Judas Priest's Reviews

British Steel

"Steel" this album.

Regrettably, "British Steel" is one of those albums, and Judas Preist was one of those bands. They had long hair, wore tight leather pants, and sang about rockin' out and metal gods, therefore, I could not like them.

The most recognizable track on here is "Breaking The Law," which (watch the metal purists pile up the "not helpful" votes) is, in my opinion, 1980's great lost punk rock anthem. Clocking in at 2:33, sporting a speedy tempo, no guitar solo, and lyrics that could just as well have been on Black Flag's "Damaged" album (check out that screamed "You don't know what it's LIKE!"), "Breaking The Law" could have easily been a legendary punk anthem along the lines of "Red Tape" or "Runnin' Riot" or "Nervous Breakdown," had it been performed by a bunch of kids wearing studded leather as opposed to um... a bunch of longhairs wearing studded leather.

Never mind.

Otherwise, "British Steel" is a very fine hard rock/heavy metal album of the era, mixing elements of Motorhead ("Rapid Fire"), Thin Lizzy ("Living After Midnight"), and AC/DC ("You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise"), While it's no "Nighway To Hell" or "Overkill," it's certainly no "See You In Hell," either. Pick it up if you have even a morbid curiosity for heavy metal, 1980-style.

Buy this album on Amazon at $10.99