or just plain ridiculous. The sixth track is yet another dumb compositon by Judas Priest, the ultimate cheesefest hairmetal band. And the seventh. And the eighth. And so on... You get the picture now, I believe. The stats in this app say I don't like "metal" and "hard rock". Nope, I *can* like those genres. It's just that I hate a lot of albums in that style that the so-called "specialist" within Dimery's team selected. Whoever he is, that guy (he's probably a bloke, right?) just has an awful taste in music. 1/5 for the purposes of this list, which translates to a 4/10 grade for more general purposes (4 + 0). Number of albums left to review: more than 500 (I've temporarily lost count) Number of albums I'll include in my own list: half so far, approximately Number of albums I *might* include: a quarter, approximately. Number of albums I'll never include: another quarter (including this one--many others are more important to me)
more background music
Hey that was pretty fun. Very 80s sounding metal but it was fun and didn't overstay their welcome.
Right off the bat, vocals seem a little weak. Interesting how much the sound varies from song to song here. There's some stuff that points towards their later defining sound, but there are also a few hair metal bops and a few boomer-ass tracks. It was decent overall, but if I wanted to listen to Judas Priest, I'd probably just put on Painkiller.
8/10, solid album
Okay, not really my thing though
I was fully prepared to not enjoy this. After listening to it, I like most, if not all of the songs on this. This is just easily enjoyable metal music that even someone who has very little experience in the genre could probably enjoy. This has all of the things a metal album would need to be good, like catchy and heavy riffs, and powerful vocal performances. For some reason, this felt vaguely familiar to me, even if I haven't heard any song from this before. It may be because my dad played a lot of AC/DC when I was younger, and this reminded me of that, which may sound insane to Judas Priest fans. I feel like AC/DC is slightly more hard rock than metal though. Rating: 7/10
Breaking the law...
Solid 80s meta album, no complaints, just don’t listen to this style much these days
Un impresionante álbum de heavy metal. En él podemos escuchar la tremenda influencia que tuvo la banda británica en darle forma al género, con interpretaciones duras que hicieron escalar al género, antes de que este alcanzara su apogeo a mitades de los ‘80s. Un infaltable en las despensa de todo metalero.
enjoyable hard rock/heavy metal album not what I'd usually go for, but I guess the sound is commercial enough that I'd enjoy it some awesome tracks like "breaking the law"
Very surprising how well this album is.
This album rocks! The bonus album with the live version of the album is also excellent! My top songs are Grinder, Living After Midnight and Metal Gods.
I always thought it was hilarious when beavis and butthead did the “breakin the law breakin the law”
👎
AJ: 🤘🏻
Grinderrrrrr - Looking for meat. Things you knew then but REALLY know now.
Not a massive fan
Easiest album I’ll ever have to review. The solo of Rapid Fire. Metal Gods & BTL are stone cold classics. Living after midnight is one of my favourite songs ever. 5 stars
I’ve not really listened to much Judas Priest other than a couple of the hits but after listening to British Steel I’m struggling to see why they weren’t as big as bands like Iron Maiden and Def Leppard. (or maybe they were an I’m just stupid) British Steel is probably the best metal album I’ve listened to for a long time and Rob Halford is easily one of the best metal singers of all time which is probably why I had a great time listening to this album and is easily better than anything I’ve come across by both Iron Maiden and Def Leppard.
That did not age very well.
damn
Solid 80s power metal.
Crap.
Wish Thatcher would’ve taken this particular British Steel out of the public’s hands.
meh
All blends together
I lovvvvee Screaming for Vengeance, guess I’ve never checked out their other albums much. Just raw metal.
Heavy metal. Pas trop dans mon style, mais j'ai aimé Breaking the Law et Living after Midnight.
Not my thing
Blir alltid litt skuffa når eg sette på detta albiet, for eg forvente meg Painkiller, men så får eg United og Red, White & Blue
it was ok, listenable on the side but I just dont like hard rock that much. -A
I went into this with low expectations and was shocked by how much fun I had listening. Bombastic, old-school heavy metal that finds a sweet spot of campy and corny without being annoying or insincere.
