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Judas Priest > British Steel > 1980, 12" vinyl, CBS (S. Africa) > Reviews
Judas Priest - British Steel

Industry Standard - 90%

Acrobat, March 27th, 2024
Written based on this version: 2001, CD, Columbia Records (Reissue, Remastered)

It sometimes feels a little odd to reiterate "this classic album is a classic", but often it feels quite necessary. After all, this is often amongst the most lauded Priest albums and even featured in the long-dead "Classic Albums" TV series alongside other, err, classic albums like Ace of Spades and Number of the Beast. Of course, British Steel is a milestone in heavy metal: it's the face that launched a thousand ships (those Teutonic heavier-than-the-Bismarck bands, Accept and Running Wild, have taken so much of their musical DNA from British Steel and its predecessor, Killing Machine that it's hard to imagine them without this influence) and it offered a firmer footing for the 80's metal sound - free of some of the ostentation of metal's embryonic decade. Simply put, it's the sound of flairs being replaced with tight, bollock-hugging jeans.

Understandably, however, that means British Steel isn't necessarily the Priest album for every taste. I can somewhat understand if you neglect it for earlier or later albums. Whilst this album nails the colours to the mast - forsaking most of the irregularities of earlier Priest albums, after all, there's no uncharacteristic ballad here or any song-long deviation into other styles of music - I can certainly see why "early 80's meat and potatoes" metal isn't always for all metalheads. There is a pop-heart beating in a lot of these tracks (after all, the singles market was still definitely a thing in 1980, so why not take advantage of that?) and you can definitely hear the influence that these tracks would have on, say, the Quiet Riots, Ratts and Motley Crues of the world (doesn't 'You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise' have some of that metal-for-ten-year-olds vibe that Twisted Sister would zone in on just a few years later on their mega-commercial Stay Hungry album?). So, if the words "Warren DeMartini" and "JJ French" bring you out in hives, then I can see why you might steer clear of British Steel. Furthermore, Painkiller is your absolute go-to Priest, then, sure, I can forgive the fact that British Steel is gathering dust on your shelf. For me, however, I think this is a fucking great album and one whose merits deserve stressing one more time.

Much like Metallica's 1991 every-home-has-two-copies uber-album, British Steel's greatest success is that it matches the radio-friendly, "please buy our product" tracks with harder edged songs that satisfy fans of their heavier 70's material. After all, let's not forget that 70's Priest was a dark, swarthy beast - offering many gloomy and morose takes on heavy metal ('Saints in Hell'? 'Tyrant'? 'Heroes' End'? Those were all impressively dark songs by any standard). In that regard, here I find it difficult to see why any traditional fan wouldn't be bowled over by the likes of 'Rapid Fire', 'Steeler' and 'The Rage'. 'Rapid Fire' takes the established Priest speed metal formula - as previously witnessed on masterpieces like 'Dissident Aggressor', 'Exciter', 'Running Wild' - and simply tightens up any excesses and trims any fat. Combine that with Halford's thrilling imagery ('pounding the world') and the hammer-and-anvil precision of the riffs and it's still one of the most exciting opening tracks on any metal record... ever. It succeeds in being both regal and spartan at the same time; an unlikely combo and an absolutely seminal track. 'The Rage' is by some distance, the most unusual track on the record: perhaps a partner track to Scorpions' 'Is There Anybody There?' given the unlikely meeting of 70's/80's hard unt heavy mit reggae (!?). Priest's track, however, uses the weird, cod-reggae opening as a point of contrast with the rest of the song's majestic, defiant tone. The main riff is a triumph of grandiosity and Halford writes in a style that is not dissimilar to the one he plied on Stained Class. Combine that with a KK-heavy lead track and you've got one of the most unforgettable tracks in the Priest canon. Again, I must stress that if you've one of those "70's Priest only" weirdos then this would still suit your needs - as it probably shares more with their 1978 masterpiece than any other song in their catalogue.

There's also the mid-tempo crunchers: the ones that made the likes of Accept decide to write at least five songs using the 'Metal Gods' groove and establish the fact that Judas Priest would be able to tour in Germany for all time to come. Again, 'Metal Gods' and 'Grinder' are hardly the most intricate songs in the band's catalogue - but they serve exactly their purpose: delivering solid head-banging riffs with incredibly commanding vocals and intricate solos. Naturally, 'Take On the World Part II' in the form of 'United' isn't very good - but manages to succeed its predecessor in terms of listenability and fortunately some Priest-acolytes in the form of Venom, Saxon and Running Wild would be able to do something more satisfying with those similar heavy drum groove-orientated songs.

Of course, there are the songs that you're probably tired of on this record, but the simple fact is hearing them in the context of the album gives British Steel a really pleasant sense of variation (definitely one of the band's halmarks for most of its career). Hard rock fun like 'Living After Midnight' serves as a palate cleanser after the heavier fare and pop-orientated tracks like 'Breaking the Law' are smartly arranged enough to not outstay any potential welcome (I always thought the live version with a brief solo from KK was better, however). Furthermore, at this point, Halford can sell anything in terms of his vocal delivery and the instrumentation is exciting enough to sell even the most bare-bones numbers (I mean, 'Grinder' is an extremely simplistic song and, yet, it still works). You can tell that touring with AC/DC really influenced how the band wanted to write and it does work extremely well (even if I'm glad the band expanded on this sound throughout the 80's - as while British Steel is excellent but - hand on heart - I'd probably say that I prefer Screaming... and Defenders... from this decade).

Honestly, the only thing I find baffling about this record is how - after such a precise and tight display - the band managed to follow it up with the sloppy, half-cocked Point of Entry. British Steel really does everything a commercially-minded metal album could do (and with aplomb) and it was my first Priest album so twenty-something years ago and I find that it still holds up excellently.

Steel Yourself for an Overrated Record - 70%

TheHumanChair, May 10th, 2022

Here we are. We have reached the start of 80's Judas Priest and immediately get to start with their most popular record "British Steel." With Les Binks leaving the band, they'd recruit Dave Holland who'd be with them for almost the entire decade. Holland isn't the absolute worst drummer I've ever heard, but calling him a good drummer would be pushing it. Not only that, but he turned into quite a terrible person later in his life, so his addition is a disappointing loss across the board. "British Steel" itself isn't a bad record, but it's pretty boring. For every solid track it has, there's a horrible one leaching off the belly.

The album picked up almost exactly where "Killing Machine" left off. The biggest difference to me is that "British Steel" knows what it wanted to be. Where "Killing Machine" tried to skirt the line between traditional Priest heaviness and radio friendly rock, "British Steel" is honest with itself, which immediately makes it a more enjoyable experience. "British Steel" begged for mainstream radio airplay. "British Steel" also doesn't try and short change the audience with half-baked 2 minute songs. There's a bit more thought to the songwriting. It's definitely not a pop-rock album by any means (we'll get there), but it's clearly and unabashedly reaching out for a wider audience. Trying to be more 'mainstream' doesn't instantly make the album bad. But the fact that it's quite repetitive and unimaginative hurts it a lot.

I'll start with the two "singles" from this album to get that out of the way. "Breaking the Law" is pretty much THE Judas Priest track. It has become a definite metal anthem, and it's one of just a handful or two of metal songs that to this day breaks through to mainstream audiences. You can easily find people quoting or parodying the chorus to the song that have absolutely no idea who Judas Priest even is. Getting a song to that point is a feat that deserves recognition whether you love it or hate it. I stand right there in the middle. I don't dislike "Breaking the Law" at all. If it comes on, I can definitely get into it, but it's definitely not a Priest song I ever actively seek out. The fact that it's so short absolutely helps it, because I think the song would have gotten aggravating if it was longer. On the flip side, if I never hear "Living After Midnight" again, it'll be too soon. I despise this song more than words can describe accurately. It's pathetic. This is a song I'd expect out of a band like Bon Jovi or Journey. Not Judas Priest. From the SECOND the song starts, it's just so pathetically sappy. It's like the band is screaming "Come on! Throw your hands in the air!!" The chorus is vomit inducing. Every single thing about "Living After Midnight" is perfectly crafted to be radio friendly. Even down to the fact that it's EXACTLY 3 minutes and 30 seconds. The PERFECT amount of time for radio airplay. There are few songs that are as sickeningly sold out as "Living After Midnight."

But what if I told you "Living After Midnight" isn't even the worst song on "British Steel?" Surely a song that loathsome HAS to be the worst. Nope. "You Don't Have to be Old to be Wise" takes that crap-dripping medal. This song is what I like to think plays in a bar for washed up older men who are still trying to fool themselves into thinking they're in their glory days. This track playing from a jukebox in the background as they play pool and talk about what studs they are. It's a nauseating old man's wet dream of a song with no substance other than trying to be a mock anthem. The most basic of chords and 'clappable' riffing and a chorus that is strangely built on and sloppily executed. It's such a long chorus that it just kind of comes out of nowhere. The chorus starts and you have to almost catch up with it because it was so unexpected. It's the longest song on the record, but possibly the song with the least progression and depth to it. There's nothing redeemable or excusable about this one. "United" is the true 'anthem' song off "British Steel." It follows in the footsteps of "Take on the World" from the previous album. "United" is a little bit more tolerable than its predecessor, though. It's a bit heavier, and the chorus has a little bit more emotion to it. It's more of a song than "Take on the World" so it's not as big of a waste of time. I wouldn't call it stellar, but I'd sooner march down the street singing "United" than I would listen to "Living After Midnight" or "You Don't Have to be Old to be Wise" again.

