Description
Although the double-disc Metal Works ’73-’93 is an intoxicating listen, it isn’t quite the definitive Judas Priest retrospective it could have been. Six of the band’s 11 U.K. chart singles aren’t here, and while Johnny B. Goode probably won’t be missed, Hell Bent for Leather’s Take on the World and Evening Star, British Steel’s United and Point of Entry’s Don’t Go and Hot Rockin ought to have been included, especially since they were released during the band’s influential prime. One could also argue about that the songs aren’t arranged in chronological order, which makes it difficult to piece together the band’s evolution and (sometimes trend-following) stylistic shifts. But quibbles aside, the collection makes a strong case for Judas Priest’s versatility, drawing from nearly all of their albums’ material, encompassing dark, driving riff rockers, melodic heavy metal, radio-ready commercial hard rock, the occasional ballad, and lyrics ranging from street-tough aggression and party anthems to sci-fi/fantasy themes and hints at Satanic posturing. The band’s musicianship shines throughout; Priest’s tightly controlled style was played with a sense of groove that allowed the music to breathe and kept it from sounding too tight-assed. In between the lesser-known tracks, which are often impressive, comes one metal classic after another: Victim of Changes, Living After Midnight, Breaking the Law, Hell Bent for Leather, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin, Screaming for Vengeance and more. Even if it isn’t quite a definitive portrait of the band, it is an enjoyable one, many necessary items are here, and it rocks hard from start to finish.
Track listing:
1. The Hellion
2. Electric Eye
3. Victim Of Changes
4. Painkiller
5. Eat Me Alive
6. Devil’s Child
7. Dissident Aggressor
8. Delivering The Goods
9. Exciter
10. Breaking The Law
11. Hell Bent For Leather
12. Blood Red Skies
13. Metal Gods
14. Before The Dawn
15. Turbo Lover
16. Ram It Down
17. Metal Meltdown
18. Screaming For Vengeance
19. You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
20. Beyond The Realms Of Death
21. Solar Angels
22. Bloodstone
23. Desert Plains
24. Wild Nights, Hot And Crazy Days
25. Heading Out To The Highway
26. Living After Midnight
27. A Touch Of Evil
28. The Rage
29. Night Comes Down
30. Sinner
31. Freewheel Burning
32. Night Crawler