Demolition

Judas Priest's works have always been deeply marked by the trends of the time in which they were recorded, this, far from giving the albums an expiration date, has simply served to showcase the genius of the band members in capturing the essence and vital points of each era and making them timeless works while displaying a unique ability to adapt.

Demolition is no exception to this, this album is the channelling of the musical and cultural trends that were present at the beginning of the new millennium, at the time this may not have been so noticeable, but now (22 years after the release of the album as I write these words) the trends and style of this album is truly remarkable and helps us to get a sense of what the British band intended with this release and how in some respects they got it right and in others they failed.

The album opens in a very atmospheric way, to plunge into a drum solo reminiscent of the Painkiller era (a trail they haven't been able to leave since the success of that album) to later enter fully into "Machine Man", one of the best tracks on the album, and one that already shows most of the cards that the Brits are going to play, an extremely sharp and groovy guitar sound coupled with a rather thick production that includes lots of industrial and electronic components. Here is the major aspect of the album, in the face of a new century, culturally a look at the new millennium emerged, very much influenced by a cybernetic aesthetic, a digital world was opening up to people and with recent influences like the important movie The Matrix, everything related to electronics and digitization became an indispensable part for numerous artists trying to capture the essence of modern times. That's the main root of Demolition, coupled with the influences of the time with groove metal still having a certain peak of popularity and the growing wave of alternative metal, it's that whole thing that gives Demolition that unique sound compared to the rest of the band's discography. And that approaching to the sound in certain aspects works well, the first examples are the already mentioned "Machine Man" and also this "One on One" that propose an aggressive sound as well as a songwriting a bit more complex than usual, being the beginning the most effective part of the work.

From that point onwards everything loses a certain degree of control. The album is long and contains many songs, too many in fact, and as most of them contain the same tropes and elements the album soon loses its initial freshness and becomes repetitive. In addition the pace is chopped up with up to 4 "power ballads", Hell Is Home, Close to You, In Between and Lost and Found are mellow songs that share too much between them whose inclusion so often cuts off any kind of intensity one might feel with the album. Some of these songs are better than others, Hell Is Home to a certain extent works even though it reeks of the worst possible alternative rock riffage, yet the chorus is catchy and makes for an enjoyable listen, the same can be said of In Between but these positives are more ephemeral when contrasted with everything else that goes wrong.

The album only really shines when Judas Priest fearlessly face the more groove oriented style of the album, forcing simple but catchy and effective riffs that sound really tough, and when they are able to combine them with memorable, signature choruses, is when they manage to reach the maximum potential possible for them with this kind of sound, nothing in the whole album manages to replicate the high mark of the first two songs of the album but at times they seem to find themselves, although the whole long play ends up being an internal battle between mediocrity and a good and sincere work..

And when Judas Priest commits to a style they always go all out for it, the band members take risks in a way that when something goes wrong you can tell it goes truly wrong, the band is not unaware of that tendency (ehem Turbo ehem) but that's also one of the reasons why I personally respect Judas Priest in all their facets that they have accumulated throughout their career, and unfortunately although on this album they had very clear ideas of what kind of sound and expression they wanted to highlight, the truth is that they weren't able to channel and filter only the best aspects of their music. As a result Demolition ends up being a mix between the worst and the best that the British band could offer, leaving a lot of good ideas at the mercy of a dubious delivery.

…at about half speed. Yep, my friends, this is certainly one of the albums of all time. It’s not what I’d call bad, but it’s certainly nothing spectacular by any means. It pales in comparison to the likes of Painkiller, Jugulator, British Steel and Sin After Sin, but it still manages to be more memorable and listenable than Turbo and Ram It Down. What a feat. This album mostly suffers from the mere fact that it was released in an era where nu metal reigned supreme, groove metal was on its last legs but still standing, and everything else was obsolete. What perfect timing for a band known for songs such as Breaking the Law and Electric Eye to attempt to write and release music.

Not everything about this album is bad as I’ve already mentioned. The first track entitled Machine Man is a riff machine that is on par with pretty much anything from Jugulator and Painkiller. Bloodsuckers is a surprisingly thrashy song that kicks all kinds of ass. In Between is sort of an oddball of a song, but damn is it unrelentingly good. Jekyll & Hyde is pure fun, and pretty easy to listen to. I’m honestly surprised they didn’t push this one out as a single. Same thing goes for Close to You, a song that could be considered a ballad, which was also surprisingly enough not a single. It’s honestly one of the best tracks on the entire album as well.

Then there’s the other songs. There’s some forgettable but not bad songs on here such as Feed on Me, Subterfuge, Lost and Found and Cyberface, but then there are songs that try way too hard to “fit with the times”. Devil Digger, while being a guilty pleasure, is not a good song in the slightest, and pretty much sounds like a Marilyn Manson B side. Let’s also not forget that the almighty Priest straight up attempted to do nu metal on this album in the flavor of Metal Messiah in all of its poorly aged glory. One on One could be considered a groove metal song, and while I did throw it into this category because A. not many people like it and B. it really is a product of its time, I still thoroughly enjoy it. Oh yeah, and they did a sequel to Burn in Hell. A sequel that is alright, but doesn’t hold a candle to the amazing force of nature that was Burn in Hell.

Tim Owens does a fine enough job on this album. He hits all of the notes perfectly, and he manages to do slightly different vocal styles than on Jugulator. I don’t know if this was intentional to sound even more like Rob Halford or what, but he pulled it off perfectly (for the most part). The guitar playing on this one is pretty alright but doesn’t reach the heights of previous albums, so there’s that. The production is more in the vein of classic Priest (unlike Jugulator, which had a tighter sounding mix than any other Judas Priest album). Overall, it does its job, and the band members do some pretty good performances.

In conclusion, Demolition is quite frankly a huge mess. It can’t decide on what it wants to be, which makes it a lackluster listening experience if you attempt to listen to the whole hour and ten minute album from beginning to end. It’s not painfully boring and uninspired like everything that came after it, but it definitely wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. I feel as though if they cut the track listing down to about 10 songs and cut out some of the oddball tracks and made the overall album have a more focused sound it would’ve been better. As is, it’s a fine enough album, but nothing to go out of your way to listen to. I give Demoliton a 70%, with 7/10 stars.