Even some of the better songs on "British Steel" are missing something, though. There are no better examples than the first two tracks it delivers. "Rapid Fire" has a rare moment of solid drumming from Dave Holland, and has a fierce riff that takes focus and then lays off to let Halford sing. It feels like a cat hunting from the grass. But...then nothing happens. There's no burning chorus. There's no fantastic transition to another point. There's no growth to the song. It just keeps going. It stalks the listener for so long that the proverbial bird flies away before it pounces. "Rapid Fire" absolutely should have been better. But it ends up being an okay track that only leaves disappointment. "Metal Gods" is a little bit better, but still isn't exactly salvageable. The chorus itself has an amazingly metallic and robotic feel that is really unique and very fitting. It's extremely catchy. But the rest of the song that gets us there is just too formulaic to be worth it. The main riff is really weak, and Halford isn't doing anything all that special himself. So there's nothing in the verses that really grabs the listener's attention and holds it tight. "Metal Gods" has such a fantastic chorus that I wish I could like it more, but it really needs some more depth.

The true shining gem that we got from "British Steel" is "The Rage." First, Ian Hill gets a little bit of time to shine, which is extremely rare. The song has a really fantastic grove to it. The bass and the drums bounce off each other really nicely to get the song moving. The riff is a heavy and catchy one, and Halford shows a lot of range during his rage. The verses have his deeper and more gruff vocals, but he busts out his soaring high notes after a perfect build to the chorus. This is definitely the only song I find across "British Steel" that is really built with balance and an ebb and flow. It's definitely the only song I come back to with any frequency from this album.

"British Steel" is absolutely an important point in Priest's history. It opened the door to let a lot of people in, and it's not hard to see why this album can be very appealing to a wide audience that likes harder music. At the same time, though, once you peel back the layers and look inside, you'll find an album that lacks very much depth. It's a surface level album. I'm sure this is going to sound amazingly pretentious, but "British Steel" is a near perfect album if you just want to throw on something fun and somewhat heavy in the background. It's a very enjoyable album if you don't analyze and dissect it. If you really take a close look, though, you find an album with no meat on the bones. "British Steel" starts off 80's Priest very similarly to the way "Rocka Rolla" started off 70's Priest. With an alright album that had potential, but definitely could have been better. Unfortunately, where "Rocka Rolla's" follow up only got better, "British Steel's" successor got worse. Much, much worse.

Unbreakable Steel - 90%

Forever Underground, May 7th, 2022

The image we have of this album today, 42 years after the release when I am writing these words, is difficult to explain. On one side, since it was the definitive commercial success of Judas Priest, it is considered an essential album for conversations about the band or heavy metal in general, since it became a standard of the NWOBHM, and therefore it is an album that everyone who is minimally involved in this music has listened to, but at the same time, due to its success, historical acclaim and classic status, it has made it more vulnerable to criticism. There have been many comments around British Steel questioning its quality, comparing it to the rest of the band's discography, and even questioning its authenticity, denigrating the album for containing deliberately radio friendly songs with excessive hard rock elements.

Tracks like "United" "Living After Midnight" or "Breaking the Law" are usually songs criticized by the most hardcore fans of the scene due to their highly commercial tone, I will not lie I also used to think the same about these songs, but over time I have been appreciating more these tunes, "United" being the weakest of them all with an extremely mellow chorus surprises me with the effectiveness of it and with the sound of their sharp guitars at the beginning of the song, musically there is something there but it is not exploited. "Living After Midnight" is another easy one to hate, it' s predictable and extremely repetitive with a chorus designed to be cheap and mainstream, none of that can be denied, but it's true that it fulfills the only function it's supposed to have, being damn catchy, plus the lyrics seem to be a reflection of Halford's double life when he was hiding his homosexuality so to think that this song has been sang by homophobic people makes me happy and makes me give it an extra point. And with "Breaking the Law" I don't even need to defend it, it's a great song and the reason why it works so well is because of its simplicity and its short duration, that's where its strength lies, its success is the result of its own quality and honestly I don't find any fault with it.

This album has also been commented a lot mainly on its side A in opposition to the criticisms of the commercialization of the sound, "Rapid Fire" and "Grinder" are the heaviest standards of the album and are undoubtedly classics in JP's discography. "Rapid Fire" surprises for having a structure that is not recurrent in the rest of the album, it bases its potential in a section where they intercalate crazy dualistic solos between passages sung by Halford, the rhythm is accelerated, close to speed metal, and in just four minutes it works as an opener where drums, guitars and vocalist have their space to shine. "Grinder" and, the sometimes undeservedly hated, "Metal Gods", go for this more classic structure, not so much for its speed but for its heaviness that many times is increased thanks to the use of the almost industrial percussion, fitting in with one of the main topics of the album.

However, as the years go by and I listen to the album more and more, the A-side gets progressively more boring (with the exception of "Rapid Fire") and I feel that all my attention goes to the B-side, a totally underrated side in an album that has a reputation of being overrated. On that side, excluding "Living After Midnight" we have some of the under appreciated gems from the british band, each one deserving a special mention for one factor or another. "The Rage" contains an interesting experimental side with that reggae-like sound that intrudes at times, but far from being the only memorable part of the song, "The Rage" comes across as a heavy and calm track that has a skin-raising second half when Halford's piercing scream accompanies an instrumental that gives him room to shine but still claims his importance at every second with a laconic solo at the end marked by the powerful riff that accompanies the whole song. With "You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise" we have simply Halford's best performance on the whole album, the track is far from the heaviness or speed of others on the same album, but simply for the chorus part the song is worth its weight in gold even with its exaggerated hard rocker tone.

Thinking about how to close this write up I realise that I have always had problems to finish my reviews, maybe it's my problem but I think that giving a correct ending to something helps a lot to the final impression that we will take from it, at least at the first time, many bands usually close their records with the longest song of the album just for having that impression of a big finale, something epic, apotheosic. But here Judas Priest don't need more than four and a half minutes to give us what is, in my opinion, the best album ending of all time. "Steeler" begins like any other song, although with the subtle detail that the drums enter with the same pattern with which it ends, it has its guitar solo, its rhythmic cut to add diversity and movement and so on. But with barely two minutes left, a spectacular and unexpected build up begins to emerge, suddenly the electric and sidereal sound of the guitars begins to flood the ears while the growing riff and the drums raise more and more the intensity transmitting in a very short time an absolutely perfect exercise of tempo control. Every time I listen to this track I can't ask myself why the hell aren't more people talking about this track and why JP doesn't close every single concert with this fucking masterpiece that closes an outstanding album.

British Steel is the improvement of the songwriting and production that started with Killing Machine, the progressive tints disappear but here I don't miss them as I did in the previous album, and the new influences are way better introduced, bringing the best of them, also if you pay attention you will hear a lot of details in the production especially in the percussion, which moves between different styles and sounds in order to adapt better to the need of each song, but this also happens with the guitars and with the vocals, this album is a perfect example of production and mastering, as it is also a perfect example of songwriting and above all a perfect example of how to be pure heavy metal.

A heavy metal classic from a heavy metal band - 100%

Darley, September 26th, 2021

In 1980 Judas Priest released British Steel. Its wonderful cover, by Rozslav Szyabo, was a faithful preview of what was between the cover arts. Fingers were holding a blade that wasn't cutting, as heavy metal wasn't harmful in that critical album of its social, political art supporting the multitude of workers who were fired by the British Steel company in those moments of liberal Thatcher reforms.

With no doubt, Tom Allom produced it in an outstanding way, and the album changed everything as it would define the genre at their best ending off the last vestiges of blues. So Allom did it without falling into the commerciality blunder he has been erroneously blamed. British Steel is as hard or heaviest as anything this band had ever produced, and offers an impressive display of what heavy metal was at that time, as well as providing an insightful vision of what they were going to become. This one faithfully captures the moment when heavy metal was beginning to attract the attention of the masses but hadn't fallen yet into commercialism.

Judas Priest's sixth studio album alternated glorious hymns that were going to define with faster, more intense themes surrounding mythological, dark lyrics closer to speed metal that would witness the soon birth of thrash metal. "British Steel" is a really varied mix that encompassed everything that made Judas Priest an accessible and even horny band. These guys wouldn't remove the heavy feeling in their sound as they would do years later. Brutal assault of killer guitars, dizzying tempos and angry vocals do personify all in the same way they did with leathers, chains, studs and boots, aesthetically speaking.

K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton take another step forward with their brutal, aggressive dual guitar work. The devastating melodies by those twelve strings became the emblematic band's sound. Rob Halford is as angry as ever, truly one of the best and most characteristic voices in metal. Ian Hill's bass and Dave Holland's drums, in their debut with Judas Priest they were surely the weakest ones of the quintet, although their performance on “British Steel” is way worthy and places them above average.

British Steel is truly one of their best works, a mythical album of the British heavy metal scene in the early 80s, one of the most respected and influential albums, recognizable by the vast majority of fans due to its magnificent cover.