Kinda fun, kinda silly arena metal. I'm not really into it but it's not bad.
It's classic heavy metal: so not really my cup of tea.
Really liked this, more than I thought I would when I saw Judas Priest
3.5
Oh dear. Nothing original here. A follow on band.
One of the best heavy metal albums ever
Interesting, rever 4*
Well I was not expecting to enjoy that, for some reason I thought JP were super heavy, but turns out it's classic operatic rock with melody and riffs and just really fun. Never knew they were Breaking the Law 🤦
Rob Halford is the best metal vocalist out there. And this isn't even my favorite Priest record by a long shot.
The most interesting thing about Judas Priest is that they present very clearly as a heavy metal band, but their lyrical content seems like it actually toes the line really well with punk, which I think enhances the overall output exponentially as it taps into 2 genres seamlessly.
Metal. No thanks.
Classic rock at its best
Solid tidlig hard rock
Not a fan.
another great album, and i feel like there's not a huge selection of metal/hard rock albums in this 1001 list (either that or the randomizer hates me). this might be my favorite priest album, but the only one I know more than a song or two from is screaming for vengeance. the songs here are solid and there are definitely more hits than duds. it's not the best album ever but really lays the groundwork for future JP tracks and the metal genre at large. also, why oh why did Rock Band only get the crappy live version of this when the studio version is so much better? favorites: metal gods, breaking the law, united, living after midnight, the rage, steeler
Judas Priest is one of the best Metal bands ever, and with Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight, this album contains two of their more well known songs, even if the latter is more mainstreamy. This is, however, far from their best album (that distinction belongs to Painkiller or Firepower), and it is beyond me how British Steel is the only one of their albums on this list. It's still a worthwhile listen. 4/5
Not my thing.
It’s alright,i don’t really dig the vocals and the riffs are just ok.I know it’s a really important metal record but even the bangers “login after midnight” and “breaking the law” are just fine.Not amazing
A few well known tracks and found another track or two to enjoy, Grinder especially. Has a steady sound and maybe they all kind of start sounding the same after a minute
solid
This is a pivotal album in heavy metal and rock history. It completes Judas Priest's transformation from niche metal/rock band to "Metal Gods". Rapid Fire starts off by punching you right in the face, setting the stage for "Metal Gods" which tells everyone who they are. Are they the evil robots mentioned in the song? Of course not, but we know that they are on another level. Then, the iconic "Breaking the Law" which is a major crossover hit. The album is great, and while maybe not the best Priest album (Screaming for Vengeance?), It is worthy of its legendary status. 4 or 5 stars. Was even better than I remember. The extra track doesn't work though.
My least favourite part of the broad church that is Rock. Find it a bit cliched, especially the vocal style. Fairly one dimensional musically, although quite enjoyed a couple of the tracks, especially ‘You Don’t Have to Be Old to be Wise’. Thank God for that!
Apparently the first proper heavy metal album. Influenced Metallica et al. It's ok for what it is, certainly better than 99% of metal that followed it. Big riffs and the growly to operatic style of singing which some other artists took to either extreme, but here it is just about palatable. Recognised the 3 singles! So as it is a pioneer of its genre. A low 3 (me being very generous)
👎👎👎
BREAKING THE LAW BREAKING THE LAW Cringe dad rock, the hook on united is a big highlight tho!
I'm not that into metal in general, and talking specifically about this kind of classic heavy metal, Judas Priest is probably the only band I would rather listen to a full record instead of going to the dentist. But man, this one is SO GOOD.
Uskomatonta 1980 musiikki häh miten voi olla.. uskomatonta.. ei vituta.. mitä häh.. trasnitioinit kaikki tip top täydellistä..
Not as bad as I thought, but still quite cringe! Definitely seems to have been a big influence on Iron Maiden and Metallica, but also seems to have been the direct inspiration for Spinal Tap. Wouldn't listen again.
