Judas Priest's Reviews
Turbo (Average Rating: 5.88 out of 10)
Embarrassing, contrived effort from a legendary metal band (Rated this album with 2 out of 10)
Reviewed by
Burton Caruthers
from CT, USA
Boy, the first time I heard 'Locked In' was one of the most disappointing moments in my adolescent years. I was stunned, and could not believe it was Judas Priest. It was a long wait between 'Defenders of the Faith' and 'Turbo', and it was not worth it. I was a huge Priest fan back then, and still am, but 'Turbo' was a monstrous letdown to most Priest fans. While not as bad as the pitiful 'Ram It Down', it's bad nonetheless.It seems 'Turbo' marked a new era in the stellar career of Judas Priest, an era where they were overwhelmed by the desire to gain more commercial airplay, and also decided to become a pseudo-glam band in look and style. Gone were the bone-crushing tunes like 'Electric Eye', 'Tyrant', 'The Rage', and 'Dissident Agressor'. In their place was radio/MTV-friendly garbage like 'Locked In', 'Parental Guidance', 'Hot For Love', and 'Private Property'. Gone were the studs & leather, and in came the poofy hair and outfits that looked like they were stolen from a 'Pirates of Penzance' revival. There are two decent songs on 'Turbo', being 'Out in the Cold' and 'Reckless'. The rest of the writing comes across as forced and aimed directly at commercial airplay. It seems odd that a true pioneering band like Priest, who hit their commercial success stride with 'Screaming for Vengeance' and had amassed a massive following, would pull this on their loyal fans. 'Locked In' and 'Parental Guidance' were methodically penned in a effort to crack the Top 40 and gain acceptance with the mainstream of pop music. Guitar synths were brought in, and were used so carelessly that they actually overpower Glenn Tipton & KK Downing's trademark twin-guitar attack. The lyrics are stamped, cookie-cutter formula that is so prevalent with [junk] like Creed writes nowadays, 'rockin' this and 'lovin' that, in the hopes that a contrived anthem or billboard hit would break out. 'Turbo' obviously shows that the band was tired, out of ideas, and tired of each other as well. I'd assume that this is the time when the relationship between Tipton/Downing and Halford began to break down. Priest had made strides with every new album, beginning with 'Sad Wings of Destiny' and growing in leaps and bounds up through 'Defenders'. This album began their spiral, and 'Ram It Down' signalled the end for Priest as I knew them. I'm happy to see they have moved on and gone to a heavier style post-Halford. Save your money, and buy anything Priest put out from 1976-1984, when they were creating classic metal that has stood the test of time. 'Turbo' is dreadful, formula trash.
Buy this album on Amazon at $10.99
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