Classic - 80%

Felix 1666, March 22nd, 2018

Sometimes a new record fills me with enthusiasm and I think that I am listening to a modern classic, but mostly I am convinced that all classic albums have already been written. "British Steel" celebrates its 38th anniversary this year. Maybe it is a somewhat dubious classic, because it holds two terribly commercial songs. "Living After Midnight" and "United", radio-friendly, harmless and perfectly timed with three and a half minutes, threw themselves to the ground in order to lick the feet of the mainstream industry. Painfully stupid lyrics meet overly simple, repetitive song patterns and everything spreads a malodorous aroma. These two useless stinkers blurred the picture in the public eye. Even in 2018, they are still like some leftovers in Fukushima and try to contaminate the entire album. This attempt is doomed to failure, but they make it impossible for me to give a higher rating, although I really worship the majority of the other tracks.

"Breaking the Law" was, together with - of course - the two commercial cardinal sins, one of the singles of the album and it shows the "real" Priest. From an objective point of view, it is as simple as its two crippled neighbours. But this is completely irrelevant, because its catchy guitars, the rebel lyrics and the siren after the second chorus create a totally different aura. A great number, a little bit short, but very compact and exciting at the same time. Just do yourself a favour and don't check its embarrassing video clip on YouTube. I am sorry that I cannot describe its plot, but this brief movie is just too stupid.

However, music is made for the ears and not for the eyes and Judas Priest had really forged some iron weapons. "Rapid Fire" lived up to its name. A great speed metal pioneer, direct, sharp and somersaulting. It was the ring tone of my company mobile for years, but this was no good idea, because its fantastically abrasive guitars at the beginning mostly announced an asshole who wanted to talk to me. Yet apart from this small detail, "Rapid Fire" can be taken as the prototype of a fast heavy metal song. No, this is not an exaggeration. Together with tracks such as the hymnal "Metal Gods" or the mean "Grinder", this song helped to define heavy metal once and for all. The screaming solo guitars, the vehemence and commander Halford's variable voice delivered outstanding components.

At a time when each and every (good) new metal album enriched the little and fragmented scene with new impulses, nobody saw a reason to write a mega-complex output. Progressive metal had not yet been invented. Happy times! Nevertheless, Judas did not only concentrate on simple song configurations. The second half of "British Steel" surprised with pretty multi-layered tracks - with the exception of "Living After Midnight", but this is needless to say. Judas found a good balance between instrumental parts and sections that were dominated by Halford and this mix laid the foundation for little epics. Okay, I admit: from today's perspective, everything sounds very traditional. Or let's say it clearly: one can call the material old-fashioned and outdated. But I beg to differ. Just take the closer. "Steeler" still emanates a certain freshness and its different parts do not lack liveliness. Of course, one must like the sound of the early eighties and the then great production cannot be considered as objectively competitive with the recordings of the 21st century. But I think this is exactly the sound that the material asked for. So let's keep it short: if you want to get back to the roots of (mostly) aggressive heavy metal, you must be familiar with "British Steel". Its iconic artwork does not promise too much. You are listening to a classic.

Stomp Feet, Clap Hands (And Retch) To "United" - 64%

CHAIRTHROWER, July 31st, 2017
Written based on this version: 1986, CD, CBS

If I had a nickel for every rube I encountered whose preferred Judas Priest track is (gulp) "Metal Gods" or (groan!) "United" - which, by the way, sounds like a nebbish 70s advert for the now consolidated pan-global airline - I'd use the money to build a JP intensive boot camp (sanitarium?) where the clarion call would consist of the main riff to either "Tyrant" or anything off Stained Class and where pre-1980 Priest lore would make up the better part of the curriculum (with severe repercussions for anyone humming the pedestrian riff to "Breaking The Law" or worse, chanting the godawful chorus to "Living After Midnight").

Joshing aside, and excluding the revved up "Rapid Fire", "Grinder" and "Steeler", what is there to rave about in regards to the commercially watered down errant NWOBHM wayfarer which is 1980's British Steel? Not much, as apparently I'm not alone in my crestfallen deception, judging from its host of despondent reviews.

At least things get off to a decent start with "Rapid Fire" and its compelling, hard-driven choogling; the riff change at 01:20 is flawlessly executed while the crisp, hypnotic, single string riffing shortly after has something of a Stained Class - and modern day Wolf - feel . As well, the ensuing battalion of solos sees them fired off like so many machine gun bursts. Drummer Dave Holland actually stands out by way of his "rapid" jab-like beats and fills. Also, the lyrics are kind of fun: "Pounding the world/ Like a battering ram/ Forging the furnace/ For the final grand slam…"

While the pre-chorus to "Metal Gods" sounds like the killer chorus to "Grinder" (my go-to track on this otherwise lacklustre release) vocal and riff wise, its actual chorus just kills it - not in a good way - as it's way too anthemic in a corny "United"/ "clap your hands, stomp your feet" way. To be fair, the leads are your usual K.K. Downing/ Glenn Tipton fare, that is scorching hot and piercing but the eventual return to (ill) form lumps this track in with British Steele's weaker fare, which largely makes up the A side.

Unpleasant business aside, allow me to offer warranted praise to British Steele's top highlight, the poised up stroke JP classic which is "Grinder", a fiery, grouchy brow beater of a track complete with a highly expressive, off-the-chart solo up there with any of K.K.Downing and Glenn Tipton's magic from Sin After Sin, Stained Class, and some of the winners off early 80s stuff such as Screaming For Vengeance, Point Of Entry and Defenders Of The Faith (sorry Turbo, what did you expect?!).

Unfortunately, the excitement's short-lived as what could be JP's worst outright stinker, "United" comes next. The less said about this track the better; I think the title of this review says all but for the record, let's put it thus: this floppy & sad "let's gets shit-faced and gimpy-ly prance around while making a mockery of heavy metal" turn of events is best skipped over to make way for the B Side and its slightly improved opener "You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise". Other than a wicked mantra to live by (and snap back at your homeroom teacher), it offers up a slice of Hell Bent For Leather like cheer along similar lines as "Rock Forever" and "Take On The World". While definitely not JP's strongest moments - more like C class anthems -, they're still a far cry from the insipid and forgettable "Living After Midnight". From a flat drum machine sounding intro to a grossly bland and generic guitar riff by way of Halford's elementary and oh-so cheesy sing-along chorus, this one's best left for the elevator. Even the solo fails to save this one from utter disgrace.

Thankfully, closers "The Rage" and "Steeler" push British Steele into passable territory. On the former, Hill provides a jaunty, pseudo digital bass intro soon upheld by his tougher return to form, including meaner or less disoriented Halford taking back control of his domain, while the latter makes a valiant effort to reach Stained Class-like glory as it readily picks up the pace and earns itself a spot among British Steels unimpressively small compliment of highlights alongside "Rapid Fire" and "Grinder". As well, leads wise, Tipton and Downing redeem themselves in spades without encroaching on what could be Hill's strongest showing on this release anyhow. Dave Holland is no Les Binks of course but comes out on top, hopefully erasing his unforgivable lapses on the (much) weaker tracks. Now, although "Breaking The Law" somehow made it as one of "Guitar World"'s top 50 heavy metal riffs of all time (in all fairness, this was a mid 90s issue before heavy metal's global - and glorious - reincarnation), I find the novelty quickly wears off despite its inherent catchiness. Although it's "razor" sharp edge was quite imposing back in the day, it still pales in comparison to JP's stronger showings.

It always frustrates me when I meet talented musicians fortunate enough to possess perfect pitch and an uncanny ability to figure riffs, even solos, out by ear yet choose to stick with a legend's commercial fare as opposed to the classics. I say this because I know a very skilled guitarist who (cringe) is just obsessed with outright stinkers such as "United" and "Living After Midnight" (please God, don't put these in my head!) and plays them to the point of me wanting to jump out of the window of his sixth floor apartment. It baffles me how he frowns his nose at JP (and ZZ Top for that matter)'s more extraneous and exciting fare whilst rehashing the same crap over and over. All I can do I is defend the faith to the best of my abilities...

Now You Have Exactly What You Wanted - 59%

ballcrushingmetal, April 22nd, 2017
Written based on this version: 1989, CD, Columbia Records

If the predecessor was evident with the intentions that the band had of writing up more accessible stuff, this album emphasizes those intentions. The people did not praise this release due to its set of songs, but rather since the same achieved the goal of reaching the masses and satisfying their whims. Other than that, there is no real merit in this album. The songs here tend to be short, they lacked heaviness, and even worse, they kept the mixing style from the previous release, which was too inefficient. Unfortunately, the band neglected to include the powerful jazzy drumming as in their early albums, the guitar playing is too simplistic, like if Tipton and Downing had their hands tied; and although Halford's vocals are still powerful, they are not enough when the overall package does not seem to stick well.

With the only exceptions of the speed metal number "Rapid Fire" and "Metal Gods", the album is what they had done when you thought that there weren't any chances to make something more simple than Hell Bent. For instance, "United" is pretty much a repetition of "Take on the World", featuring the same damn cheesy choruses and a somehow similar dull pace. And no, no single release in their discography featured an enhanced version of the song. In that case, Accept would be a better reference on how to write songs of this kind. The same applies to other catchy glam-inspired songs like "Living After Midnight" and "You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise". Both songs would be expected from a band like Kiss, as they run at the same pace as the songs of this band do.

