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Rating:
Yesterday, one of the most beautiful days of my life.
I accompanied a friend of mine to a CD store and immediately noticed "Rust in Peace" on the shelf with Vic Rattlehead staring at me, wanting me to spend my money to satisfy his wickedness, but as I approached to get a better look at that "Megadeth" album,
I turned around and saw it.
I saw the most Heavy Metal record ever, I saw "Painkiller" and my love for that intro drum beat of the title track overwhelmed me and compelled me to take it home after desiring the splendid '90s Priest for so long.
I ran home and played it.
The title track begins furiously and maniacally, with excellent drum and guitar work. Rob narrates the deeds of "Painkiller" (the character depicted on the cover) and describes his "gleaming and chrome" appearance. Once the metal storm ends, the much more deliberate and less instinctive "Hell Patrol" kicks in, with its epic and martial stride where Halford's falsetto gives you goosebumps and the guitars mark the time along with the somewhat subdued but very present drums.
"All Guns Blazing" is an energetic track, perhaps more hard'n'heavy than heavy metal, not one of the best tracks in my opinion, somewhat forgettable.
And here comes the leather rebel, burning rubber on his Harley, "Leather Rebel" is one of those tracks to listen to with the stereo volume at maximum, letting your long, expertly tied hair down and starting to headbang in every room. Great riffs, great rhythm, with a chorus to shout out loud.
The guitars are insane, and the tapping dominates, it's time for one of the best pieces of the album and of metal as a whole. "Metal Meltdown" is arrogant, unashamed, and shattering eardrums from start to finish. Here, the choruses are brazen, and the riffs blend well with the overall atmosphere.
Brilliant introduction for the next track,
"Night Crawler" is an outright masterpiece, from the melodies to the atmospheres, this time more theatrical and performed by a calm Rob Halford, who at 2:36 minutes in gets agitated and delivers lines with a heartfelt and very moving falsetto.
It might have become my favorite track on the album, "Between the Hammer & the Anvil" roars with a nice ascending climax and a groove in the chorus that induces a temporary paralysis of the eardrums caused by the immense beauty of such compositional delight,
the following "A Touch of Evil" rests on a good pre-chorus melody, but the rest of the track I find boring and uninspired, perhaps due to the main riff which I find unconvincing, tastes do differ.
"Battle of Hymn" is the only instrumental on the album, 0:56 seconds long during which the most hopeful might hope to hear a bone-crushing grindcore, but instead, they will find a calm track interpreted by incisive guitars with a keyboard base underpinning the piece. It all sounds particularly good when the end of the song transitions into the next "One Shot at Glory" featuring a main riff played with the finger-picking technique, a beautiful piece, if only it weren't for the chorus that I find unbearable and lacking in complexity, but the rest of the track is pure delight!
The CD I bought also includes two bonus tracks, the poignant "Living Bad
Dreams," a beautiful track, a pseudo-dark and expressive ballad, and a live version of the already mentioned legendary "Leather Rebel."
Iconic and timeless album
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Painkiller (06:08)
Faster than a bullet
Terrifying scream
Enraged and full of anger
He's half man and half machine
Rides the Metal Monster
Breathing smoke and fire
Closing in with vengeance soaring high
He is the Painkiller
This is the Painkiller
Planets devastated
Mankind's on its knees
A saviour comes from out the skies
In answer to their pleas
Through boiling clouds of thunder
Blasting bolts of steel
Evils going under deadly wheels
He is the Painkiller
This is the Painkiller
Faster than a laser bullet
Louder than an atom bomb
Chromium plated boiling metal
Brighter than a thousand suns
Flying high on rapture
Stronger free and brave
Nevermore encaptured
They've been brought back from the grave
With mankind ressurrected
Forever to survive
Returns from Armageddon to the skies
He is the Painkiller
This is the Painkiller
Wings of steel Painkiller
Deadly wheels Painkiller
03 All Guns Blazing (03:59)
Twisting the strangle grip
Won't give no mercy
Feeling those tendons rip
Torn up and mean
Blastmaster racks the ground
Bent on survival
