Invincible Shield (Alternative Cover) - Amazon Exclusive Edition

Judas Priest latest release and they show no signs of slowing down with age. Got to love the Priest.

Can you believe its been 50 years since Rocka Rolla!? The mighty Judas Priest have certainly covered some ground and broke new ground musically in that time. Having been integral to the creation of the universal Heavy Metal genre, they have tried many variations and have always pushed boundaries but always stayed true to their 'Metal' vision. Even on a short list of their best classics, which metal band out there wouldn't have been proud to have just one of these in their discography? Stained Class, British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance, Painkiller, and recently, Firepower!? How the hell do you top that? Well I think Priest might just have done it. Invincible Shield manages to consolidate everything that is best about JP over their entire existence, and I don't say that lightly. The intro builds to an incredible metal riff (with a slight pause and nod to Turbo) before smashing your face in! And it doesn't let up. The title track is a great example of that consolidation where there are echoes, musically, lyrically, emotionally of Priests past recordings most notably from Stained Class, Killing Machine, Defenders and Painkiller- (in one song!) The benefits of new tech and production gear along with Andy Sneaps pedigree have produced a result that is incredibly well balanced and as crystal clear as it is powerful, many 'goose bumps' moments and very up to date in this final mix. Lyrically Rob's pulled out some crackers, plenty of apocalyptic, mechanical, metal, futuristic, spiritual and social commentary throughout and he really has never sounded better. Every single track has been thoroughly worked out to be relevant to the modern listener, and yet you can hear their own influences like this is a best of Classic Judas Priest re-recorded for a modern audience. Its 'Metal', its got 'hooks', its got some of the most awesome riffs and solos and somehow pulls off classic metal but is totally 2024. I won't do a track by track as they are all stand out, but if by some unfortunate twist of fate you are unfamiliar with the work of JP the title track alone will tell you what to expect if you want to dip a toe in. I saw them live last month in Leeds and as if to finally confirm what i mean it really was a best of Priest tour they played songs from the 70's (saints in hell was awesome) and 3 or 4 off the new album and nothing sounded out of place, in fact they've just perfected metal. Absolute Belter, a must have.

It's been almost 40 years since I bought my first Priest album and this is definitely one of my top five, certainly the best since Angel of Retribution. The last couple of albums were strong but to my ears the production wasn't quite right, whereas this one has those distinctive screaming twin guitars and vocals, with thundering bass and drums. Great songs, which have that chant-along quality that Rob Halford is the master of. Crown of Horns is still my favourite track but there is not a duff song on the album. For a bunch of blokes who should have started their well-earned retirement almost 10 years ago this is a seriously impressive piece of work, classic British heavy metal at its finest. Long may the Priest continue rising.

Another Great Album

This is a review of the standard 11 song album,not the deluxe edition.....Well I'm pretty impressed so far after only two listens,not keen on the simple cardboard sleeve but then i never have been Considering Glenn Tiptons health issues its debatable just how much he actually contributed to the album,saying that it's pretty easy to distinguish his playing style to that of Richie Faulkner and you can easily tell them apart so i have no doubt that Glenn played on the album.Music/production wise Andy Sneap has once again brought out the best in the band,vocals,guitars,bass,drums all sound on point and are crisp and clean.No doubt after a few more spins I'll be giving it that extra star.

Although relatively new to Judas Priest, despite being a Metallica fan for years, I love this new album!Epic from beginning to end with Devil in Disguise being my favourite track!

The last couple of Priest albums have been spot on, although I really liked Nostradamus as well, this is another great album. Priest doing exactly what we'd expect, always lovely to hear Halford in full flow with the classic axe attack. Can't fault it, going back for another listen, I know some will say that it sounds like their old stuff, and yes it does and there is nothing wrong with a band like Judas Priest doing what they do best.

If your a Judas priest fan buy this album