"Breaking the Law" is a clear example of why metal was not made for those who are not metalheads. Mainly, since back then, many non-metalheads in radio stations picked up the wrong songs and hailed them as metal anthems when they were just catchy songs. Thus, all these fallacies killed not only the creativity of Judas Priest but the entire genre. This so-called "anthem" fulfilled the whims of the masses and took the posers into the stage, as well as being the relief for those who had been left traumatized due to the complex musical foundation of the heavy metal written at that point. Although its guitar work is acceptable and somewhere around acceptable compositions like "Running Wild", this so-called metal anthem is too short and even incomplete. The band could have added some guitar work (starting with a better solo) and drumming so that this becomes a more competent number.

The next track is a much more powerful speed metal number. "Rapid Fire" comes up with the famous fast-paced intro riff that would be ripped-off by many flower metal bands to be able to make the fools think that their music is metal/powerful speed metal. Leaving that aside, the intense Holland's drumming and the excellent riffs introduced therein make the song quite memorable, and also an influence for many thrash metal bands around the globe. That said, this album is unfairly overrated, and also the bridge between metal music and the audiences that should have never been built. Regardless of its improved production work, the album is too meaningless, and it lacks good ideas. If what you want is a release with more structured numbers, then it would be better to listen to Accept's '80s stuff, which is full of compositions that sound like enhanced versions of the songs included on this album and also because they know how to write metal anthems correctly.

Not the perfect classic album - 65%

gasmask_colostomy, January 24th, 2017

When you grow up, there are certain things that are simply instilled into your being. Among those things are that you must always say please when you want something, hitting is always wrong, and British Steel is a classic metal album. Undisputably, Judas Priest had the image down before anyone else (Sabbath had a certain something with the crosses, but weren't really thinking about it very hard) and this album screams "classic" from the moment you lay eyes on the cover. The hand with the spiked wristband arrogantly brandishing a razorblade of all things, and not only a razorblade but one bearing the ultra-cool logo of the band and iconic album title as though they really were the maker's mark. That's what classic means. A glance through the song titles will tell the same story: 'Living After Midnight', 'Breaking the Law' - 'Metal Gods'. This is verse and chapter.

Yet, when you actually get the album out of its package and start listening to the music, the sounds of the Birmingham five-piece can't possibly match up to the status of such a classic. This is not merely a case of the legacy being so exaggerated either. This is a cut and dry example of a lacklustre album from a great band. There are many things about British Steel that don't meet the standard of a heavy metal album from 1980, regardless of the position that Priest had worked themselves into by that juncture. The songs are firstly lacking energy, with many bereft of passion and power as well. Just take a look at the lame stomp and hum of 'United'. In the first place, it's essentially a Queen song that anyone over the age of 8 could probably recognize ('We Will Rock You' gets unsubtly fisted by 'We Are the Champions'), while the instrumental ideas are effectively nil, being made up of that stolen "handclap" beat and a few stabs of power chord, even if the bassline does contribute a little of worth. The vocal as well, which should be soaring and emphatic, just kind of drones on: instead of making me want to stand in union with the band, I begin to feel as though I would much prefer to stand by myself if they insist on singing the chorus another time. On the other hand, some of the dull nature of the album can be put down to the production, which has suffered through more than 35 years of progress, yet still comes out less shining by comparison than the much sharper Iron Maiden, which is of the same age.

There are of course some songs that move ahead more vigorously than the likes of 'United', though it's distressing to see that they are only just in the majority, since 'Metal Gods' and 'Grinder' pale in the lukewarm sound, allowing the bop of the drums to dominate until Rob Halford asserts himself. One issue here is that the guitarists do not get precedence either in the mix or in the compositional hierarchy, undermining the claim that this is a classic metal album by virtue of the fact that there are fairly few standout riffs on offer. Many of the riffs fall closer to rock territory than metal, which should not alone be reason to complain, yet the rock riffs tend not to have the power or memorability of the more punchy nuggets on 'Breaking the Law' and 'Steeler'. The solos fare mildly better but still aren't cause for dusting off the old air guitar, because the slower pace of the steady rockers doesn't enhance the excitement of such pieces. Only making matters worse is the seeming reluctance of Dave Holland to control things with his drumming performance, allowing those mellower songs to lose their focus at times. Rob Halford can be counted on to raise the standard in most cases and thankfully the singer is in decent form here, adding something majestic to 'You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise' and supplying conviction to the faster numbers. However, there are still moments when 'Metal Gods' becomes humdrum - a problem that should be avoided for songs about robots with "Laser beam hearts".

Judas Priest may have been in rather a conundrum at the time they were writing and recording British Steel. It seems that the more explorative phase of the mid-'70s was passing and a determination to write tighter, more focused songs led the band to strip back their sound. The leanness of some of the songs works well here, 'Steeler', 'Rapid Fire', and 'Breaking the Law' working the best on the seek-and-destroy route, although it paralyzes the mid-paced efforts, robbing them of their interest factor, which results in 'Living After Midnight' and 'Grinder' feeling like mediocre efforts despite some good sections. There is also the commercial factor to contend with, since some of the writing was most probably done with an eye on sales, which is where 'United' totally falls off the horse and 'Living After Midnight' starts to look pretty deliberate. For an ardent metal fan, it's disappointing to realize that such a highly-regarded album is not all it's cracked up to be, but such is the way of life. At least one can still claim that British Steel plays a part in the mythology of metal and sure as hell looks the part.

British-made, world approved - 85%

Brainded Binky, February 6th, 2015

Okay, maybe I'm wrong about "Point of Entry" being Judas Priest's first attempt to please Columbia Records by creating some commercial-sounding songs, but nonetheless, "British Steel" is a classic among everyone. It's basically where they further cemented themselves into the public mind while still maintaining their edge that made them one of the first heavy metal bands in recorded history. Since it's got some commercial sound, it's not all that perfect, but to be fair, neither was "Screaming for Vengeance", considered to be one of their greatest besides my personal favorite album, "Painkiller".

As a matter of fact, I actually consider this album to be slightly better than "Screaming for Vengeance". Now before you start running towards my home with pitchforks and torches, hear me out. "Screaming for Vengeance" has a lot more radio-friendly sound than "British Steel", but not as much as "Point of Entry" or the horrendous "Turbo". "British Steel" keeps more of the edge that Priest had in the preceding decade that they were together, and the proof of that is in "Grinder". While it is a little slower than expected, we can't expect every Priest song to be fast and driving. "Grinder" just needs the crunch and the power of the guitars, along with the growling vocal swagger of Rob Halford, and it does its job nicely. Those, my friends, are what make a Judas Priest song what it is. Want something a little faster? Check out "Rapid Fire", the fastest song on the album. Its speed and ferocity is likely one of the factors that influenced NWOBHM, as well as the subgenres that came afterword, like thrash metal. It's no wonder that bands like Metallica looked toward Priest as a source for inspiration. On top of that, its tempo faster than any song on "Screaming for Vengeance", especially its title track. There are many other songs on "British Steel" that feature the pounding aggression that made Priest famous, like "Steeler" and the super-famous "Breaking the Law". The number of more commercial songs on "Screaming for Vengeance" outnumbers that of the Priest's signature sound, which is another reason why I prefer "British Steel" over "Screaming for Vengeance".

Of course we get some radio-friendly songs, and unsurprisingly, these were the songs that were constantly played on the radio. In fact, the very first song I heard from Priest was the crowd favorite, "Living After Midnight", which I think I heard when I was in eighth grade or so. Due to its peppy and upbeat nature, I had no idea of Priest's more famous and amazing works ("Painkiller"). While some critics may say that it was totally out of character for the band to come up with the song, it remains a favorite even to this day. It's the complete polar opposite of the band's more aggressive style, yet Halford's growling vocals and heavy guitars are still present. The guitars just play a more light-hearted riff and Halford just sings in a more hard rock-oriented style. Though it might not be as famous as its label-pleasing counterpart, "You Don't Have to be Old to be Wise" is sort of the same way, except it has a bit more swagger than "Living After Midnight". The song's length is also longer, suggesting a song that wasn't necessarily meant for radio airplay. "Breaking the Law", despite its overall power, is a more likely candidate. It only clocks in at two and a half minutes and has the brief noise of a car siren in place of a proper guitar solo. Nonetheless, it does carry a pretty addicting hook, and that's probably part of the reason why it got the attention it did. Even if they sound more radio-friendly, they at least have the power and audacity to back them up. It's why I'm not really complaining about "Living After Midnight" being a more rock-oriented song than a metal one. Those songs still carry the power that Priest needed in order to maintain their status as a metal band, and influence many metal bands to come in the future.

As much as I'd hate to think that much of the more famous songs Priest made for this album were the result of the record label trying to make another Captain and Tennille out of a metal band, they're still enjoyable. As I said before, "Screaming for Vengeance", despite being a good album, just isn't as good as "British Steel". I know that's generally considered a form of heresy in the metal community to say that an album like "British Steel" is better than the more famous ones, but I still think "Painkiller" is better then the both of them. It's likely on my personal top five list of the best Priest albums, 'cos it still has the sound that we all know and love, and a little more.