Full throttle hammers down
A deadly scream
All Guns, All Guns Blazing
Forced into overdrive
Drawn out of anger
All talons poison dipped
Impaling spike
Heart pounding fever pitch
Blood pumping fury
Two fisted dynamo
Eager to strike
All Guns, All Guns Blazing
Cross cutting thundercharge
Blade of destruction
Flame throwing hurricane
Destroys the cage
Bone crushing alien
God of salvation
Sad wings that heaven sent
Wipes out in rage
All Guns, All Guns Blazing
06 Night Crawler (05:47)
Howling winds keep screaming round
And the rain comes pouring down
Doors are locked and bolted now
As the thing crawls into town
Straight out of hell
One of a kind
Stalking his victim
Don't look behind you
Nightcrawler
Beware the beast in black
Nightcrawler
You know he's coming back
Night Crawler
Sanctuary is being sought
Whispered prayers a last resort
Homing in its' cry distorts
Terror struck they know they're caught
Straight out of hell
One of a kind
Stalking his victim
Don't look behind you
Nightcrawler
Beware the beast in black
Nightcrawler
You know he's coming back
Night Crawler
As night is falling
The end is drawing near
They'll hear
Their last rites echo on the wind
Huddled in the cellar
Fear caught in their eyes
Daring not to move or breathe
As the creature cries
Fingernails start scratching
On the outside wall
Clawing at the windows
"Come to me" it calls
Atmosphere's electric
As it now descend the stairs
Hiding in the darkness
Is so futile from its glare
Death comes in an instant
As they hoped it would
Souls ascend to heaven
While it feasts on flesh and blood
Straight out of hell
One of a kind
Stalking his victim
Don't look behind you
Nightcrawler
Beware the beast in black
Nightcrawler
You know he's coming back
Night Crawler........
Beware the beast
Beware the beast
Night Crawler
Beware the beast
Beware the beast
He's gonna get to you
07 Between the Hammer & the Anvil (04:51)
Storm warning
But there's no fear
Lies forming
The sacrament lays bare
The sinner
Will testify
They'll suffer
When sacrificed on high
The burning sermons purge their evil words
Between the Hammer and the Anvil
Force rises
False rituals
Baptises
The body and the soul
Our union
Their fall from grace
Confession (confess your sins)
Will seal them to their fate
The burning sermons will survive their curse
Between the Hammer and the Anvil
Transgression
They prey on grief
Our mission
To purify belief
This altar
Gives power and light
They'll falter
While we are shining bright
The burning sermons consecrate their sin
Between the Hammer and the Anvil
Storm warning
But there's no fear
08 A Touch of Evil (05:46)
You mesmerise slowly
Till I can't believe my eyes
Ecstasy controls me
What you give just serves me right
Without warning you're here
Like magic you appear
I taste the fear
I'm so afraid
But I still feed the flame
In the night
Come to me
You know I want your Touch of Evil
In the night
Please set me free
I can't resist a Touch of Evil
Aroused with desire
You put me in a trance
A vision of fire
I never had a chance
A dark angel of sin
Preying deep from within
Come take me in
I'm so afraid
But I still feed the flame
In the night
Come to me
You know I want your Touch of Evil
In the night
Please set me free
I can't resist a Touch of Evil
Arousing me now with a sense of desire
Possessing my soul till my body's on fire
A dark angel of sin
Preying deep from within
Come take me in
I'm so afraid
But I still feed the flame
You're possessing me
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Other reviews
By jigoro
We are faced with one of the best songs ever written, fittingly covered by the great Chuck (R.I.P.) of Death in his last work.
Daily bread for anyone who calls themselves a metalhead!
By AR (Anonima Recensori)
"Rob Halford’s extraordinary voice immediately stands out."
"'Hell’s Patrol' is my favorite and, in my opinion, is a masterpiece."
By sofficino
Painkiller represents the pinnacle reached by heavy metal as a pure genre.
The absolute masterpiece is the splendid title track, 'Painkiller': insane speed, riffs as sharp as chainsaws and extremely fast and super technical solo sections.
By sofficino
PAINKILLER REPRESENTS THE PEAK REACHED BY HEAVY METAL AS A PURE GENRE.
THE BEST "PURE" HEAVY ALBUM EVER CONCEIVED.
By Greyskull
It’s my first time :) I’m about to review a masterpiece, a milestone of heavy metal, in my opinion, the best work by Judas Priest.
Just this piece would be worth the purchase of the album, but Judas did not hold back and gave us one masterpiece after another.
