Judas Priest - Greatest Songs I

When it comes to classic metal, things don’t go any finer than British Metal Gods Judas Priest. Formed in 1969, the band is looked upon as one of the pioneers of speed and thrash metal. Back in the day they played music faster and heavier than most of their contemporaries, giving shape to a more ferocious genre of music. Forty years on into the industry, the band is still kicking and producing great music. Here are some of their classics….

Victim of Changes

‘Victim of Changes’ was one of the earliest songs written by the band, although it surfaced only after some years of the band’s existence.  It serves as some of the early examples of the band’s trademark sound made up of Halford’s extremely high pitched shrieks, and duel lead guitar lines by KK Downing and Glenn Tipton.

Dreamer Deceiver

When it comes to metal singers, they don’t come any better than Rob Halford. Infact Rob has been recognized one of the greatest vocalists across genres and not just respected within the metal fraternity. ‘Dreamer Deceiver’ pushes the ceiling of his vocals to an all-new high.

Sinner

Appearing on the 1977 album Sin After Sin, ‘Sinner’ has a fun and upbeat feel in spite of its obvious heaviness. Over the years the track has become a fan favourite, and a mainstay in metal music.

The Ripper

‘The Ripper’ was one of Judas Priest’s shorter numbers, but it still stands as a testament to the change in the band’s sonic texture, which worlds apart when compared to the works on their previous album.

Exciter

‘Exciter’ was the opening track for the band’s forth album Stained Class, which is considered by some as the band’s finest hour. The song is remembered as being possibly the fastest metal track recorded at the time, laying down the blueprint for speed metal bands to follow upon.

Beyond The Realms of Death

Judas Priest are more famous for their high speed-hard hitting numbers, than the slower more ballady numbers, but ‘Beyond The Realms of Death’, would be exception to that rule. The song is one of the best the band has recorded and is also a played at Priest concerts frequently.

Burnin’ Up

‘Burnin Up’ featured in the band’s 1979 album, Killing Machine would go a long way in framing the typical eighties hard rock sound replicated by band. Rob used a slightly grunted voice in addition to his traditional high pitch vocals, to great avail.