Subdued Steel - 85%

Chernobog, July 21st, 2014

By 1980, Judas Priest had found themselves at the forefront of heavy metal music, and were arguably the most responsible for its thunderous breakaway from the heavy blues scene from which it spawned, resulting in the NWOBHM that would storm the scene that same year. Although they had a healthy amount of material released in the 70s, their ascent as metal gods in the 80s is usually attributed to "British Steel", an album with their most commercial sound yet, and one that helped to bring them to the masses, via "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight".

To a certain extent, "British Steel", is no more commercial than say, their previous effort "Killing Machine/ Hell Bent For Leather". The production is crystal clear, the tempo is, mostly, slowed down, and Rob Halford's voice stays at a mainly moderate range. What truly differentiates "British Steel" is that the heavy metal thunder is, in this output, a subdued thunder. Only one song, "You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise", makes it to the five minute mark. The rest of the songs are kept at a time perfect for the radio and the composition remains consistent and straight forward throughout. Lyrically, Judas Priest seem to have found a new focus on this album as well. While previous albums contained the same sci-fi doom and gloom that metal bands still obsess over, the lyrics here are more positive, optimistic and boastful. "Now I don't care if the people stare, And accuse me of going mad, Just get a long hard look into the mirror, Then tell me who's been had", proclaims Halford in "You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise", and songs like "United" and "Metal Gods" resemble the lyrics of Manowar and Twisted Sister, with their celebrations of youth and heavy metal culture. Judas Priest are proud, loud, ready to conquer and their songs make it clear. Even "Breaking the Law" is more a celebration of the narrator's outlaw status than a regretful condemnation.

Composition wise, there are two songs that are very much in the vein of classic Priest, "Rapid Fire" and "Steeler", both of which are placed as openers and closers of this album. Sandwiched in between are mid-tempo songs like "Grinder", "United" (the least metal song on the album, which is as repetitive as it is ridiculously anthemic), "The Rage" (with a nifty bass line and a clean guitar opener that seems reminiscent of the Police, of all bands) and the swaggering "Metal Gods". This also may be the first Judas Priest album without anything resembling a ballad, which seems odd given the commercial hard rock tendencies of this album. Of the album's three singles, "Breaking the Law, "United" and "Living After Midnight", I want to bring up "Living After Midnight", since this song, with it's mid-tempo guitar riff, melodic chorus and lyrical ode to rock star debauchery, seems like a predictor of the tone and attitude that mainstream heavy metal would take in the 80s with bands like Motley Crue. Not that Judas Priest were the first to make feel good hard rock, but given their influence, it wouldn't be a wild leap to see this song as the missing link between 70s hard rock and Quiet Riot, much like Priest's 70s material was the missing link between Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden.

One's enjoyment of this album will depend largely on a) their tolerance for commercial sounding metal and b) their tolerance for Judas Priest playing commercial sounding metal. While I will readily admit to preferring a faster, more aggressive Judas Priest, there is nothing on this album that is particularly offensive to the metal fan, and I myself quiet enjoy this album. Do I enjoy it as much as their late 70s material? No. But "British Steel" still has enough of a metal sound to it (however subdued) for the classic metal fan to enjoy.

It even gave us a "Beavis and Butt-Head" gag-though I'm still not sure if that's something for Judas Priest to take pride in.

The weakest of the Priest - 65%

The_Ghoul, June 4th, 2012

The year was 1980 and a new wave was crashing down upon the face of hard rock. It featured faster tempos and pentatonic-based song structures coupled with more extensive guitar solos. It was called NWOBHM, or New Wave of British Heavy Metal. At the vanguard was Judas Priest.

Ok, so that was a bit sarcastic. I love JP, and I am the dude you will always hear singing along to them. Still though, this has got to be the most generic and bland album they've done. I swear to God, every song ranges from mid-paced bland NWOBHM to fast-paced, bland NWOBHM. There are no aggressive cookers like Screaming For Vengeance or The Sentinel, nor are there any epics like Beyond the Realms of Death or Dreamer Deceiver. This is, for the most part, 1st grade heavy metal.

Also for a good chunk of this it's not even heavy metal, it's just bland-ass hard rock. It doesn't get a whole lot of listens because this really isn't all that groundbreaking. Considering what Priest have done before and what another (at the time) way more obscure heavy metal band was doing: Iron Maiden. This is the album that got Priest famous, but that was simply because they became way more accessible on British Steel. Frankly, I'd bet that most people are hard-pressed to come up with a single Judas Priest song other than Breaking the Law.

Suffice it to say, no instrument shines here. Halford delivers, and I will never call Rob Halford a bad singer, but you won't see his stunning range or piercing high end here. Here he gives a mostly mid-ranged performance. The guitars, bass, and drums are no different. This is late-'70s/early '80s bar rock mixed with their early sound. It's not bad in any sense, just really less special than albums like Screaming for Vengeance or Stained Class. I guess I could make a pun here and call British Steel "Stained Classless" or something like that. Either way, Judas Priest have a whole catalog of better albums than this. If you're new to Priest, do not be deceived, you should definitely start elsewhere. The two other albums I mentioned would be a good place. British Steel, unfortunately, is not.

Then I'm gone, I'm gone - 88%

autothrall, May 5th, 2012

British Steel is not an album requiring much introduction, since it's one of the most popular of Judas Priest's outings and one of the better known in all of the heavy metal spectrum. The English legends had already built up a staggering momentum by the time 1980 struck, and this put them well over the top into the living rooms and tape decks of enthusiasts the world, and many galaxies over. I've met extra-terrestrials from far down the nearest Spiral Arm who have this on their .mp3 player. Seriously, if you've not heard "Breaking the Law" by now then you're either three years old and under (in which case you've probably STILL been exposed to it, just not retained the chorus), or you're from some undiscovered tribe of aboriginals on some uncharted island who worship overhead air traffic as deities; in which case I should not be addressing 'you' in the second-person since it's unlikely you have the Intertrons.

And it makes sense: British Steel is a more commercial venture, not unlike Hell Bent for Leather before it, only far better written. This album is a veritable hit machine, built for radio without abandoning the whole heaviness of the chords and distinctive screaming that got them to that point. Yet, some of the songs are so damned unforgettable that their appeal transcended wide beyond the borders of the metal/hard rock audience, as prevalent as it was through the 80s. Hell, a live version of pretty much the entire album was available to download and play in Rock Band. I have family members two generations removed that know "Living After Midnight". Despite this level of saturation, though, I would find it dishonest to qualify British Steel as one of my very favorites from the band. Essential to own? Probably. Consistent? For the most part. But I've long felt that there were a few chinks in its armor which brokered the album's dominion from an empire to a fiefdom. A killer fiefdom that hosts a large range of jousts and events, mind you, but it couldn't win a war with its more stunning and grandiose siblings like Stained Class, Sin After Sin, Screaming for Vengeance or Painkiller.

I've already mentioned "Breaking the Law", and where would we be without it? The vocal patterns are so pristine that they truly feel as if they've been engraved into the razor blade on the cover along with the logo and album title. The melodic lead-in guitar pattern is a thing of legend, learned by hundreds of thousands of aspiring six-stringers, and the chugging aggression of the chorus is enough to start a riot in any crowd of inebriated or even sober witnesses. Not to mention the atmosphere on the vocals, and the fact that the whole tune clocks in at around 2 and a half minutes. Concise and mother fucking immortal. "Living After Midnight" is the other giant in the room, with its party rock guitars and chorus that might just as well have been attributed to KISS or the Rolling Stones; but then you've got this 'second string' of semi-legendary tracks that have become regulars in the band's set list throughout the decades. The forceful, airy power metal staple "Rapid Fire" which has been emulated to precision in hundreds of cases; the mid-paced stadium anthem "Metal Gods" with its burly chords and laconic but hooky chorus; the dark grooves of "Grinder" and highway ready "Steeler", both of which would spawn bands using the titles as monikers (as other Priest songs had done in the past).

So what's my hangup? The rest of the album. I can forgive "The Rage" for its reggae-like introduction since the chords in the verse swagger with a particular degree of bad-assery, and I enjoy the flecks of rust Rob Halford places on the vocal lines. But the arena anthem "United", despite its cheesy melodic chorus, simply does not stand out to memory, paling in comparison to "Metal Gods" from the very same album, and suffering from a pretty generic guitar riff even for 1980. Not sure why this was chosen for a single. As for "Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise", I would not have even remembered the song was on British Steel were I not listening again to review it, a pretty bare bones hard rock track without much appeal to the chorus, though it certainly feels classic Priest in its execution. All things considered, neither of these is necessarily a 'bad' song, just painfully average and overshadowed by the many great tracks that would catapult the band even further into the collective metal conscience. Another slight nuisance is the lack of devastating leads. A lot of the songs have them, but they get lost in the shuffle and often feel more atmospheric than impressive, even in the bigger numbers.

