Heavy Duty: Nights and Days in Judas Priest by K.K. Downing and Mark Eglington

As if the title wasn't obvious, this is a sort-of autobiography by former Judas Priest guitarist Kenneth Kevin Downing, aka "K.K. Downing". The reason I say sort-of is because he wrote it along with the help of a biographer named Mark Eglington.

This book was very interesting. It was very eye opening, however. One thing that stood out to me is that KK did not seem to care for Glenn Tipton. Sure, they got along, but then again, they had to-they both played guitar in the same band. He seemed to regard Glenn as an outsider who seemed to bully his way into deciding what went down with in the band. He seemed to think of Glenn as a pretty boy showoff who always tried to top KK, as if he was trying to outdo him. Later on, when a woman named Jane offered to help manage the band, KK seems to think that when Glenn hooked up with her and eventually married her, they both seemed to run the band with an iron fist. And in interviews later on, when KK left the band, they would avoid at all costs, answering questions about where KK was, what he was up to, etc.

You'll find out all sorts of stuff that went on with not only KK as he grew up, but how he came to help define the band known today as Judas Priest, his relationships both inside and outside the band and more. He will often put his own little random thoughts and comments on different situations, so it becomes a little funny and you can imagine him saying it while laughing or smiling

Kenneth Kevin Downing was born on Oct. 27, 1951, in West Bromwich, England. This is part of the area of England known as The Midlands. This whole area just seems to be steeped in metal history, not only because of all the steel mills and foundries, but because one other major metal band was born here-Black Sabbath. He talks about his siblings growing up, how his father was a heavy gambling addict who would spend any money he got on the local horse tracks. He describes his childhood as abusive, watching as his father would often beat his mother nearly to death sometimes. He often thought that when he got older, he would really clock his father. He jokingly said something to the effect of "when you get older and you start seeing hair on your chest, you think you're mature and can give someone a beating. I thought about doing that to my dad for all the times he hit my mother." The thing that inspired him to take up music was hearing the Rolling Stones. Whereas other teens might have been influenced to take up music because of the Beatles, KK was more in to the edgier Rolling Stones.

He was friends with future Priest bassist Ian Hill. In fact, their friendship didn't start off rosy. In fact, Ian Hill and a friend had committed a crime and KK and one of his friends ended up being the ones accused of it. Growing up, he had helped to form the band known today as Judas Priest. He said it was more or less interesting working with all the personalities within in the band. Later on, when Rob Halford came out as homosexual, KK was not shocked. He knew right from the get go that Rob was gay and he thought it was the worst kept secret in music. When KK suggested that the band get some kind of uniform look, he thought of leather and studs. And he said that the hardest part would be getting everyone in the band to agree to it. Rob seemed to go for the leather and studs look the easiest because of his then secret homosexuality.

 

One thing that seemed to really irritate KK is in 1990 when the band was hauled into court to hear for the deaths of two young men. Two young men had gotten intoxicated and high on marijuana and had formed a suicide pact, claiming that there were backwards messages in the songs of Judas Priest, specifically the song "Better by You, Better Than Me". This was not even the band's original song. The band who originally did this was an art rock band called Spooky Tooth.

One thing that surprises me is that KK does not have kids. He's been in a multitude of relationships, but no kids. He said he always wanted kids, but with his work as a musician and being on the road so much for so long, that put a strain on a lot of the relationships he was in. As the 1980s gave birth to the 1990s, he seen that the times were changing and so was the music. No one seemed interested in bands like Priest. They all wanted a more flashy, more aggressive sound, like something you could get from bands like Anthrax, Pantera, Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica and new up-and-comers like Fear Factory, Type O Negative, Sepultura, etc.

One major and I mean EXTREMELY MAJOR bone of contention he has is with the band Iron Maiden. Almost everyone knows how extremely bad things had started off between then newcomers Iron Maiden and then-still-getting-big Judas Priest. Maiden vocalist Paul Di'Anno had said, very cocky, that he and the rest of Maiden would blow Priest off the stage. During a sound check that Judas Priest was doing one night, they had seen a group of young kids in the audience. Not knowing who they were, KK asked around and found out from someone that those "young kids" were in fact Iron Maiden. No one had told Priest's management that the band were coming down to see them, to learn from the masters. KK took an offense to this. He thought the band was being snotty for showing up after saying they would blow Priest off the stage. He even talked to the guys in Priest and the band was smiling as Paul Di'Anno still told them they would blow Priest off.

