[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjsn7aLPgCM[/youtube]
Metal Insider contributor Anthony Maisano is listening to a different metal album that was released on that day every day this year. Today, it’s Judas Priest’s third album Sin After Sin, celebrating its 37th birthday, having been released on April 8th, 1977.
For the band’s follow up to Sad Wings of Destiny, I don’t personally hear many people talk about this one. It’s a fairly decent album. It’s got that Priest style to it, having expanded on Sad Wings. It’s a little less classic rock-y than the two previous albums, but doesn’t have that Judas Priest metal feeling to it either. The band was still finding their way. “Dissident Aggressor” is a great track with punchiness and some textbook Halford vocals. The riffs too, finally have a consistent Priest feel to them. This is the first album where they’re really good in a fresh and consistent manor.
This just isn’t one of Priest’s best in my personal opinion. The tracks are all pretty good, no doubt, but at the same time, don’t leave me coming back for more. Whenever I listen to Judas Priest, I very rarely actively put on one of the tracks from this album. Rather, they’re on my iPod, and when they happen to shuffle, I’m glad to hear them. It’s a passive album in that way. Good on a shuffle, but nothing that I ever throw on exclusively. But that’s all just my own personal opinion.
Favorite Tracks: “Dissident Aggressor,” “Diamonds and Rust,” “Starbreaker.”
This is the first album where, consistently, Priest is sounding like Priest, instead of another hard rock band from the time. It’s a really good album in that sense. The riffs and vocals are all solid. However, the songwriting just wasn’t at the peak yet, for me. If you like other Priest work, especially early Priest, there’s a lot to enjoy on this album, but this certainly wouldn’t be the first Judas Priest album I’d give a newcomer.