Production is good and dry, clean and appropriate for the mainstream steamrolling that the album would take straight to the bank, but perhaps not one of their best in terms of driving the songs into my noggin. This was the first album with new drummer Dave Holland, who would remain with Priest for six studio efforts before Scott Travis came in for Painkiller, but his output isn't all that wild here. Capable and dependable, like most of the albums he would appear on, and certainly heavy enough to add some ballast to the riffing, but not quite the powerhouse equivalent of his successor. Ian Hill's bass is present, but hardly exemplary and I feel it does get lost under the dry, ruddy industrial strength sheen of the chords; while Halford is his normal self, but he's not executing the same screaming and variation that he manifests on earlier (and later) works. Lyrically, too, this was never one of their most interesting records, especially tracks like "United" which have the poignancy of a kindergartner reciting the Pledge of Allegiance while privately thinking how he's going to stealth a few hours on his dad's XBOX later that evening.

In the end, though, the songs really win out here. At least six of them, and British Steel earns its keep despite the sagging, unremarkable middle cuts. Certainly the first 15 minutes of the album are comparable in quality to nearly anything else in their catalog, and its logical that this would be one of their better sellers in England and the States. Heavily promoted, and not surprisingly, defined as a major milestone in the genre due to its success and the utter stickiness of some of the songs.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Steel forged in the killing machine. - 74%

Warthur, November 11th, 2011

Did you like Killing Machine - AKA Hell Bent for Leather? Well, in that case British Steel should go down well with you, since aside from a change of drummer the album is pretty much a refinement and polishing of the general approach of that album. There's the tedious attempt at a football chant that would have been better off removed from the album (United, taking the place of the predecessor's Take On the World), there's the kickass pop-metal fast tracks (Breaking the Law, Living After Midnight) and the occasional nod to the style of Sin After Sin or Stained Class (The Rage, Steeler).

On the whole, the band are on good form, new drummer Dave Holland integrating well into their sound and Rob Halford giving enthusiastic vocal performances as always. Musically speaking, however, the album is a bit less varied than Killing Machine, which had the groovey as hell title track and the intriguing ballad Evening Star to break things up a bit. Still, it's an accessible and very listenable album which will appeal to a broad range of listeners, though aside from the classic Breaking the Law I wouldn't put many pieces of here on my personal Priest "best of" list - a lot of them are rather interchangeable.

The bottom line is this: if you want a Priest album where every single song is distinctive, original, packed with personality and an inspiration to legions of metal bands following it, then go for Sin After Sin, or Stained Class, or Sad Wings of Destiny - well, in fact any Priest album whose title starts with S is a good one. If you want a Priest album which kept the band competitive against the NWOBHM scallywags who were starting to challenge them on their own turf but doesn't exactly break a whole lot of new ground compared to its predecessors, British Steel's got your back.

Short, simple and (mostly) excellent. - 85%

caspian, October 20th, 2008

Y'know I'm really starting to think that as long as the band doesn't go groove metal, a heavy metal band selling out and just trying to record the catchiest thing possible is actually a very good thing! I'm just basing this off this album, the early 90's releases of Me & Me, and, err, Celtic Frost's Cold Lake- that was a travesty, sure, but still 3 out of 4 isn't bad. Judas Priest's release is firmly in the camp of "excellent rocky sell out", a quick streamlining of the previous formula; a natural progression that's been executed well and doesn't sound forced, and some crisp, clean production giving the whole thing a radio-friendly sheen.

I like most of Priest's work but I've generally found that they're at their best when they go for the shorter song- Nostradamus being good proof of this. Here's it's all short and it's all gold - yes, I am a fan of United, in all of it's cheesy, desperate attempt at sing-a-long glory- and the end result is a good-to-excellent selection of heavy metal tunes.

Everything's kept simple and straightforward in this album; the solos short and economical, the structures, simple in their verse/chorus type, the riffs, simple but catchy. Downing and Tipton are in great form throughout, and I find the riffing in particular to be really first-class. Breaking the Law's a good enough example of what's on offer- an intro riff that will stay in your head for years, short and catchy verse and chorus sections, and a bridge that dispenses with any progressive pretensions and keeps you interested until the chorus comes back in. The formula is repeated over and over again with varying amounts of success (Living After Midnight and Rapid Fire being keepers, You don't have to be old and Steeler, not so much) but overall it works, and even when Priest shrug off the restraint and go for the unabashed, completely undignified sing along that's United it's still catchy and short enough to be inoffensive and effective.

This certainly isn't an album that's for sitting in the lotus position, with headphones in a darkened room. An in-depth listening is more liable to make you realise that the slower tunes plod along fairly heavily, that most of the songs lack any really concrete climax or progression, and that some more solos would've been welcome. However, putting this on in the car, or at a party will get you singing along extremely vigorously (Rapid Fire and The Rage in particular must be responsible for a very large amount of car crashes over the years) and it seems that's what Judas Priest wanted to achieve with this.

There's not really much else to say here. The aim, as far as I can tell, was to make a short, catchy album and that aim was achieved. It seems that everyone had a fairly good time doing it- the album has a fair bit of energy and in various interviews Downing, Tipton and Halford named this as their favourite JP record. It's a fun record that will get you head banging and pretty much appeals to everyone. Well worth getting, although those hoping for some more substantial heavy/speed metal may find themselves disappointed.

One of the most overrated metal albums. - 50%

TheOnlyMAD, June 18th, 2008

Judas Priest is one of the most famous metal bands, a lot of people consider it to be one of the best metal bands ever... Are they right? Of course! British Steel is one of the most famous metal albums, a lot of people consider it to be one of the best metal albums ever... Are they right? In my opinion, they aren't. Personally, I consider this album to be one of Priest's worst and one of the weakest famous metal albums. Besides, I don't really consider it to be a metal album, it sounds more like hard rock to say the truth.

This album is extremely overrated. I can't believe that Priest went from awesome albums like Stained Class to this only 2 years later... They went from awesome metal songs with great riffs to simple hard rock songs with average riffs. I fail to understand why so many people consider it to be Priest's best album. My guess is that most of those people prefer 80's mainstream hard rock over 80's metal.

The bad:

The songs on this album are so ridiculously simple... Most of them have only 4 riffs in total and those riffs are nothing special compared to most of Priest's riffs from the 70's. Ok, there's nothing wrong with simple songs, but the songs aren't only simple, they're also nothing special or in other words, they aren't like most of Priest songs from the 70's. Breaking The Law is so overrated, I used to like it, but I got bored of it fast... Some people think that it has an awesome chorus, but what's so awesome about it exactly? Its one of the least melodic choruses ever! Just say 'breaking the law' 8 times and you have the chorus. Living After Midnight is pretty catchy, but its just a generic and cheesy rock song... Ok, I guess that it wasn't generic in the 80's, but its just a very average song. United has a catchy chorus, but that's it. You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise and Steeler are extremely forgettable.

Did I mention that this album has some of Priest's weakest solos? Now I did. I guess that I should also mention that its one of their least melodic albums.

The good:

The best song on the album is definitely The Rage. Its actually a great song, it has a cool intro, a great main riff (the best riff on the album) and the verses are pretty catchy (the best verses on the album). Rapid Fire, Metal Gods and Grinder aren't bad either, but damn, they're really nothing special, they're really simple, there's nothing really original about them and they aren't anywhere near as good as most of Priest's songs from the 70's. I know that I'm repetitive with that, but it has to be said.

So, its 50/50, half of the album is very average and the other half is just good. There's nothing really bad on this album, but there's nothing awesome either, its just very average overall.

Now, I have a question... How can anyone prefer songs like Breaking The Law and Living After Midnight over songs like Exciter, Beyond The Realms Of Death, Victim Of Changes, Sinner, Starbreaker... ? Ok, I understand if you're a fan of 80's mainstream hard rock, but otherwise I don't.

This album was nothing more than an attempt at becoming more famous. Thank god that Priest redeemed themselves with Screaming For Vengeance. Even Turbo is better than this album.

Do I recommend it? Well, I guess that most of the people who look at this site have already heard it, but if you haven't, I don't recommend it, but I can't really tell you to avoid it because a lot of people like it, so maybe you'll like it.

The Greatest Priest Album Ever... - 100%

Luvers, November 14th, 2007

So now, we come to the album that put Judas Priest on the map, a band that has already trudged the murkiest of waters and paid their dues for twelve years finally gets their just dues. That story is a commonly told one in the entertainment business it is heart-warming and humorous. Nevertheless, with popularity always comes debts, and a band is always bound to piss off some fans whenever they achieve a substantial amount of success. It has been beaten into the minds of record buyers that if an album sells well then it is because the band has ‘Sold Out’ and it’s not worth buying, another comparison with the ‘underdog’ theory.

What does this have to do with British Steel? Everything if the majority of people had any sense of music, credibility just about everyone would put British Steel right where it belongs, at the very top of any metal list. What sets this album apart from the loads of highly overrated material is the fact that the band never changed their original sound to achieve success.

No, what we have here is a nine-track album, eleven if you have the Re-Master, which is 100% Priest 100% of the time. Therefore, so what if the album does not sound like Stained Class it is not supposed to, it is supposed to sound like British Steel. Besides Stained Class currently ranks number fourth on the ‘All-Time Most Overrated Albums’ list but that is a different review.

The bottom line is one should expect such large debates since this album appeals to a much broader scope of people. Face the fact you are not going to hear FM Radio play Beyond the Realms of Death before Living after Midnight; is that a bad thing? That is up for the individual listener, but I can sympathize with one little fact they often mention, the better songs on BS are sadly overlooked for the lesser ones, but such is life.

