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Judas Priest > Redeemer of Souls > Reviews
Judas Priest - Redeemer of Souls

Enjoying this is impossible - 15%

Slam_Grinder, November 19th, 2022

My expectations after the great and epic Nostradamus were high, especially after the Epitaph tour from 2011, when Judas Priest told us this would mean farewell, and then, suddenly, they have told us about an upcoming new album. Judas Priest, and Halford in particular, were one of my big musical idols when I was 16 and their way to test new stuff out and make it all sound more or less good, has always impressed me and I was surprised how they would return and if they would just try out something new again as the Nostradamus album, or remind their fans of the old days again as on Angel of Retribution. I hoped that they would just leave their good old times behind and just make different stuff again, because Angel of Retribution was just complete trash, but sadly they really went on and did what Black Sabbath did 1 year ago: Ripping themselves off.

The first two songs that were published, Redeemer of Souls and Walk of the Damned, were really weak. And with really weak I mean even British Steel/Point of Entry weak. The trackIist was promising to contain at least something good, since you had 13 or 18 songs. (depending on the version) But Judas Priest really managed to fuck up every one of them.

Of course I could now blame now the aged members for the failing of this album. Halford is already old. Same with Glenn Tippton, Ian Hill and Scott Travis. However, after I've listened to its successor, Firepower, I really cannot make this argument anymore, because Firepower roasts the Redeemer of Souls anytime, anywhere. And there were other musicians in their age who kicked ass, like Lemmy. Motörhead barely failed. So this could not be a reason for this being such a failure.

You have maybe 5 songs here that work, Battle Cry, Sword of Damocles, Metalizer, Snakebite and Never forget. The last two songs are even only bonus tracks. The reason why the first 3 work are that they're mainly just adaptions of ideas from Ram it down or Painkiller. Halls of Valhalla could have been a part of it too, but the band played that song totally offset. The drums can't keep up with the rhythm, the riffs sound cool at the first time, but the more you listen to this song the more mistakes you hear, especially in the riffs and the solo.

Snakebite is just a no risk Hell Bent for Leather ripoff and Never Forget as a ballad, well, what can go wrong if this band writes half-ballads? The other songs? Well, they definitely lack of variety and the typical Judas Priest vibe. Cold Blooded starts with a Bloodstone opener, then moves on as a typical, totally generic half-ballad. Nothing interesting to find here. I can't say I would remember any of the other songs I didn't mention, even though I have listened through this album more than 5 times. Some might see at least Dragonaut as good, but seriously, for its 4 and a half minutes it's pretty bland. Sure, it's slightly faster than the other songs and a bit more straightforward, but a song at least needs a climax, some shifts and switches. It's not another Electric Eye to afford to lack of all that.

Crossfire and Down in Flames simply sound like unfinished songs during Screaming for Vengence/Defenders of the Faith era. Secrets of the Dead tries to be a hommage to Angel of Retribution, but just makes me fall to sleep. Iron Maiden have started this stupid trend to repeat the chorus to infinity and especially on their albums from the X Factor until today they have just ruined their music for me. And now I hear this exact shit on a Judas Priest song too, with one exception: Rob whispers the title a couple of times. Wow, really reinventing the wheel here! These whispers don't even fit in that part of the song, he just randomly started to whisper.

Beginning of the end sounds like an opener, even though it was the last song of the album, but it is way too long, since it is totally repetitive, as Secrets of the Dead. 2 minutes shorter and it could have been at least a mediocre song- Tears of Blood was OK, it could have been on one of Halford's own releases too, but Halford couldn't hit the notes correctly, and the song ended as fast as it started.

Some people say they prefer this over Angel of Retribution, but I could even remember the melody of the biggest fillers on that album like Wheels of Fire, while on most of these songs here I can barely even remember the first 20 seconds.

The other issue - I can really imagine that this might be the root of all issues on this album - is: the production is simply horrible. The songs sound rusty. What is this? The guitars sound enormously attenuated. Did they get production tips from raw black metal bands? I really don't know if the songs suck as much as I have described it above, or if I would even hate it, if they would have recorded Painkiller like this. Have they used the wrong filters? I have checked several versions of this album and they all suffer the same problem, the guitars sound too weak, the drums too flat, and Halford's vocal sometimes have a hall effect on it - Since I haven't heard all live versions of the songs on this album, I can really not make up, where exactly the issue is, but the production comes damn close to be the root of all failure here. But what I have heard yet, from Dragonaut, Halls of Valhalla and Sword of Damocles, I can tell that the band couldn't make them sound better live either. So I guess the production just make the rest of the album suck almost as much as the most songs sucked already.

I'm really disappointed of the album, because this was the first time that I had to surrender when it comes to listen to an album until I like it. Point of Entry and Turbo are just cheap Radio Rock albums, yet I've managed to like them and even found some favorites.
18 songs, not a single good one here.

Soullessly Irredeemable - 35%

TheHumanChair, July 20th, 2022

It took Priest over half a decade after "Nostradamus" to come out with "Redeemer of Souls." This is the first album to feature Ritchie Faulkner on guitar after KK Downing left. He's a great guitarist, and he really deserved a better first album than this. "Redeemer of Souls" is another one of those albums where it is a genuine struggle to find anything good about at all. I think what might be the best thing I can possibly say about it is that, at no point is it as unlistenable as the worst moments on an album like "Point of Entry" or "Jugulator." That doesn't change the fact that there is pretty much nothing at all decent across this entire record.

You name it, and this album manages to make it suck. Production, guitar tone, song writing quality, riffs, drum beats, and the list goes on. It all sucks across the board. The production is horrible. The guitar tone is horribly thin and at times horrendously grainy. Notes often get lost in the shuffle because of the combination of the two. It makes the guitar playing on the record sound sloppy. Halford himself sounds aged and incredibly tired. His trademarks are all there, but he just never delivers the way he should. It ends up making you feel sad more than anything. He also sounds distant on most songs. As if he's singing from behind the band instead of in front of. It could have been done intentionally to try and hide the age in his voice, but it's noticeable either way. Finally, Scott Travis' drums are flat and quiet, too. It may not be as bad as it was on "Jugulator," but listen to the power he had on "Painkiller," and come back here and listen to his drum production and you'll quickly notice a massive difference.

So off the bat, the 'tools' Priest used to make this album are lackluster. But some solid songwriting should be able to at least salvage that, right? Well, it might have been able to if the songwriting across the record wasn't as bad as everything else I already mentioned. At its very BEST moments, "Redeemer of Souls" sounds like a half energy, half effort Judas Priest. At worst, the songs sound like a bad cover band that tried to make a record of their own in the style of Judas Priest. Not only that, but Priest ALSO fell into the exact same trap they did for "Nostradamus" and made this record FAR too long. People often talk about "Nostradamus" being a bloated album, but when all is said and done, "Nostradamus" only had between 14-15 full length tracks, depending on what you count as such. But take a look at "Redeemer of Souls." It has 13 tracks, so if anything it is just VERY slightly less bloated than the highly criticized "Nostradamus!"

I'll start with the more unique tracks on the album that I feel are worth the most positive attention. For me, "Secrets of the Dead" is the closest the record ever comes to being decent. The riffs are simple but still fun, and it has a dark, brooding energy. Halford is still doing his best to sell the nature of the song, but the fact that you can barely hear him kills it. The chorus itself is a fun doom metal-like chorus. It's a darker and somber chorus, but it's still somewhat catchy despite that. This could have been a solid track if it had a little bit more depth to it. The closer "Beginning of the End" is also an alright track. It's your basic ballad, and Priest has certainly done better ballads in their life than this one, but there are some decent melodies on the song that make it an okay listen. This song also needed a bit more to prevent it from being a very basic ballad that'll get lost in the shuffle, but you can do worse than "Beginning of the End."

Once again, if you put a gun to my head and forced me to pick a top three from this record, "Crossfire" would be my third choice. I'm not the first to point this out, but the intro sounds eerily similar to Sabbath's "I." Even some of the flourishes on it are done with the same timing as on "I." Now, considering Halford stepped in for Dio during the "Dehumanizer" tour for a few shows, so he has sung "I" before, and the fact that this was the first new Priest album since Dio died, this song could very well be a tribute or an intentional reference. The grove to "Crossfire" is okay, as is the chorus, but that's pretty much it. "Battle Cry" is also something of a song that wasted its potential. The intro is very "Sentinel" like to me, and what follows kicks it into high gear. It's definitely the most energy Priest shows off on the entire record. However, it crumbles down when Halford gets to the chorus. He tries very hard to hit his high notes of old, and even at his current age, he has had some success, but here, you can actually HEAR him losing his breath on the chorus. The note lacks power by itself, but the fact that he can barely keep it together is even sadder. "Battle Cry" was close to being something decent if it had a bit more time in the oven to bake, but at the end, it just makes you want to go back to the older material.