Du bon métal pour le traitre de Nazareth
Went hard
Wouldn’t say this was particularly good… but heck I enjoyed it a lot
Not as bad as i had thought. Breaking the law breaking the law
Good but pales in comparison to the Metallica album we had earlier this week. Bad timing for Judas Priest. A couple hits but everything else feels generic. Although it was probably a lot more fresh in 1980.
Right up there with Metallica as far as good metal goes. I don’t know what it would take for a metal album to get the 5th star but this one came close at times. Living After Midnight sounds like a KISS track almost. I listened to “Breaking the Law” before taking my criminal law final…got an A-, I’ll take it
Un impresionante álbum de heavy metal. En él podemos escuchar la tremenda influencia que tuvo la banda británica en darle forma al género, con interpretaciones duras que hicieron escalar al género, antes de que este alcanzara su apogeo a mitades de los ‘80s. Un infaltable en las despensa de todo metalero.
Venga, un 4. Así soy de generosa, aunque no sea mi estilo.
Bit heavy for my liking. Don't think I'll give it a listen again
Not a bad album but not one I will listen to again through choice. Drums, guitar and vocals aren't bad but I prefer heavier than this personally
A stepping stone to thrash metal. To me, that's all it is. The growling vocals, deep bass, and rapid heavy guitar playing are all characteristics shared with contemporary Motorhead or ZZ Top. What makes this album stick out is their arena sound and anthems like "United" or the bonus track "Red, White, & Blue" that put them on the same wavelength as glam metal but for a more hardcore audience. Started off pretty strong then ended off with "Steeler" on a bang, but didn't care much for the forgettable middle. "Breaking the Law" is a unique standout track that represents the era alongside "Ace of Spades." The other hit, "Living After Midnight" seems to be copying glam metal hits, and I'm not sure how much I'd like it if I hadn't heard it so much growing up on the radio. Favorites: Metal Gods, Breaking the Law, The Rage
S'alright. There's some classic Priest hits on here, and it has the early sounds of what will become Screaming For Vengeance. It's rooted quite a bit in hard rock, so it doesn't always hit for me, but I still liked this.
Found myself pretty bored while listening to this. I wish I liked it more. I guess I don't get it. 2.5/5
Yay, more metal! I’ve been listening to Priest for nearly 20 years now and I still love these guys… but British Steel has never 100% worked for me. There are a couple too many anthemic tracks that I can do without- seriously, “You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise”?- but I’ll concede that they’ve honed their sound in the studio by this point, sounding nearly as good here as they do live. I’d still recommend this for a newbie to metal, but I’m way more of a Painkiller/Hell Bent guy. B
Oof, I have nothing against some heavy metal, but enough is enough. This album might take the prize for the most monotonous bass and drum line ever. It's just unbearable. I had a hard time trying to power through full song in one go. Even "Breaking The Law", track with a very nice riff, is so hard to be consumed, as it just slowly drills a hole in your brain, irreversibly destroying part of me. Big piece of metal history, but I'd rather forget about this part.
Really solid, it's loud, brash, and unapologetically metal AF 🤘
Much metal. Maybe a bit too much for me, personally.
Highlights: Breaking the Law, United, Red, White & Blue
Braking the law to klasyka, ale reszta nie siadła tak dobrze.
No. Just no.
So fun and timeless
Nope. Got as far as Grinder and gave up. Basic, unimaginative and pointless.
Judas Priest - British Steel Refused to listen.
Day 4: Possibly something worth listening to again very loudly in the gym, but generally quite average. Not really any tracks that stand out hugely, but if you're in the mood for it then it it'll sound nice enough
while not my favourite judas priest album, certainly an important one in their catalog. after all, this album contains three of their biggest songs (“metal gods”, “breaking the law”, and “living after midnight”). all in all, a solid album, certainly one the band should be proud of. highlights: “rapid fire”, “grinder”, “the rage”.
I don't like Judas Priest.