There is a different track listing depending on which version you buy but the version I am reviewing is the commonly known, beginning with Breaking The Law on side one and You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise on side two.

We begin with the simplest of all songs here that was the logical choice to open the album, simple yet effective. While this is a metal anthem it is not your typical one, it is not about ‘Everybody Rise and Scream for Metal’ garbage, no it’s actually very progressive. The chorus is simple but the story is about… well you know. The 1:35 mark is the best part as all the build up finally reaches the point of no return as we are told we do not know what it is like and an abundance of sound effects hit us. The main riff returns and brings us back to the chorus that effectively ends the song. Okay so it is not Exciter but you must remember that Judas Priest is a band that will do their best to not always sound the same. They do either something they have never done before or something they have but update it with whatever year their in, which brings us to…

Rapid Fire, a song that screams metal from 1982 - 2007 more than anything before it does, including Stained Class. Poetic lyrics, fist pumping rhythm sections, heart-stopping vocals, astonishing percussion as the band roars at full throttle. The guitars are louder, crisper and much more demanding of your attention than at anytime in the past. Interesting to note that the 1:51 mark begins what some could argue helped jump-start the whole rapping of the vocals in any given metal song. Overall, the song is fabulous and the following five songs all follow in that nature, yet have a life of their own, which leave us with the last two.

Never before in metal was their a song quite like the Rage, dramatic, pretentious, childlike and… reggae?

The explosive and second best song on the album begins with a bass intro, something we would not see again for four years, that extends into a reggae journey. Dave may be simple but for drummers they understand how effective he is in creating the backbone of all the songs here, but this one in particular. We would have never been given these outstanding riffs without the simplicity of Dave’s drumming. Some of the best lyrics ever conceived by Priest are located here and it is because they and the riffs are allowed room to breathe instead of changing faster than a person and their underwear. By doing so, the song is allowed to go where it needs to, keep even those who are not Priest fans, interested in the twists, and turns the tracks take. The song also gives a chance for KK to show his licks and ability to play a slower, bluesier and meaningful solo without being crazy; essentially, he is trying to beat Glenn at Glenn’s own game.

However, in typical Priest fashion they save the best song for last, a head banging ferocious monster otherwise known as Steeler. This song is that of an angry monster ready to sink his slime-covered jaws into your cranium and swallow it completely, it is that demonic and very creative. While the riffs are like that of the other songs, simple I mean, they interplay with each other so well you lose your mind in them. The lyrics are once again very poetic and make your imagination open up, but the true greatness of the track begins at 1:36, that pseudo thrash break is flooring. The vocals are the pinnacles of Rob’s career, never before or after will he so naturally go through four lines of aggression and poetry. Each line is louder and harder with the same riff thrown in again before Dave gives us a drum roll and the final verse begins, except this one is that much more aggressive. The riff returns and then ends at 2:46, so the last 1:42 is single-handedly the greatest part of the record. Never before had their been a single pedestrian riff repeated a billion times sounded so refreshing and buoyant, complete with electrifying whammy bar work that reaches in and grabs your most inner desires and strangles them. With each drum roll, the music becomes louder and even more evil sounding before the ending finally climaxes with a scream and explosion. The only Priest song in the entire catalog that can match this one is the final track from Turbo, otherwise known as Reckless, but that is a whole other story.

There are also two bonus tracks, which is my only complaint, the quality of the material was brought down by doing so, but once again so is life. The first is 'Red, White & Blue', a very patriotic song recorded in 1985 (I have no clue why it was included on an album from 1980). The first time I heard it, I fell in love with it, it is has a very uplifting feeling to it and the use of crowd noise and interaction was great. In addition, the second track was from the DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH tour at the Long Beach Sports Arena, Long Beach, California on May 5, 1984. The original song may be from the album but the tour it came from was not, Rob’s vocals are embarrassing. Moreover, a more deserving song from here could have been added, like The Rage or Steeler, mostly because we already have a live version of Grinder elsewhere.

So there you have it, an album crafted in fine style by a band that had it’s core members together for six long years at this point. A drummer who may not be as skilled as the two previous ones, but was veteran so he brought that to the table and he was stable. An album that deserves to sit on your mantle, forget the whole talk of it being overrated, the only reason that is mentioned is that it sold well and continues to do so.

Besides it has the greatest Priest song ever recorded as the final track, that being Steeler, with only Reckless coming close. Do yourself a favor and get the album if you do not have it already, then again if you do not… what is wrong with you?

Stainless Steel. - 84%

hells_unicorn, February 20th, 2007

The late 70s and early 80s were an interesting time in heavy metal, marrying the aggression of Black Sabbath with the speed and energy of jazz and later rock influences. Bands such as Riot, Motorhead and Judas Priest created signature speed metal songs in the late 70s that directly influenced both thrash metal and the earlier NWOBHM, as did much of their slower work. “British Steel” carries a sort of accessible brilliance and energy that, in addition to some certifiable metal classics that are still worshiped by the current metal faithful to this day, differed a bit from previous works in its tendency to augment catchiness over progressive and elaborate songwriting.

Among the more obvious classics are “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight”, both of which have received a great deal of radio play since their inception and have appeared on various tribute albums. The former is quite simple in its approach (there is no guitar solo), but you can’t help but love what you hear. Likewise the latter is straightforward and features a chorus that is quite easy to sing along with and devoid of any high end vocal wails. “Metal Gods” follows close behind in catchiness, though we get some more metal sounding lyrics and some cheesy metallic sound effects in the background. (The sounds were actually the band banging on pots and pans with a ton of reverb)

For once the lads in Priest have decided to allow Ian Hill to stand out a bit with a bass intro on “The Rage”; man I’d hate to have his job. The rest of the song is highly bluesy and subdued, but still carries that essential metal spirit that this band has come to personify. “Grinder” and “You don’t have to be old to be wise” are also cut from a simple grain, but are quite hard edged nonetheless. “United” is probably the lightest of the fold, listening almost like a slower version of a late 90s power metal anthem; in fact I believe Freedom Call borrowed part of this chorus for “Farewell” off the Crystal Empire release.

Obviously these 5 Brits are no slouches in the speed department either, bringing forth two fast moving classics in “Rapid Fire” and “Steeler”. Although the latter has the advantage in terms of aggression, speed, and sheer metalness, both of these songs listen well and give “Exciter” a good run for its money, to speak nothing for the other various speed metal songs put out by Motorhead and company. These two songs alone make the album worth buying.

The thing about Priest is that because they’ve been around so long and evolved so much, different fans will gravitate to different things. If you haven’t heard this album, it most closely resembles “Killing Machine” and to a less degree the later album “Screaming For Vengeance”. If you’ve heard either of those albums, this carries a similar sense of straight up songwriting that didn’t go off into mainstream party metal the way “Point Of Entry” and “Turbo” would. If you somehow have not gotten a hold of this due to owning a compilation containing a few of the songs found on here, it is still strongly recommended that you pick up the album as there aren't any songs here that qualify as filler and it is doubtful that any compilation will contain all the tracks found on here.

Later submitted to (www.metal-observer.com) on January 11, 2009.

Mainstream Judas Priest - 79%

DawnoftheShred, January 5th, 2007

As a fan of the faster, heavier early Priest albums, it took me a long time to appreciate this album for what it is. The band kept their tempos limited to mid-paced rockers, simplified their songwriting formula, and started writing songs that didn't sound too out of place on rock radio of the time. A sure recipe for disaster, and yet Priest managed to do it without making themselves completely unbearable. For the most part, this is a great classic metal album, if not necessarily a great Judas Priest album.

The most apparently mainstream aspect of this album is the tempo. Aside from the burst of speed that is "Rapid Fire," the album is pretty consistently slow to mid-paced. The guitarwork and drums are simplified, allowing the songwriting emphasis to shift to the vocals. Therefore the album can't be approached like a metal album; this is pretty much hard rock in the flavor of Judas Priest. However, it works because of Halford. Though he keeps his falsetto in check for most of it, his vocal melodies absolutely rule. He's the primary reason for the album's overall catchiness. Not that the riffing is terrible, just that most of the rhythms are applied solely to highlight the vocal lines.

The songs are highly anthem oriented, and many of them will stick in your head long after listening. The big hits off the album, "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" are solid examples, although this songwriting approach climaxs with "United," which is possibly the catchiest song ever. Again, it's Halford that makes this own so much. The other great aspect of this album is the Downing/Tipton lead combination. While their riffwork has been simplified, their leadwork has not, and the soloing throughout the album is great. Typical of classic metal, but I'm not about to start complaining.

While there is no song I really dislike on this, the album is weaker overall than their earlier works. The mainstream influence works here, but it's not the ideal Priest sound. For the high-speed, rifftastic Judas Priest of the past, check out Stained Class, but if you don't mind a little hard rock influenced metal, British Steel is pretty much the best Priest album of its kind.

British Cuisine - 42%

MacMoney, December 3rd, 2005

The album that launched Judas Priest into the minds of the masses. That is British Steel. It also started a string of Priest albums that were more or less written to be as catchy as they could. The albums until and including Ram It Down - perhaps even including Painkiller - were written in the same formula. Simple, mid-paced songs with catchy choruses and perhaps a ballad and a couple of faster songs to vary things a bit. This is perhaps a good way to appeal to the masses but as an piece of art, its merits are few.