There's just SO much bad to talk about when it comes to "Redeemer of Souls," though. "March of the Damned" has verse melodies that sound like a pop song, and a chorus that sounds like the band was just as bored of it as their eventual audience would be. This is a clear 'single' song. It's as basic as a song can get, sounds commercial as hell, and has absolutely no energy nor inspiration. This song is the definition of 'going through the motions.' "Cold Blooded" is right there with it, though. Once again, Halford just couldn't even be bothered to care. His singing is as basic and effortless as you'll ever hear from him. For the verse riffs, the band tries this spacey guitar tone to try and make it feel different, but it's unnecessary and adds nothing. The melodies themselves are, again, sappy, and very, very poppy sounding. It's another attention seeking track to try and squeeze out some single potential, and it sucks hard from start to finish.

The intro for "Down in Flames" might start to get you a little excited, because the start is reminiscent of a better time, but once the main riff kicks in, all hopes will be dashed. The guitars are boring and horribly crunchy. Halford, for what seems like the hundredth time on a 13 track album, gives close to no effort. The chorus is another biker pandering mess to try and seem tough to an increasingly aging group. It's a sad and annoying song to listen to. The acoustic intro of "Hell and Back" make you think you're going to get another ballad, but after the song actually kicks in, you'll wish it WAS a mediocre ballad instead. Stock riffs shoot out which would suck even if the crunched guitar tone was better. The melodies are drunken blues nonsense. The song has a different feel, I'll give it to that, but different did not mean good in this case. This song seemed like they named it something tough to give the false illusion that it was more 'metal' than it really is. The song they present to you is nothing like what you'd envision when to hear a title like "Hell and Back." It's a jumbled mess of a song regardless.

"Sword of Damocles" has an interesting beat to it, and once again, is extremely bluesy. It has a few cool guitar flourishes here and there, but Halford is just dreadful on this track. Halford sounds like he's reading the lyrics off of a piece of paper on the fly as they recorded the song. During the first verse section, for example, it sounds like he tries to put emphasis on the word "FOOLS," but it's barely any punchier than the rest of the words, so it feels like there was a cue on the paper for him to do so, and he caught it super late and barely got it out in time. It genuinely sounds like Halford recorded the vocals in one quick take. That's how bad the song is. "Metalizer" is trying really desperately to be another Priest metal anthem, too, and it falls flat. It has one of Halford's better high notes on the record, but even that is pretty flat. The melodies are decent, but the riffs are really lifeless on "Metalizer." The end of the chorus is solid, but what it uses to get to the final word of the chorus feels really confused and disjointed. "Metalizer" sounds like it should be the hyper driving badass track of the album, but it sounds so out of gas. The song is like a sports car with a dying engine. It might be TRYING, but it's clearly just not able to succeed.

There's just no excuse for "Redeemer of Souls." It just has bad choice after bad choice, and it almost feels like this album came out of some sort of commitment rather than an album made of passion. It almost makes me feel like they thought Faulkner deserved his name on a studio album and so they made this record just to help him say he was a true blue member of Judas Priest. Regardless of why, there's nothing to hear on this album. There's nothing of note and nothing of substance. There's not a single thing off this record that you'll be missing if you never listen to it in your life. I think only the most diehard of diehard Priest fans should pay money for this record. It's just lucky, though, that Priest didn't sink off into the sunset with this record. They had (at time of writing) at least ONE more decent album in them to salvage their good name.

Could have been Ram It Down 2.0 - 40%

WR95, August 16th, 2021

Judas Priest is a band that tends to release irregular records since Jugulator, with some stumbles in their classic age such as Turbo and Point of Entry. The only record that I fully enjoyed was their latest release, Firepower. Redeemer of Souls is an album with correct songs, songwriting problems and poor production, which could be solved as Ram It Down, which has basic compositions but a magnificent production, especially on the guitars. I even liked the drums on "autopilot" on that 1988 record. With so much technology within reach, this band shouldn't have any such inconveniences. These old deities have made me suffer more than football.

It is better than Turbo, Point of Entry, Demolition and Nostradamus, but it's below the level of Firepower, Angel of Retribution and Jugulator. Unfortunately, poor production and the predominance of average songs over good songs it receives a low rating compared to Fear of the Dark, which has a good production and at least half of the album is really good. I'm not comparing both bands, it's a simple analogy I like to do with my two favorite bands. In Fear of the Dark I gave a more favorable opinion about British Steel than the reviewed album. Well, when it comes to an album with too many songs, I like to group them into three different groups in the review.

The Good: Dragonaut, Halls of Valhalla, Down In Flames, Battle Cry. This handful of songs show references to their early and later years. "Dragonaut" is a decent opener, it's good but it's too small compared to "Judas is Rising", if we talk about Rob's comeback. "Halls of Valhalla" and "Battle Cry" are the best tracks but they are nothing spectacular, in fact, they would be unnoticed on the B side of Screaming For Vengeance or any 80s album.

The Average: Redeemer of Souls, Sword of Damocles, Hell & Back, Cold Blooded, Metallizer, Beginning of the End. Most of them lack of speed, while "Beginning of the End" has a Rocka Rolla vibe but sadly it is inferior to any song from the band's debut. I'm not saying they're bad, they're entertaining, but pretty average, and even after a few days you forget that these songs exist. And regarding solos, I don't remember any memorable solo, even Rocka Rolla has more killer solos than this album!

The Bad: March Of The Damned, Crossfire, Secrets of the Dead. If things seemed very uneven, you find three forgettable fillers. Being such a long disc, the danger of filler is imminent. But focusing on the positive thing, if these songs were composed thirty years ago, they would be praised.

If the album remove some fillers and improve its production, many songs would look lucid than they really are. Metallizer's sound is criminal and not in a good sense because it has the potential to be a good song. Undoubtedly the band try to return to their roots and they try to give variety going through blues touches, even through references to Rocka Rolla or Painkiller, but without the magic, intensity and punch that I would liked to hear. I wanted to be generous with the rating but nothing justifies the inconsistency of this. The abuse of mid-paced and the lack of versatility don't help so much. I find it excessive and a lack of respect for their discography if I try to put it on the same level as Ram It Down, British Steel, Killing Machine or any second-rate stuff. Just notice that I rated 90% to Firepower. Too little to be Judas Priest.

The will was there, but not the power - 21%

Antilith, November 23rd, 2017

Who thought that after Epitaph, especially after K.K. Downing's departure, Judas Priest would release another album ever again? After I've heard about this back then, I was totally excited and thanked God for blessing me with another Judas Priest work, especially because to my ears, neither Judas Priest, nor the solo projects of Halford have released anything bad yet. I even liked most of the totally ridiculous album Turbo and to me, Nostradamus was an epic masterpiece.

But on Redeemer of Souls, Judas Priest showed that they clearly had no ideas anymore, nor the power to at least keep the flame burning they've ignited and kept burning during their whole career. Already the two singles, the title track and March of the Damned, were totally old man's rock music and I'm sure that nobody would have even cared about these songs if any other band would have written them. But in case of Judas Priest they even get cheered on when they play this live, while most of the other songs that clearly have more life and energy in have never found their way to the concerts.

It's really sad to hear that Judas Priest tried to make acoustic references on each of the songs to their albums they've released so far. They try to sound heavy on Dragonaut and Sword of Damocles like back then on Angel of Retribution, they try to unleash the power they had back then on Painkiller with Battle Cry and Metalizer or try to sound epic like on Ram It Down with Halls of Valhalla. Cross Fire and Snakebites from the Special Edition should remind of British Steel and songs like Cold Blooded, Bring It On and Hell & Back should refer to the Screaming for Vengeance/Defenders of the Faith times. But you can clearly hear that these guys have already reached the zenith of their creativity and especially of their stamina, because the songs get boring at the second where the opening finishes. Except for the songs Metalizer and Battle Cry with its epic solo duet, none of the other songs are even able to reach your ear. I have literally listened to the songs without clearly recognizing them.

