These founders of heavy metal, who are around since the 70’s, and with 18-albums on their luggage, none of which can be characterized as bad, make one of their last ventures: ‘Firepower’. What I can see in this album is as if Judas Priest have de a collage of all their good memories from previous recordings and captured them in the songs of this album.
The guitars and the vocals have a lot of power, maybe production helped with that, but it does not eliminate the old sound of Priest. There’s a contemporary aggressive sound and this element makes them look like a band at the peak of its career. Of course all this sonic flamboyance could not stand on its own, without the excellent songwriting and the executive skills of a higher standard. On guitars, Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner with the latter being even better integrated into the band are a killer combination. Fancy solos invite us to follow them into the album. The rhythm section is as the whole situation requires. Needless to say for Halford, that the man is the concept of perfection in whatever he does. He is immaculate in all the styles he attempts and as chameleon changes the feeling between wild and calm.
Perhaps the bad news about Tipton’s health is the end of the career of this historic band. I remember myself 20 years ago listening to ‘Sad Wings Of Destiny’ and writing off his music as a tattoo.I think young people now can feel the same about this album, years later. (8,5)
Konstantinos Paizanos