Okay. so I've looked at Ultimate Classic Rock's best-to-worst ranking of the Deep Purple discography, and I've also done The Guardian's Black Sabbath ranking too, so how about a ganders at Loudersound's opinion of the Judas Priest catalogue? I figured it'd be more fun to analyse a different critic site's opinion for each of these articles, so this is Loudersound's Dom Lawson's list. Unlike The Guardian (and to an extent, Ultimate Classic Rock), I don't have much of a chip on my shoulder regarding Loudersound; I haven't really read many of their articles to be honest (although I am sort of familiar with Lawson, because he writes for several publications), so let's just jump straight in.
Original article: https://www.loudersound.com/features/every-judas-priest-album-ranked-from-worst-to-best
18. DEMOLITION (2001)
What they say:
"A noble but flawed attempt to be all things to all metalheads, Demolition is no one’s favourite Judas Priest album. A halfway house between the band’s classic sound and the hybrid futurism of the ‘90s, it lacks any truly great songs and, despite Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens’ stunning vocal performance, served largely as confirmation that a reunion with Rob Halford was the only credible way forward."
What I say:
I get why this is at the bottom of a lot of peoples' lists, but it's not actually my least favourite Priest record, even if it does rank towards the bottom. I agree that there aren't any great songs here, but there's a bunch that I do still like, namely 'Machine Man', 'Feed On Me', 'Hell is Home' and 'Bloodsuckers'. The problem with Demolition is that Glenn Tipton essentially took over all songwriting duties and tried to modernise the sound by adding all these effects and traits that were common with the metal scene at the time, and it simply doesn't pair with the band's signature style. As for Tim Owens' vocal performance, I wouldn't call it 'stunning' (he's done better), but he's competent enough I guess. Again, I sorta like Demolition, but I can understand the hate it often gets from others.
17. ROCKA ROLLA (1974)
What they say:
"Judas Priest’s debut album was more about hinting at their potential than clicking into the higher gear that the band would later use to conquer the world. Rocka Rolla is enjoyable enough, with its faint whiff of progressive hard rock and its warm, analogue tones, but it’s a patchy affair and never comes close to the grandeur and grit of the classics."
What I say:
Woah now! Rocka Rolla deserves to be a lot higher up the list in my opinion. It's a perfectly acceptable debut album from a band who hadn't yet found their feet. That means you are getting touches of prog rock within the songs, as well as blues - but guess what? It was 1974, and heavy metal was barely an established genre anyway. This was heavy for '74. Favourites include the insanely catchy title track, the proggy 'Winter'/'Deep Freeze'/'Winter Retreat' trilogy, the chugging 'Cheater' and the surprisingly epic 'Run of the Mill'. Production is lacking, true, but the songs are great - and the twin guitar usage was still fresh and innovative for it's time. Rob Halford wasn't quite screeching yet, but he was still a force to be reckoned with even during the early years.
16. RAM IT DOWN (1988)
What they say:
"Returning to their traditional sound after the electronic detours of Turbo, Judas Priest stuck to the basics on their 11th studio album. Unfortunately, with the exception of the title track and 'Blood Red Skies', Ram It Down is a largely forgettable collection of box-ticking stompers with a perfunctory version of Chuck Berry’s 'Johnny B. Goode' thrown in for no apparent reason."
What I say:
Actually, there is a reason for the Chuck Berry cover. It was recorded for a shitty movie of the same name during this period, and that's how it also ended up on Ram It Down. I agree that it's absolutely awful however. In fact, I largely agree with the guy here in general, although I will add that the power metal-like 'Hard as Iron' is fucking awesome and a true deep cut from this record. Yep, the title track and 'Blood Red Skies' are great too, but the rest of the music just isn't up to snuff. Oh, and replacing human-operated drums with a drum machine made no sense either.
15. NOSTRADAMUS (2008)
What they say:
"Judas Priest split opinion with this sumptuous conceptual effort, partly because it saw the band veer into symphonic metal territory, replete with choirs and oceans of keyboards. For all its self-conscious bluster, Nostradamus does contain some killer tunes, however. 'Prophecy', the title track and 'Pestilence And Plague' are all killer, but the Priest boys couldn’t quite sustain that quality for the album’s daunting 102 minutes."