It really hurts me to say that Judas Priest, one of my former favorite bands died with this album, because the saddest thing is that they clearly haven't done anything shitty in their whole career. Halford and the others created hymns and pushed themselves further with every album they've released, they didn't betray their fans, they didn't make shitty unlistenable experiments, so the sad thing is that the guys from Judas Priest simply don't have the power to rock like about 10 years ago.

So after this really uninspiring adventure of 17 songs, I was even sadder when I've listened to their farewell song Never Forget. Unfortunately, Redeemer of Souls is a totally powerless album with barely any catchy song that was able to keep in my ears.

The Priest is Still Preaching - 72%

Shane McNealy, November 21st, 2015

After the not so great Nostradamus that was released in 2008, Priest fans were wondering what was going to happen next to the band. Judas Priest tried experimenting in the last album, were they going to drift more to that sound? Or return to the more straightforward sound fans have known Priest to have? Sure enough, they came back to release a powerful new album as aging rockers. Sure, it isn't Painkiller or Screaming for Vengeance where Halford is waling into the microphone, but it is him giving it his all for an almost 65 year old man.

The one thing that may take Priest fans to get use to with this album is the production. It is not the best production in the world but it isn't terrible either. It's simply "good". The drums at times seem to be a little overpowered. However, it does at times make the song seem a little more grand, especially in Halls of Valhalla. Another thing that is notable in this album is the absence of long time guitarist of the band, K. K. Downing. Replacing him is Richie Faulkner, who surprisingly makes the band sound a bit younger again with some very energetic and memorable guitar solos; especially in Halls of Valhalla after Rob screams towards the end of the song. Who wouldn't want to shred that fast on a guitar after hearing that?

The songs themselves are pretty good for the most part throughout the album. The album starts off with the killer Dragonaut which sounds like classic Judas Priest. The killer guitar riffs, the evil lyrics and the tight playing. Judas Priest continues to change up the way the sound on this album digging into a little bit of what I would call power metal on songs like Halls of Valhalla and Swords of Damocles. Very heavy songs with lyrics about triumph and victory. Towards the middle of the album, the band goes back in time with songs that sound as if they were either out of Killing Machine or British Steel but with a heavier production. However at times, it can drag a little bit. Richie adds some twists in the band's sound with songs like Crossfire, which as a very similar intro compared to Black Sabbath's 'I". The album picks up speed and aggression vocally and instrumentally on Battle Cry that has a very Painkiller like vibe to it. The last song is another Priest Ballad, which is one of the better ballads that Priest has done.

For a band this old and with all the things that they have gone through, this is an album that does not disappoint. It's not an album to be taken seriously but it's an album to head bang too and to have a good time with. Of course, it has its flaws as do most albums but that will not stop me from listening to this again. It makes Iron Maiden's new album "Book of Souls", look like it was made by by dying old men.

Yes, this is a sympathetic review, deal with it - 80%

Drequon, August 8th, 2015

I think it's fair to say that Judas Priest simply doesn't owe us anything anymore. For over 40 years these brave lads from Birmingham have delivered heavy metal in its purest form, and still they've never been afraid to experiment and change things around a bit from time to time. They already provided us a fair amount of great records, so I tend to be very charitable about their most recent input to heavy metal music. I mean, if there's anyone who can make a living out of former glories, the guys from Judas Priest should top the list, right? So please forgive me if I'm about to write a sympathetic review to "Redeemer of Souls", because I just think they deserve it, really. And not only because, you know, they're Judas Priest - but also because "Redeemer of Souls" is a good album. Maybe not a fantastic CD, but surely a nice enough one.

Things changed a bit since "Nostradamus", the (somewhat ill-fated) attempt to create a 2-CD epic that (unfortunately) never materialized upon a stage. K.K. Downing is no longer there, being replaced by Richie Faulkner - a change that may reek of sheer betrayal for more die-hard fans, but seems to have been adequate in musical terms at least. New man Richie does a commendable job here, trying to fill K.K's shoes with dignity while adding a few touches of his own. I hope no one will want to hang me for this, but sometimes you can hardly remember it's a new guitarist playing the riffs and leads there. Of course the presence of Glenn Tipton is the best guidance a newcomer could ever have, and Faulkner assumes a very respectful position towards Downing's legacy most of the time - sometimes he actually seems to be emulating the legendary guitarist note by note, which I take as a sign of respect more than anything else. But he's also not afraid to roll up his sleeves and show a few nice tricks of his own, especially in the solos department, which is a good stance when you have such a life-changing chance like this one. Well done, mister.

Another perceivable change comes in Rob Halford's voice. Age sure took its toll, and the memorable high-pitched screams and shrieks are forever gone for him. But is it a real problem? I sincerely don't think so: he's no longer screaming like a beast, true, but his presence and confidence are still impressive and working for great effect most of the time. Yeah, maybe Halford will never nail "Painkiller" live ever again, but he still can deliver the goods (sorry) in less demanding songs, keeping his dignity pretty much intact throughout this new CD. Sometimes his performance is even reassuring, as he leaves no room for mistakes: he is still the Metal God, and no one can beat him in his game.

And what about the music, you ask me? Well, it's sure a departure from the overblown "Nostradamus", and it's also different from "Angel of Retribution" - an album that, let's be point-blank honest, was an uneven listening experience all around. "Redeemer of Souls" is classic Metal in very direct, sometimes almost stripped-down terms, with 13 songs that revisit almost every avenue Judas Priest ever crossed with a confident, yet very down-to-earth approach. It's heavy metal as the masters forged it decades ago, no regrets and no room for mistakes. The opening tune "Dragonaut" is almost heavy-metal-for-dummies, in a good way: opens with sounds of thunder, then a ultra-typical metal riff and Rob Halford singing "Welcome to my world of steel"! If you don't get it, pal, then I'm afraid metal is really not your cup of tea.

The songs are mostly good, sometimes even bordering on brilliant, although you won't get any mind-blowing attack like "Hellrider" (the best song Judas Priest wrote since Halford's return IMO). My personal favorites would be "Sword of Damocles" (excellent guitar work), "Down in Flames" (almost hard rock but quite memorable), "Halls of Valhalla" (somewhat cheesy lyrics, but excellent twists and turns), "Battle Cry" (good old-fashioned headbanging here, and also the closer you'll get to hear Halford actually screaming his lungs out) and "Hell & Back" (a more contemplative, yet heavy tune with a commanding rhythm section). The title-track is also good, but much of its thunder is stolen as soon as you realize it recycles the exact formula of old classic "Hell Patrol". The other songs may not be as strong as the tracks mentioned above - some, as "Metalizer" and "Secrets of the Dead", really failed to impress me in any way - but the good thing about "Redeemer of Souls" is that it's a pretty solid album as a whole.

Unlike "Angel of Retribution", you won't have to search the goods among the dross around here, and you won't submerge in a sea of melodramatic boredom like in "Nostradamus" either. This is Judas Priest doing what they do best, without trying to sound modern or grandiose and wasting no time on detours. Far from being a classic of course, "Redeemer of Souls" is a good addition to Judas Priest's discography, and I think it will be a suitable final album if they never enter the studio again (though I surely hope they do). And the deluxe edition presents no less than five unique extra tracks, including a few nuggets like "Creatures" and "Tears of Blood". Go get it straight away, if you still don't own a copy.

Nothing spectacular, just a good release - 70%

TrooperOfSteel, June 23rd, 2015
Written based on this version: 2014, 2CD, Sony Music (Deluxe edition)

While in the year 2014 we witness the release of UK metal veterans Judas Priest's much anticipated 17th full-length album, ‘Redeemer of Souls’, we also celebrate the 40th anniversary of their debut release, ‘Rocka Rolla’. 40 years is indeed a long time to be in the music industry and Judas Priest have seen a lot over the decades. They were one of the bands from the UK to be a part of the NWOBHM and have grown to become one of the best and well known metal bands in the world.

Priest have also changed with the times, either with trends musically at the time, or taking risks and going on the front foot concerning changes to the band. The appointment of Tim "Ripper" Owens marked a significant change of musical style for Priest after Rob Halford left and while ‘Jugulator’ and ‘Demolition’ aren't the best albums in the band's career, it showed that Priest could mix it up and become multi-dimensional. And lastly, Priest’s concept album ‘Nostradamus’ may not have worked with the majority of fans, but again proved that Judas Priest were not afraid to take a gamble and do something against the grain.

