Judas Priest's Reviews

Hell Bent For Leather

(Average Rating: 8.06 out of 10)

One of the Classics

(Rated this album with 8 out of 10)
Reviewed by Kyle Vraa from Circle Pines, MN United States

You can't have a complete Priest collection without Hell Bent for Leather. The title track, Green Manalishi and Killing Machine are some of the band's best material. Before the Dawn is one of my favorite ballads by any metal band. I take one star off for Burnin' Up and Evil Fantasies, which are a couple of stinkers (probably recorded as fillers). Nothing that the fast forward won't take care of!

Hell Bent for Leather is the first record of what I would term the second phase of the Priest sound which spans from this record up to Screaming for Vengeance. First phase Priest would be up to Stained Class. Third phase Priest is Defenders through Painkiller. Classic Judas Priest ends with Painkiller. (Jugulator and Demolition are Tipton-phase Priest)

Second phase Priest is represented by a shift to what would become the 80's metal guitar sound with more intense distortion and a more fluid style of guitar soloing. The title track solo is a good example of this sound. Halford's vocals are a little grittier than early Judas Priest where he mostly sang clean and high. 'Delivering the Goods' is a good illustration of gritty vocals.

This is a must buy if you are a solid Priest fan. It would be good for general fans of late 1970s metal. Post-Metallica listeners may find the sound somewhat primitive but anyway you look at it the record contains some fine work.

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