What I say:
The most polarising Priest album for sure. There's fans out there that absolutely despise Nostradamus, yet (somehow) there's also people out there that consider it a masterpiece and one of the best things they ever recorded. Me? Well, the whole project is far too monotonous to get through in one sitting, with far too many dull instrumental and filler segments for it's own good. However, there's enough songs on here to create an excellent normal-length album. I agree that 'Nostradamus', 'Prophecy' and 'Pestilence and Plague' are all great, but so is the haunting 'Death', the melodic 'Conquest', the metallic 'Visions' and the majestic 'Revelations'. The symphonic elements actually work for these songs, adding a new dimension of grandeur to the Priest formula. They were originally going to perform the whole thing on stage - I don't think that would've gone down well with many of the the fans, but I did see them on this tour, and the Nostradamus songs sounded great in live perspective. So yes, I do like Nostradamus, just not all of it.
14. JUGULATOR (1997)
What they say:
"Rather than attempt to cajole cynical fans into embracing the start of the Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens era by playing it safe, Jugulator declared that post-Halford Priest were in an unforgiving and furious mood. A vicious modern metal album that owed as much to Pantera and Slayer as it did to the trad metal world, it failed to set the world on fire but thoroughly deserves to be reassessed now. If nothing else, the closing 'Cathedral Spires' is an outright classic in Judas Priest's canon."
What I say:
I used to love Jugulator as a teen because it's by far the heaviest album they ever recorded, taking inspiration from thrash and groove metal. It's not a favourite of mine any more, but I still get a kick out of many of these songs, namely the epic 'Cathedral Spires', the bruising 'Blood Stained', the surprisingly catchy 'Burn in Hell' and the thrashy title track. I don't think Tim Owens (who sounds much more like Rob here than he did on Demolition) had anything to do with the style of music; I think this album would've been recorded either way had Halford stuck around after Painkiller. The heavier sound works overall, save for Tipton and Downing's sudden obsession with Slayer-like guitar solos, which really do suck. Still, I like this record overall, I just don't love it like I used to.
13. REDEEMER OF SOULS (2014)
What they say:
"Not quite the sizzling return to form that many proclaimed it to be, Redeemer Of Souls is simply a really good Judas Priest album. New guitarist Richie Faulkner acquits himself brilliantly throughout, the sound falls neatly between Painkiller and Angel Of Retribution and, on the stunning 'Crossfire', Priest prove that they are masters of metal and the blues."
What I say:
A competent first-outing for Richie Faulkner, but calling it "a really good Judas Priest album" is a bit of an overstatement. Redeemer just isn't ambitious enough to qualify as classic Priest. There aren't any bad songs on here, but none of them really blow me away either - the band play it safe from start to finish, presumably due to the mixed reception Nostradamus got prior. The production is surprisingly thin and dry too, which is rather baffling considering it was released in 2014. That said, even if there's no scorchers here, 'Dragonaut', 'March of the Damned', 'Crossfire', 'Halls of Valhalla' and the title track are still great songs that always make the playlists for me.
12. POINT OF ENTRY (1981)
What they say:
"Following the globe-conquering British Steel was never going to be easy, and while Point Of Entry features a brace of platinum-plated Priest gems ('Heading Out To The Highway' and 'Desert Plains', since you ask) and both 'Solar Angels' and ''Hot Rockin'’' have been welcome additions during Judas Priest's live shows, it never quite hits the heights of its triumphant predecessor."
What I say:
An obvious attempt at adapting the sound they perfected on British Steel for radio airplay, Point of Entry has to be one of the most disappointing albums of all time. While it isn't a terrible record (aside from 'You Say Yes', which is terrible), it doesn't come close to it's predecessor. True, 'Heading Out to the Highway' and 'Solar Angels' are great songs. 'Desert Plains' is a tad overrated, but still cool. 'Hot Rockin'' is... okay I guess, but also pretty silly. The rest of the songs are just 'meh' to me - listenable, sure, but they lack the balls of British Steel... diet British Steel then.
11. TURBO (1986)
What they say:
"Much-maligned at the time thanks to Judas Priest’s decision to embrace the (then) mildly futuristic sounds of the synthesizer, Turbo is far, far better than you may have heard. The first four tracks offer an unstoppable barrage of driving riffs and thunderous beats and - despite a mild mid-album slump – the overall quality of the songs makes a mockery of the notion that an aesthetic side-step had diluted the band’s metal spirit."