After the utter disgrace that was "Jugulator," the now Tim Owens fronted Judas Priest took almost half a decade off before returning with "Demolition." This album seems to be the album that consistently gets hated the most from fans. And while I certainly wouldn't call "Demolition" a good album, it is GALAXIES better than "Jugulator" is. I even take it over "Point of Entry," and might even take it over "Turbo" and a future album we haven't gotten to yet, too. Compared to "Jugulator," the production is punchier and less thin and plastic. The guitarists also have a much more notable role on "Demolition." They're not just filling needless space. There are some solid riffs and memorable guitar work on this album.

Tim Owens is also improved by a HUGE degree on this album. His cringe worthy half-baked effort at growls are mostly gone on this album. He still uses a low register quite a lot on this album, but he keeps it in a place that fits him well. Most of those equally unfitting 'atmospheric' intros and elements are gone, too. Unfortunately, what HASN'T improved on this album is the songwriting, and unfortunately, that's what matters most. Priest still couldn't abandon those 'tough guy' lyrics that plagued "Jugulator." There are places on the album where they're couched a little bit better because there's more instrumentally to be interested in, but it still doesn't save anything. I'd also say the album is a bit too long, too. It's a thirteen track album, and most of the songs are a decent length. There's no doubt that fat could have been trimmed here.

The only real cringe-worthy track that comes close to being as bad as anything on "Jugulator" is "Hell is Home." Despite an interesting acoustic intro, those horrible 'tough guy' lyrics are the worst on this track. There's nothing salvageable about this song. The riffs and melodies are boring, and the cringe factor will just make you want to skip right through this one. Another factor of this track that also comes into play in the opener "Machine Man" is that they CURSE a little bit on this album! And don't worry. Owens makes SURE you know that they do. When he throws in a 'shit' in "Hell is Home" and a 'mother fucker'' in "Machine Man," he makes sure both are the most clear words he pronounces. He shouts them for emphasis, as if he's just going for the shock value that Judas Priest cursed. In general, "Machine Man" is a decent track with passable riffs and solid progression, though. I wouldn't call it a standout, but it's definitely a worth while track that doesn't take away from the record at all.

Besides "Hell is Home," "In Between" is really the only other track on the record that is an active struggle to listen to, although it isn't nearly as bad. This album, in general, has a few tracks that have some softer, melodic, near ballad elements. This one is the heaviest of the bunch, and while the other two just don't really go anywhere, "In Between' is just a bad listen. Owens is once again really trying to sell that 'I'm a loner that is fighting the whole world' approach to sell the album to teenagers. That kind of pandering is nowhere more prominent than on this track. Even beyond that, it's a dully and skippable experience. I'm also rather torn on "Metal Messiah." The verse melodies are almost a nu-metal rap, but suddenly for the chorus, it breaks into an almost power metal chorus where Owens is really soaring and showing the best parts of his voice. It's like they tried to mash classic Judas Priest with the flavor of the month in 2001, and it just doesn't work at all. It's like two different songs in one. I could definitely understand the appeal if someone enjoyed "Metal Messiah," but it's just too disjointed and unfocused for me. It needs to pick a lane, not stay between two of them.

But where "Jugulator" had absolutely nothing remotely enjoyable about it, "Demolition" has some gems. Far and away, the best song to grace this album is "Bloodsuckers." Not only is "Bloodsuckers" easily the best song Owens ever sang on, but the song could easily stand up there with some of the better Halford-led Priest tracks. The riff is fantastic, and really guides the song. The chorus is an absolute masterpiece, too. Owens hits the chorus with his gruffer register before following it with some of his highest notes. It creates an intensity and really fuels adrenaline. Later in the song, he builds on it, too. The gruffer parts start to get higher to match the following high notes and really keeps you hooked. The first time I listened to this album, I literally said "Where did THIS come from?!" when this song hit. It's THAT much better and different than almost anything else this era has to offer. I also have a soft spot for "One on One." I think it has the best riff on the album, and it just moves so well. The riff, the beat, and Owens' melodies on the verses keep this song pounding and grooving the entire way through. It's so nice to hear a track that Downing and Tipton are the stars of. They show they've still got it in them on this song. While "One on One" isn't as incredible as "Bloodsuckers," it's probably the only other Owens-era Priest track I listen to regularly.

If I had to pick a top three for Owens-era Priest, though, my third pick would be "Feed on Me." It's not even close to the aforementioned other two, but it's another track that Tipton and Downing are really, really strong on. Owens primarily is using a higher register here, which makes the song feel pretty unique compared to the others. The chorus is equally unique. The chorus riff is electric and punchy. Owens gives it room to breathe while making his point and driving it home. It's a very strong track. "Jekyll and Hyde" is another pretty different song then the norm for this era. There's some light keyboard work across it that gives it a bit of levity and air. I don't think the guitar work is all that special here, but the song is different and has a pretty decent chorus. It has progression for its short length. It's enjoyable enough and doesn't overstay its welcome, so it's a welcome addition for sure.

The rest of the album really is just filler, though, unfortunately. About half of this record are boring or unsatisfying songs that are just there to pad the runtime. While, again, it's really nice to see that the average track off "Demolition" isn't nearly as bad as the average on "Jugulator," it still drags the record down in general. "Devil Digger," for example, has an okay chorus and some decent riffs, but it's just too slow and drags on too long. There's a lot of potential on the track, but it just needed a shot in the arm. It needed to get going somewhere to improve it. "Subterfuge" is very similar. It combines a little of classic Judas Priest riffing with some of the crunchier distorted guitar parts that make up most of this record. It's an interesting beast of a song because of how it flows and how the riffs and guitar parts play out, but it's still missing something. The chorus doesn't detract at all, and hits pretty hard, but also isn't good enough to help lift the tune up to the next level. Once again, just a little something more could have really elevated this song into something special.

And with the conclusion of "Demolition," the band would take another near half decade break before reuniting with Rob Halford to start the twilight part of their careers. Honestly, I wish the band would have made a side project with Owens for at least one more album. I think "Demolition" was such a huge improvement over "Jugulator" that I would have loved to see where one more album would have taken them. If they were able to improve so much from just one album, I think there was a chance they could have made something truly worth-while with one more effort. In any case, Owens has had a fine career fitting in with various bands as time went on, and Priest still had a lot to give with Halford back, too. As for "Demolition," it's better than the hate it gets makes it seem, even if it's not the most stellar album. For me, "Jugulator" is the one that deserves the hate "Demolition" unfairly gets.

