Judas Priest's Reviews

Rocka Rolla

(Average Rating: 7.52 out of 10)

One of their best albums?!?! You've gotta be joking

(Rated this album with 4 out of 10)
Reviewed by tkdmateo from Manhattan, Kansas United States

I realize that this is their debut and that they were searching for the right sound, but come on! Anyone can name at least 14 priest albums that are better than this. Not even the band itself likes this album, claiming "It sounds like it was recorded in a garbage bag". Don't bother trying to compare this to Sad Wings, Hell Bent, Stained Class, British Steel, Defenders, or Painkiller (In my opinion, Priest's best albums). It makes Point of Entry actually look good. Hell, I'd even go so far as to say that Turbo and Jugulator (certainly not two of their better albums) look like metal documentaries compared to the dull, flatness that Rocka Rolla conveys. What's the deal with the whole Winter/Freeze track? Is it even a real song? Or how about Caviar and Meths? Definitely not inspiring.

However, I'll spare Rocka Rolla a shread of dignity. I gave this album two stars, one for the decent title track, and the other one for Diamonds And Rust. These two tracks are actually done well and display an example of what early British Metal was like(Before it really sounded like metal in following albums). Run Of The Mill and One For The Road are somewhat okay. The rest of this album leaves a foul taste in my mouth.

If you like 70's era Priest, buy Sad Wings, Stained Class, Hell Bent, or Unleashed instead. Sad Wings is much better than Rocka Rolla could ever be, and plus, it was the REAL start to this legendary metal band. Only buy this if you like the title track and Diamonds And Rust, or if you absolutely must have every single album. If you must have this, then make it your last purchase. You'll forget about it sooner than you think.

Buy this album on Amazon at $10.99