Judas Priest
Priest... Live!

THE REVIEW

The Judas Priest made a name and repertoire for themselves during the '70s. With the advent of the NWOBHM, they performed a feat worthy of few: they acquired a new audience, adding to the old one, and produced albums destined to become more classic than the classics, managing to stay on the crest of the wave, riding it gloriously with their heads held high.

So, to celebrate the new repertoire, the new fans, the new cycle, Judas Priest could do nothing but release this spectacular double album Priest... Live! Moreover, 'Turbo' had (unjustly) discredited the band in the eyes of many, and they had a certain desire to show they were still the heavy metal band par excellence. And punctually, when 'Priest... Live!' was released, the classicists, in other words, the long-time fans, protested because (at least in the original edition) the album did not contain even a track from the '70s, which was misunderstood as a clean break with the past. I instead consider it a sensible choice, as it rather represents the band's desire not to repeat themselves and thus not to put on LP already-heard tracks from 'Unleashed In The East', considering also the vastness of repertoire created since 1979. Indeed, 'Priest... Live!' was the joy of all the '80s metal kids.

Out In The Cold, like it or not as a piece, is played well. Then we dive back into the On The Road atmospheres of 'Point Of Entry', with the inevitable Heading Out To The Highway: classic. Metal Gods is executed to the maximum power, especially in the final part, where it seems like seeing Robots, the Gods of Metal, walking the streets, sowing death and destruction. "Breaking the what? Breaking the what? Breaking the What? The Law!" and already Rob Halford makes us laugh our heads off. Breaking The Law: the anthem of a generation. The super classic of Judas perfectly executed, although that added solo part perhaps jars. And here come the ones that in my opinion the Judas Priest performs best: the tracks from 'Defenders Of The Faith'. Love Bites is energetic and gritty, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll is a full-fledged decapitation if you turn up the volume, not to mention the legendary The Sentinel, a song full of nuances that live sounds better than in the studio. And Judas Priest are so great they make you sing along with them to lesser-highlighted tracks like Private Property and Rock You All Around The World. Then the epic and glorious notes of The Hellion begin, leading us to the terrifying Orwellian world of Electric Eye, with the guitar solos identical to the original. And even Turbo Lover is very pleasant, although not as much as Freewheel Burning, which boasts a remarkable amount of speed and aggressiveness, and Halford screams the soul of the Saints.

Parental Guidance is enjoyable and very convincing, also because the audience appreciates it and sings along. "You want some more, you maniacs? You've got it!" our man shouts. Living After Midnight could not be missing, could it? Of course not! And here it is... with an improvised surprise ending! Halford properly rallies the crowd with his "Oh Yeah" and then, as relentless as a steamroller, You’ve Got Another Thing Coming bursts in, with its aggressive march dictated by the blazing guitar section of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, and as usual with improvisation at its center: the audience is invited to go wild with Rob Halford... and makes themselves heard loud and clear. Here the original album ended, with the cry of "Judas Priest, Judas Priest!". The bonus tracks are beautiful: Screaming For Vengeance blasts... the eardrums!!!, Rock Hard Ride Free is phenomenal and Hell Bent For Leather, with Rob's legendary stage entrance on the Harley Davidson with the whip in his mouth, makes sparks fly. The motorbike invariably ended up on the floor, battered by the whip, because Rob Halford is not entirely sane. A legend!

'Priest... Live!' is the testimony of a healthy band, in my opinion unjustly discredited after the controversies generated by 'Turbo'. A very good live album in short, with a band in great shape, especially in the more recent repertoire, as you can hear in the tracks from 'Defenders Of The Faith', although perhaps, comparing it, one might say it does not fully reach the heights touched by 'Unleashed In The East', also because here and there, in one or two phrases, Halford does not sing perfectly, although he promptly adjusts his aim. In my humble opinion, it remains an album more than noteworthy, for a historic band that had to regain, in the eyes of many, a respect that it had never really lost.