Judas Priest
Screaming For Vengeance

THE REVIEW

Before I start writing my first review, let me explain the choice I made, that is to talk about an album that has already been widely discussed on this site. The album in question is "Screaming For Vengeance," the eighth studio album by the legendary English band Judas Priest, and I have decided to review this milestone of heavy metal because:

1° this is one of my first metal albums and one of my absolute favorites, and it holds great sentimental value for me (I hope I conveyed the idea);

2° being 13 years old, my musical knowledge is not extensive (at least compared to "pure" metalheads) and therefore I am forced to review the most famous albums and, inevitably, the most reviewed ones.

Having clarified this point, I would start my review.

The album (as already mentioned before) is a very important work for Judas Priest and for Heavy Metal in general, managing to be hard and fast, yet very symphonic at the same time (like many other works by the Birmingham band), and of great influence for the genre itself.

"Electric Eye". The song is opened by an unmistakable riff and features two excellent solos by Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, the band's two axemen. Great expressiveness from Rob Halford. As soon as "Electric Eye" ends, an energetic drum roll by Dave Holland introduces us to the equally energetic "Riding On The Wind". Very fast song, with a great riff, a truly successful episode. After "Riding On The Wind" comes "Bloodstone", a song in which Rob Halford delivers terrifying high notes. At this point, the first ballad of the album appears, namely the superb "(Take These) Chains", another excellent episode. After this ballad, the slow but catchy "Pain And Pleasure" comes our way, which surely is not the best song on the album, but still enjoyable. "Pain And Pleasure", like all the other tracks on the album (perhaps except for "You've Got Another Thing Coming") cannot withstand the comparison with the subsequent "Screaming For Vengeance". This is the most aggressive track on the album, as well as the best. Opened by a terrifying high note from Rob Halford, the song unleashes all its rage and power and presents an excellent performance by all five members, particularly by Rob Halford, who sings the entire song at a very high pitch and gives us a superhuman high note (which even surpasses that of "Painkiller") around the fourth minute. A song that is nothing short of perfect, which alone would outshine most of today's pseudo-heavy metal bands. Even after the Title-Track (yes, I spelled it correctly, it really is a Title-Track with a capital T) the level remains very high thanks to the other classic by Priest: "You've Got Another Thing Coming". The song is the most catchy of the album (proven by the fact it's the most appreciated Priest song by the general public) and features a great solo by Glenn Tipton (right after his, K.K. Downing performs another one, but to be honest, it’s so simple that I consider it just a transition from the solo to the verse). The next song is "Fever", which can be partially associated with "(Take These) Chains", although a bit more technical. We’ve reached the final "Devil's Child", another track of pure heavy metal, with an excellent Rob Halford and a super-solo by Glenn Tipton.

The remastered version contains the beautiful ballad "Prisoner Of Your Eyes" and a compelling live version of "Devil's Child" recorded at the Long Beach Arena and cut from "Priest... Live!".

In conclusion, we are faced with one of the best metal albums and beyond, a masterpiece steeped in technique, power, and symphony, an album not to be missed for any lover of heavy metal.