Judas Priest's Reviews
Hell Bent For Leather (Average Rating: 8.06 out of 10)
Hellbent For Leather Is A Killing Machine!! (Rated this album with 10 out of 10)
Reviewed by
Midnight Rambler
from Highland Heights, KY
This was Priest's fifth studio album and was released in late 1978, their second studio album in just one year, yet this was very different than the album before it, which of course was the dark and sinister "Stained Class". This one still retains many of Priest's trademarks established on earlier albums, yet this is more of a basic hard rock album than a dark metal album. The results are still very impressive!!!It was called "Killing Machine" in England, yet the US wanted a less offensive title (!!!) in "Hellbent For Leather" which is why you get the two different album titles. It kicks off with "Delivering The Goods" and "Rock Forever" which are two great up-temo hard rockers that pretty much some up Priest's eternal love for playing live. "Evening Star" is a great under-rated melodic piece yet don't feel out of place on this album. Everyone is familiar with the gut-wrenching title track and its great heavy riffs and leads. "Take On the World" was their first anthem heavy tune that foreshadows many to come in the 80's. "Burnin' Up" is another good hard rockin' track, even has a touch of funk, although very little, a cool intro too. "The Green Manalishi" is a great cover of the Fleetwood Mac tune, but they give it an ultra-heavy workout and it tears the roof off live and remains in the set to this day along with "Hellbent For Leather". "Killing Machine" and "Running Wild" keep up the pace of great hard rockin' tunes, especially "Running Wild" which is another live staple, and Halford's new solo band still plays it too. "Before The Dawn" is a great acoustic piece, but after this album the all acoustic songs became VERY rare which is a shame as they did great acoustic songs as well the fast and heavy songs. "Evil Fantasies" has a sisnister blues feel to it and that's where the original album ended. The bonus tracks are good, you get "Fight For Your Life" which is an early demo version of "Rock Hard Ride Free" and the studio version appeares on "Defenders Of The Faith". "Riding On The Wind" is always great and the live version here is no exception. This is another highly recommended metal classic, you won't be disappointed!!!
Buy this album on Amazon at $10.99
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