2003: it's a very important year for Judas Priest as the legendary singer Rob Halford returns to the band. Since the release of the legendary Painkiller in 1990, Halford had left the band, justifying his departure by saying he was going through a rough patch, so Judas found Halford's replacement in Timothy Owens. Though Owens was a good singer, he couldn't rejuvenate the group, which published the decent Jugulator and the poor Demolition between 1990 and 2003.
With Halford's return, there was hope that Judas would return to their old heavy metal style, and with this Angel Of Retribution, the Monks of Judas do not disappoint the fans' expectations, delivering a good classic heavy metal album. The tracks on this album are really good, even if less aggressive than those on Painkiller. It starts with the beautiful Judas Rising and concludes with the splendid Lochness, a 13-minute track that takes the listener on an incredible journey into the depths of Loch Ness. Other great tracks include the violent Deal with Devil and the semi-acoustic Angel.
The band members are really in shape: Halford, even though not so young anymore, gives an excellent vocal performance, the two guitarists Tipton and Downing also perform excellently, and the bassist and drummer deliver a good performance.
In conclusion, it can be said that Angel Of Retribution is the best work done by Judas since Painkiller, a worthy work by the Monks of Judas, who have finally returned with their Classic Heavy Metal!
Here comes "Angel Of Retribution" which hits you like a machine gun.
Lochness, which in my humble opinion, represents the essence of Judas Priest, 13 minutes of melody and burning metal that perfectly marry with the enviable throat of uncle Rob Halford.