Well, I don't really enjoy writing negative reviews, as I did on Point of Entry. I hope it's the last time I'll write about this band's bad quartet records (also Nostradamus and Turbo, which I haven't reviewed yet and probably won't even bother doing it). When I think of Judas Priest, I think of the soloing skills and sensitive lyrics from their first era, loaded with the doom, hard rock spirit; and also think when they began with those leather outfits and the bombastic riffs and solos. Can you imagine Judas Priest trying to sound like a mix of doom metal and nu metal? We've actually already seen this band treading those grounds in Jugulator, but in their previous offer there were at least decent songs as they were shining on their own, and the fire was still there. Tim Owens was never my favorite vocalist, but he somehow managed to fit his voice on Jugulator, so to avoid misunderstandings, my problem with this album is not the vocalist.

Believe me, I listen to this album many times, just to see what the hell is wrong with me, and with each listening my perception only gets worse and worse. Besides the four British references (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden), if there's something I like about this band is when they try to explore other musical fields. There are experiments that worked for them to a certain extent and the one I really like is Jugulator as they managed to create a convincing groove atmosphere that doesn't suck at all. However, on this album the instruments (especially guitars) sound sterile and soulless, considering that on Jugulator the Painkiller aura was still perceived and the solos sounded more extreme. In Demolition, even the solos seem to have no direction and at times, they're imperceptible.

The worst examples are "One on One" and "Feed on Me" which feature those annoying synth effects that lash you out with frenzy, followed by a solo even worse than Kirk Hammet's Wah effects. Another example of a faceless, directionless song is “Hell is Home” which sounds very lame and without a clear structure, it simply limits offering a medium rhythm and a senseless acoustic interlude that doesn't contribute anything. "Jekyll and Hyde" barely has any kind of solo, and I listen to it again to check it out. The closer “Metal Messiah” seems like a disgusting mix of a random Limp Bizkit song and the catchy chorus of Manowar's Brothers of Metal. I could talk about others songs but to sum it up, there's nothing remotely resembling Cathedral Spires or Burn In Hell here, or anything melodically memorable. However, there are moments that lifted my spirits as the very brief solos on "Close to You" and "Devil Digger", or the only true heavy song "Bloodsuckers", but it doesn't compensate to save the situation.

Every song is slow, overloaded and insufferable. There are songs that aspire to be proto nu-metal power ballads, and make Slipknot's “Dead Memories” sound like Painkiller compared to these abominations. Regarding lyrics, I have no complaints, as is public knowledge that their strength lies in music itself than the lyrics per se. In short, Demolition is a ticket to boredom and monotony, a trip to the absolute nadir. I don't very like Tim Owens but there was a reciprocity between him and the band, and somehow the musicians managed to fit Owens into Judas Priest without sounding insufferable on Jugulator. On this record, they renounce all that and risk waiting "let's see what comes out of this". Remember when I said that there are Judas Priest albums that have a twin brother? Ok, this is Jugulator's bad twin one and limbless. Horrible, disastrous, a waste of time.

This didn't need to happen, Priest could have taken the loss that was Jugulator as a sign and called it quits after 1998, but no. They had to shit forth another mess of an album, this time however, it was somehow ten times worse than its predecessor.

Notable replacement for rock god Rob Halford, Tim Owens was unfortunately still in the band at this point, so I didn't have high hopes about the vocals side of the album, given his absolute rock-bottom performance on Jugulator. Yet somehow he still managed to sink to a brand new low on this record. Bizarre rapping on "Metal Messiah," electronic voice change effects in "Cyberface," awful layered-tough guy vocals on just about every other song on here and a stomach turning attempt at emotion on this album's two ballads "Close to You," and "Lost and Found." *shudder.*

Those layered vocals and effects I mentioned really do drag this album down way beyond the depths of plain bad, because not only do you have to listen to Tim's dry, monotone normal voice, but you also have to contend with him screaming and growling poorly and having strange effects applied to his voice, like excessive distortion and a VERY early 2000's robot-like voice. Couple that with Rammstein riffs and drum beats and it is like hell on earth for lovers of GOOD music. Everything is so out of place, it is all so uncalled for and it is beyond bad. Tim does however hit some rather high notes like we all want him to in "Bloodsuckers," "Subterfuge" and "Hell Is Home" that while technically they are impressive, they just lack that ear piercing shriek and warble of Halford's voice. Speaking of the man in black. If Rob Halford was on this album, it wouldn't have made much of a difference because he wasn't into the whole screaming like a banshee thing anymore, as evidenced by his Fight and 2wo projects. Halford was more interested in groove and industrial metal. Well, come to think of it, he might actually have loved Jugulator and Demolition then! In any case, his presence would not have saved Demolition. Tim Owens had to take the fall.

I want to speak a little more about Tim Owens actually, because he was just NOT a suitable replacement for Rob Halford, he wasn't a suitable replacement for Matt Barlow of Iced Earth either. Actually, Owens just didn't really suit any band for the longest time. Only when he did his solo stuff in 2008 did he find his niche. His voice, tone, range and style on Demolition rub me up in such a wrong way that I cannot express how it goes so wrong enough here. If you haven't heard anything from the 1997 to 2003 era of Judas Priest, do yourself a small favour; go download a few tracks from Jugulator and Demolition just to hear and experience for yourself what this period of the one of the greatest heavy metal bands was like. You won't be impressed.

Turning to the instrumental side of this record, things do not fare much better. Tipton and Downing's guitars have been downtuned yet again into mush, so naturally they sound weak and lack impact, unlike the razor sharp tone of "Painkiller" or even some of "Ram It Down." Ian Hill can actually be heard this time, surprise, surprise. And what is he doing? Literally just following the rhythm guitar and nothing else. No dips or dives (not that I expected much) or anything interesting. No wonder he is mostly hidden in the mix. A shame. Scott Travis on the other hand has somehow lost the ability to play fast or to play anything that isn't a Lars Ulrich, my first-day on the drums beat. Seriously, Scott plays the most basic of drum beats imaginable, mostly because these songs call for that but it is so crushing to hear a drummer who once played "PAINKILLER" play crap like "Cyberface" or "One on One." No frills or drum fills either, it seems.