So, what to expect from the Metal Gods' latest effort, ‘Redeemer of Souls’? A mistake that us fans tend to do with bands we love is to put massively high expectations of a new album. What you have to remember is that Priest have been around for over 40 years and, by this stage of their careers, it is quite unlikely that we'll ever see anything reminiscent of the near-perfect ‘Painkiller’ ever again. Rob Halford is 62 years old and time has taken its toll on his vocal cords, but he knows his limits and that's what you get on the new album.

What you will find, however, is a good to solid album in which the song-writing tends to delve into Judas Priest's previous eras, ranging from their early ‘80s stylings of ‘Screaming for Vengeance’ and ‘Defenders of the Faith’, to their late ‘70s bluesy stylings of ‘Stained Class’ and ‘Hellbent for Leather’; and lastly the vigorous tenacities of ‘Angel of Retribution’. My first gripe of this album is that it's probably two maybe three songs too long. 13 tracks and 18 if you include the deluxe edition, is a lot of songs. Kudos for the five bonus tracks, which most of them are actually decent and should have replaced the few rather lacklustre tracks found throughout this album.

I also feel that Judas Priest could have done more on this album. ‘Redeemer of Souls’ is missing a bit of grunt and power that we’ve come to expect over the years and decades from the Metal Gods. Yes there are a few speedy, thunderous tracks that take your back to the glory days, the ones that sweep you off your feet, those being classic 80’s-90’s Priest sounding wonders that are "Dragonaut", "Battle Cry", and "Metalizer". Sadly though, those ripping tracks are unfortunately too few and far between and you are left feeling almost cheated and confused by the lack of vigour and tempo.

I don't mind the band recreating styles from previous eras of the four decades they have been around in, as it makes for a diverse CD. With that said, however, ultimately this approach has made the disc fairly directionless and frustrating, particularly when some of the songs just prod along (take “Cold Blooded” and “Secrets of the Dead” for examples) and fail to really take off because of that lack of crunch, heart, bite and grit. They sound tired and almost put in there just to “fill the quota”; it’s the cold hard sign that this band’s flame is beginning to extinguish.

All is not lost, however, with Priest as the seasoned veterans that they are, can still write catchy songs that deliver the goods and win over the majority of their fans, providing further glimpses of their rockin’ best, with powerful tracks in the names of "Hell & Back", the mid-paced but effective "Halls of Valhalla" (which originally I had as a filler but has since grown on me), "March of the Damned" and the swift "Crossfire", that stand up over the filler rest.

Overall, Priest's new album is just that; a Judas Priest album. Neither spectacular nor terrible, ‘Redeemer of Souls’ is just a good solid release from one of the best metal bands in the world, who have been churning out albums for 40 years. Diehard fans will enjoy this just like they have with previous albums, but there will be some criticism from the media, highlighting a number of disappointing things on the album, as expected.

Time waits for no man and in the case of Judas Priest, we have to acknowledge that now we are starting to see its vulnerability after 40 years in the game. Despite that, hopefully with the injection of some youth and new blood into their ranks (Faulkner), it may rub off onto the aging dinosaurs that are Halford, Tipton, and Hill; and we might just get maybe one more Priest album before this band is put out to pasture and into the Hall Of Fame.

Originally written for www.themetalforge.com

The party's simply over. - 45%

Pratl1971, September 11th, 2014
Written based on this version: 2014, 2CD, Sony Music (Deluxe edition)

As with anything, age and the passage of time are often cruel and unforgiving masters to whom we are undeniably submissive. Sure, we can do everything to try and combat the inevitable, but eventually the laws of gravity and life give way and we have limits set for us. Sometimes we have to have the good sense to know when to hear that last bell and follow its dreaded tolling into that gentle goodnight. After hearing teaser tracks from the latest Judas Priest effort, Redeemer of Souls, I'm caught between a barbed wire fence and nearly 35-years of heavy metal greatness (dismissing the one or two bumps in that long and storied road).

Okay, long and short, this latest Priest record is criminally missing one of its major components in terms of sound, and that is Mister Ken "K.K." Downing. That familiar tonal assault I'm so used to hearing on each Priest record since 1980 is just gone, vanished into the nether of a myriad of conjecture and quick dissociative blurbs. As to why Downing decided to opt out of one of the greatest metal bands to ever walk the planet, I hear the rumors and see the aforementioned block quotes, but I can only surrender to my own personal feelings of something completely off and just not right. That little OCD moment aside, I sat here and more or less convinced myself that the utter disaster that was Nostradamus couldn't possibly be matched, and thankfully I was right. This newest record isn't anything close to that double-disc insult, but it also isn't at the level of credibility of Angel of Retribution, harkening the return of Rob Halford to the fold after a lengthy foray into Trent Reznor-esque boredom and an eventual return to the very medium once sarcastically declared "dead." Musically, Redeemer of Souls is a competent, even good album for your run of the mill NWOBHM band vying for a selected spot in this current resurgence of that primitive, yet fundamentally important sound. There are standout tracks, such as "Valhalla" that really overpower me and get me feeling good about the Priest again, but I'd be remiss if I didn't say that there is so much studio magic on Halford's voice it should be a Honey Nut Cheerios commercial. The high register days of "The Sentinel" and "Dreamer Deceiver" are long over, I understand that, but the vocal performance here sports a very thin border between rudimentary and a simple going-through-motions. Is it offensive? No, not by any means, but I will say that the little clean vocal crooning in "Sword of Damocles" is downright painful and should have been cut out completely from an otherwise decent track. These little indiscretions don't pile up too much, but they do tend to throw off the vibe and flow of the album. I suppose after 40-years going, Judas Priest no longer needs to worry about such things.

Sandwiched between spurts of goodness, tracks like "March of the Damned" read more like a mediocre bar band trying to fire up a corner saloon filled with drunken leftovers from the 80's hair metal scene. Vocally, lyrically, even musically it falls well short of being anything close to memorable. The soloing is about as lackluster as it gets, which is depressing considering the magic sweeping from at least one set those fingers for all of these years. I'm not knocking Richie Faulkner or his ability to play his instrument; truth told, he is a very good guitarist, but if he was supposed to be some sort of cortisone injection into an aging Priest, that shot missed the target muscle. The closest we get to former glory is the opening riff in "Down in Flames," which recalls, quite vividly, "Heading Out to the Highway" with its chunky riff and thumping bass line that made me momentarily smile. This track is one of the sandwich tracks I mentioned and resonates pretty well as something you might have heard from either Point of Entry or Painkiller. Even the vocals on this track are really as close to "nailing it" as Rob Halford will come, but I am anxious to hear some of the leaked live shows when they start trickling out there to see how this material stands up in the purest form possible.

Again, this album shows us an aged Judas Priest, and that little fact isn't lost on me. However, as a lifelong fan of the band I don't think it's unreasonable to assume (and hope) for a more spirited performance from these guys. When I hear this album all the way through for about the sixth or seventh time now, I am left wanting more. I want Downing and that familiar Tipton/Downing trade off that still makes Dave Murray and Adrian Smith so damn potent in the same age bracket. I want a fire in the belly; the same fire that kept a dying Ronnie James Dio going strong and powerful for a lot longer than probable as he approached 70. My point is, despite the ever-declining lifespan of us all, there is still something to be said for giving it your all and just going for it with the proverbial metal on the floor and the open wind slapping you into violent submission. Even the opening notes of "Cold Blooded" seem so lifeless and solicit no real emotional engagement, and that's the saddest part of this record for me (though the solo in this song is the best on the album.) There are definite moments of pinhole-lighted magic disseminated throughout the entire album, but overall Redeemer simply fails to thrill me like it should, but I keep myself satiated by telling myself, "At least it ain't that last pile of crap." We all have our little pick-me-ups.

I love Judas Priest. I love everything about the band: the history, the black leather-studded, whip-carrying, motorcycle-riding, unearthly-screaming Judas Priest that I grew up with all through the 80's into the present day. It pains me to my core to see one of my favorite bands simply lose a fire that has been burning for so long, and please don't sedate yourself with talk of them being older and still being a great band for its age. Even worse, I've seen it bandied about that they are legends and should "get a pass" for being less than stellar now, and this is where I vehemently disagree. Picture, if you will, an aging pugilist, whose better days of single-vision are long behind him. He knows nothing else but how to fight, and despite the brain damage and obvious grasping at straws to stay both relevant and competitive, he simply doesn't have the tools to keep up any longer. Yet he stays. He takes beating after beating, swelling and bleeding from every orifice on his head, and he simply won't quit. Why is this man so stubborn? Pride? Conviction? Stupidity? One too many blows to the head? Who can say? All we see is this shell of former greatness that is well past his prime, and the last visage we'll have of him is a weary and stumbling artifact walking away, not to a Bill Conti composition, but to a quiet, pitying darkness that will slowly envelop him as he shrinks from sight into the rest of his broken existence. The bell has rung, and it's time to let it go gracefully while the last visuals are ones of amazement and triumph. It will not get any better from this point on, and we need to see that and accept it.

