(Rated this album with 10 out of 10) Reviewed by
A music fan
from Syracuse, NY
I read the interviews by Tipton, Downing, Owens, and Hill themselves. They say that although this album is still musically in the direction of Jugulator, it is much more melodic than the previous album except for Cathedral Spires. The songs "Close to You" and "Lost and Found" and "Hell is Home" are similar to the ballads/slow songs the band did in the 1970s on Rocka Rolla, Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, Stained Class, and Hell Bent For Leather(Killing Machine) such as "Dreamer Deceiver", "Before the Dawn", "Last Rose of Summer", "Caviar and Meths" "Epitaph", "Evening Star", etc. Any Priest fan who does not like all their slow songs from the 70s cannot be a true fan of the group as these songs show a slower side of the band that is sadly lacking from today's metal bands. I read an interview with Tim Owens who even said that he liked this album better than Jugulator because it was more musically diverse and even suggested this idea to Tipton and Downing who went along with the idea. I read that they were inspired to make this kind of music after playing the acoustic version of "Diamonds and Rust" on the Jugulator tour. The band members themselves made a more melodic album after the fans suggested that they said the melodic elements were missing from Jugulator(with the exception of "Cathedral Spires" and the Owen's high screaming vocals reminiscent of Rob Halford, it was in the direction of Painkiller but with influences from Winter's Bane(Owen's former band), Baptizm of Fire by Glenn Tipton, and with influences from Slayer and Pantera, it was more death metal sounding). I am more into the slower songs/ballads from Priest from the 1970s and those songs from their records from Painkiller("Touch of Evil") up to and including Demolition. The classic melodic sounds on Demolition sound more like 70s era Priest than 80s era Priest. That is why it is more listenable than Jugulator. Anyone who dislikes this record has not done their homework. For those who want to know the influences of the modern sound on the Owens era Priest, check out the following records and bands: Heart of a Killer by Winter's Bane(Owens was the singer), Baptizm of Fire by Tipton(also does vocals), Racer X(Travis was the drummer)(name of band and also Speed Racer's brother), Slayer, and Pantera starting with Cowboys in Hell.
