The mighty Judas Priest return
with their 19th album, Invincible
Shield, after nearly fifty-five years as prime purveyors of metal. The
current lineup features Metal God Rob Halford on lead vocals, Glenn Tipton on guitars
and keyboards, Richie Faulkner on guitars, Ian Hill on bass, and Scott Travis on
drums. Judas Priest fans have been spoiled as of late, what with former Priest axeman
K. K. Downing’s band K. K.’s Priest releasing their excellent second LP last
year, The Sinner Rides Again,
featuring former Priest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens. Do Halford and company
still have the magic metal touch? Read on to find out.
I’ve never been the biggest Judas
Priest fan (I was always more of a Maiden man), but have always had tremendous
respect for the band and its phenomenal lead singer. I’ve owned a handful of
their albums over the years, my favourites being 1990’s Painkiller and 1976’s Sad
Wings of Destiny. Priest’s last offering until now was 2018’s solid Firepower which I enjoyed quite a bit. Invincible Shield, in my humble opinion,
is a much stronger album. It pays tribute to a plethora of Priest eras, from
the late ‘70s through the ‘80s, and continues their evolution into a modern 21st
century sound. From the get-go, the instant classic first single “Panic Attack”
with its throwback synth intro, sets the table for a flurry of awesome metal
tunes. “The Serpent and the King”, the fourth single, is a banger of a song and
rides on the momentum of the LP’s opening track. The most recent single, the
title track, is catchy as all hell and is one of the highlights of the record. “Devil
in Disguise” is an earworm and one of my favourites. “Gates of Hell” slows the
pace down a bit leading to the superb third single, “Crown of Horns”, a power
ballad of sorts featuring a lengthy instrumental part. The second half of the
album is less commercial but equally strong, starting with the catchy “As God Is
My Witness” followed by the second single, “Trial by Fire”, and a couple of outstanding
tracks, “Escape from Reality” and the blazing “Sons of Thunder.” “Giants in the
Sky”, a splendid homage to the legends of rock and metal who have left us too
soon, brings the curtain down. I usually don’t bother with expanded/bonus track
editions of albums, but I decided to give it a shot with this one and was
well-rewarded. The three bonus tracks are all terrific; “Fight of Your Life”
belongs on the standard version of the album as much as any other track, while “Vicious
Circle” is a great song, and the last song, “The Lodger”, happens to be one of
my favourites of the whole LP, reminding me a lot of the Alfred Hitchcock film
of the same name.
Invincible
Shield, ladies and gents, is a nearly flawless old school metal record
from top to bottom. It’s an album about empowerment, about persevering through
the hardships of life and celebrating the pure love of heavy metal. It’s no
filler, all killer here, no skipping, just enjoying every tune where every song
features one or two cool guitar solos. I swear, Rob Halford is the human equivalent
of a fine wine. I think I enjoy his vocal prowess even more now than I did twenty
years ago. In terms of ranking this bad boy in the grand scheme of things, I’d
say it’s easily one of Priest’s top five records. I’ve been playing it non-stop
since yesterday morning. Invincible
Shield is an easy candidate for my Top Five Albums of the Year thus far. If
you’re a Judas Priest fan, an old school metalhead, or just enjoy listening to
awesome metal music, Invincible Shield
is a no-brainer—you need this LP in your collection!
Judas Priest’s Official Website: https://www.judaspriestinvincibleshield.com/
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