Later on, when Bruce Dickinson entered the picture, KK still remembers the band as having a very cocky, very arrogant air to them, as if the world owed them a favor and owed them a chance at being something. Despite the fact that now the two veteran bands are good friends with each other, it's sad that two great bands had to have a rocky start to their friendship only because management of both parties failed to communicate with each other. One thing related to this is that when he would look at pictures of Iron Maiden, specifically guitarist Dave Murray, he would have to do a double take. Early Iron Maiden had adopted the leather and studs look. And with Dave Murray having long, flowing blonde hair, people often mistook him for KK Downing. Even KK himself had to do a double take to see if pictures in magazines were of him or Dave Murray. He said he didn't understand why Iron Maiden were wearing leather and studs when it was Judas Priest who introduced that look into the band. In fact, it was KK Downing's idea to introduce the leather and studs look.


Dave Murray, Iron Maiden

KK Downing, Judas Priest. As you can tell, it would not be hard for some to think these two men resemble each other because of the blue eyes and light blonde hair

"I Have a Dream"

I have always loved this speech. It's so simple in its words, but conveys a meaning that seems to have been lost among the years. Essentially, the speech refers to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wanting nothing more than a world where everyone is seeing everyone the same, no matter the race, skin color, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, etc. But, in years past, with groups like the Black Panthers, Black Lives Matter and others, whose sole purpose to only earn rights for certain race groups, his speech and dream has not only not been accomplished, it has been taken and thrown to the ground, stomped on, spit on and finally set ablaze, as if it were not important. This man wanted nothing more than a world where everyone is seen as equals under the watchful eyes of God. Why can't this world just get along? Why must we have people saying that certain people are racist when they really aren't? Why do we have to have people who hate each other because of skin color, ethnicity, race, religious beliefs, sexuality and more?

If it's one thing I truly hate, and I know hate is a strong word, but I truly hate when people have to hate someone for something as simple as skin color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, nationality or other factors. It makes me want to cry to know that the few white people that are racist make people think that because I am white that I am racist. I am not. I love everyone for who they are. Someone would really have to annoy me or do something extremely bad to me to make me hate them. And if that's the case, I dislike you because you did something wrong, not because of your skin color, not because of your race or ethnicity or any other factors.

What I have always believed is that in every race or ethnicity, there are those very few people who are racially biased that gives everyone a bad name. Something I have always believed is that you should not blame the whole for the actions of a few. Which means that do not blame a whole group of people simply on the actions of just a few.

"I Have a Dream"
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free; one hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination; one hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity; one hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land.

So we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was the promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note in so far as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy; now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice; now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood; now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.

Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content, will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the worn threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protests to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy, which has engulfed the Negro community, must not lead us to a distrust of all white people. For many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of Civil Rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality; we can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities; we cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one; we can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only”; we cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro in Mississippi cannot vote, and the Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No! no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations.  Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality.

You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi. Go back to Alabama. Go back to South Carolina. Go back to Georgia. Go back to Louisiana. Go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.  Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I HAVE A DREAM TODAY!

I have a dream that one day down in Alabama — with its vicious racists, with its Governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification — one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I HAVE A DREAM TODAY!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low. The rough places will be plain and the crooked places will be made straight, “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.  With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brother-hood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.  And this will be the day. This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning, “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire; let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York; let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania; let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado; let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that. Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia; let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee; let freedom ring from every hill and mole hill of Mississippi. “From every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”

Black Sabbath Albums-Worst to Best

As much as I like Black Sabbath, I even have to admit some of their albums were a bit on the questionable side. Here are the Black Sabbath Albums-Worst to Best, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.