What I say:
Well, this one ranks stone dead last on my ranking. It's weird - when I first starting listening to Priest around maybe 2005, it seemed like everyone on the internet hated Turbo, yet these days everyone seems to love it... well, everyone except me. While 'Turbo Lover' will forever remain a favourite of mine, and the fact I've always somewhat enjoyed 'Locked In', there's synth-drenched stuff on here that just makes me cringe. Stuff like the braindead anthem 'Rock You All Around the World', and the wannabe teenage rebelion statement 'Parental Guidance'... this is the same fucking band that recorded ingenious slabs of heavy metal such as Stained Class for crying out loud! 'Out in the Cold' has grown on me over the years, but Turbo is the one Priest album I'll never understand. People seem to love it because it's supposed to be fun and radio-friendly. You know, they already had hits without selling out before this thing came along! The chicks were flooding to Priest concerts during this era, but only this era for the band. They were also flooding to Poison and Bon Jovi concerts. Says it all really.
10. ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION (2005)
What they say:
"After the much-anticipated return of Rob Halford to the Judas Priest fold, the Brummie legends must have known instinctively that their next album had to be a cracker. And so it proved, with a batch of songs that skilfully updated the band’s classic sound while also remembering to keep the heavy metal flag flying high. 'Judas Rising' is a superb opener, 'Angel' is one of Priest’s finest ever ballads and yes, preposterous 13-minute denouement 'Loch Ness' fucking rules. Yes it does."
What I say:
This one's been a grower for me over time. As a Rob Halford reunion record, I always found it to be slightly underwhelming; Halford re-joining Priest should have resulted in an absolute molten metal scorcher of an album, but instead we're left with a perfectly serviceable, yet somewhat tame record. Like I said though, it's grown on me over the years. The songs are well-crafted, mature slices of latter-day Judas Priest. 'Worth Fighting For' is one of their best ever ballads, 'Deal With the Devil' is a fine speed metal platter, 'Revolution' is a catchy single, and while 'Loch Ness' certainly does not "fucking rule", I too seem to enjoy it a lot more than most other fans out there. The vintage production really does the album a world of good too.
9. SIN AFTER SIN (1977)
What they say:
"Routinely overshadowed by the previous year’s Sad Wings Of Destiny, Sin After Sin was a transitional record that saw Judas Priest inch away from their moderately progressive roots and focus on the unbridled metal glory to come. Obvious highlights like 'Starbreaker' and 'Dissident Aggressor (which was, of course, memorably covered by Slayer on South Of Heaven) are up there with the band’s best tunes."
What I say:
An amazing album. 'Sinner', 'Starbreaker' and of course, 'Dissident Aggressor' were three of the most metal songs ever in 1977, with 'Dissident Aggressor' being particularly ahead of it's time thanks to it's chugging riffage. The Joan Baez cover, 'Diamonds and Rust', is so good that even Joan herself loves it. Meanwhile, there's also plenty of deep cuts on here to really sink your teeth into; 'Raw Deal' is a cool bluesy metal romp while 'Last Rose of Summer' is a pretty, tuneful ballad that deserves more credit. I love it.
8. KILLING MACHINE (1978)
What they say:
"Arguably the album that first showcased the classic Judas Priest sound, Killing Machine is rammed to the gills with bona fide anthems: 'Hell Bent For Leather', 'Running Wild', 'Rock Forever', 'Delivering The Goods', 'The Green Manalishi'… they’re all here and they all kick a vast amount of arse. Even the elegant ballad Before The Dawn crackles with electrified confidence. A game-changing ripsnorter, basically."
What I say:
The turning point for Priest. The album where Rob began riding a Harley on stage and the whole band started dressing in full leather n' spikes. They also decided to ditch longer and complex songs, opting for a more straightforward and heavy approach to the music. While it is a step-down from Stained Class, Killing Machine is still brilliant in it's own right. Yep, they certainly are kickin' ass on songs like 'Delivering the Goods', 'Hell Bent for Leather', 'Running Wild' and 'Killing Machine'. Hell, they even manage to turn Fleetwood Mac's 'The Green Manalishi' into a stupendously heavy metal banger. There's also moments of radio-friendliness with the singalong stadium 'Take On the World'. You've also got the melodic hard rock of 'Evening Star', a song which everyone seems to hate for some reason... I think it's great.
7. DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH (1984)
What they say:
"Judas Priest's second creative peak arrived in the mid ‘80s, and Defenders Of The Faith was the result. Although lacking the chart hits of Screaming For Vengeance from two years earlier, there is real substance and power to the likes of 'Freewheel Burning' and 'The Sentinel' and an endearing frisson of censor-baiting sexuality to the menacing 'Eat Me Alive'. All killer, no filler."