The world isn't fair, but it is consistent.

(Originally written for www.metalpsalter.com)

No coupon for you - 57%

autothrall, July 28th, 2014
Written based on this version: 2014, CD, Sony Music

I'll start off with the verdict for once: it could have been worse.

That is not to say Redeemer of Souls ranks on any meter as the sort of career redemption the UK vets implied through their choice of titles, but had they produced what amounted to another overblown waste of time like Nostradamas, my faith in the metal gods would have become incredibly difficult to defend. No, this is essentially a sort of pseudo career retrospective wedged into a supposed swan song, of which the worst crime is that compared to any of Priest's classic run ('74-'90) it feels clunky, retread, uneven, and certainly lazy in enough places that you wish they would have spent a lot more time putting it together...even though it feels like they already spent aeons. But I have to be honest...this is a band I've listened to now for 35 years, and for 2/3rds of that time they have not had much wind in their sails beyond touring, keeping their brand out there, trying out another front man, failing, reuniting with Rob, pressing on, losing K.K. Downing...effort was put into this band on most fronts, but just not in the studio. There was almost no possibility this was going to be good, so I'm simply content that it doesn't suck.

As the cover hints, and many reviews I've seen would have us believe, this appears at first like a call back to the Painkiller years, which is only partially true. The album front loads an inconsequential '88-'90 rager in "Dragonaut" which features some of the most tepid riffing on the whole of the disc, and then follows that up with the title track, which is nothing more than a paraphrasing of "Hell Patrol" only nowhere near as timeless. But once you go in and break down the rest, there is quite a lot of representation here for both their groovier hard rock roots and more heavily conceptual 70s material. In fact I'd say that, from a distance, the album seems to be about 50% what they were doing with its predecessor, Painkiller-lite, albeit with less or no orchestration involved, and then 50% waxing nostalgic for the era in which they were a dominant radio force in hard rock and heavy metal. At the same time, nods to the Halford solo records, which represented the man's best work since 1990, are also ubiquitous here. I felt like I was listening to Halford IV numerous times, what with the ProTools-ish punch of the rhythm guitars and the heavily moderated/souped up vocal harmonies that partially hide the wear in his voice...don't get me wrong, he still tears out some fucking lines here that remind us why he is perhaps the most important vocalist in his medium, but this is not "The Ripper" or "Victim of Changes"....

Rob is dealing with the inevitability of time, but most people would pass on both their testicles to science in order to sound like this beloved man at the age of 62. Elsewhere, the band sounds on/off in equal measure, phoning in a slew of saccharine rhythm guitar patterns which dive into basically the lion's share of NWOBHM which the band predated and subsequently outlasted, especially a couple licks that recalled vintage Maiden in addition to their own substantial canon. They can snare us a little more consistently with a bluesier hard rock groove more so than a recycled proto-power metal lick, and the leads are fluent and flashy enough to distract the ear from the relative mediocrity of what is typically happening before, beneath and after them, but whether it's due to the newcomer Richie Faulkner or the lack of Downing, I can't really say. If K.K. were performing these very same songs I don't think the results would fare much better. Elsewhere yet, Scott Travis shows up for a paycheck: the guy can play, but he's only ever as good as the music he's providing the skeleton for, and while you can 'notice' Ian Hill following along the root notes, well grounded as usual, he has just never had a presence with this band that could earn him a place among the ranks of essential bassists. I mean I know it's not how Judas Priest writes, but I'd just love it if for once in 44 years he could just let loose, let us know what he's been hiding all those decades...

Structurally, the album starts off with the aforementioned, skippable harder/faster tunes and then actually picks up in quality with "Halls of Valhalla" (decent power metal, superior to anything of Nostradamas) and the mid-paced, driving "Sword of Damocles", in which only a few of the vocal lines really feel exceedingly familiar, but it has a nice swagger, as does "Marched of the Damned", which functions largely because of Halford's vocals and a nice chorus riff. "Down in Flames" starts off pretty strong too with a nice melody cut into the intro lick, but that song is actually where this brief flurry of 'decent' material kind of drops off, and never recovers, with an unbroken sequence of the worst songs on the disc, like the cheesy Painkiller-era wannabes "Metalizer" and "Battle Cry", or the bluesy, generic "Crossfire". In short, there is about an EP here of material worth saving for a B-sides compilation, but it's really just not good enough for Priest. In a few weeks, who will care about any of this? They might suffer you a few of the tunes live, but you know you'll be pining for the 50 or so brilliant songs they wrote so long ago.

For a group so bloody consistent through the first third of its career, one would really hope they could reach somewhere deep within their imaginations and produce an epitaph worth remembering, but I fear that's too much of a Hollywood storyline to apply to reality. Redeemer of Souls is more or less this year's version of Black Sabbath's 13, symptomatic of a band which still recognizes what made it so special in the first place, but cannot achieve that level of songwriting because it has run short of riffs that feel even tangentially compelling when compared to the impressive legacy they stamped on heavy metal a lifetime ago. At the same time, it's not complete trash...a few of the ideas are not half-assed, if not exemplary either, and there are about 15-20 minutes of pleasant Priest to sift through. It's better than the two Owens-era records, and certainly Nostradamas, but slightly less solid than Angel of Retribution. It's just not a high note to go out with...and considering Rob can still hit some high notes, I'll hold on some sliver of hope. That gibbering late 70s/80s fanatic child within me wants to hear a record he loves by this band again, and not by Halford or Primal Fear or any other band. Kick the new guy, get K.K. Downing back and do it right. We deserve as much, and more importantly, YOU DO.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Expectations were exceeded - 85%

SinCaptor95, July 23rd, 2014
Written based on this version: 2014, 2CD, Sony Music (Deluxe edition)

Going into Redeemer Of Souls, I had some pretty moderate expectations but also some worries. I feared that, with 13 songs, the album would have been cluttered with filler and it would fall under it's own weight. Angel Of Retribution felt good with 10 songs, but 13 sounded like it was going to go overboard. The amount of tracks was pretty much my main worry, but after listening to the album via the iTunes stream, I was able to tell myself that I had immensely enjoyed it. I was set to purchase the album, although I was skeptical about buying the deluxe edition because 5 bonus tracks seemed like a bit much. In the end, I even managed to enjoy those.

Needless to say, I enjoyed this album much more than I thought I would. It has some classic Priest sounded stuff (Down In Flames, Dragonaut, Crossfire) along with some original sounding material that still has a Priest vibe (Halls Of Valhalla, Secrets Of The Dead) to them. If KK Downing leaving the band made you worry that the new Judas Priest wouldn't sound the same, I can assure you that this still very much sounds like Judas Priest. There are plenty of riffs scattered around that make you go "Yep, that's the band I've come to know and love all these years", there's some killer screams by Rob Halford that remind you of Painkiller, and there are even some blues-y moments that sound like something from their first couple of albums. Even with one of the major members of the band gone, their first record without him still manages to capture the feeling that you're listening to the same band.

The production seems to be a major target of criticism for people. I've seen some say it's too loud, too compressed, it sound like a demo, and so on. Although I will agree that the sound isn't nearly as polished as it was on Angel Of Retribution or even Nostradamus, I actually really like how raw it sounds. That's just my preference, although I can see where people are coming from when they criticize how the production was handled. The lyrics are mostly solid, but can come off as a bit cheesy, such as in Down In Flames ("They want blood. Yes, it's true"). For the most part though, the lyrics are far from bad, but do you really listen to Judas Priest for that?

All in all, I'm very happy to say that I really enjoyed Redeemer Of Souls. There are a couple of not so memorable tracks (Secrets of the Dead, Beginning of the End), but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. I also recommend picking up the deluxe edition for the 5 bonus tracks.