This is a nu-metal album at its core, with industrial elements thrown in at random times and also a healthy helping of groove metal. Practically everything that could go wrong with heavy metal in the late 90's and early 2000's can be found Demolition. The cover art is disgraceful and so is the production. Everything is so flat and quiet with the song "One on One" having especially annoying buzzing, electric sounds and melodramatic breakdowns in between. Tim Owens continues to molest the senses with his layered vocals from every angle on stuff like "Devil Digger" and "Jekyll and Hyde," while axemen Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing continue farting about on their respective guitars and producing the worst riffs and solos this side of the century.

The two ballads on Demolition, "Close to You" and "Lost and Found" actually aren't half bad, despite Tim Owens moaning into the microphone. "Close to You" is definitely the best song on this album because it actually has a few seconds of passable singing with great melodies and flow. It is slightly soppy and dramatic, but hey at least it isn't DRIPPING with 2001 effects and ear rape like the rest of this hour and ten minute monstrosity. I'll take what I can get.

Honestly this isn't even a Judas Priest album, like Jugulator before it. They should have renamed the band during this time to Tipton or something because this is essentially a Glen Tipton solo album as he assumed total control since Halford left the nest. He had full control of the lyrics, music style and attitude as well as having full control of the way Tim Owens sang on Jugulator and Demolition; "If I want you to scream like a woman, you scream like a woman, if I want you to do a death growl, you do a death growl." That was an actual quote from Tipton himself. So we know who was pulling Owens and the rest of the band's strings.

One song out of thirteen is worth your time from an album that has been rightfully forgotten by Priest themselves. This is album is a product of its time. Anything that was popular around 1999 to 2001 you will find on Demolition and, seeing as they never made an album this bad since, good riddance to bad rubbish.

Hm, you’ve got to be kidding me; just eight reviews for “Demolition”?! Why!? How come!? Judas Priest, Tim “Ripper” Owens, a “Jugulator” sequel, the second album after the “Painkiller”, a new millennium flagman… shall I go on? The opus with the lowest number of reviews from the band’s gigantic discography… seriously lads, let’s brace ourselves here, I want to see at least a dozen odes posted here by the end of the month! Come on!

Nah, forget this plead; both you and I know very well that this album simply doesn’t deserve them. And the disappointment, at least from my side, was bigger as I was expecting “Juggernaut”, the most logical follow-up to the “Jugulator”… instead we got this “Demolition”. Well, title-wise it sounded like a deal, but on the music front it bears very few resemblances to the preceding steam-roller. It seems as though the Priest team were so enamoured with their departed frontman that they had voted to follow his every step and emulate it if possible. So they produced one rowdy on-the-verge-of-thrash modern metal album along the lines of Fight’s debut, and then they softened and grooved it on the sequel in the vein of “A Small Deadly Space”. Thumbs up.

A pity cause Owens deserved a more dignified exit from his short-lived stint with the band. The interesting thing is that this effort begins with MM (“Machine Man”) and finishes with MM (“Metal Messiah”). The first MM sounds like this offering may eventually bear something to match its predecessor, a modern energizer with vitality to spare, but the second one is a blasé frolic quasi-industrial rocker… those two very well exemplify the metamorphoses this album has to go through in the span of 1h10min; yeah, a long ride which inevitably features tunes that save it from complete oblivion; tunes like the boisterous mid-paced march “One on One”, the macabre doom-laden “Jekyll and Hyde”, and especially the intense shredder “Bloodsuckers”, another possible dropout from the “Jugulator” sessions. The rest is a sea of numerous dramatic balladic idylls (“In Between”, the soporific “Lost and Found”, etc.), goofy dancey nods to Rammstein (“Subterfuge”), groovy draggers (“Devil Digger”)… the lots. A handsome tribute to the past decade, summing it up at the dawn of a new millennium…

sure, but if such a summation was needed in the first place, why did Judas Priest, of all bands, find it necessary to provide it? A most shining illustration of a creative cul-de-sac this is… the guys had no ideas about how to prolong their existence so why not compile the influences that rocked the previous decade, and try to present it as their own as a belated farewell gesture to it? “Yes, we do have a talented singer who could do much more on a more classic-fixated material, but we don’t have the ideas for it. And, do we really need to mosh like demented like we did on the “Jugulator”? Let’s just relax and jam in the groovy 90’s way…”.

Way to go, lads, only that few would be the old fans to follow them down that path provided that Halford had already shaken off all detrimental partnerships (remember the ill-fated joke Two), and was ready to conquer the metal arena once again. If this was a needed exit from a contractual obligation with Steamhammer then I can possibly understand… but even then, imposing an old fad on a new beginning for the classic metal canons? By one of its instigators and most ardent in the past advocates? Man, how lucky the guys were that they weren’t living in the times of the witch and heretics’ hunts, in the times of the bonfires and the crucifixions.

Owens’ swansong was a very downbeat one, unfortunately; a pity again as the man surely deserved more. Still, he had his more than 15-min of fame, fulfilled a childhood dream, jammed with his idols, bathed in the spotlight for a bit… and was by all means noticed by the circuit, taking part in quite a few acts (Beyond Fear, Charred Walls of the Damned, The Three Tremors) at present, including the one under his own name. All’s well that ends well, like people used to say, including in the Judas camp that saw the return of the lost son Halford for a fairly decent string of new albums in the new millennium. Well, you can’t keep everyone happy with the “grumpy old men” period from life knocking on their door with all the bloody knuckles, with KK Downing having staged an exit from the team… demolition this isn’t, not to worry, just an unmitigated argument typical for all age-old families.

Demolition, the Judas Priest album no one asked for, has spawned many detractors from the onset of its release and it is easy to understand why. During the ‘80s and ‘90s the albums were energetic and exciting whereas Demolition is mid-paced and very seldom ventures into breakneck territory. During the ‘70s the albums were progressive and transcendent whereas Demoltion fails at even relevance. There is one significant connection to those '70s classics however and that is the return to the style of composition. It might seem strange to write that about this release, mostly due to its universal disdain and lack of Halford’s songwriting, but it was created in the same vein as Sin After Sin or Killing Machine.