The whole album suffers from being overtly pedestrian. Simplistic guitar patterns aiming for catchiness, formulaic songwriting and a mediocre performance by Halford lend this album no credentials to rise among the revered group of Sad Wings of Destiny and Stained Class. Plain heavy metal or hard rock do work in some contexts like say Motörhead, but Judas Priest don't manage to do that. British Steel isn't all bad though. Rapid Fire, the Exciter of the album, strives to break away from the mediocrity of the rest of the album and actually accomplishes this feat along with Steeler though the songs are rather similar with each other and their forefather. Both songs feature excellent lead play by Downing and Tipton as well as increased tempo compared to the clutter.

The lead work of the two guitarists is what saves the rest of the songs from being a total waste of time. Downing and Tipton may not be technical wizards, but they do know how to write leads. Not much else sets the mid-paced rockers apart from each other. I believe the album would have benefited from more variance in the tempo department. The production on British Steel is very fitting. It is as average and odorless as the rest of the album. Every instrument is clear, in its own space and nicely mixed together but that just adds to the albums lack of distinctiveness. The beginning of Judas Priest's descent into the world of non-flavor.

Kinda plain - 79%

HealthySonicDiet, April 20th, 2004

I keep hearing all these classic metal bands, especially Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, being praised, so when I saw this album for 2 dollars at a pawn shop, I decided to pick it up. Well, I'm not impressed. Sure, they have riffs and balls, but so do 189,398,123 bands out there. I suppose this album isn't the best example of a good Judas Priest album to buy, but I have a feeling that I wouldn't even like the mighty Painkiller. Maybe I will just have to train my brain to appreciate the 'classic' guitar sound and poor production, and I'm willing to do that, but I think it will be awhile, and I can't foresee any NWOBHM/classic metal bands such as Judas Priest gaining the same prestige in my metal collection as artists such as Devil Doll and Pain of Salvation do.

There's a single I remember hearing on the radio from this album all the time, Living After Midnight, but once again it is just kinda 'there' I don't find anything redeeming about it since it probably sounds very similar to a gazillion other songs I've already heard. Also, I'm tired of just hearing 'melodies'. I want to hear something that either has unnatural aggression or progression. I'm sure other people, such as Prog_ Power_ Adam, could empathize with me.Judas Priest, at least on this album, seem to have a "We're gonna party til we drop" attitude that I just don't find too appealing. I can see it right now....two fat unshaven rednecks drinking beer and listening to this album.

I respect the fact that Judas Priest paved the way for many of today's metal bands, but is it totally off-color to suggest that many of the bands inspired by Judas Priest took what they heard from Priest and made it better? Think about it. That's what Metallica did with "Turn the Page". The original by Bob Seger was incredibly lame, but Metallica's cover livened it up a bit. Hetfield extended many of the notes in the song that Seger just deadpanned. I just find modern metal to be much more appealing to me than bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Chalk it up to my youthful age, but that would be faulty, since I know some people(at least one person) my age who love Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.

Not bad - 76%

raZe, October 13th, 2003

I'm no Judas Priest fan. Not yet, anyway. That said, I bought this album a couple of weeks ago, knowing that it is considered one of Priest's best, and their definitive breakthrough. Judas Priest are often compared to Iron Maiden when it comes to "vs."-threads and other things. I don't quite see why, as they have little in common. "British Steel" consists of simple and catchy metal songs, with some cheese thrown in for good measure. Opener 'Rapid Fire' is pretty much everything you could want from the first song on an album. It's fresh, catchy and to the point. Well, it WAS fresh back in 1980. Now it's just another good metal song. Song number two, 'Metal Gods' is also good, but not quite up there. It's definitely worth hearing, though. Then comes one of Priest's most well-known songs; 'Breaking the Law'. It's also the shortest song on the record, clocking in at only 2:35. As usual, everything is catchy, and it's easy to hear why it was chosen as a single. Personally I think it's better than the two tracks before.

'Grinder' has a very cheesy chorus, but after repeated listens I can't help but like it. "Grinder! Looking for meat!" That's cheese if I ever saw it, haha. As with the rest of the songs, the riffs are very catchy. But then comes 'United'. This is one of the most obvious fillers I've ever heard. It has this brotherhood thing going on, and is hardly metal at all. And even while it stinks, I don't really mind listening to it. There's something strange with this album...'You Don't Have to be Old to be Wise' is quite the stupid song title, and I don't really care much for the song either. It's ok, but a bit anonymous compared to the other songs. Song 7 is named 'Living After Midnight'. This has got to be their most famous song, right? And it's kick-fucking-ass as well. The riff is supercatchy, same with the chorus, and the verse is so cheesy it's good.

'The Rage' is next up. It's a good song, but not as good as most of the other songs found on "British Steel". The last song (excluding bonus tracks), is 'Steeler'. It's a great finisher. When the lyrics end, and the song just keeps on playing, that's my favourite part. That was the original tracklisting. But there are also two bonus tracks. The first is 'Red, White & Blue', a very patriotic song recorded in 1985 (I have no clue why it was included on an album from 1980, but whatever). The first time I heard it, I thought it sucked. But now I think it has this uplifting feeling to it. The other bonus track is a live version of 'Grinder', recorded during the "British Steel"-tour. It's pretty much as good as the studio version.

Hey, is this my shortest review yet, or what? I think so, hehe. "British Steel" is a good metal album. I find it to be a bit too simple, though, and it's not much here to get my head banging. The production is good enough (it's remastered, by the way), but doesn't exactly add power to the songs. Compared to Iron Maiden's (there they are again!) debut from 1980, this is pretty lightweight stuff. But I guess that's why it has sold so damn much. At least I'm glad I bought this album, and finding out what the big fuss is. Plus, my friend loves the album already. Good for him!

The worst thing is that this led to Point Of Entry - 90%

Crimsonblood, November 16th, 2002

British Steel is where Judas Priest started to move towards a more commercial rock sound, the one that was hinted on, well, maybe more than hinted, on Hell Bent For Leather. There are still some pure Heavy Metal tracks on here, but this release also has its fair share of rock-oriented tracks, but unlike on Hell Bent For Leather, in my opinion, Judas Priest were successful this time.

So as mentioned this CD can easily be broken down into two sections. One section contains the Metal tracks: “Rapid Fire”, “Grinder”, “Metal Gods”, and “Steeler”. All of these songs are very good. Both “Rapid Fire” and the lesser-known “Steeler” have some classic riffs that as Boris mentioned, had to influence a lot of bands. Hell, some, such as Gamma Ray, have even chosen to completely rip-off “Rapid Fire”. “Grinder” is another excellent mid-paced, riff heavy track, however, “Metal Gods” isn’t perfect. I really like everything about the song except the chorus, which just sounds annoying. It does sound a lot better live though. When I went to see Priest on their latest tour, I was subjected to 45 minutes of the opening band, who played extremely cheesy Pop Punk. After the heinous torture that was the opening band, and of course the obligatory sound check, The Priest came out driving home some pure Heavy Metal with “Metal Gods”… so the point is “Metal Gods” seemed about hundred times better at the moment than it actually was, but I digress. The Hard Rock songs are a mixed bag influence wise. I liked all of them, but “Breaking The Law” and “Living After Midnight” are especially catchy, but very simple rock songs. I know they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but these are classic songs, even if they aren’t typical “Judas Priest Metal”. “The Rage” is kind of interesting; the intro sounds like a Reggae song, which thankfully doesn’t last very long. What makes “The Rage” so good though is the vocals. Halford really shines on this song with excellent phrasing and emotion. “United” is sort of like “Metal Gods” in my books: solid verse with a shitty chorus. I do like the vocal melodies in the chorus of “United” but that Queen sounding percussion is very poorly used and it almost ruins the song for me. “You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise” sounds a lot like early Van Halen, in fact, the first time I heard the song I thought I’d somehow put Van Halen’s self-titled release into my CD player by accident. Regardless of its somewhat unoriginal nature, it’s still a decent song but nothing great.

The guitar work is more simple on British Steel, but catchy as always, and the leads in some songs are classic Priest. Dave Holland, the new drummer, gives us some quality moments, mostly with his fills, although he seems to lack the immediacy of Les Binks. Ian Hill is also given a chance to shine on some songs, and while it is limited to short-lived breaks or intros, it is better than nothing I suppose. British Steel is also where more obvious gay references in the lyrics come out. You got to love the following line from “Living After Midnight”: “I’m getting harder by the hour”. Hmmm… it could be worse though, Halford could be singing “Locked And Loaded”.

The remaster contains the bonus track “Red, White, and Blue” which is an anthem based ballad concerning the bands patriotic nature to UK. This bonus track is utterly forgettable and may only appeal to you if you call the UK your home. However, the live version of “Grinder” is very well done, sounding heavier than it does in the studio.

If you’re opposed to Hard Rock and more simple, catchy guitar songs, then British Steel will only appeal to you with a couple of tracks. But if you’re like me and enjoy both sides of the Priest spectrum, played well mind you, then I suggest you add British Steel to your collection.

Song Highlights: Rapid Fire, Breaking The Law, Grinder, Living After Midnight, The Rage, Steeler.