Help me out with post '85 Judas Priest and solo Halford

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Which records to look out for (but not the Ripper Owens fronted JP)? The more priapically histrionic and full-tilt the Halford fronted material gets, the more I like it. Please point me in the right direction for 1985-91 JP, and Halford/Fight material too, if there is any to recommend. Thanks.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 22:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Painkiller was probably their heaviest album, over-the-top album ever....but I'm one of the few fans of their "misguided" foray into guitar synthesizers - Turbo....

avoid Priest Live!

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks Matt!

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

just warning, I like Turbo alot --- it's got a lot of cool swooshy sounds on it, it's also the most poppy album they ever did (with some amount of 80s metal cheese like Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days) but lots of hardcore Priest fans felt it should have been a hanging crime (but synths were kind of considered beyond the pale by "true metal" fans back them)...but, I find it charming.

Painkiller was their early 90s attempt to keep pace with Anthrax, Metallicas, et al....I loved it at the time, but now find it a bit shrill..

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 22:37 (twenty-two years ago)

if you like histrionic, then Painkiller might be for you

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I s'pose I also like it to rock really hard. Electric Eye stylee.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 23:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Wot about Halford's solo stuff?

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Thursday, 28 August 2003 00:16 (twenty-two years ago)

That's a path you must travel alone, old friend. I remember hearing a Fight song once, and it didn't do much for me, seemed to be trying too hard to be current (mid-90s current), too much sludge riffage and not enough drama, but that's a vague "saw it on MTV late nite once" take on it...maybe somebody else knows more about his post (and now again pre-) Priest career.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 28 August 2003 00:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Wot about Halford's solo stuff?

There were two Fight albums -- inspired by Pantera. The style
didn't play to Halford's strengths. He's a fine singer.

As Halford, the best encapsulation is "Live Insurrection," a mix
of the best Halford cuts -- Halford being a fairly straight
derivation of Priest -- with material from Priest's early days
-- most notably "Sad Wings" and "Stained Class."

It's average.

If you're a Priest fanatic, it will last a night or two and get
dragged out once or twice a year thereafter.

I passed on "Crucible," the last Halford CD.

Halford ran into the same problem Priest-with-Ripper did. They
both were doing Priest without all the parts and without any
discernable talent for writing memorable heavy songs or riffs.

― George Smith, Thursday, 28 August 2003 00:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Just Painkiller then? That's it for post '85 JP?

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Thursday, 28 August 2003 00:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Not forgetting Turbo of course, who knows, I might like it too.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Thursday, 28 August 2003 00:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I always thought Ram It Down was kind of blah....at least Turbo you'll probably either really like or really hate...

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 28 August 2003 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Who's doing the Priest style of metal well these days, in your opinion?

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Thursday, 28 August 2003 01:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Of the 85 - 91 JP, I only like Painkiller, which is also amongst my favorite Priest. Turbo was too pop for my tastes and Ram It Down wasn't very memorable, though it was heavier than Turbo.

I only have Resurrection from Halford. It's not great, but I do like it and if you're interested in Priest and Halford it's definetely worth a try. I didn't care enough to get the other releases.

In case you didn't know, Ripper Owens is no longer with Judas Priest. Rob Halford rejoined, so if you're interested in more Halford era Priest, it might be worth keeping up with them.

― aethasie (aethasie), Thursday, 28 August 2003 07:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Crucible is quite good. I don't know what he was doing on Resurrection, because I never heard it or the live album, but on Crucible he combined Priest-ly histrionics and Pantera crunch (without the self-conscious redneck-ism) and it was a very satisfying metal sound. Worth checking out.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Thursday, 28 August 2003 10:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I've only heard the song Resurrection by Halford on a free magazine CD, and I really think it's excellent, in a deeply silly way.

Anyone got any answers for the question upthread about who else is continuing the classic priest style nowadays? Pantera seem to have imagined (within their own heads only) that they were keeping it real with 'Reinventing the Steel', but that doesn't really stand up to close inspection, being as it's not even a very good example of the Pantera sound, yet alone owt to do with priest.

― M Carty (mj_c), Thursday, 28 August 2003 10:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm going to second (or third, maybe?) Resurrection (Halford solo) -- I like it a lot, particularly the title song, "Made in Hell" and "The One You Love to Hate". I think you'll be happy if you pick this up.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Thursday, 28 August 2003 12:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I only have Resurrection from Halford. It's not great, but I do like it and if you're interested in Priest and Halford it's definetely worth a try. I didn't care enough to get the other releases.

Almost exactly what I was going to say about Two's album, Voyeurs. In a nutshell its Halford does NIN.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 28 August 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks folks.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Thursday, 28 August 2003 22:07 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

I did pick up Resurrection and I bloody love it. Quite why I've suddenly become obsessed with Halford and Priest at my advanced age is a mystery even to me. My girlfriend thinks I'm going through some kind of phase. Maybe it's a midlife crisis? Crunchy hard gtr riffs plus screaming vocals and absurd lyrical conceits are bliss to me right now.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Sunday, 5 October 2003 22:34 (twenty-two years ago)

nineteen years pass...

Halford being a fairly straight
derivation of Priest -- with material from Priest's early days
-- most notably "Sad Wings" and "Stained Class."

lol "Sad Wings" was a new song he wrote with his Halford bandmates, not a song FROM Sad Wings.

omg I fact checked a 20 year old George Smith post!

― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Thursday, 15 June 2023 03:22 (two years ago)

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