Judas Priest recorded their second album in only 2 weeks in November and December of 1975. That is not much time at all, but the record label, Gull, was pretty freaking cheap and the boys were only living on one meal a day. Heck, some of the guys had to work a side job to make ends meet. Doesn’t sound like a good record deal in my book, but what do I know. It was recorded at the Rockfield Studios in Wales and finally saw its release on March 23, 1976.
The album had positive reviews, but that did not translate in to sales as the timing in the UK wasn’t the best. There was a genre that was popping up and becoming real popular. It was called punk rock. As a result, the band only released one single and the album only went to #48 on the UK Charts. What is really great about this album though, is this is really the birth of the Judas Priest sound. This is what I was expecting on ‘Rocka Rolla’, but I didn’t get. This was the real beginning of Priest.
The band was basically the same line-up with Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing and Ian Hill. They did have a new drummer as John Hinch left the band and they replaced him with Alan Moore. This was be the only album that Moore would play on because he wasn’t overly thrilled with the money situation and would soon leave the band. They seemed to have trouble keeping a drummer as I have counted around 9 different drummers over the years. Crazy!
The album track listing is set up in two different ways. On the LP and on Apple Music, the album starts off with “Victim of Changes” and ends with “Island of Domination” whereas my CD actually has Side B starting off the album and Side A ending the album. I am not sure why the change. It seems to me the CD makes more sense as the opening track is “Prelude” which means it should lead off the album because its name actually means introduction. So we are going to discuss the order in the track listing my CD has as you can see in the picture above.
“Prelude” is an instrumental opening and actually has no correlation to the next track “Tyrant”. It is done in a baroque style with piano and a lot of tom tom drums. There is some guitar, but not much worth noting. It really seems completely unnecessary and very skippable. “Tyrant” opens with a killer riff and explodes with full on energy. This is the Priest I was always expecting. Hard, heavy and full on metal bleeding from its soul. Halford’s vocals are spot on and I love the layered on vocals of his in the chorus. The guitar work between Downing and Tipton is what it is all about. They way those two play-off each other is unbeatable. I could listen to those two battle all day.
“Genocide” is another riff-laden song. It has more of a Deep Purple feel to it as I can almost hear a little Blackmore in those guitars. It is more of a mid-tempo track and chugs along with a great rhythm section from Hill and Moore. Halford sings the lyrics with a little anger as the lyrics are pretty aggressive and controversial. There is a line in it where Halford speaks and starts off with “Sin After Sin” which would become the title of the next album. The song goes gangbusters at the end with everything speeding up in a fury like the world was going to end and they wanted to play and sing every last note they could.
We then get to the first ballad, yes Priest has ballads. This one is called “Epitaph” and was written by Glenn Tipton. Tipton does play a nice piano on it, but Halford has turned to a crooner and his vocals are in a much deeper register. I will be honest, I don’t like when he sings in that register. It completely throws the vibe of those first two songs out the window. I could do without this one, but it was nice to see the softer side of the band.
The song bleeds in to the final track of the first half of the album. “Island of Domination” opens with a cool riff and Halford gives one of his signature howls. This is more like it. The song races through and has almost Sabbath vibe to it which I can get in to that. This is also one my favorite Halford performances of the album. He seems to be having a good time singing it which makes me enjoy listening to it. I love the different rhythm breaks in the song and as usual, the guitar work of both Tipton and Downing are something that needs to be heard.
The back half of the CD kicks off with the best song on the album, “Victims of Changes” which is an epic almost 8 minute track written by Halford, Downing, Tipton and Al Atkins. The song opens slowly and breaks into a cool double guitar riff. It seems to be a very complex song with lots of rhythm changes and heck even the moods and vibes change throughout. The song is so full of layers and textures that it keeps you engrossed which is needed for such a long track. The thing that clinches the song is Halford’s falsettos and that dramatic, climactic scream at the end. It is legendary!!
“Ripper” is up next and this Tipton penned track is a beast just like Jack the Ripper who the song is about…or if you like, Jack the Knife. It is an intense, riff-roaring killer track. The guitars of Tipton and Downing stab at you from every angle with such ferocity. But the final and fatal cut is from Halford’s shrills and falsettos that slice through you like butter. I can see why this was the single because it does make you sit up and take notice.
The second and final ballad is “Dreamer Deceiver”. Unlike “Epitaph”, I do like Halford’s vocal change as it is less in your face, well until those hellaciously great screams towards the end. It makes me appreciate his range a lot more. It is much slower tempo than the prior songs without losing any of the vibe as it has a more blues style and still feels like a metal song. The solo in this thing is one of the best solos on the album as it fits the song to perfection. The song is also a lead in to the final song “Deceiver” which is a complete opposite song as it is more Sabbath and even borders on speed metal in its guitar delivery. This one is also where I noticed the bass sounded a little different and laid down one nasty ass groove. It is a hell of a closing track on the CD and makes the back half of this album (first half on LP) absolutely brilliant!