What I say:
All killer, no filler is true. Well, except maybe 'Heavy Duty', but aside from that Defenders of the Faith rules. I personally consider this one to be stronger than Screaming for Vengeance, which everyone seems to drool over. Like the guy says, it does lack any real chart hits - but 'Love Bites' should have been one. And possibly 'Rock Hard, Ride Free' too for that matter. The rest of this album is chock-full of heavy metal mayhem, from the speed metal of 'Freewheel Burning' and 'Eat Me Alive' to the absolutely epic 'The Sentinel', which features some of Tipton and Downing's finest ever guitar work.
6. FIREPOWER (2018)
What they say:
"2018 was a year of upheaval for Judas Priest, long-time guitarist Glenn Tipton officially stepping away from tour duties as a result of his diagnosis for Parkinson's Disease. Tipton still put his magic touch to that year's Firepower album however, while tour guitarist Andy Sneap took up production duties alongside Ram It Down producer Tom Allom. The result was among the fieriest Priest albums in years, hitting the ground running with the title-track and not letting up for a moment from there on in, affirming that even as they approached half-a-century they were still heavy metal's most ardent defenders."
What I say:
One of the strongest traditional heavy metal albums in years. It makes Redeemer of Souls look like a warmup by comparison. Faulkner feels totally at home now, and blazes his way through modern-day classics such as the title track, 'Lightning Strike', 'Traitors Gate' and 'Necromancer'. Halford's vocal performance is outstanding, especially when you consider how old he is now. I have to mention 'Never the Heroes' too, one of the most epic Priest songs in ages. The cherry on top is Andy Sneap/Tom Allom's excellent production.
5. BRITISH STEEL (1980)
What they say:
"Many fans would doubtless put this album at the top of their own 'best of' Judas Priest lists, and there’s no questioning British Steel’s brilliance, or its huge influence on the entire world of metal. You simply can’t argue with 'Breaking The Law', 'Metal Gods' or 'Rapid Fire' and 'Living After Midnight' is one of the ultimate party metal anthems. The rest is nearly as good, and that’s pretty fucking good by anyone’s standards."
What I say:
To be honest, I'm surprised to see British Steel as this guy's number five. Most critic sites list it as number one, and that's probably just because it has 'Breaking the Law' on it. Catchy tune, yes, but there's a long, long list of better Priest songs. Like Sabbath's 'Paranoid', 'Breaking the Law' is one of those simple, fun songs, but that's about it really. How it became their signature number is baffling. As for the rest of the album, well, I do love it. It's a classic... but classic does not necessarily make it a masterpiece. The songs are great (aside from 'You Don't Have to Be Old to be Wise'... and arguably 'United' considering it's basically just 'Take On the World' with new lyrics - but I still dig it), from barnburner 'Rapid Fire', the hulking 'Metal Gods', the singalong 'Living After Midnight' and the speedy finale 'Steeler'. But that's it - they're just great songs, not masterpieces. Still, British Steel is a record that instantly pops up in my head when somebody puts the words 'heavy' and 'metal' together. When it has that influence on you, it's gotta be important.
4. PAINKILLER (1990)
What they say:
"The end of Rob Halford’s first period as Judas Priest frontman arrived shortly after the release of one of their greatest albums. Painkiller rips from start to finish and single-handedly redefined the sound of traditional heavy metal in the process. There are literally hundreds of bands out there peddling this exact same sound, but no one will ever top the original. And that title track… holy fucking shit."
What I say:
I agree with everything said here. Possibly the most metal album of all time, Painkiller is a metallic tour de force. Halford sings like his life depended on it, while Tipton and Downing's guitar playing has been taken to another level. This is the kind of album that puts other metal bands in their place. The title track is one of the finest speed metal tracks ever recorded while songs such as 'Hell Patrol', 'Metal Meltdown' and 'Leather Rebel' are so metal that they make even Manowar blush. Even the ballad 'A Touch of Evil' manages to out-metal almost everything else in existence! This was the second Priest album I ever heard, and it converted me.
3. SAD WINGS OF DESTINY (1976)
What they say:
"Black Sabbath may have inadvertently invented heavy metal, but Judas Priest defined it with their second album. Grandiloquent, adventurous and epic as all hell, Sad Wings… kicks off with 'Victim Of Changes' – one of the greatest metal songs ever written, let’s face it – and then sustains its air of supreme confidence and power for the duration. If you love metal, you need this album in your life."
