Judas Priest's Reviews

Hell Bent For Leather

Delivering the goods with a pleasant punch to the stomache

Through the 70s, Judas Priest was a very experimental heavy metal band. Their debut Rocka Rolla(1974) resembled a bluesy Black Sabbath hybrid, while Sad Wings Of Destiny(1976) showed the first signs of Priest becoming a real heavy metal band. Sin After Sin(1977) showed further experimentation, but it wasn't until Stained Class(1978) that the band had fully blossomed into a full heavy metal outfit. At this time, the band adopted for a leather & studs image which became the look for heavy metal music, and they were quickly becoming a popular force around the globe. Of course, the key bandmembers include the legendary ear shattering vocalist Rob Halford, lead twin-guitar assault Glenn Tiption and K.K. Downing, bassist Ian Hill, and talented drummer Les Binks.

Here we arrive at HBFL, one of the most dynamic Priest albums in their back catalogue. While Stained Class was the band's first real gold-prize heavy metal album, HBFL is the first album of theirs that really packs a punch in its heaviness. If you listen to the previous albums first and then this one, HBFL will really jump out at you. Although this is the heaviest 70s Priest album, it's also their most commercial up to this point. Priest's previous albums had many longer songs with progressive elements, while HBFL's songs are short, catchy, and to the point with nary a song exceeding four minutes in length.

As for the tracks themselves, there's a great variety of rockers in the songlist, meaning there's something for everyone. You've got your fast metal anthems ('Hell Bent For Leather' and 'Running Wild), your pounding Ted Nugent-styled arena rock anthems ('Take On The World', 'Delivering The Goods', Killing Machine, and the awesome cover 'Green Manalishi'), your commercial midpaced rockers ('Burning Up', 'Rock Forever', and 'Evening Star') and a slow Sabbath-esque closing number ('Evil Fantasies'). There's even a touching ballad to be found here ('Before The Dawn'). Unfortunately you wont find anything long and challenging like 'Exciter', 'Beyond The Realms Of Death', or 'Victim Of Changes', but the album's versitality and punch make up for it in spades.

Also included in the remaster is two bonus tracks: 'Fight For Your Life' and a live version of 'Riding On The Wind'. The former is a HBFL b-side which was later rewritten to become 'Rock Hard Ride Free' on the album Defenders Of The Faith(1984). Same verses as RHRF, but the chorus and guitar solos are completely different. The live version of 'Riding On The Wind' is mediocre IMO, with the instruments all sounding flat, and Halfords vocals are actually faint and weak there. If you want to hear a really good live version of that song, check out the one that's on Halford's Live Insurrection(2001).

Although HBFL isn't the best Priest album (Stained Class, British Steel, Screaming For Vengeance, Defenders Of The Faith, and Painkiller are the top albums), it's still an excellent recording that no fan should pass up. Certainly one of the best heavy metal albums of the 70s. I actually come back to it quite often. It's also a great place for new fans to start. The remastering here benefits the sound quality greatly and it further emphasized that this is in fact, a "heavy metal" album. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO ALL PEOPLE WHO LIKE A SOLID CLASSIC METAL ALBUM.

Other albums that sound similar to Hell Bent For Leather:
-'Unleashed In The East' by Judas Priest
-'Point Of Entry' by Judas Priest
-'Cat Scratch Fever' by Ted Nugent
-'Cultosaurus Erectus' by Blue Oyster Cult
-'Spectres' by Blue Oyster Cult

Buy this album on Amazon at $10.99