Track Listing:
- Prelude – Delete
- Tyrant – Keeper
- Genocide – Keeper
- Epitath – Delete
- Island of Domination – Keeper
- Victim of Changes – Keeper
- The Ripper – Keeper
- Dreamer Deceiver – Keeper
- Deceiver – Keeper
The Track Score is 7 out of 9 or 78% which is way better than I thought it would be after my first listen. This album grew on me and in the end I really found myself enjoying this one a lot. It still had a couple misfires, but there is no denying the last half of this disc was utterly amazing. This album is more like what I was expecting from Judas Priest and now that they are starting to find who they really are as a band, I can’t wait to get to the next album. I will score this one a solid 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars. And it is my favorite one yet, but I am only 2 albums in so we know that will change.
UP NEXT: ‘SIN AFTER SIN’ (1977)
THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTION SERIES:
- Rocka Rolla (1974)
- Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)
- Sin After Sin (1977)
- Stained Class (1978)
- Killing Machine / Hell Bent For Leather (1978)
- Unleashed in the East (1979)
- British Steel (1980)
- Point of Entry (1981)
- Screaming for Vengeance (1982)
- Defenders of the Faith (1984)
- Turbo (1986)
- Priest…Live! (1987)
- Ram it Down (1988)
- Painkiller (1990)
- Angel of Retribution (2005)
- Nostradamus (2008)
- A Touch of Evil: Live (2009)
2 Loud 2 Old Music 
Priest ballads do tend to fall a little flat most of the time. I do prefer Rocka Rolla to this one though.
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*Rocka Rolla (the album)
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Sad Wings is a metal masterpiece, the one that truly defined their sound going forward you loon!
I love you, buddy!
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I figured you mean the album since Rocka Rolla isn’t a ballad. That one was good, but Side 2 of this one won me over as it was so good.
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I don’t know why they messed with the song order for your CD because when I found the album on youtube, the album started with “Victim on Changes.” I haven’t heard this album in months, but I tried playing it again not too long ago, and got bored three minutes into the song and put on a new album. I enjoyed your take on this one, though, great review John!
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Wow, that’s a bold take. Bored from Victim of Changes BEFORE it gets to the slow bit. I respect the audaciousness of that claim.
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Ignore this video, Lana! This is specifically for Harrison. A time honored tradition between the two of us.
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Maybe it was five minutes into the song because I know I heard a cool guitar riff, but I forgot where I stopped lol.
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My order is right, they messed up the order on everyone else’s album 🙂 And thanks, glad you liked the review.
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I’m happy you got the correct order on your CD then. The boys fixed the order for that boxset.
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It’s always started with Victim of Changes, and is definitely my preferred way to listen to it.
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I mean always has for me. On every copy I’ve owned.
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But it’s wrong. An album should start with “Prelude” not throw that song in the middle.
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Bullshit! Fading in with those guitar harmonies on Victims? A winning move. Then they hit you with The Ripper! Forget about it. It also moves Epitaph to its rightful place in the dishonorable section of second to last track on the album. Prelude is still a prelude… to side two.
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Either way has its advantage. I am used to Prelude at first because this disc was the first time I’d ever heard the album. And plus, my site, my rules!!! You are wrong!!! LOL!!
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My non existent site was better because it would review this album with Victim of Changes first.
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Yes, your site was better.
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Another one I need to buy at some point. Have to load this one on the iPod now John. Tyrant is a great opener. Another solid writeup Sir!
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I prefer the other running order, but you can’t go wrong with either when all the tunes are so strong. I heard the original vinyl had the sides swapped on accident and that it was always meant to start with Prelude. But since the original vinyl was wrong most CD issues just went with that version as a guide so most stayed messed up and it became the order everyone was used to, except on a few releases like this one.
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Thanks Deke! Yes, this one was really great. This album really excited me for the rest of them.
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I’m not a Priest expert, only own a few albums proper, so for most of these I will be taking your word for it! Thank you for your service!
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I’m not an expert either, but I will be by the time this is all said and done. Plus I just read Rob Halford’s biography so I am learning a whole lot as I go.
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Priest immersion! It’s the only way, really…
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Go big or go home!!
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That’s what she said…
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LOL!
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great write up. sounds like a winner of an album too
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Thanks. I thought it was pretty great. But I’m a Priest newbie. What do I know.
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“The Ripper” is my hidden gem of the entire Judas Priest discography. This album is an example of how hungry, (figuratively and literally) the band was at the time.
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Love that song. It is an early favorite for me.
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This is the #1 album on my want list. It is hard to find on vinyl for a decent price since the band is at odds with the label. It almost has me regretting going all vinyl with Priest. Almost.
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Ha! I never started the vinyl track as it is so hard to find any of them and when you do they are so pricey. I will stick with my CDs for now.
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I’ve lucked out on amazon for most and payed between $20-25 moose bucks. Sad Wings, Turbo, and Hell Bent/Killing Machine are the pre-reunion ones I’m missing.
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Not too many then. Good luck with the hunt.
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I don’t know this one at all. The tracklisting issue is a strange one, as you would imagine they would have sorted that out long ago, eh? – subsequent represses of the vinyl or when it first made appearances on CD.
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Agree, very strange on the track listing issue. If you like Priest, I think this is a good one to check out. Side 2 is incredible (Side 1 if you have the wrong version, LOL).
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I was having a look on Discogs there… the Gull LP shows the correct listing on the back, but the sides are clearly messed up. Baffling that this wasn’t picked up.
But aye, I’ll have a look for this one on CD. If it’s the wrong order I’ll correct via iTunes.
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It will be worth grabbing.
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