Judas Priest's Reviews

Defenders Of The Faith

(Average Rating: 8.00 out of 10)

The Best Priest Album, But Not the Best Remaster

(Rated this album with 8 out of 10)
Reviewed by tkdmateo from Manhattan, Kansas United States

Here it is. Defenders Of The Faith. With tracks like 'Freewheel Burning', 'Rock Hard Ride Free', 'The Sentinel', and 'Love Bites', this is quite possibly one of the greatest metal albums of all time. I don't agree at all that it's a "sell-out" as a reviewer below put it. The instramentation is all perfect, with it's melodic crunching guitars, thumping heavy drum beats, and Halford's easily distinguishible screaming vocals.

However, it's the remastering itself that I can't help but notice problems. It doesn't sound as crystal clear as it used to, and the hissing is still ever present. Although it's a bit muddy sounding, at least they had the decency to crank up the volume a bit so that it can be played louder.

When it comes to the extra tracks, this album is the worst of the four. The live version of "Heavy Duty/Defenders of the Faith' is great, but there are other better songs that they could have done instead that haven't been played on a live album. I would've liked to hear a live 'Rock Hard Ride Free' instead. The Studio track 'Turn On Your Light' is also the worst of the four new songs. Here's how my evaluation of the four current remasters is:

My Favorite Album-> Defenders Of The Faith
My Least Favorite Album-> Point Of Entry

Best Remaster Extra Tracks-> Point Of Entry
Worst Remaster Extra Tracks-> Defenders Of The Faith

Go Figure. Still, it's an excellent album that everyone should check out. No metal head should be without this fine piece of history.

Buy this album on Amazon at $10.99