Listening Post: Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny

"Breaking the Law", "Another Thing Coming", that's just about the depth of my Judas Priest knowledge. Well, I know about the alleged backwards masking. I know that Halford is the leader of the metal/leather image. And gay. I now that the terrible move Rock Star was based on them. Sort of. And I know that a Halford imitator, named Ripper Owens took over when Rob left.
So. In summary. I know more ABOUT the band then their music. Let's change that.



Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny - 1976 (Buy it)

Well. This is different.
What we're gonna do is review this the way it was originally released in vinyl because, weirdly, all reissues on CD by Gull Records has put all the songs on Side B at the head of the record. And the second half is the first half of the album which makes no sense since there is a song on the A side called "Prelude" and one would THINK that would be a clue as to the order.
Oh, well, fuck Gull records.
This album is everything the predecessor was not. It's ambitious, aggressive and energetic. And you can tell from the end of the first full track, Tyrant, that these boys are loaded for bear. (Black Mountain may worship at the feet of all thing 70s metal but their "Tyrant" has nothing on this one.)
Downing and Tipton's dual power guitar assault is as forward thinking as one can imagine.
The ominous apocalyptic metal-mythology Priest would be associated with has it's forebearance in songs like Genocide and Victim of Change. But, Epitaph suggests that someone was listening to a LOT of Queen. Because it owes ALL of it's harmonies and overdubbing (and erstwhile piano) to Freddie and the boys.
Halford's tenor and timbre is like a 3rd lead guitar as cutting knife.If I have any complaint it's that Rob can sing. That's obvious. What they don't seem able to do is write melodies. They try. On Dream Deceiver, for instance. (One of the few real melodiies to be found) Hellfire and guitars and rawk are the stars here, anyway. Although Halford shows what he's capable of.
Priest was, to me, more about the crisp and sharp razor's edge, less about the sludge that their kin, Sabbath had laid claim to. Maybe that makes them more Power Rock than METAL in the long run, but I don't care. Nor should anyone else.
The band is flexing it's muscles here. I look forward to the rest of this decade's offerings.

Grade A
A Side: The Ripper, Deceiver
BlindSide: Tyrant, Genocide, Epitaph, Island of Domination
DownSide: Dream Deceiver