Sphinx's Music Blog - Judas Priest: British Steel
Welcome back readers! This week I discuss an album that I have only recently just explored for the first time. It is Judas Priest’s breakthrough album, British Steel, released on April 14, 1980. While the group had been together in many different conglomerations since the early 1970’s, this lineup and the album itself really becomes the first time Priest hits it big internationally. The album is considered a masterpiece, and one of the greatest metal albums of all time. But first, let me discuss a few things about my history with heavy metal.
I’m currently on a huge heavy metal music kick right now, and have been for the last six months or so. I’m not really sure what spurred this on, but I started with some groups that I barely listened to in the past: Motorhead, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, and early Metallica (first two albums). Prior to this new endeavor into heavy metal, my experience with the genre was pretty much limited to Black Sabbath, Ozzy’s solo stuff, late 80’s/early 90’s Metallica, and a couple other groups that toe the line as to if they qualify as metal, or are just considered hard rock (fun conversation here: Are AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, KISS, Motley Crue, Soundgarden considered metal?). Either way, I’ve been loving exploring this music genre, and have been growing a new appreciation for metal altogether. The music is highly sophisticated, with lots of emotion being poured into it. In addition, not only has there been the typical song themes you hear in metal, but I’ve enjoyed the unexpected topics as well. Finally, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how lyrical I have found the music overall, as my reluctance in the past was always the assumption that all metal sounds the same (I was a fool back then).
So, jumping back to Judas Priest. So far in my exploration of classic heavy metal, they have been the group that has stuck out to me the most (though I will say narrowly because there is some great stuff I’ve found). I obviously knew many songs already on the British Steel album, but I finally took the time months ago to listen to it in its entirety. My vinyl copy was the 2017 remaster of the original US release. This means that the tracks fall in different order from the UK release, or what you would hear if you picked up the album digitally.
For a metal album, I was surprised that this was very melodic. Each song is distinct from one another, which keeps the listener engaged throughout. Upon listening to it many times, it makes sense to me why it became a mainstream success. At the same time, it’s definitely juxtaposed strongly against the disco/pop/new wave scene that is dominating the late 70’s and early 80’s. So perhaps this album was filling a void that many people at the time were experiencing. Even though this album became widely popular overall, it doesn’t “sell out” or abandon the dark chords and roots of metal at all. It just incorporates it in a very accessible way.
Starting off the vinyl release is possibly their most famous song, Breaking the Law. Such a great metal guitar riff right from the start to introduce the song and album. While the track is short (under 3 minutes), it still packs a punch that pleases any rock fan. In addition, the lyrics share a frustration of British society at the time: “here I was completely wasting, out of work and down. All inside it's so frustrating as I drift from town to town. Feel as though nobody cares if I live or die, So I might as well begin to put some action in my life.” Singer/lyricist Rob Halford has stated that this song was to represent the British people and their frustrations of not getting what they wanted in society. It does accurately portray what is going on in the U.K. in the late 70’s and early 80’s, as the country was going through a recession, and what is called “The Winter of Discontent”. Bleak prospects in the labor market for the youth, union busting and inflation problems are just a little bit of what was going on at this time, which ties directly into the punk rock movement going on at the same time too. The tone of this song (and others on this album) seem influenced from groups like The Sex Pistols.
The next track, Rapid Fire, feels like a true welcome to the 1980’s and what rock was going to evolve into for the decade. Metal Gods is another powerful track that helps proclaim essentially what Judas Priest is - gods in the world of metal that has influenced so many bands after it. I love in the song after Halford proclaims “metal gods….” the twin guitar four note hit in unison by K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton. For the track (and others on the album), they used steel props/utensils around the kitchen at the house they were recording in (fun fact: they recorded the album at Tittenhurst Park, formerly the home of John Lennon, and at the time belonged to Ringo Starr) to make the chain/metallic marching sounds. We start to hear more of Halford’s operatic voice sink in a little, and the guitar solo proves again they are indeed metal gods.
Grinder is another gem with a great guitar lead into the song. I love the classic heavy metal theme: “never straight and narrow, I won’t keep in time. Been inclined to wander, off the beaten track”. Great statements of non-conforming. I also love how the track dissolves at the finish, which segues right into United, which I find such a unique song. Continuing the theme brought up in Grinder, this track in my opinion is another stand against the government and conformity. All metal misfits of the world need to stay united! The sound of the chorus makes it sound so patriotic, which I believe is the intent of the track, to mock the system. I do find it a very pop-influenced song though, as it sounds like something the hair-metal Bon Jovi-ish groups would be doing in the mid to late 80’s. Still a great track.
Side B begins with a favorite, Living After Midnight - I dig the simple, basic beat of the drums that introduce the tune. Another great guitar riff follows right after, and I like how we are introduced to the chorus first. Overall, just a great rock anthem. I mean with lyrics like “Rockin’ til the dawn, loving til the morning, then I’m gone”, how can you not want to rock out?
Rob Halford stated how this album was influenced by their previous tour, where they supported AC/DC. The song, You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise is definitely the most AC/DC track on this album. The Rage is a nice change of pace, starting off with a great bass line. The guitars come in with bass to give the main line, with a thunderous charge. Really for the first time on the album we hear some of the mystical/mythical/dark metal themes in the lyrics. The album closes with Steeler - the fastest song of the album. Another great example of a track that hints at the future of metal - some speed metal sounds, and shredding guitar solo sounding just like early Metallica. It’s also a precursor to where Judas Priest would be heading with their music in the 1980’s. A great closer to a great album.
So, are you ready to hop on board the heavy metal train with me? This album is great. A great introduction into Judas Priest, and some heavier rock all together. Great hooks, each guitar solo is phenomenal and playing is clean. Downing and Tipton offer two different guitar sounds when they solo - Downing being more raw and rough in his playing while Tipton is very melodic and lyrical in his solos. But they both play in unison on riffs to bring an awesome sound to these tracks. This is what I am starting to love about metal; the great technique it demands and the powerful emotion it invokes to the listener.
Have opinions on this album, heavy metal, or Judas Priest in general? I’d love to chat about it! Send a message either on social media or on the Gamezilla Media discord. In addition, if you love gaming and movies, check out the five podcasts on Gamezilla Media, and consider being a patron on Patreon!
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Sphinx