What I say:
It's actually my number one, but I respect this man's critique. Sad Wings of Destiny is in my opinion, one of the greatest metal albums of all time. It's heavy ('The Ripper', 'Deceiver', 'Tyrant'), epic ('Victim of Changes'), bluesy ('Island of Domination'), majestic ('Dreamer Deceiver') and sometimes even pretty ('Epitaph'). The whole album is wrapped in a layer of irresistible mystique and grandeur, reinforced by the masterful album cover. It takes the same formulas that Rocka Rolla toyed with, only everything is multiplied by a thousand. As much as I love what the band would eventually become just a few years later, there's something about pre-leather Priest that is just fantastic.
2. STAINED CLASS (1978)
What they say:
"As the 70s drew to a close, Judas Priest were hitting their stride in no uncertain terms. Their fourth album exudes a ferocious energy, as songs like 'Exciter', 'Invader' and the towering morbidity of 'Beyond The Realms Of Death' upgraded the ‘70s hard rock template for a new decade. Even a cover of psychedelic rock mob Spooky Tooth’s 'Better By You, Better Than Me' slayed and flayed like a maniac. A true metal milestone."
What I say:
Priest were the smartest, most innovative metal band in the world in 1978, and albums like Stained Class are to thank for the way metal sounds the way it is today. It was the last record to be made by what I like to refer to as 'vintage Priest', when they were still creative wizards at the cutting edge of heavy music. Just to clarify, there is nothing wrong with many of the albums they would record later down the line - I just think they found a sound and image and pretty much stuck with it from Killing Machine onward (with the odd detour here and there in Turbo and Nostradamus). Anyhow, 'Exciter' is essentially proto-thrash metal, and it's fucking awesome, 'Beyond the Realms of Death' is one of the greatest - if not THE greatest - heavy metal ballads of all time, 'White Heat, Red Hot' is a classy slice of metallic goodness and the Spooky Tooth cover should have been a hit single. Meanwhile 'Invader' and 'Saints in Hell' are true deep cuts. Shout out to Les Binks; the drumming on this album is never dull, and full of all these cool and exciting fills. Shame he only played on this and Killing Machine. Every Priest fan knows that this is one of their best, so kudos to the author for this one too.
1. SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE (1982)
What they say:
"Judas Priest’s biggest breakthrough, particularly in the US, came with this immaculate slab of none-more-metal bravado. Screaming For Vengeance is an imperious display of heavy metal in its purest, most exhilarating form: from the ageless rush of 'Electric Eye' and the world-dominating thud of 'You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’' through to the neck-wrenching attack of the title track and the fiery crunch of 'Devil’s Child', it’s a flawless encapsulation of everything that made metal such a global force during the ‘80s. And (almost) 40 years on, it’s still exerting its influence over countless aspiring metal musicians around the globe. A steely masterpiece with a giant heart."
What I say:
Ah, now I can't agree with this placement at all. While Screaming for Vengeance is a genuine, bona fide heavy metal classic, this doesn't automatically classify it as a 'masterpiece'. I already said this about British Steel. Don't get me wrong, the majority of this album is very, very strong - but jeez... there's a whole bunch of better Priest records in my opinion! 'Pain and Pleasure' and 'Fever' have never been favourites of mine, while 'You've Got Another Thing Comin'' - as fun as it is - is overplayed and basic in the same vein as 'Breaking the Law'. That said, there's a bunch of songs on here that totally, utterly kick ass; 'Electric Eye', 'Riding On the Wind' and the title track to be precise. 'Bloodstone' is radio-friendly metal at it's finest, such a catchy tune! I've always liked '(Take These) Chains' too. However, I really don't agree that Screaming should be placed in the top five, let alone number one. At least he didn't do the predictable thing and stick British Steel in that place I suppose.
So there you have it. I must admit, I found this list to be much more agreeable and respectable than that Guardian ranking of the Black Sabbath catalogue. In fact, my number two is also Stained Class, while Sad Wings of Destiny and Painkiller sit at number one and three - all three of these records are in his top four, which was actually quite surprising. Really can't agree with the Turbo placement, but as I said, that album's popularity seems to have rocketed in the last decade. This is my ranking:
18. Turbo (1986)
17. Point of Entry (1981)
16. Demolition (2001)
15. Ram It Down (1988)
14. Nostradamus (2008)
13. Redeemer of Souls (2014)
12. Angel of Retribution (2005)
11. Jugulator (1997)
10. Rocka Rolla (1974)
9. Screaming for Vengeance (1982)
8. Firepower (2018)
7. British Steel (1980)
6. Killing Machine (1978)
5. Sin After Sin (1977)
4. Defenders of the Faith (1984)
3. Painkiller (1990)
2. Stained Class (1978)
1. Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)