For all of the excellence found on Jugulator, it worked for most metal fans for the same reason Painkiller did, it stuck to a particular style and rode that wave of ‘consistency’. It may have been ‘consistent’ but just like the two albums before it (Painkiller & Ram It Down) it can become a chore to enjoy in its entirety. For the first time since Turbo the band goes back to the light and shade formula - perhaps their lone identifiable mark - and developed a very inconsistent plethora of songs. None lack power so a knock on its consistency cannot be about that. Perhaps the biggest culprit behind the critical reception is the lyrical content and this is one of the few times that the silly inanity hurts the compositions. None of them are disasters by any means but for all of the talents Tim Owens has as a performer, he never mastered the ability to sing lyrics soaked in cheese (Devil Digger, Metal Messiah) and own the role.

Halford had the theatrical style and charisma to still be taken seriously while singing silly lyrics so he would have brought the absurdity (Machine Man, Hell Is Home) to different heights. However if we are going to credit Rob where it is due then we must credit Tim as well for laying down vocal melodies that would be impossible for Rob given both his current or his 2001 voice. Because Tim has a naturally lower register than Rob he really gets to shine on the tracks that utilize his low end skill. If Jugulator was Tim's chance to scream like a banshee, Demoltion was Tim's chance to snarl like a dog. Like Subterfuge, with a throaty snarl denouncing totalitarian empires, he bemoans the subjugation with banshee shrieks and guttural grunts within seconds of each other. He uses the death grunts to great effect in Jekyll & Hyde, Devil Digger, Metal Messiah and Cyberface. The entire album is a vocal tour-de-force, Tim is certainly not the reason this album failed, however I will concede that it is absent of the operatic screams the band is synonymous with.

Judas Priest were just being their typical self, ‘borrowing’ what was contemporary in 2001. From the digital artwork, aggressive title, industrial percussion, down-tuned instrumentation, low registered and spitfire rap vocals, this album could not have been crafted to fit into the nu metal and groove metal scenes any more if it tried. As stated before however, this album does not wish to consistently beat you into submission for its entirety, it is more like Sin After Sin where there is a journey with plenty of circumventing forks.

So what of the music that exists behind the vocalist? The biggest knock against this record (and Jugulator to a lesser extent) is the lack of amazing solos. This criticism is slightly warranted but has also always perplexed me; while it is true that very few can shred like Tipton or Downing, guitar solos were not a very common element of metal music in the era. It should be noted that Demolition does feature some well crafted solos, they are just more restrained here, less about flash and more about functionality. This is not the air-guitar glory days where solos served like a vacation from the composition itself, this brand is more about concise expressions. While this is subjectively good or bad, it does fit objectively within the context of what Priest were trying to achieve. They are nothing if not sufficient at copying the styles of others.

While the album does not contain as many memorable riffs as prior efforts, there are still plenty that are substantive and the heaviest the band has been to date. By tuning down to C# the band was embracing the groove metal styles and this can be heard mostly on the albums two greatest tracks Subterfuge and Cyberface. While being strong lyrical compositions, musically the former is the bands sophisticated take on the Neue Deutsche Härte style made famous by bands like Oomph!, Weissglut or Rammstein, while the latter is an industrial themed opus of building thematic tensity. Much like Nightcrawler, this is high on atmospherics and suspense, while both are lyrically about an unnamed creature and sung mostly in a baritone range. The difference is the much slower pace, which allows it to build to a morbid crescendo similar to Depeche Mode, accompanied by Don Airey’s synthesized backdrop. The mechanical arrangement lends a sort of credence to the lyrics, and it should be noted that this track was co-written by percussionist Scott Travis, adding to its deafening bottom end sensibilities.

As much as I have raved about this album, it does have some weak moments that keep it from being a top five release. The first two tracks are a terrible way to begin the release because even if they had been artistic masterstrokes they are entirely too long. One On One has a great driving riff but is six minutes when it should have been three, and Machine Man is a cheap second rate attempt at recreating Painkiller. As is most often the case with Priest the album gains serious momentum as it continues, with more vivid compositions buried in the grooves. The other weak moments are the other ‘hits’ from the album, Feed On Me and the second ballad Lost And Found.

Just like the other duds, these tracks have strong performances by Tim, the music is just uninspired and lacks a goal, meandering around before finally limping to the finish line. This is made even more egregious by the fact that Lost And Found is somehow the albums lone promotional video. What is wrong with the band’s management? Most of these songs have vivid depictions of the macabre, which would have translated well to video form, but little to no promotional effort was made with this release. It is one of the bands worst managerial missteps since 1986. If they wanted to promote a ballad they should have chosen, Close To You, one of the albums vocal and musical highlights. Beyond the ballads are some killer gems like Hell Is Home, Jekyll & Hyde, In Between and Bloodsuckers, compositions in the vein of any from Stained Class. An array of different moods, atmospherics and tempos, the vocals snarling and shrieking at the appropriate measures.

The Japanese version of this record contains a bonus track called What’s My Name, which is significant since it is the only song that Tim Owens had a hand in writing. The fact that his lone contribution was relegated to a bonus track shows the band could not sustain the novelty of a competent replacement for too long. The albums potential lost much steam as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11. Priest were in Mexico and heading to the US for a tour that would begin on that night, but they had to wait four months before their plans could be continued. The trek across the US was slated to be with Anthrax and while that is a great lineup, the US was under the grip of Amerithrax and it was seen as poor taste. The bonus track What’s My Name is an enjoyable but forgettable track that is worth getting the Japanese release for.

So why has this album not found much warmth during reevaluation? Why do most still see it as one of their worst? It comes down to how diverse the album is. Judas Priest has only ever released three albums someone would call consistent - Stained Class, Screaming For Vengeance and Painkiller - so it comes down to how you like your metal. If you can handle a metal band doing what a portion of artists in each genre to exist do - sampling outside of the genre - then Demolition will capture your imagination.