As a rock fan, I expected more out of this album. I’m sort of surprised this is the first time I’ve actually listened to the album and not just the singles, but I thought it would be “harder”. This is more radio friendly type rock. It’s ok. Listen again: probably not Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song: Grinder
Just seems like run of the mill metal to me
Ridiculous leather-clad lunacy. Very much in the same vein as Black Sabbath and , though Rob Halford's vocals are much stronger than Ozzy's - but the material is massively overblown nonsense, very similar to Iron Maiden.
What even is this? I suppose it sounded new when it came out?
3.5
it’s just judas priest. i prefer screaming for vengeance and have confirmed my lesser enthusiasm for classic rock. much more to my taste than the last album though
Really great and want to listen to again.
Enjoyable even if not my favorite type genre of metal
day 35. this was a really fun, speedy listen. I absolutely love Rob Halford’s voice and the power he brings. As for the tracks, the flow is pretty great, the first four tracks are so solid together … and then I felt like everything came to a halt with United. next four got back on track, but I couldn’t get behind Red White & Blue either and it felt like a weird note to close on. Ignoring those two songs it might even be a 5 star album for me. new faves - Rapid Fire, You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise, The Rage 4/5
Really fun hard rock, two songs made my playlist so
Not as bad as I was expecting, but still not good. For the genre of 80s metal, the best compliment I can give is: I didn't hate it.
Never been a big Judas Priest fan, mainly because I’ve never heard any songs other than what they play on 101 the fox. . Athat being said. They are clearly really good. This should be a fun listen.
A crud sandwich topped with crud sauce served on a bed of crud
Not my cup of tea but I can appreciate the guitar & drum playing!
2/5 Best: Breaking the Law Worst: United
With 40 added years of hindsight and context, I think Grinder is hilarious - Grinderrrrrr, Looking for meat! And y'know, I bet Rob Halford finds it funny as hell too.
yuck
• Heavy metal is not really my thing but it was honestly kind of fun • I liked the guitars and it was a pretty classic heavy metal album • I don’t think I would listen to the whole album again • Favourite song: Rapid Fire
Judas Preist is one of those brands where I never remember to listen to them but when I do hear them they rule and I wonder why I don't listen to them more. Then I forget again until the next time.
Sorry, I can't stand this band. I feel that their version of "heavy metal" has lost all connection with the Blues which is an essential ingredient in any genre of music.
not my thing
Sounds so uncool now.
Enjoyable but dated and hasn’t stood test of time. Couple good songs but overall not memorable.
БРЕЙКИНГ ЗЕ ЛОУ БРЕЙКИНГ ЗЕ ЛОУУУУ. Тот самый музон для бабок у падика. С группой абсолютно такие ассоциации, хотя альбом не плох. 6/10
Really good Hard Rock Album ! Catchy riffs, nice vocals and awesome solos. Everything is there Favorite Tracks : Breaking the Law, Living After Midnight, You don't have to be old to be wise, The Rage Rating : 4.25 / 5
Great hard rock album... Forgot to review and now I can't remember the good things I remember but was definitly clean to listen, from tracks overall to solos and riffs! Solid 4/5
now these boys know how to rock
Goes hard* * United and Red, White & Blue do not go hard
Liked more than I expected
Album #4 Out of all the Judas Priest albums to choose for this list I feel that British Steel was the obvious choice but not the best. Sure it has classic bangers like "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" which were some of their most successful and accessible songs, but a lot of the material here feels like filler and by far has more filler than any other priest album I've listened to. Even if it does have some filler on the track list, its still a fun ride but this would not be the album id choose to introduce someone to the band as the material on a lot of their other albums beats this out. Favorite Track: Grinder
aight but also kinda meh
Loud, proud and with a tight drum. As a not-fan of the genre, I loved this.
Rapid Fire, Metal Gods, Breaking the Law, Grinder, You Don’t Have to Be Old to be Wise, Living After Midnight and Steeler. Amazing riffs, great drumming and iconic singing by Sir Rob Halford. Amazing and Painkiller should be on this list as well. 9/10 but giving 5 stars because it’s better than other 9’s.
grinder and the rage. i like the energy of judas priest and the solos.
I've never listened to Judas Priest before but I really enjoyed it. Great guitar and drums. I also listened to their other album Painkillers and I like that one even better. FS: Rapid Fire, Breaking the Law
Breaking the LAW!!!
Killer cover though you have to wonder just how those fingers aren't totally cut up and bleeding over all that British Steel. Jokes aside, other than some minor quibbles around the sonic qualities of the mix, I'm into this record more than I would've thought based on prior impressions of Judas Priest. Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight are the two pillars under which some lesser songs do find cover. And yet, better than expected.
Yes, yes yes! Clean, hard metal rock. Vocals are not my favorite metal vocals, but the rock is rocking! Some inventive riffs in here, a half-hearted ballad in Red, White, and Blue; decent anthem in United, although - I'm not sure what they're united over...unless it's just united in Metal, which is cool, I guess. Metal Gods and Breaking the Law are my favorites. I can feel their performance in their music; probably a great band to see live. Decent album here, not top shelf metal, but close 3.5/5
oh breaking the law is zo een classic! Net als Living after midnight. Na mijn eerste gevoel vind ik dat het album vooral heel mooi in elkaar vloeit. Als judas een priester was hier in de kerk, ik zou gaan!
OOOh kan ik wel van genieten zo nu en dan. Zitten schijfkes tussen. BREAK THE LAW
Today I decided to return to 1001 albums after a week-long pause. *click* "did not listen", and the next album showed up. Judas Priest - British Steel? No way! I listened to it last Wednesday - it must be destiny or a sign. What do I think about the album? I can appreciate a good album if I hear one and for sure it's an album we must hear before we die! Its history and influence on other artists speak for itself. The best tracks: Breaking the Law (obviously), Living After Midnight, United. I've to admit I can't stand looking at the cover.
I really like this album. This distinctive (maybe a little bit industrial) Judas Priest music with unforgetable Rob Halford voice is just too good. Breaking the law was probably the first song of Judas Priest I have ever heard. It still is one of my favourites.
Rocky rockness.
My cup of tea. An all time classic from one of the all time greats!! Most know Breaking The Law and Living After Midnight. Those got radio play. But pale in comparison to the heart of this powerhouse heavy metal masterpiece. Tipton and Downing in stellar form. The crunch and the speed. Halford and that rythym section. Rapid Fire. Metal Gods (from the Metal God himself) Grinder (I think there’s even an app they named after it LOL) You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise. It’s about time they were finally out in the Rock and Roll HOF!!
life’s too fucking short for 80s metal sorry
Sonzeira, altos solos
Enjoyable hard rock. Favorite song is "United"
Metal
On a Metal scale of Magnesium to Osmium, (British) Steel is pretty appropriate for what you’re going to find within.
Well this rocks It doesn't do anything more than that but then it doesn't need to
A hard album to review. I think it’s probably good for the genre and the time but not the genre for me.
Great listen! Went through it twice. Lots of classic hits in this one.
Wish I would have discover this earlier, would have loved it.
Breakin' the law! Breakin' the law! 🤘 🤘 Before this, "Breaking the Law" and "Pain & Pleasure" were the only two Judas Priest songs I knew. Glad that's no longer the case. This was good stuff.
So very good. I wish I had gotten into Judas Priest years ago. Rob Halford has one of strongest vocals & widest ranges in music history, and I'd bet seeing JP live back in the day was spectacular. If you follow Rob on social media, you'll see a sweet & kind man that adores cats. Great album.
Can't go wrong with some vintage Judas Priest. It's got two of my favourite Priest songs on here, so I was rockin' out today.
