A Touch of Evil: Live

Live albums are often debatable releases, especially since Judas Priest has released quite a few of them in its career. A Touch of Evil: Live is however an output that makes sense from several points of view. First of all, it's the first live album in over six years when Tim ''Ripper'' Owens was still in the band and celebrates the last two world tours with Rob Halford. Secondly, the album focuses on songs from the band's two most recent studio albums Angel of Retribution and Nostradamus. Thirdly, the other tracks are mostly rarities that the band doesn't play regularly except for the classic ''Painkiller'' which was though released for a very first time featuring Rob Halford on vocals on this record.

The quality of the eleven songs is very good. Even the more boring tunes from the sluggish Nostradamus such as ''Death'' and ''Prophecy'' evoke a gripping atmosphere and passionate vibe in concert. The thrashing performance of ''Dissident Aggressor'' won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance which is an unusual but justified choice. The live version of ''Painkiller'' is absolutely stunning and pushes the limits both instrumentally and vocally to end the record with a gigantic bang. The sound of the instruments and vocals is aggressive but organic and easily surpasses the studio versions. The fact that some noises of the crowds are exaggeratedly raised in the mix doesn't harm either and adds some more vivid live atmosphere. Plus, Judas Priest has already done this on the critically acclaimed Unleashed in the East.

There exist numerous versions of this release featuring different bonus tracks. Die-hard Judas Priest fans should get their hands on the Japanese version with the dreamy performance of ''Worth Fighting For'' and the aggressive rendition of ''Deal with the Devil'' that ends the bonus section on a high note. Other versions include the smooth ballad ''Angel'' or the classic ''Breaking the Law'' that isn't really essential anymore.

The downside some people might bring up is the fact that A Touch of Evil: Live doesn't feature one full length concert but tracks recorded in 2005 and 2008 in different locations. Usually, I prefer a coherent release with a complete set from one location but in this particular case, Judas Priests attempted to focus on more recent and rare material which makes this release stand out. Even though a few more interactions with the crowd would have been enjoyable, it's not a bad move to abandom formalities and deliver one hour or so of passionate heavy metal music performed on stage. It's something the band had never attempted before and a welcome change compared to the numerous other live albums. This release will entertain you for sure.

I would even say that A Touch of Evil: Live is Judas Priest's most interesting live release since Rob Halford joined the band nearly one and a half decades ago. It doesn't beat the legendary Unleashed in the East release of the late seventies and I've always had a soft spot for the live records involving Tim ''Ripper'' Owens but A Touch of Evil: Live certainly is better than its reputation and a welcome addition to the collection of any occasional or faithful fan of the band while new fans should rather stick to a more traditional live album or compilation.

A Touch of Evil: Live isn't the worst of the Judas Priest live offerings, but considering that it was recorded across numerous tours and following up a pair of double disc releases (fronted by Tim 'Ripper' Owens), you would think that Epic Sony and the band would desire to unleash something far more substantial. At just under an hour, it's not exactly a dearth of material, but clearly the skimpiest they put out since Unleash in the East, only without the awesome working in its favor. Don't get me wrong, it was great to have Rob back in the band and I'm always excited to check out live material and see just how he's held up over so many years, but the heavy focus on newer songs was hardly a boon, and there's just not enough here that I'd recommend spending money on it.

I was neither a fan of Angel of Retribution nor its bloated and boring successor Nostradamus, so the inclusion of four tracks from these records out of a total of 11 did not sit well with me. Of course they were going to be present, because the band has traditionally introduced the more recent material into the live records each decade, but opening the disc with "Judas Priest" and "Hellrider" was not in its favor. Both are acceptable but painfully average tracks, lacking the catchy melodic chorus lines or the intensity of the band's better songs. Halford gives a fair performance, he's lost some of his range but still better than the lion's share of other heavy metal singers out there half his age, and the guitars have the expected heaviness and chugging you'd expect from a very natural live performance post-Painkiller. However, the even newer tracks like "Prophecy" are yet more bland, despite the orchestration with the keys and Rob giving it his grimy best. Just as much a drag on stage as they seemed in the studio.

So it's really up to the rest of the track list to compensate, which it certainly strives to do. Painkiller is fairly well represented with "Between the Hammer & the Anvil", "A Touch of Evil" (of course) and "Painkiller" itself which I doubt the band will ever leave off a live album since it's creation. The songs don't have that same enthusiastic energy that they once had when I was seeing the group gig in the early 90s, but then again that was 15-20 years in the past and with age comes some inevitable slowdown. That said, the leads sound pretty great here, the guitars good and choppy and the crowd response never tramples the performance. The earlier classics include "Eat Me Alive" (Defenders of the Faith), "Riding on the Wind" (Screaming for Vengeance), "Beyond the Realms of Death" (Stained Class) and "Dissident Aggressor" (Sin After Sin), the last of which sounds like a pretty decent update with the harsher vocals and the chugging grime applied to the guitars and serves as my personal highlight for this collection.

All in all, though, there is little or no reason to hunt this down unless you're a huge fan of the newer albums and wanted to hear Rob singing a few tunes that he hadn't done on the previous lives Priest...Live! and Unleashed in the East. There is simply not that much going on here, outside of proof positive that the band still 'has it' as they approach retirement. A second disc would have benefited this greatly, especially as the material was drawn from entire tours. There was nothing else we could have tossed on here after...how many gigs? The meager rationing of A Touch of Evil: Live isn't even a match for Live in London.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Judas Priest's newest live album consists of songs recorded live when Rob came back to the group in 2003 all the way up to the Metal Masters tour just last year. What makes this live album stick out is more obscure and lesser know songs being featured on here rather than the hits like "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", "Breaking the Law," and "Living After Midnight."

The great aspect of this live recording is all the songs are injected with energy and extra added heaviness which spice up the crunch and power of the guitars. Songs from newer albums like "Angel of Retribution" and "Nostradamus" are on here and are all performed brilliantly. "Prophecy" is a track to check out as Rob Halford nails it perfectly in the live setting. It captures the feeling given off by the studio output. The other "Nostradamus" track is "Death" and it does a good job of setting the dark mood onto the audience. "Judas Rising" and "Hellrider" were both strong tracks from "Angel of Retribution" and were good choices to include on here.

Finally, a live version of "Painkiller" is available and it does not disappoint. Halford does a magnificent job of singing such a difficult song and of course K.K Downing and Glenn Tipton perform the back and forth soloing brilliantly. "Beyond the Realms of Death" was also an excellent choice to include on here and it sets the dark and evil atmosphere and delivers from start to finish. The minute the opening guitar part starts, chills are sent up your spine.

Other songs included are "Riding on the Wind", "Dissident Aggressor", and "Between the Hammer and the Anvil." It is nice to hear the extra energy and excitement live and Halford delivers a more rough and tumble "Dissident Aggressor" which makes the song thrashier. An interesting song choice is "Eat Me Alive" from "Defenders of the Faith." The live version sounds more sinister and is much more aggressive than its studio counterpart. "Riding on the Wind" starts with Halford playing with the crowd for a little and then roars and blasts as Halford's rougher tone gives the song an extra edge not heard before. Even 20 some odd years later from when these songs were released, the band makes them sound fresh and amped up.

Any fan of Priest would do themselves good buying this album. It is definitly worth repeated listens and kicks a lot of ass. From top to bottom, the whole band performs flawless. They show that after all these years that they still got it and it rivals "Flight 666" which was released by Iron Maiden earlier this year as well.