[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y60Mo_Nmydg[/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 Stained Class, which was released on February 10th, 1978.
Here we have one of the absolute greats of early Judas Priest. This is, by far, my favorite album from what I consider to be the ‘early’ Priest days. All of the elements are there, and it just delivers with an incredible album. The riffs are great and Rob Halford is enormously powerful on this album. An interesting note I have to make is that the chorus of Iron Maiden’s track “Invaders” sounds quite similar to the Priest track…”Invader” off of this album. Priest came first, so maybe it was a tribute? Or maybe I’m just thinking into it to much.
My one real problem with the album? The main heavy riff of “Beyond the Realms of Death” (which happens to be my favorite song on the album, and one of my favorite Priest tracks period) sounds very similar to “Feel Like Makin’ Love” by Bad Company. I just can’t get that out of my head. Other than that, there may be a track or two that never caught my ear, but there’s no real ‘flaw’ in the album. It’s amazing work without question.
Favorite Tracks: “Beyond the Realms of Death,” “Invader,” “Saints in Hell,” “Better by You, Better than Me.”
It’s a great album that anyone who really likes traditional metal should pick up. Hell, I think this one is good enough that even fans of the more extreme side of metal can enjoy. There’s so much enjoyable about this album that my words really cannot do it justice. Go check this one out if you’ve never given it a listen!