When it comes to any metal that does not fit under the more extreme styles, some of its greatest creations are those that feature songs which serve to break the monotony. These light moments cause the heavier moments to become even heavier. A rule that should be understood about traditional metal is, “It is not going to be heavy if it is heavy all the time” … You need the those lighter moments to strengthen the heavier moments and no one understands this better than Judas Priest, who is also never better than when they compose like they did on this release.

Highlights: Subterfuge, Cyberface, Bloodsuckers & Close To You
Lowlights:: Machine Man, Feed On Me, Lost And Found.

I watched a video on Youtube a while back which had the members of Judas Priest going through each of their albums, and they gave a decent amount of commentary on each one released at the time, without glossing over any single one... just kidding. As expected, they completely glossed over the two albums they crafted with Tim Owens. Whether they did this because Rob Halford was back in the band, or they just hate the albums, I don't really know. However, glossing over these albums simply because they had a different singer just seems rather weird. Are these albums so bad they need to be erased from history, forever smitten from existence itself, worthy of rotting in the deepest pits of Hell?

Of course not.

To begin with, many have said Demolition reeks of nu-metal influences. If this is true, this then must mean it is horrible, right? Let me elaborate on why this is said. Certainly, it is true that the guitars in this album play a background role, mostly providing groovy riffs for Tim Owens to sing over. Additionally, this album's kind of raw but "modern" production also gives off the air of the era. The lyrics are also more aggressive and personal than usual. However, besides these three things, it still is quite a metal album. Guitar solos are still found on this album, though they are not horribly memorable, I'll admit. The riffs, while downtuned and groovy, are still based in metal. I can actually hear Ian Hill play bass, which really is rare in Judas Priest. Scott Travis mostly just keeps the beat on this record, like he has tended to do, unfortunately. Vocally speaking, Tim Owens is obviously more talented than your crappy mallcore vocalist. Though more restrained than he was on Jugulator, he still gives a great performance on every song, I think this was the album where he showed his unique sound that separated him from being a Rob Halford clone.

Speaking of songs, this album is remarkably consistent. Though being over an hour long, Demolition actual seems to go by rather quickly. I really didn't feel like it dragged at all. The only song I really would mark as filler would be "Devil Digger". It is simply the most bland song on the album, though it has some weird guitar riffy thing going on. The two ballads on the album are also done very well; "Close To You" is one of Judas Priest's best songs, no doubt about it (the mellow feeling around the second verse is quite nice.) The other ballad, "Lost And Found", is more acoustic guitar driven, but still pretty good. The other songs on the album, which are more heavy metal focused, are also quite great, especially "Bloodsuckers", "In Between", "Cyberface", and "Metal Messiah" (which has one Judas Priest's best choruses.) Overall, every track on this record besides "Devil Digger" is very pleasant and great.

Demolition is actually one of Judas Priest's most consistent and killer albums. I think it is better than Jugulator, though this more of a subjective opinion. It isn't as riff driven, but it just has better songs than Jugulator. However, Demolition is really not a good starting place for new listeners. It is completely different from their more popular and famous albums. It sounds nothing like"Sad Wings of Destiny" or "Screaming For Vengeance". This is like Priest's own "Virtual XI", though better. I think that if you listen to Demolition with an open mind without any expectations of them sounding like they did previously, you will gain much enjoyment from the record. It's a shame they'll probably never reprint it ever again.

Demolition presents somewhat of a conundrum to me, for while I felt that Tim 'Ripper' Owens was better integrated into the band's overall sound, there are many laughable, lame choices in songwriting and lyrics that I find it incredibly difficult to take this seriously. I mean, really, this should have been the album that evolved the few tracks laid out by Jugulator into something worth experiencing, not some phoned in devolution into weaker, pedestrian riffing that felt out of touch and out of place in the new century. Even the cover to this album is immensely lazy, with that goofy title font and the lack of even the corny steel-limbed shredder beasts that fronted the two albums before it. If something looks uninspired, then it quite likely could SOUND uninspired, and Demolition is a swollen, 70 minute waste deposit that drowns its few positives in sewer loads of swill and shit.

Like Jugulator before it, the production was kept in the family here, with Glenn Tipton taking on the duties himself. I can't say that the album sounds all that terrible, because it's got a modern gloss and clarity to it that matches the dull thrashing clamor of its music. The chords and the endless chugging sequences are effectively punchy but vapid due to their basic and undeveloped notation, but they're flush with the volume of the drums and the more focused vocal lines. Ian Hill's bass-lines plunk along aggressively, but the problem is that the riff patterns being strewn out over him just feel like rehashes of Painkiller and Jugulator with mild differences, as if the band was, unsurprisingly, lazily trying to relive their past successes to no avail. Demolition is an album that would have GREATLY benefited from an outside input, in terms of the song quality. I mean, none of these are good, but the fact that they keep coming in an endless tide of mediocrity speaks to me that they might have tried to cut this down to 40-45 minutes of the most intense material. Demolition is an obese pedestrian in dire need of vehicular homicide...

...and it doesn't take very long to sink to the bottom of the toilet bowl. "Machine Man" starts out with a Scott Travis drum solo redolent of...well, "Painkiller", before erupting into this dull cycle of chords and a chugging verse sequence. Owens feels more controlled and restrained, and as a result I think he's a better fit to the surge of the music. Unfortunately, that music fairly sucks, and once he breaks into the lyric lines of the pre-chorus/chorus I nearly fall out of my chair and puke coffee out of my nostrils. 'So you motherfuckers want to race/you've all got LOSER tattooed on your face!' They dress the song up with the spurious, wild little affected guitars that lead into a decent if forgettable lead, but it's incredibly haphazard and painfully average. The sad fact is that Demolition gets no better as it progresses. Mid-paced power/thrash tunes like "One on One" and "Bloodsuckers" often feel like they just rephrases some of the Painkiller licks, and not formed into a positive configuration.

It gets worse. "Hell is Home" sounds like some garbage Black Label Society track that lost its way into Tim Owens' vocal booth. "Lost and Found" is the requisite power ballad, and while Tim does a decent doppelganger of what Rob Halford might have sounded like phrasing the same track, it's incredibly mediocre musically, with lamentable blues lead lines. "In Between" follows a similar course, only with more electric guitars, but it still seems dull. Tracks that attempt to take on a more epic, atmospheric structure like "Cyberface" and "Metal Messiah" come up far short of their intention with the Eastern, lurching flavor (though Owens pulls off a couple decent hooks here, too little and too late), and really there is not a single piece here that I would incorporate on ANY highlight reel in reference to this particular band. I realize that moving over to a label like Steamhammer from CBS/Epic might have lessened expectations, but didn't the suits even give this album a listen before releasing it? It should have been confined to its demo reels.