Slightly Better - 66%

StainedClass95, July 17th, 2014

This is my favorite band's newest album. It isn't a masterpiece. This is far from the artistic statement of Stained Class, Sad Wings of Destiny, or even Sin After Sin. It also isn't nearly as fun as Screaming For Vengeance, Hell Bent, or Defenders, let alone Painkiller. This is better than their lousier 80's albums like Ram It Down, Turbo, and probably even Point of Entry. I would also take this over their last four. The main weak points are the age to Halford's vocals and the guitar playing. Oddly enough, I think the songwriting is slightly improved from their last few.

Halford's vocals are still good, they just sound different. He doesn't sound like younger Halford minus an octave, he sounds like a good, but nondescript singer. He handles the songs and occasionally he has a moment, but they just don't grab me like many of his younger performances do. It's weird, even his stuff with his solo band sounded more like him. On an interesting note, Halls of Valhalla contains one of his lowest notes of all time. He hits a Bb1, which is about as low as he's ever gotten. For his lyrics, most of them are similar to older songs, but not as overtly as the last couple. There are a few metal cliches, but nothing that directly references a previous song. I found Cold Blooded particularly interesting. A song about a man who is dead in hell is rather intriguing, just for the fact that I've never heard a song cover the topic. I imagine there have been other songs on this topic, but none that I've heard and can recall.

The guitar playing on this album is a mixed bag. The riffs are alright, but nothing special. Most of the songs don't get too fast, and many that don't aren't very good. The solos also aren't particularly interesting. This all gives a restraining feeling to the album that I could have done without. The production is a little weak as other's have mentioned, but it doesn't bother me very much. The music is decent, but not very special. There are several songs that remind me of Electric Eye put to modern production. I also get a Gamma Ray vibe at times. I think that this is a direction Priest should consider. They could all handle the extra speed of power metal, and it seems like it would make for more of a consistent listen. The last few have felt like they were trying to see what stuck to the wall.

As usual, I have to strain to try to hear Ian. In this instance, I couldn't. Travis hasn't been able to do anything really exciting since Painkiller. Personally, I think he should get some jazz instructions. If he won't be given the volume and speed to jackhammer, then I believe he should work on his fills. This brings to mind my other idea for what Priest could do next. I would actually be interested in them taking an album in a more groove-direction. Don't read that as Pantera, I mean more like a Melissa type album. If Tipton won't or can't write the riffs like he used to, then give the rhythm a little more room. A metaled up Crossfire with louder bass and drums could work well for an album.

Why am I giving this album a high rating if I'm not as impressed with the instruments? The songs are better than they've been. The screw-ups on this album aren't as big as Retribution's, nor are they as frequent as Nostradamus'. Dragonaut and March of the Damned are legitimately good songs, and only Down in Flames, Hell & Back, and Secrets of the Dead are really weak. Even their ballad is better than usual. In short, this album could have been Defenders had Halford a better voice left in him. Had Tipton his muse still as well, then this could have been Screaming. As it sits, it's in between Rocka Rolla and Jugulator.

What would I recommend of this? I think a Priest fan might want the two I mentioned. An early metal or power metal fan could take a look and might like a little here and there. That's about it. This just isn't necessary or recommendable to anyone else.

Watch Him Seizing the Day... - 88%

octavarium, July 16th, 2014
Written based on this version: 2014, 2CD, Sony Music (Deluxe edition)

Six years, one false retirement, and departure of K.K. Downing after Nostradamus, Judas Priest has finally released their seventeenth album Redeemer of Souls. It should seem fitting that would could potentially be their final album was released forty years after their debut Rocka Rolla. From the bluesy and hard-rocking 70's albums, to the larger-than-life anthemic 80's albums, to the faster and more aggressive albums of the 90's, to their glorious reunion with Halford, all the way to the ambitious symphonic concept album Nostradamus, Judas Priest has always been able to adapt and evolve with the times. Some may point that as their downfall with their supposed inferior 2000 albums, but it's really a testament to their longevity. For forty years Priest has waved the banner for heavy metal and continue that tradition with Redeemer of Souls. Is it perfect? Of course not. Is it still good? You better believe it.

First, I feel the need to get the negatives out of the way. The biggest issue with this album is the mixing and production value. Now while this does not hinder the songs in any significant matter, it's still a bit noticeable. The guitars especially have a drier and somewhat thinner sound than the well-polished and booming Angel of Retribution and Nostradamus. This is most evident on the Painkiller and Angel of Retribution-styled Metalizer. While definitely the fastest and one of the heavier songs on the album, it doesn't command the same kind of power that it could have been capable of. There are even a few (albeit rare) occasions where Rob Halford's voice supercedes the guitars more than is necessary. This is most notable on the title track, as the riffs feel under-mixed beneath Halford's loud verses. While bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis have never truly at the forefront of the band's sound, they still don't really stand out and continue to play supporting roles here. But considering Priest's sound has always been rooted in the guitars and Halford's voice, the rhythm is not in question here. Ultimately, the production value doesn't really take much from the songs. Some may blame the sound as a result of "old age", but it really seems to be a result of the band's desire to produce a rawer sound and overall production issues. It make take a listen or two, but one learns to overlook the production and mixing.

The band itself still sounds very good. While the guitar solos aren't as crazy and imaginative as they have been on past albums, both Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing's replacement Richie Faulkner are on top of their games here. As I mentioned before, Ian Hill and Scott Travis are still in the background but keep the rhythm tight. The real standout performance on the album is by Rob Halford. What makes Halford exceptional on this album is that, at sixty-one years old and having spent the past forty years screaming Victim of Changes, Freewheel Burning, and Painkiller, he knows what he can and cannot do. Like Robert Plant, Klaus Meine, and Bruce Dickinson, his voice has aged smoothly and comfortably. With Halford keeping most songs at the low tenor/high baritone level with a slight rasp, not only can he still keep up with the music, but he can still convey the emotion in the lyrics and command power. He can even hit some shrieks at a reasonable yet impressive level. There's no way he could do Blood Red Skies at an 80's level anymore, but he doesn't need to. No songs better show what Rob Halford is still capable of than Halls of Valhalla and Sword of Damocles, as he sings, screams, and even growls his way across the former and hits the falsetto on the latter.

One sin that this album is free from is filler. Even at eighteen songs and a nearly hour and a half run time for the bonus edition, each song has its own identity and sound. Despite the fact that most songs are mid-paced, Priest finds an excellent balance between melody, speed, heaviness, and style. While not the all-out speed fests reminiscent of Painkiller and Angel of Retribution, Dragonaut, Metalizer, Battle Cry serve as a nice contrast to the more mid-paced (yet still powerful) songs like Sword of Damocles and Hell and Back. The same can be said for the extremely catchy Down in Flames. Cold Blooded also deserves recognition as it keeps an excellent balance between melody and heaviness. There's also a fair degree of familiarity. The title track is reminiscent of the marching riff from Hell Patrol, Secrets of the Dead hearkens back to darker songs like A Touch of Evil and cuts from Nostradamus, and Bring it On has a similar swagger to Worth Fighting For. While March of the Damned may not be one of the strongest tracks, it has the undeniable feel of a classic Priest anthem. The band even expands into different styles and genres, with Snakebite having an AC/DC feel and Crossfire being a tribute to the blues. Even the ballads are in top form, as both Beginning of the End and Never Forget carry plenty of heart-felt emotion without becoming sappy. Both songs are notable in the fact that they serve as possible farewells to the fans, with Beginning of the End containing death metaphors and Never Forget being a thank you to their loyal, long-time fanbase. However, if there's one undisputed champion of the album, it's the epic Halls of Valhalla. From the arrival of the opening riff to Halford's shrieks and anthemic chorus, Halls absolutely delivers.

All in all, this is a very solid release. Don't set yourself up to be immediately satisfied though, it may take another few listens before one can truly begin to appreciate what Priest did here. The only real drawback here is the somewhat dry and occasionally uneven production value, but it really doesn't take all that much from the songs. Judas Priest may be forty years old, but they've grown into their age comfortably and know how to deliver even this late in the game. Anyone expecting another Screaming for Vengeance, Defenders of the Faith, or Painkiller is being unrealistic. But if one is looking for a very solid, well-rounded album by one of the most experienced metal acts today, look no further. I'm sure Priest is stopping themselves short from announcing another retirement, but if Redeemer of Souls does indeed become their swan song, then they'll have gone out in a "blaze of glory", to quote from Down in Flames.