20

Forbidden (1995)

-This was the last of the original lineup. The man behind the production was Ernie C, known mostly for his work with gangsta rap out fit Body Count. Unfortunately, it was thought that someone with a hip hop background would be good enough to produce an album for the legendary doom metallers. But the work is said to be dismal

-My opinion: I simply didn't care for it

19

Tyr (1990)

-Once again, a total letdown. Tony Martin was on vocals this time and former Rainbow drummer Cozy Powell was behind the skins. This album seemed as though it were trying to capitalize on the recent comeback of creative energy.

-My opinion: I simply didn't care for it

18

Cross Purposes (1994)

-This album was a mix and match of members. With Bobby Rondinelli filling in on drums and being the done in the wake of Ronnie James Dio's second album with the band, there are just not enough good songs here to even give a listen to

-My opinion: I simply didn't care for it

17

Seventh Star (1986)

-Originally intended to be a solo album for Tony Iommi, the label it was recorded through wanted to capitalize on the name "Black Sabbath". This album featured former Deep Purple bassist/backing vocalist Glenn Hughes. Unfortunately, Glenn was in the thrall of a devastating drug addiction and this, in turn, affected his voice

-My opinion: I like it. I love all the songs. It has that classic 80s Sabbath sound. The songs are not doomy, so who cares? It's good to do something unexpected. Overall, all the songs are good

16

Dehumanizer (1992)

-This is round two with Vinny Appice on drums and Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Unfortunately, some Sabbath fans didn't care for it.

-My opinion: I simply didn't care for it.

15

Born Again (1983)

-The first (and last) album with Ian Gillan of Deep Purple. This album was a one time thing for Gillan. The band had tried to mold Gillan in to something more along the lines of Sabbath, with things like getting him to darken down, in color, his clothes. He tried to adapt the black and leather look. His vocals are sure impressive here.

-My opinion: I like it. Sure, a lot of people say this album stinks. I like it, though. There are a lot of good songs here. "Hot Line" is one of my favorites

14

13 (2013)

-This album was meant to revisit the classic Sabbath sound. The only bump in the road was Bill Ward leaving for good and only to be replaced by Zac Clufetos

-My opinion: I simply didn't care for it.

13

The Devil You Know (2009)

-The last album to be made with Ronnie James Dio before his tragic 2010 death from stomach cancer, this album was made under the band moniker Heaven & Hell, which stemmed from the 1980-era lineup that made the album of the same name.

-My opinion: Too intense. Almost industrial metal

12

Never Say Die! (1978)

-This was the final album of the original lineup. Things were coming to a head, between rampant drug use, in band fighting and more, the album seems to drag its way through the production work, making for a simply poor effort

-My opinion: I like it. I think it has its good parts. "Hard Road" is a good song. And "Swinging the Chain" is a good effort on Bill Ward's part because he is a pretty good singer. He has a slightly raspy quality to his voice that kind of puts you in mind of Rod Stewart

11

Headless Cross (1989)

-Most fans think this album was pathetic. By the mid 80s, Black Sabbath had been pushed aside in favor of more aggressive groups like Slayer, Pantera, Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, etc. This album was made when they were going down in terms of success and that's not in a good way

-My opinion: I like it. "Devil & Daughter" and "Headless Cross" are two of the great tracks. The others are good as well, but I definitely like the above mentioned tracks

10

Technical Ecstasy (1976)

-Despite the fact that most Sabbath fans would look at this album as being like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath Mach II, you have to give the guys credit for trying to explore other avenues in music. It did come out with two songs that seem to be popular- "Back Street Kids" and "Dirty Women"

-My opinion: I simply didn't care for it

9

The Eternal Idol (1987)

-There was a revolving door of members on this album. Tony Martin had to come in and do vocals after short term singer Ray Gillen quit in the middle. This is one of the few, maybe only Sabbath albums not vocalized by Ronnie James Dio or Ozzy Osbourne

-My opinion: I like it. "The Shining" is an interesting song. Most of the songs are interesting. But they're good, overall. The artwork is interesting as well. I can't even begin to imagine how hazardous it was to the health of the models who had to be painted for the cover 

8

Mob Rules (1981)

-This would be the last album Dio would make with Sabbath for a while. The songs are great, but that didn't mean things were all cheery behind the scenes. Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler often butted heads with Ronnie James Dio and it was because Ronnie was a.) writing his own lyrics, essentially taking away work from Geezer and b.) being generally bossy and trying to take over the whole thing. Tony and Ronnie butted heads bad, essentially mirroring the same issues Ronnie had with Ritchie Blackmore in the band Rainbow. Ronnie had been overly bossy in that band and Ritchie was done with him and wanted him out!

