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Rating: One review was too little for this album, especially when it doesn’t highlight its true nature; so I'll share my thoughts as well. It's 1988, Rob Halford & Co. retreated to the Scandinavian country of Denmark for recording; from which the subsequent "Scandinavian Tour 1988/89" emerged.
This album is one of the crown jewels of this British band, which significantly contributed to the growth of the "Heavy Metal" genre itself (the other album will be titled "Painkiller" and will be released shortly thereafter). "Ram It Down" is the opener of this fantastic work, a scream capable of splitting the listener's heart in two and then continuing at lightning speed to the incredible dual solo by K.K.D. & G. Tipton (in my opinion, worthy of classical music violinists... not country... WATCH OUT)!!! The piece will end just as it began, with no loss of tempo and no hesitation... to be listened to in one breath.
But just as you’re trying to recover from the traumatic shock caused by the opening track, here we plunge into a whirlwind guitar solo, transgressive and ferocious, incredibly ingenious, technically speaking a lifetime long, which is nothing more than the beginning of the second track "Heavy Metal," a piece that tries to encapsulate all the characteristics of the musical genre in question; unforgettable is the performance of vocalist "Rob Halford." The third track seems to be a bit more frivolous and catchy compared to the previous ones, but no less impressive (with beautiful initial drumming with snare/bass pedal in syncopation). Towards the middle of the album, we find another gem "Hard As Iron"; direct, violent, disarmingly concise, with syncopated rhythms I would say, a masterpiece of a piece: A LESSON IN HEAVY METAL!!
Regarding the two tracks: "Come And Get It & I'm A Rocker," they are two excellent examples of extreme Hard Rock almost on the edge of Heavy, impeccable performances by the band members even here; (in this album, we also find the very famous Rock N' Roll piece "Johnny B. Goode" by C. Berry in a Heavy Metal version). The "Ballads" of the album is identifiable in the piece "Blood Red Sky", in this track R. Halford will give his best, with quite dark rhythms and some hints projecting the listener into a near future "Post Atomic," this piece remains one of the best of the entire album and the Priest's career as well. "Love You To Death" perhaps is one of the most transgressive tracks the band has ever made (according to the lyrics) but not overly exciting overall.
The album closes with a self-glorification (more than deserved) THAT GOES BY THE NAME OF "MONSTER OF ROCK"; in short, this is Heavy Metal. This is not just a music CD, but also an example and a lesson, for all those who one day decide to embark on the musical genre in question; a star that will shine with its own light for a long time to come.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Ram It Down (04:48)
Raise the sights, the city lights are calling
We're hot tonight, the time is right, there's nitro in the air
In the street is where we'll meet, we're warning
On the beat, we won't retreat, beware
Thousand of cars and a million guitars
Screaming with power in the air
We've found the place where the decibels race
This army of rock will be there
To ram it down, ram it down
Straight through the heart of this town
Ram it down, ram it down
Razing the place to the ground
Ram it down
Bodies revvin� in leather heaven in wonder
Lights are dimmin� and heads are swimmin� as thunder hits the stage
Hell breaks loose, turn on the juice get stronger
We metal maniacs begin to rave
Thousand of cars and a million guitars
Screaming with power in the air
We've found the place where the decibels race
This army of rock will be there
To ram it down, ram it down
Straight through the heart of this town
Ram it down, ram it down
Razing the place to the ground
Ram it down
Shout it out, we're all together now
Shout it out, we join as one, one
(SOLO,SOLO...)
Thousand of cars and a million guitars
Screaming with power in the air
We've found the place where the decibels race
This army of rock will be there
To ram it down, ram it down
Straight through the heart of this town
Ram it down, ram it down
Razing the place to the ground
Ram it down, ram it down
Straight through the heart of this town
Ram it down, ram it down
Razing the place to,
Razing the place to,
Razing the place, to the ground
06 Blood Red Skies (07:50)
As the sun goes down, I move around
Keeping to the shadows
Life, hangs by a thread
And I've heard it said, that I'll not see tomorrow
If that's my destiny, it'll have to be
So I'll face the future
Running out of time
I'm on the line
But I'll go down fighting
Felt the hand of justice
Telling wrong from right
Threw me out upon the street in the middle of the night
Cybernetic heartbeat
Digital precise
Pneumatic fingers nearly had me in their vice
Not begging you
I'm telling you
You won't break me
You won't make me
You won't take me,
Under blood red skies
You won't break me
You won't take me
I'll fight you under
blood red skies
Through a shattered city, watched by laser eyes
Overhead the night squad glides
The decaying paradise
Automatic sniper
With computer sights
Scans the bleak horizon for its victim of the night
Not begging you
I'm telling you
You won't break me
You won't make me
You won't take me,
Under blood red skies
You won't break me
You won't take me
I'll fight you under
blood red skies
As the end is drawing near
Standing proud, I won't give in to fear
As I die a legend will be born
I will stand, I will fight
You'll never take me alive
I'll stand my ground
I won't go down
You won't break me
You won't make me
You won't take me,
Under blood red skies
You won't break me
You won't take me
I'll fight you under
blood red skies
You'll never take me alive
I'm telling you
Hands of justice
I will stand, I will fight
As the sun goes down
I won't give in to fear
07 I'm a Rocker (03:58)
The greatest times, I've ever known
They're locked inside o' me
And carved out of stone
I've broken hearts
Made people sing
I've drove a million miles
I've done everything
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
Do as I feel as I say
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
And no one can take that away
Bring on the night
That's when I live
I come alive inside
Give all I can give
I live each day
Like it's my last
I live for rock and roll
I never look back
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
Do as I feel as I say
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
And no one can take that away
I'm a rocker
And I'm always revvin' up
I'm a rocker
I can never get enough
I'm a rocker
It's something in my blood
I'm a rocker
Wouldn't change it even if I could
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
Do as I feel as I say
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
And no one can take that away
08 Johnny B. Goode (04:39)
Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans
Way back up with the woods among the Evergreens
There Stood a cabin made of earth and wood
There lived a country boy named Johnny B Goode
Who never ever learned to read or write so well, but he could play a guitar just like ringing bell
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!!! Go Johnny Go!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!! Go Johnny Go!!
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
Sitting in the trees by the railroadtrack
All engineers sitting in the shade
stumming with the rhytm that the drivers made
people passing by, they stopped and said, "Oh my, but how that country boy can play"
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!!! Go Johnny Go!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!! Go Johnny Go!!
Johhnny B Goode! Go Johnny!!!
His mother told him someday you will be a man
And you will be the leader of a big old band
Many people coming from a miles around
To hear you play your music till the sound goes down
Maybe someday you name will be in lights, saying Johnny B Goode Tnight
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!!! Go Johnny Go!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!! Go Johnny Go!!
Johnny B Goode!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!!! Go Johnny Go!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!! Go Johnny Go!!
Johnny B Goode
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!!! Go Johnny Go!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!! Go Johnny Go!!
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Other reviews
By aniel
Judas appears better than ever, with the right blend of freshness and traditionalism.
Iron riffs and unreachable solos! That’s what a Priest album contains.
By ELECTRIC EYE
Ram It Down immediately releases energy from every pore, splendid!
My favorite song... contains everything: aggressive metal, pure erotism, amazing solos and riffs, impeccable voice.