Going Down in a Blaze of Glory - 70%

Twisted_Psychology, July 16th, 2014
Written based on this version: 2014, 2CD, Sony Music (Deluxe edition)

With all the hubbub that has already built up over the release of Judas Priest's seventeenth studio album, I can't help but find parallels between it and 1997's Jugulator. A lot of pressure has been on the band as Redeemer of Souls is their first album since the controversial Nostradamus came out in 2008, the first to feature guitarist Richie Faulkner in place of founding shredder K. K. Downing, and is here amidst a three year strong "farewell tour" and rumors of a hiatus. But like Jugulator, it's a flawed effort that does make for a fun listen.

In a way similar to 2005's Angel of Retribution, Redeemer of Souls serves as a sampler of the different sounds that Priest's tried out through their career. The classic 80s albums are predictably referenced the most as the band often aims for accessible rockers when they aren't trying to rewrite Painkiller. There are a few exceptions to the rule as "Crossfire" rides a 70s blues groove, the plodding "Secrets of the Dead" invokes Rob Halford's Fight project, and "Sword of Damocles" is a theatrical waltz that sounds like something Blind Guardian would've put together.

Of course, the band members' performances appear to be the biggest point of contention and they are indeed a mixed bag. Halford can still deliver when he's in his comfort zone and Faulkner adequately keeps up with Glenn Tipton, but the higher screams do show their age and the production does make the guitars sound a little stilted at times. They do fare better than the rhythm section as usual with bassist Ian Hill being as invisible as ever and drummer Scott Travis offering a heavy but rather downplayed performance.

Thankfully the songwriting keeps things from straying into bargain bin territory. Things start off strong with "Dragonaut" serving as a high speed opener and the title track offering an upbeat groove reminiscent of "Hell Patrol." From there, "Halls of Valhalla" and "Battle Cry" are borderline epics in the vein of The Headless Children-era WASP, "Down in Flames" is a light but energetic rocker, and "Beginning of the End" serves as an airy closer. The bonus tracks are also pretty solid as "Snakebite" has an AC/DC swagger and "Never Forget" is an emotional swan song for Priest's legacy even if it is a bit saccharine...

Overall, Redeemer of Souls is a respectable outing if this does turn out to be Priest's last effort but is still pretty decent if it doesn't. Angel of Retribution was a little better at the sampler approach but there are plenty of songs to like even if there isn't an honest to god classic among them. I'd check in with Accept or Queensryche if you want to see 80s metal still going strong but this is certainly better than Nostradamus...

Originally published at http://psychicshorts.blogspot.com

Moderately good - 69%

thrasherparral00666, July 15th, 2014
Written based on this version: 2014, CD, Sony Music

New album's hype coming from a “big band” (and with “big” I mean successful, famous, etc.) it’s always so high that is hard for me to believe, and I don’t even know why. Well, I actually understand why, but I think it’s kind of unnecessary considering the fact that these guys are not even in their prime anymore, some of them are around their sixties (with the exception of Richie Faulkner, the new guitarist). So the question is: do you actually expect them to surpass their best albums?

Personally, I don’t think so, and the reason is because they got nothing to lose, they already are a legend, they had made history and last but not least, they got tons of money, so even if this album doesn’t sell too well, they should not care too much. There are always two options: release something new and different or keep doing the same, and it doesn’t matter the choice, people will always complain anyway. So I guess Judas Priest chose the last one, they didn’t take a risk and gave people what they like.

So what does the album sound like? I would say this album summarizes more or less Judas Priest's career. There are moments that could have been in Stained Class, Sad Wings of Destiny or Painkiller, it surely sounds like Judas Priest, but I think is kind of generic. I feel like most of the main features are just there for the sake of being there and not because they feel passionate about them. It’s like: “Oh yeah, we’re going to make a song about a badass guy who’s coming for you because classic Judas Priest used to have one or two” or “We need to sound exactly like this because classic Priest used to”

Most of the album is mid-paced, with some exceptions like: Metalizer, Dragonaut and Battle Cry. As I previously said, there’s your Painkiller-esque song, there’s an epic ballad, there’s a song that sounds very similar to Hell Patrol and a lot of heavy riffing styled ones. Also, I think they kind of ripped-off a riff from Sign of the Crimson Storm by Riot in their song March of the Damned, and the intro from I by Black Sabbath in Crossfire, but maybe that's just me. Another problem I find is that this album is too long, get rid of few songs and there you go. I liked Dragonaut and Halls of Valhalla though. The production is alright, I’m not an expert in this subject, so if I can listen to all the instruments is fine for me. That said, this is not an awful album, it’s funny to listen, but certainly they didn’t try hard.

So that’s pretty much the whole thing. It’s a decent try by these heavy metal legends and I acknowledge their effort, but at this point I feel like they don’t need to prove anything, they’re pretty much there for the money. Of course hardcore fans will find this appealing, but for the rest of us better stick to the classic albums.

Like a childhood hero on crutches in a rest home - 50%

kluseba, July 15th, 2014
Written based on this version: 2014, 2CD, Sony Music (Deluxe edition)

Judas Priest is one of the most influential metal bands of all times that released many world class records between their blues, rock ‘n roll and progressive rock infused debut “Rocka Rolla” in 1974 and their aggressive and more speed and thrash metal influenced “Painkiller” in 1990. I even adored the controversial “Jugulator” in 1997 that headed for a dark groove and industrial metal approach with a vivid new singer and I’m glad that this record finally got some re-evaluation and recognition over the past years. The last three Judas Priest records “Demolition”, “Angel Of Retribution” and “Nostradamus” were though of a good average quality at best. Judas Priest still have their moments at several live shows and I would go see the band in concert anytime but it isn’t for their more recent material. “Redeemer Of Souls” is pretty much on the same level as the previous three outputs. It’s an average record with a few highlights and a few more fillers.

I feel that this record is only slightly better than the boring, inconsistent and overlong “Nostradamus” but it’s on the same level or even slightly below the comeback record “Angel Of Retribution” and even the hit and miss record “Demolition”. Judas Priest delivers predictable mid-tempo heavy metal stompers where everybody performs in a very solid way but apart of new guitarist Richie Faulkner nobody really performs with unchained passion. The record is okay but if the name Judas Priest wasn’t written on the album cover, not many people would care about this old-fashioned release. While comparable bands like Aria, Iron Maiden and Loudness still have the pace, the passion and the will to experiment here and there, Judas Priest sound like they never arrived in the new millennium.

The new record kicks of well with the dynamical mid-tempo stomper “Dragonaut” and the catchy and more melodic title track “Redeemer Of Souls” but you soon realize that many tracks sound quite alike. Many songs sound like reinvented and slowed down tracks from classic records like “Painkiller” or “Screaming For Vengeance”. A good example is the longest track on the regular version which happens to be “Gates Of Valhalla”. The mid-tempo song tries to be heavy and anthemic leading to a simplistic but powerful chorus and I’m sure it will be a great live song. On the other side, I feel like I’ve heard very similar and better executed songs by Judas Priest in the past. It’s the same thing with the faster “Battle Cry” which is probably the heaviest track on the album but it simply sounds like a cheap “Painkiller” rehash. These kind of songs would have been original and passionate thirty years ago but today it feels old-fashioned and will only please to nostalgic heavy metal fans and die-hard Judas Priest maniacs.

A couple of songs start in a promising way as if the band wanted to try out something new. The beginning of “Hell & Back” has a slightly melancholic and ballad orientated touch but it ends up being another standard mid-tempo track. “Cold Blooded” sounds much better because the calmer and psychedelic parts are recurring elements throughout the entire track and because Rob Halford tries to sing in a more longing manner than usual. Logically, it’s one of the better songs on the record but the band should have sounded even more atmospheric and original to really impress me here. The band finally evolves in a more distinguished way with the closing blues and psychedelic rock infused ballad “Beginning Of The End”. It’s maybe not the best song on the album because it sounds a little bit too tame to me but there is no doubt that this is by far the most original track by Judas Priest in 2014.

The limited edition of the album includes a second disk with five more songs that can’t really impress. The melodic and slow ballad “Never Forget” would have been an emotional closure if Rob Halford’s powerless vocals had sounded a little bit more passionate. The track feels somewhat strange as if this last track of the special edition was the very last song of Judas Priest’s entire career. It saddens me to realize that these old heroes might soon be history and that they end their career in such a lackluster manner.