-My opinion: It's kind of weird

7

Sabotage (1975)

-This was one of the last albums that had the power of a true Sabbath record. The band was getting sued left, right and center throughout the whole process. Most likely it was because they had changed management and former management wanted to sue for breach of contract

-My opinion: It's kind of weird. But you can hear the overall stress the band was going through in the songs

6

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

-This was a hard nut to crack. Tony had taken up writing lyrics as well as riffs and everyone was suffering from writer's block. To ease that, the band relocated to Clearwell Castle. In addition to playing pranks on each other, the eerie vibe of the castle helped everyone move on and write some good songs

-My opinion: It's okay

5

Heaven and Hell (1980)

-This was Ronnie James Dio's first album with the band. This album managed to not only be successful, but it also helped keep the band in the vein of what they were known for best-hard hitting metal.

-My opinion: I like it. A lot of good songs. I have respect for Ronnie as a singer, but as a person, I think he's arrogant

4

Vol. 4 (1972)

-This was a mixed bag of songs. They had a romantic-type song with "Changes", a sort of love song about their drummer Bill Ward and his then wife. "Snowblind" explores the band's heavy cocaine use while the song "Laguna Sunrise" is an acoustic track written while watching the sun rise in Laguna, California.

-My opinion: It's interesting

3

Black Sabbath (1970)

-This was the world's introduction to the name Black Sabbath. Full of slow, trudging doom metallers, this album showed the world what the name Black Sabbath had to offer. Even to this day, this album is referred to as a landmark because it was recorded on a shoestring budget but managed to be successful in every way

-My opinion: Some of the songs are a little too intense for me

2

Master of Reality (1971)

-This is doom metal all the way. With songs like the marijuana-inspired "Sweet Leaf" (BTW, that coughing you hear at the beginning is Tony Iommi coughing on the smoke of a joint Ozzy had handed him), the sheer eerie vibe of "Children of the Grave", to the absolutely emotional yet beautiful "Solitude", this album is good

-My opinion: I love it. "Solitude" is so beautiful.

1

Paranoid (1970)

-The title track came about when the band was told they had a certain amount of time left on the record and that one more song was needed. Tony started with a riff and the song built from there. This tends to be one of those Sabbath albums that introduces a lot of fans to the music. And like most fans, they will work their way ahead to modern day and then work their way back through the back catalog.

-My opinion: I like it. This one is special to me because it was the album that first got me into Sabbath. Two of my high school classmates had thought that I needed to listen to what they considered "real metal". So they decided to, in their words, "start me off easily". They played this album and instantly from the second the title track ended, I loved it!

December Birthdays

Since it's December, time to Say Happy Birthday!!!

Lucy Liu

-Birth name: Lucy Alexis Liu

-DOB: 12/2/1968

-Where: Queens, New York

-She became the first woman of Asian descent to host Saturday Night Live in 2000

Ozzy Osbourne

-Birth name: John Michael Osbourne

-DOB: 12/3/1948

-Where: Aston, Birmingham, England

-He wrote the song "Suicide Solution" as a tribute to former AC/DC front man Bon Scott

Marisa Tomei

-DOB: 12/4/1964

-Where: Brooklyn, New York

-Is of full blooded Italian descent. Her family hails from Tuscany, Sicily, Campania and Calabria

Phil Collen

-Birth name: Phillip Kenneth Collen

-DOB: 12/8/1957

-Where: London, England

-After replacing original Def Leppard guitarist Pete Willis in 1982, he and fellow guitarist Steve Clark became good friends until Clark's tragic death in 1991. Since then, with Vivian Campbell in the band, Collen has emerged as one of the main songwriters for the band

Simon Helberg

-Birth name: Simon Maxwell Helberg

-DOB: 12/9/1980

-Where: Los Angeles, California

-He's the only male cast member of The Big Bang Theory who is a father in real life

Denzel Washington

-Birth name: Denzel Hayes Washington Jr.

