A new Judas Priest album is going to be the most anticipated moment of any year for olden metal folks like yours Steely, unless Black Sabbath or Iron Maiden are also dropping something (and probably even then). 2018s Firepower was a shockingly spry and battle-ready album that showed there was a lot of life left in this metal clergy, and it gave fans reason to expect good things from 20th album, Invincible Shield. With the same lineup returning, the template of Firepower is recycled, and much of the new opus is up-tempo, heavy, and aggressive. There are also several backward glances to past eras of the band, with some very nostalgic moments dotting the album. At this point in their legendary career, Priest can do whatever they want and still move copious product, but of late they truly seem to be trying to give fans a lively, modern metal experience with balls and badassery that belie their age. That is highly commendable, but the proof of concept is the metallurgy.
Much as on Firepower, the level of heaviness Judas Priest delivers here is impressive. The music sounds hard and mean, aiming for that perfect blend of muscle and melody, and more often than not they nail it. Opener “Panic Attack” is a straight-up killer that sounds like the work of a young, hungry band. It’s at Firepower levels of intensity and Rob sounds great wailing and screeching over the crunchy guitars. “The Serpent and the King” sounds like something off Halford’s Resurrection album and the aggression is kept high. The title track is another bruiser, verging on power metal but keeping things plenty beefy and burly. It’s a top-notch start to a Priest album and had me brimming with piss, vinegar and cheap hobo wine. From there, however, things get less consistently gobsmacking.
While cuts like “Devil in Disguise” and “Gates of Hell” are fun and catchy, they aren’t quite at that next level of material. Power ballad “Crown of Horns” has a memorable chorus but is a bit average and safe overall. “Sons of Thunder” is not especially gripping and “Escape from Reality” is a plodding number making a nod to bluesy doom but it doesn’t completely work. “As God is My Witness” and “Trial by Fire” are back-half highlights with extra spice and punch, with the latter feeling especially biting, and the album ends strong with the epic “Giants in the Sky” which carries traces of Sin After Sin and Stained Class as it stomps and romps. While only “Escape from Reality” feels truly expendable, there’s a definite drop from the strong opening to the rest of the material. Invincible Shield still plays pretty well as an album, however, and provides plenty to enjoy for Priest fans new and ancient. At 52 minutes without bonus tracks, it feels about the right length and can be enjoyed in a single molten serving.
The biggest takeaway for me is how youthful and energized Rob Halford sounds. He delivers an impressively broad range of vocal styles across the album, from his trademark high-pitched screams to gritty, rough snarls, and impassioned and emotional crooning. The man is 72 years old yet some of his high-register vocals sound like they were ripped right off of Painkiller. If that isn’t a miracle of metal, what is? The tandem of Glenn Tipton and young gun Richie Faulker continues to bear tasty metal fruit, with a heavy riff factory undergirding much of the material. There’s a concerted effort to make things adrenalized and that makes the album feel youthful and vital even when the material slips a notch. The classic dual guitar moments are here and joyous solos embiggen the output appropriately.
I was hoping for a rival to Firepower, and though Invincible Shield isn’t quite at that level, it’s a very solid, enjoyable, and energized outing by true titans of the heavy metal world. Drop a few of the lesser cuts and this could roll up to a stately 3.5, but I can’t complain much about something that gives me this much enjoyment and tasty playlist gems to sock away. As a young metal hoodlum, I considered Judas Priest the cream of the crop1 and at its best, Invincible Shield reminds me why I loved them so much. May these sinners keep rolling on forevermore!
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: NA | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Sony
Websites: judaspriestinvincibleshield.com | facebook.com/officialjudaspriest |
Releases Worldwide: March 8th, 2024