I don't know about you folks, but Judas Priest is not a band I turn to for generic, flatline drivel, and there's really no excuse for such an insipid recording from a band who once wrote classics like Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, Screaming With Vengeance, and Painkiller. That this album would more or less put the nail in Ripper's coffin and eventually steer towards a reunion with the siren himself Rob Halford is no coincidence: just listen to this. Ironically, I don't think that Owens was primarily at fault here. His delivery was solid and concentrated, if not exemplary; he just had nothing interesting to sing over, and don't be surprised that these tracks (and those from Jugulator) find themselves increasingly absent from both the memory of the audience and any future set lists.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Ladies and gentlemen, the only other Judas Priest album featuring the vocals of "Tim" The Ripper "Owens". How does this one stack up to "Jugulator"? Well, it's weird. The good songs on here are probably even better than the good one of the previous album, while the "bad" ones are arguably even worse. Well, "worse" is a harsh choice of words. They're not really bad per-say, but pretty generic and unmemorable. To me, that's almost worse than an outright bad song.

The sound, lyrical content, and structure here is almost totally different from the last album. As opposed to the demonic and apocalyptic jackhammering of the former, the songs on "Demolition" go for more of the classic Priest sound. The melody and catchiness are are more up and front here, the lyrics a bit less evil but still kinda dark, and most of the songs sound more condensed. It's sort of a modernish mix of "Screaming For Vengeance" and "Turbo" with a bit of "Jugulator" sprinkled on top.

The bandmates put out their usual great efforts here. Glenn and KK have come up with some decent solos here, though not as good as some of the ones on "Jugulator". Still, their efforts are strong. Ian Hill still pounds out those bass riffs with attitude, while Scott Travis is unfortunately wasted more so on this album thanks to the mostly mid-pace of the songs. PRIEST, make you songs faster!!! Give this guy more to do; as he has so clearly demonstrated on "Painkiller", he has fucking talent! Lastly, The Ripper is very good here. His vocals are clean and melodic, and while he doesn't utilize his obnoxious grunts and growls near as much here, he doesn't unleash his fantastic screams near as much either. Great effort on his part still, though.

The songs are a mixed bag here and not as consistent as the work on "Jugulator". But like I said, the better numbers are pretty great. Opening track "Machine Man" is really cool and catchy, with memorable riffing, a good solo, and some fun shouted vocals wrapped up in a "Freewheel Burning"-like package. The closer, "Metal Messiah", is similar is structure but slower. It has a short but good solo, but the main event here is The Ripper's vocals; he RAPS! Well, sort of. It's semi-rapping, and since it doesn't last too long, that makes it more tolerable than the real thing. Plus, it's worth the weight for the gorgeous main chorus. Believe me, you won't soon forget the elegant heaviness of "Heeee's the one, The Father, The Son, Creaaator, Destroyer, METAL MESSIAH"! Good stuff. Other good moments include a personal favorite, "One On One", which is a bit repetitive but has a great riff and an ass-kicking chorus, and "Jekyll and Hyde" with it's pounding bass work under the song's building pre/main chorus. However, it's also far from perfect. Heavier moments like "Hell Is Home", Devil Digger", and Feed On Me", just sort of come and go. Ballads (yes there's honest-to-science ballads here) like "Close To You" and "Lost And Found" feel somewhat tacked on and not particularly necessary, although I will admit "Lost And Found" is kind of a nice song.

Overall, "Demolition" is an inconstant album, and pays for it. While the melody and classic feel are a little more in play this time around, only a few songs are really good. Most are just unmemorable and feel a little out of place and, like some songs on the last album, overly long. Worth a check for the more traditional feel, but again, only a few songs are really anything good, but at least they're really good. Though weak, "Demolition" isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be.

Judas Priest attempted one last great stab with "Demolition" that found the band taking on every trend around it and desperately fumbling for a hit to bring the name of Judas Priest back to the forefront. Sadly, this effort is sloppily produced, the songs are goofy, the vocals aggravatingly "tuff-guy" and the entire concept falling through the tracks. The quite-cool album art can't save Priest from the fact that on "Demolition" they find themselves churning out sometimes entertaining fluff that would rate as purely disposable had the name Judas Priest not been shamefully connected to it.

This record does have a few good moments such as the BRILLIANT "Close to You" (I'd love to hear Rob sing this one), the double-crunching "Feed on Me", the grooving "Subterfuge" and the rather quirky ballad "Lost and Found". The 'heavy' songs each have their moments such as the opening riff to "One on One", the amazing chorus to "Metal Messiah" and the rather groovey opening riff to "Hell is Home". Sadly, none of these songs work as cohesive units and the lyrics are just dumber than dumb. This shows a band that simply couldn't cut the fat and were too worried about hitting all the right trends than they were in writing a solid album that reflected vision and poise. This sounds like a sloppy mess with a few brilliant moments that entertain from time to time...just enough that Priest fans were praising it in early moments only to realize that lack of true value shortly thereafter.

Some people will like this album as it is a passable 'rock' release. Does this hold a candle to anything recorded in the Halford days? No. Does this rate as anything worth remembering in the grand annals of heavy metal history? No. Judas Priest are not back with this release...they are simply a fading concept that sometimes works as junk food. These songs are entertaining in the way a million disposable Metal Blade bands have been entertaining...it's fluff that one really would have no faith in if not for the brand name attached to it.

It's pathetic really...teen angst with passable cheese-rock hooks may entertain for a moment but marked the band for death until Rob Halford made his glorious return.

The follow-up to Jugulator and the second studio album with Tim 'Ripper' Owens is not at all as bad as people will make you believe. Most people tend to call it mallcore, but that is incredibly wrong. There are no silly melodic, clean sung passages or choruses, the riffs are too interesting and innovative, there is no random unmelodic screaming and there are no "I-will-slit-my-wrists-because-my-life-sucks-boo-fucking-hoo" lyrics. So those who scream "mallcore" as soon their favourite band takes a new direction (Hi FatalStrike), you are allowed to piss off. One of the biggest trademarks of Judas Priest has been the significant style changes between every single album, and they have yet to disappoint me.