Rachel and I agreed it "could be worse" as background music in the car but that's the only nice thing we had to say
cool, very classic metal album
This is about the 5th album I've heard on this list where my first thought is, "This must be the main inspiration for Spinal Tap!" Others include Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Metallica, and Aerosmith. Just basic hard rock riffs, growling vocal style, and inane lyrics. Not especially interesting or compelling to me. 2 stars.
Judas Priest Rules* *If you haven't already check out Heavy Metal Parking lot...
meh, it's not my thing
Definitely not a heavy metal maniac🤘 I often found myself reaching for my phone to skip the song but alas I did listen to it all… LFS: United, Red White and Blue WIL2IA: 👎
Some hits but overall pretty tame. Not bad ass at all. Iron Maiden was way better.
Not sure if this will be an unpopular opinion, but I found the album a bit unremarkable. Some powerful sounds, but most of the tracks didn’t grab me. United and Red, White and Blue are very strange additions to this album.
Is it just me or do most of these songs have the lamest choruses ever? Throw in a couple songs that sound like failed attempts at anthems and this doesn’t age well at all, in my opinion.
I liked the album more than I thought I would. Unfortunately, the singers voice got to me over time. Two awful songs, united and red, white and blue. I guess red white and blue isn't technically on this album, so that's a positive.
Enjoyed this overall…. I knew breaking the law from watching beavis and butthead off of an old VHS in the 90s. Living after midnight is fun!! An obvious comparison to his music is be the "cousin" of Iron Maiden, lots of similarities to their sound. Significantly less shredding and noodling than Maiden but still some great leads and fun melodies.
🆗
They've got some good tracks but definitely feel like a diet Iron Maiden. Album opens strong with Rapid Fire, Metal Gods and the classic, Breaking The Law but then falls off a bit. United stinks. Living After Midnight is another classic but the remainder of the album is pretty forgettable. Also I didn't realize it wasn't officially part of the tracklisting, but because I had to hear it, Red, White & Blue should really give this review another star deduction.
Alright, let’s go rapid fire here. This album is great for working on a stripped screw for 45 minutes. You may not have to be old to be wise, but you do need to write better songs if you want to be good. Listening to United brought out the Rage in me. That’s gotta be the worst song ever written. Top 10 at least. The album is “saved” by a couple of their hits, but overall it’s so mediocre. Just like the band. Not a fan. Let’s just say that in my books, the are NOT Metal Gods.
Kind of a fun listen but I wouldn't go back to it. I'd call it mainstream metal? Which has kind of a weird vibe. Only song I actively disliked was United, the rest was pretty okay.
This album is ok. I found the guitar work to be rather sloppy and got the impression that they are mediocre guitarists that turn the distortion up to 11 so it sounds like they're super good. I don't mind the guy's voice. This album just didn't really connect with me. Didn't hate, didn't really enjoy either.
2 stars
A landmark of 80’s metal and one that deserves all of the praise it gets.
Great album! A lot of songs!
Prima album, maar niet mijn favoriet van Judas.
Overall enjoyable metal. Feels very similar to the 70s era sabbath that I've listened to-great riffs, great execution, just a little less passionate than those albums were. Felt a smidge formulaic at times and the songs began to blend together somewhat after a while, but that isn't necessarily that bad when the overall quality of the songs was high. The god awful red white & blue bonus track left me with a horrible taste in my mouth until I realized it wasn't part of the original product, thankfully. Highlights include rapid fire, breaking the law, and living after midnight.
3.5
80's metal komt op mij helaas vaak nogal cheesy over en ook deze keer heb ik daar wat last van. Maar het kon erger! Ik deel weer een veilige 3 uit.
Decent. Bit samey. Liked breaking the law and the last song Grinder Live. Seemed to sound better than the other songs.
I like hard rock from all decades, but the metal that emerged in the 80s never agreed with me. This sounds like it might be the daddy of them all. 3 stars for being a pioneer of a sub genre. -1 for being so fucking lame anyway.
I really like this album a lot. I've Loved this since I was a kid.
Pinnacle
I SHOULD like it, but I kind of don't. It's fine.
rough but effective