-DOB: 12/28/1954

-Where: Mount Vernon, New York

-He named his son Malcolm in honor of Malcolm X

Richard Hammond

-Birth name: Richard Mark Hammond

-DOB: 12/19/1969

-Where: Solihull, West Midlands, England

-Often referred to as "The Hamster" because of his short height

Cliff Williams

-Birth name: Clifford Williams

-DOB: 12/14/1949

-Where: Romford, England

-Has been the bassist for AC/DC from 1977-2016

Rick Savage

-Birth name: Richard Savage

-DOB: 12/2/1960

-Where: Sheffield, England

-In January 1994, he suffered from a bout with Bell's Palsy, but has managed to regain feeling in most of the right side of his face

Dave Murray

-Birth name: David Michael Murray

-DOB: 12/23/1956

-Where: Edmunton, London, England

-He is considered to be the shyest, quietest member of Iron Maiden and yet will come up with bursts of wisdom out of nowhere, as Nicko McBrain will usually put it

Stevie Young

-Birth name: Stephen Crawford Young

-DOB: 12/11/1956

-Where: Glasgow, Scotland

-Nephew of AC/DC founding members Angus and Malcolm Young

Lemmy Kilmister

-Birth name: Ian Fraser Kilmister

-DOB: 12/24/1945

-Where: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England

-DOD: 12/28/2015 (hard to believe he died four days after his birthday)

-Where: Los Angeles, California (prostate cancer, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia)

-He was a huge fan of Janet Jackson and said that his dream was to record a song with her

I might not be a Motorhead fan, but for some reason, I like this photo of him. It's a handsome-looking photo.

Judas Priest Albums-Worst to Best

I'm a huge Judas Priest fan. I love most of their albums, but there are some that I would not listen to simply because I don't care for the music of that album. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, here are the Judas Priest Albums-Worst to Best.

17

Demolition (2001)

-This is the second and last album that Judas Priest had made with American vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens. The band had found him in a Judas Priest tribute band called British Steel. Overall, this album was said to be less than successful

-My opinion: I simply didn't care for it. I understand Tim had some big shoes to fill and he certainly exceeded expectations. But I just simply didn't care for the music of this album

16

Nostradamus (2008)

-This album was a bomb from the beginning. Expecting kids in the 21st century, especially kids who happen to be rabid Priest fans, to sit down and devote two hours to Priest's first full fledged concept album is like asking little kids to sit still for two hours without moving or making sounds. This album was a disaster. The songs were long, the concepts in the songs were unable to be understood.

-My opinion: Just weird and not good

15

Jugulator (1997)

-This was the band's first album with Tim "Ripper" Owens. This album fared far better than the second album, Demolition. This is, by far, the band's heaviest album. With the vocals of front man Tim "Ripper" Owens, this is definitely better.

-My opinion: It was good

14

Point of Entry (1981)

-Due to a busy touring schedule and expectations of topping British Steel, these guys may have rushed through the production process. Although this album did produce some good tracks like "Hot Rockin'" and"Heading Out to the Highway"

-My opinion: I like this album. I think it's good. I might have to go back and re-listen to it, though. I have to say that "Desert Plains" is a great track

13

Turbo (1986)

-The band was experimenting with and using the latest tech-guitar synths. This band may have alienated some Priest fans, but they gained even more fans, even fans who had gotten swept up in the hair metal craze

-My opinion: I like this album. I have it at home and I listen to it very often. It's great. The songs are great!

12

Ram It Down (1988)

-This album tends to be overlooked by a lot of fans. A lot of fans don't give it much credit; they simply refer to it as being almost like Turbo Mark II. The band did, however, do an impressive cover of the Chuck Berry song "Johnny B. Goode".