Maybe it’s time for these legends to go and maybe they should have gone much earlier as well. I’m a quite big fan of anything Judas Priest released between 1974 and 1997 and I really wanted this new record to be a return to form for the British legends. I didn’t really believe in this miracle and the album sounds as if the band believed even less in itself. The final result is a lukewarm and old-fashioned mid-tempo heavy metal release with too many fillers, a tame instrumental and vocal performance and a sad rehash of idea’s from glorious past days. Maybe Judas Priest will carry on because it would be disappointing to leave with such a weak release but on the other side it’s hard to believe that this band can still improve and progress at this point.

My final rating is probably still a little bit too generous but I take into consideration how old this band is, that they had to deal with an important line-up Change recently and that this record would have had a better Impression on me if it had been released thirty years in the past with a Rob Halford in top form. As it now turns out, this record is for a few extremely faithful Judas Priest fans and truly nostalgic heavy metal fans only. Everybody else will either feel bored or sad about this record or both just like me.

I really wanted to love this album... - 55%

mjollnir, July 13th, 2014

Where to begin with this review? I mean, come on, it's Judas Priest. The Metal Gods. This band defined heavy metal for the generations that followed. There's no question that this band single-handedly took what Sabbath started and refined it to create heavy metal as we know it. It actually pains me to write this review because Judas Priest was my first metal band back with the release of Unleashed in the East. I blew my the speakers on my parent's console stereo while losing my voice trying to emulate Rob's vocals on The Green Manalishi at 13 when my voice was changing, facing possible damage to my young tender vocal chords. This was music like I've never heard...a young metal head had been born!

If you look at it, this band has only had a few periods where they had consistently quality albums. The 70s were the period where the band produced some the finest metal the world has ever known. The 80s were loaded with radio friendly songs due to the band having commercial success. Painkiller in 1990 is lauded as setting the bar for future Priest releases. The 90s and into the early 2000s...well, we won't even go there. In 2003 Rob Halford returned to the fold and it seemed all would be right with the world. After one okay album and one absolute catastrophe 2014 brings us a new Judas Priest album, Redeemer of Souls. The hype leading up to this album was the band making statements of this being the heaviest they've done in years. The teasers released were even decent enough for me to be cautiously optimistic. Sadly, the finished product is not what I expected at all. Instead we have an album that is inconsistent with a few songs being good but most being mediocre at best.

So let's start with what's good about this album. The band starts off good with "Dragonaut." The title is silly but the song is pretty good. The song has a nice riff in the beginning and has high energy. It is a decent album opener. Actually the only other high energy song on the album worthy of being an opener would have been "Battle Cry." The title track is also a song that can be catchy at times and is one of the songs that got my hopes up for this album. "Sword of Damocles" has a really cool 70s vibe in the opening riffs, a catchy chorus, and is actually a pretty cool song. The solos on these songs are good as Ritchie Faulkner is a worthy replacement for K.K. Downing as far as solos go. Another song that just screams 70s Priest is "Crossfire." This song could have been on Sin After Sin...maybe only as filler but it still could have been on there. That bluesy riffing has always worked with Priest and it still does after all these years. Even Rob hits some high notes, which is rare on this album. His voice is competent since he's always had a good tenor and baritone to his voice. This is the best song on the album and the best song the band has written in a long time.

Well, that's it folks. The rest of the album is just plain mediocre. "Halls of Valhalla" shows the band over reaching as they did on Nostradamus. It may have been a better song if they shaved about two to three minutes from it but at six minutes long it becomes redundant. Same with "Secrets of the Dead." In fact that song sounds like a leftover from Nostradamus. "March of the Damned" sounds so safe and Halford's vocals are so monotone he actually sounds like Ozzy in places. "Hell & Back" is just awful. It begins like a ballad and although it picks up the pace a bit, it just doesn't keep me interested. Instead it plods along with no balls or direction. The chorus isn't even that catchy. "Metalizer" is the worst offender because you can tell the band is trying way to hard to be heavy and it just doesn't come off the way it should have. Not sure if it was the production or what but it just doesn't work. The riffing is just chugging riffs that sound like they could be heavy but instead they just plod along. It's speedy in places but not enough to save it. The solos are the only thing that's good about this song.

I'm torn because this could have been a better album. There is proof on this very album that this band still has some chops and can still write catchy tunes. I'm not sure what they were trying to do with some of these songs but sometimes the "let's try to be heavy again just to be heavy" doesn't work. Instead it comes off as old men trying to capture some of their former glory. It's embarrassing. Some claim this is the best they've done since Painkiller, and they are right. But what is that really saying? It's the best of their worst? I'm not sure what the future holds for this band. I really wanted to love this album but there's so little to love.

A spirit of familiarity and flair. - 82%

hells_unicorn, July 12th, 2014
Written based on this version: 2014, CD, Sony Music

The name of Judas Priest has become synonymous with heavy metal, equally if not more so than fellow Birmingham pioneers Black Sabbath. It's all but impossible to observe the evolution of old guard USPM, several strains of German speed/power metal, the current early 80s heavy metal revival, and even several prime movers in thrash metal without seeing the mark of their influence. As such, it is likewise assume in certain quarters that their legendary status has relegated them to a present curiosity, rather than a still formidable metallic machine capable of delivering the goods in this day and age. While their output has been a bit slower of late as opposed to their high period from mid 70s to the early 90s, they've been relatively consistent in the quality department, barring the occasional hiccup here and there, and their latest endeavor Redeemer Of Souls is more the rule than the exception.

If an instant feeling of familiarity doesn't hit the average metal maniac at first view of the album cover (which features a gloriously modernized version of what appears to be the original Painkiller), the music contained within brings back memories of bygone days quicker than one could utter "Metal Gods". The exodus of longtime axe man K.K. Downing hasn't done much to deter the guitar onslaught typical to this band, though the introduction of newcomer Richie Faulkner does present a slightly looser feel, with two diverging rhythm paths forming to make for a slightly freer, less mechanistic feel in line with a slightly progressive character. However, the general character of this album is definitely a throwback, but more towards the early 80s mold of Screaming For Vengeance and Defenders Of The Faith than the modern Painkiller character that typified much of Angel Of Retribution, though this album definitely tilts a bit more towards said 2005 comeback in terms of compactness than the experimental, epic concept album of a predecessor in Nostradamus.

Perhaps most surprising about this album is the lack of out and out speed monsters, culminating in an album that tends to feel more rocking and upper-mid tempo than an outright fireball of metallic insanity. Even would be speeders in "Metalizer" and "Battle Cry" are noticeably restrained compared to the likes of "Ram It Down" or "Metal Meltdown", coming off more like the fast but not quite blinding character of this band's faster works prior to "Freewheel Burning". Much of this album spends its moderated up tempo land in a heavy, punchy mode with a good array of catchy and reasonably flashy songs in "Dragonaut", "Redeemer Of Souls" and "Down In Flames", the latter of which almost wants to cross into "Point Of Entry" at times. Indeed, a number of the slower songs on here almost want to try to merge elements of Priest's mid-80s commercial era with their older, crunchier sound, and the results prove to be fairly gripping in the cases of "Cold Blooded" and the rocking semi-ballad "Hell & Back".

While this album tends to play it a little safe at times and falls back on elements more regularly associated with Priest's early 80s era, which is generally their most widely praised, they do have a couple riskier moments on here that should be noted. The more bluesy and almost Black Sabbath oriented "Crossfire" tends to reach back a bit further into this band's mid to late 70s era, which functions as an apt yet somewhat out of place nod to the band's oldest fans. On the other hand, the longer and adventurous "Halls Of Valhalla" is an absolute winner, embodying every single thing that was great about 80s Judas Priest, including a somewhat more animated vocal performance out of Halford (who is showing his age a bit, but is still able to belt out his banshee wails proficiently) and a tasty deluge of lead guitar gymnastics right out of the Painkiller mode.

After more than 40 years in the business, if nothing else, Judas Priest has showcased that advancing ages doesn't mean hanging up your songwriting suit and being relegated your own tribute band. While definitely not the most astounding of their studio endeavors, it stands in stark contrast to the recent outing of Black Sabbath, and also puts a lot of their younger imitators on notice as to how this game should continue to be played. Although I wasn't terribly disappointed in Nostradamus, this is more along the lines of what Halford and company do best, writing moderate length, straightforward heavy metal with just a bit more edge and attitude than the average leather-toting fanatic. Rain the fury of a million flames from the sky and may the redeemer have mercy upon trembling masses.