So, despite all the silly keyboard effects abound, this is anything but mallcore. The sound is in fact closer to classic Priest than Jugulator, in that it's not very thrashy and brutal, although this has it's crushingly heavy moments. There are also more melodic ideas found here, which is another thing that marked the classic Priest. The song constructions also go back to fairly simple patterns, and there are not as many different vocal lines as you would find on Jugulator, which is generally a good thing, as it brings a better sense of focus to the songs. And the production is also somewhat better than the dry sound of Jugulator, and also adds a much higher bass, although the aforementioned keyboard effects can get really annoying at times.

Another notable change with this album is Ripper's vocals. He sings in a dark, semi-growled midranged voice pretty much all the time. And while he does it very well, and while it does fit with the aggressiveness that still abound on the album, a few of the demonic falsetto shrieks that you could find on Jugulator would only do good. Another thing this album lacks, which also was absent on Jugulator, is good soloing. They just don't make sense.

While the general sound and style change from Jugulator has been for the better, the songwriting department in itself is slightly inconsistent. There are a bunch of weaker songs that brings the album down from it's full potential, namely Devil Digger, In Between, Lost and Found and Cyberface. Devil Digger is a pretty decent midpaced number with quite groovy, dark vocal lines, but it never really gets anywhere, and the pointless "I don't want to fade away" ranting does little to me. In Between goes through a number of time changes yet still manages to sound the same all the time and never seems to get anywhere. That's quite an accomplishment. Lost and Found is just a below average acoustic ballad. Cyberface is definitely the best of these four, though nonetheless quite weak. The lyrics are hideously cheesy yet pretty funny, and the vocal lines on the chorus are incredibly lifeless and sound somewhat robotic. What brings this song above the others is the crushingly heavy midpaced headbanger of a main riff.

The rest is all pretty solid. The opening track Machine Man is the ultimate highlight- really fucking heavy speed metal, with insanely catchy and memorable vocal lines, a damn fine underlying double bass attack and a powerful shout-along chorus. Other highlights are Hell Is Home with it's very groovy vocal lines and the dark, moody intro, the beautiful ballad Close To You, the fast paced Bloodsuckers which has some well-needed high-pitched vocals on the chorus, the aggressive Feed On Me, the groovy Subterfuge with another catchy shout-along chorus, and Metal Messiah, with rather silly almost-spoken verses but that mindblowing chorus exploding out of nowhere. "HE'S THE MAN! ARMAGEDDON! WALKING THROUGH FIRE! METAL MESSIAH!" Quite possibly one of the greatest choruses ever.

The songs not mentioned are all rather average, and rank somewhere in the middle. In the end, Demolition is definitely a step in the right direction for Priest, even though it's somewhat inconsistent. But they badly need to get the solos right.

Oh, almost forgot: I guess I have to say something about What's My Name, the only song so far co-written by Ripper. It's a quite decent, midpaced song with a rather groovy and electronic-sounding intro riff leading into the decently heavy under-vers riff. The vocal tone on the song, I must admit, do mildly resemble to Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, only Ripper somehow makes it sound decent. In conclusion, it's a pretty decent song, although I wouldn't recommend that you follow my example and rebuy a special edition of Demolition for 25 bucks just to get this song...

Priest's second album with Owens proved to definitely be a lot stronger than "Jugulator" - taking back a bit of the usual trademarks in the form of a lot of melody and decent solo's coupled with a bit of experimentation.

While there still are a few weaker tracks ("Cyberface" & "Jekyll And Hide") it appears that the average quality of the songs is a lot higher than the ones to be found on "Jugulator". One problem though which also plagued that previous album is the production - instead of sounding dry and boring, Glenn opted for a spacey nu-metal sound for part of the tracks this time - having silly and crap effects and sounds inbetween what are basically quite decent songs - definitely something that Priest DOESN'T need to be succesfull...

It also seems that Ripper has even grown a little bit more in his role as singer / frontman and shows off an entirely new side of his voice - instead of constantly seeking higher registers - there's a lot of very powerfull midrange singing to be found on here - which fits him very well (although the odd shriek wouldn't have been bad either mind you)...

Best songs on here are the most "experimental" ones - "Hell Is Home" (sounding a bit like "Turbo Lover", but darker and doomier), "Subterfuge" (White Zombie like ? ) and Metal Messiah (which features a classic metal chorus, yet almost rap-like inbetween melody lines). Furthermore there also is a lot of enjoyment to be had from "One On One", "Machine Man" (sounding Painkiller-esque) and "Bloodsuckers".

Sadly enough this is a very underrated and overlooked album - and it's certainly a fair deal stronger than "Jugulator", "Rock A Rolla" or "Point Of Entry"...

Yes, all the silly effects and slightly electronic sound remind me of Turbo. But, if Turbo were this good, it would not suck nearly as badly (yeah that was a bit obvious!) What I'm saying is, this is a good album. It's actually one of Priest's most consistent - though at the price of having no outrageously amazing songs like "Ram it Down" for instance. At least there are no complete vomit-inducing feces-piles like "Abductors". It's just pretty nice from beginning to end.

Highlights include "Machine Man", which is a great opener. "One on One" is totally good midpaced headbanging material in the vein of "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll".

"Close to You" is actually the best ballad they've done since "Beyond the Realms of Death". It's that good - better than "Out in the Cold" or "Touch of Evil", both great songs in their own right. "Subterfuge" is also a winner - it's catchy as fuck, and those that call it mallcore have obviously not had their ears grated mercilessly by Korn enough times.

Some of the weaker tracks are "Devil Digger", "Lost and Found", and "Cyberface" - all of them just kinda boring. "In Between" is merely okay too, so is "Metal Messiah", whose verses are not rapping, they're just not sung either, but the chorus is great. Priest has always had nice singalong choruses, and this album continues that tradition.

Yes, it's good. The cover art blows, but the music is quite decent - again, no real overwhelming highlights, though. So it's merely good, and not great.