-My opinion: I like it. I have it at home. It's good

11

Rocka Rolla (1974)

-No one ever says that a band's first album out of the starting gate is going to be good. That said, this album is hardly any of the stuff people will come to associate with the future black leather and studs band. This band still had a touch or two of folk rock and hard rock. They were still trying to find the right sound here

-My opinion: I simply didn't care for it

10

Redeemer of Souls (2014)

-This album is one of their heaviest albums they've ever made since Jugulator. It almost has you wanting to bang your head to each song

-My opinion: I didn't care for it. The songs sounded too much like something Iron Maiden would write about-mythology, history, etc. The subsequent tour for this album is the tour me and my sister had seen Judas Priest on, when they had the Saturday night headline slot at the 2015 Rock on the Range festival in Columbus, Ohio.

9

Angel of Retribution (2005)

-When you look at the artwork for this album and then look at the artwork for the album Sad Wings of Destiny, it's like two sides of the same coin. The artwork for this album has an almost evil looking mechanical angel, looking like he is there to wreak havoc upon all. This album is said to be successful because of the three way writing team of Halford/Tipton/Downing

-My opinion: I didn't care for it.

8

Sin After Sin (1977)

-This album did boast an impressive heavy metal overhaul of the Joan Baez classic "Diamonds and Rust". This was when the band was just getting off the ground. It was their third studio album and they were struggling to find a permanent drummer since they were just "borrowing" a studio drummer named Simon Phillips. The band were still getting their chemistry together

-My opinion: "Diamonds and Rust" is a good song

7

Hell Bent for Leather (1978)

-This album is what transformed Judas Priest into the studded black leather, Harley Davidson riding, heavy metal machine they were to become

-My opinion: My sister loves the title track. I made the mistake of letting my sister listen to Judas Priest and now she says this is her favorite song. She's a full fledged Priest fan! As for the album, there are a few good tracks here and there

6

Defenders of the Faith (1984)

-This album was seriously underrated due to the success of 1982's Screaming for Vengeance. One thing you might notice about Judas Priest is that on some albums, they will have a creature of some sort. Here is no different. They have a half-tank, half-lion creation. This album tracks that are just a sonic assault to the ears, such as "Freewheel Burning", "Love Bites", "The Sentinel".

-My opinion: I like "Freewheel Burning" and "Love Bites"

5

Painkiller (1990)

-With the specter of grunge looming on the horizon, just waiting for the first opportunity to take over, the men of Priest were trying to prove they were still successful. Unfortunately, what took some wind out of their sails was a seriously long trial about two kids who killed themselves and blamed it on Judas Priest having backwards messages in their songs. But, despite the trouble, the band came through with flying colors, only this time around, they had a new drummer. An American drummer named Scott Travis, previously of Racer X fame

-My opinion: I like it. I have to re-listen to it, but I like it

4

Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)

-This was when Priest was still getting off the ground. Their doom-laden sound, which would not sound out of place at a Black Sabbath concert, is what made this album unique. This album did, however, help Judas Priest get a little fame with tracks like "Victim of Changes", "Tyrant", "Genocide".

-My opinion: A little too Black Sabbath-y for me. I like Black Sabbath, always have, always will. But I really don't care for the doom and gloom sound here

3

Screaming for Vengeance (1982)

-When you think of 80s era Judas Priest, you might think of Screaming for Vengeance, then again, you may not, who knows. This album is jam packed with great tracks like "You Got Another Thing Comin'", "Fever", "Electric Eye", "Screaming for Vengeance" "Riding on the Wind" "Take These Chains", "Bloodstone". It's awesome!

-My opinion: I have this album and I love it. I do find myself repeating "Fever" a few times more than I should. It's a good song!

2

Stained Class (1978)

-This is their definitive 1970s album. Many old school Priest fans will cite this album as their favorite album. This album helped the band add even more heavy metal monsters to their increasingly long career. Tracks like "Beyond the Realms of Death", "Exciter" are enough to form anyone into a Priest fan

-My opinion: I like it. "Exciter" and "Beyond the Realms of Death" are good songs

1

British Steel (1980)

-This is their trademark album. You ask any Priest fan what album they think of when they hear Judas Priest and odds are going to be that British Steel is what comes out. This album added some of the more famous tracks to the leather-bound metallers, like "Living After Midnight", "Breaking the Law", "Metal Gods", tracks that get played live at Judas Priest shows to this day!

-My opinion: I like it. A lot of good songs.