(Rated this album with 10 out of 10) Reviewed by
A music fan
from NY
As a fan of both classic and new metal, I'm probably one of the few older Priest fans who revels in the courage Tipton and company have shown with this release. The majority of the spandex generation will not like this album, and Tipton had to know that going in. At a time when they are no longer selling platinum, and rely heavily on their old fan base, Demolition was a courageous move anyway you look at it. This forum that Amazon provides is a valuable resource. It allows, hopefully, people to read these reviews, and see if they might want to spend their hard earned money. Well, to that end, I'm not going to waste too much time saying whether I like it or not, because that doesn't help anyone who doesn't know me. I'm just going to describe it stylistically as much as possible. Demolition is very much a modern metal-core album. Forget what you've heard about it being a return to the classic sound, because it isn't. If you're looking for British Steel ptII this ain't it. As a matter of fact, it sounds, in many ways, even less "classic" than Jugulator did. The falsetto screams and lyrics about creatures are gone. Jugulator, as much as I liked it, still sounded like older musicians trying to sound updated, without really knowing how. Playing 80's song structures with detuned guitars, more distortion, and darker, albeit silly lyrics. On Demolition, they finally got it mostly right. Glen's obviously been listening to alot of modern metal, and Demolition shows it, in a good way. Demolition has all the detuned aggression of Jugulator, but the songwriting is much better over all. Subterfuge is heavy, modern and very catchy. It sounds like what White Zombie would sound like if they were heavier, Rob Zombie could actually sing, and could actually write a good song. Feed On Me is just straight up heavy as lead metal with a great catchy riff. Hell is home has a great catchy vocal hook, and One On One sounds like British Steel run through a graveyard and a ton of bricks. There is some electronic influence, but very little. Like Fear Factory, the synth noise begins some of the songs then (thankfully) goes away. There are no techno beats here. Big, loud, REAL drums, just the way a real man likes 'em. There is some filler IMO, but even the less compelling tracks grow on you if you give them a chance. The biggest thing about this album is that you have to play it a few times before it takes hold, I love newer metal, and even I did. But it paid dividends. As far as the complaint that ripper is singing death-metal...ludicrous. Anyone who says that is 50 years old and has never heard a death metal album. It reminds me of being 16 playing my Rush albums and having my mother yell "Turn off that acid rock! To wrap it up, if you are over 35 and have turned into your parents (this new music is just no talent noise!!!!), then stay away. If you sincerely think that a band should put out 29 albums of the exact same style, ala AC/DC, then don't buy Demolition. If however, you are either open minded to newer metal styles, or at least still have a little of that teenage danger left in your soul, then you are going to like the sonic butt-whuppin' that you're in for with Demolition. C'mon grampa..turn it up just one more time!
