‘British Steel’
30th Anniversary Reissue Review
By Anthony Kuzminski
What can be said of Judas Priest’s British Steel? It’s more than a seminal metal record, but arguably one of the greatest metal albums ever made. There are other records from the 1980’s that drastically outsold British Steel but how many will be still be studied and listened to a hundred years from now? Judas Priest is a wholly unique entry in the world of metal as the collective band found a way to evoke shadows in their unyielding performances. Iron Maiden, Metallica and Slayer would go on to define the sound of 80’s metal, but this is ground zero; the jumping off point where all other metal records from the eighties would take their cue. Their previous album, Killing Machine (titled Hell Bent For Leather in the US) showed shades of the fruition of their songwriting, notably on the songs “Hell Bent For Leather” and “Delivering the Goods”, but the depth to which they ascended on British Steel was unparalleled at the time. None of their albums had cracked the Top-100 in America, but in the summer of 1980, British Steel entered the Top-40 and was a Top-5 record in the UK and stands to this day as the only record Priest has issued to crack the Top-10 on either side of the Atlantic.
Recorded in January and February 1980 at Tittenhurst Park, a house formerly owned by John Lennon, the sessions proved to be fruitful as the band pinned down a sound other metal bands would try to emulate but would often fall short. Ian Hill’s bass is righteous, Dave Holland’s svelte drumming discharges ammo while the twofold guitar assault of K.K. Downing, and Glen Tipton unleash a bursting vehemence by making six-string riffs all that more prevailing with twelve-strings, which are downright volcanic. It wasn’t until Iron Maiden arrived that anyone came close to mimicking this sound and even then, it was Priest’s calling card. With this durable underpinning, the one and only Rob Halford transmute supremacy and conviction with his defiant vocals. The whole album exudes a larger-than-life echo that would help define not just a decade of music but would be the seed an entire genre would return to time and again.
British Steel commences with “Rapid Fire” which pummels the listener with guttural energy as the five-piece band sets the tone like an army hurtling into battle. “Metal Gods” with its apocalyptic groove solidifies the albums mythic stature. There are heavier and faster songs in their cannon and in the world of metal but few songs before this one congeal and ooze pure metallic sway. If the Rolling Stones were brought up in Birmingham and were a decade younger, this is what they would have sounded like in 1980. “Breaking the Law” is infamous with Beavis and Butthead but even before the pimply faced teens secured its legacy, this was one of the most accessible and superb metal tunes ever recorded. “Grinder” flattens you in one sweeping swoop (and the bonus live track is just as gripping). “United” is seen by some as sell-out with its shiny chorus but the hand-clap drum attack of Holland’s drums and Halford’s vocal command elevates the song to astounding levels. The sing-a-long chorus culminates with a bold swelling of voices chanting the chorus until the final fade. “The Rage” is a showcase for Ian Hill’s bass with its trenchant drive and ear-piercing vocals by Halford. “Steeler” is served with a wall of swelling guitars while the album’s best known cut, “Living After Midnight” is delivered with sheer gusto. “Midnight” is a classic rock staple to this day and took Judas Priest from cult metal band to a worldwide force to be reckoned with. It’s one of those rare tunes that transcend the genre with the magnified dual guitars of Downing and Tipton framed by the storming rhythm section all of which is spewed forth with molten precision by a band whose bulletproof foundation is eternal.
The 30th Anniversary edition of the album includes the remastered album (with two bonus tracks) and a live DVD of a full 2009 concert performance which features British Steel in its entirety. An added bonus is a mini-documentary about the making of the record with the four core members of Judas Priest. On the band’s website you also have the option of ordering live concert on CD as well. The CD portion of British Steel has the original UK running order of the album and isn’t different from the 2001 edition and it houses the same bonus tracks. It emanates rapt vocals, ascending guitar licks and a rhythm section that is terse and stinging. The dynamics of the remaster radiates on your iPod and also on a top tier stereo system. Most remasters merely involve the raising of volume fortunately this is not the case with this latest edition of British Steel. There’s a new cover to differentiate this edition from the standard one, but have no fear, the original cover in the third page of the booklet and can be substituted in your jewel case. However, the real gem of this set is the bonus DVD. It contains a sixteen song concert from last summer. They perform the British Steel record in its entirety along with other Priest classics “Victim of Changes”, “Freewheel Burning” and "You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'". The performance of “The Ripper”, from 1976’s Sad Wings of Destiny was especially invigorating with the crowd relishing it. Thirty years after songs were recorded, bands should be a few steps behind, out of sync, have ravaged voices and be calling in the performance. Not Priest. They convey bliss in the concert performances and despite a few more wrinkles; you would never know otherwise this was a band a few decades on from when the original album was recorded. The core of the group is the same aside from drummer Scott Travis who was up to the task of bringing this classic album to life. For some acts, these full album shows are a way of lining their coffers with more bank, but Judas Priest reminded us why British Steel isn’t just a great record, but an essential one as well. This is a great package and the only question you should be asking yourself is why you don’t already own it.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter
