(Rated this album with 4 out of 10) Reviewed by
rcg2
from Phoenix
Heavy metal and Judas Priest simply go together in the same sentence. As of 1997, they still go together, but not like they used to. "Juggulator" is a very heavy CD. It's not the tradional Priest that we've come to know & love (with Rob Halford). Tim "Ripper" Owens has brought Judas Priest more into the ranks of bands like Opeth, Slayer or even Morbid Angel. The songs are not melodic or filled with catchy musical hooks... there's nothing to tap your foot to here or play air guitar to. These songs make you want to bash stuff. With song titles like "Burn In Hell", "Decapitate", "Death Row", "Dead Meat", "Blood Stained" and "Brain Dead"... well, you can see the direction this joyride is going in. The one song that is very listenable is "Cathedral Spires" - a decent attempt at an old-school Priest power ballad. Guitarists KK Downing & Glenn Tipton are still kicking out the jams and taking most of the song writing credits. Ripper fills in as the figurehead vocalist. While his imitation of Halford is average... I guess I just fail to understand why bands with vacant lead singer spots try to fill the singer's shoes with wanna-be identical replacements? Ripper tries desperately to sound just like Rob Halford, but he just doesn't make it there. Even in his Judas Priest cover band... Ripper was limited. I think a new & original singer would have worked better here. While a few of the songs have decent guitar riffs... nothing else sticks out. Very little is memorable on "Juggulator". If you long for the old flavor of Judas Priest, try either of the two "Fight" releases, or Halford's amazing 2000 comeback album "Resurrection".
