JUDAS PRIEST — Angel Of Retribution (review)

JUDAS PRIEST — Angel Of Retribution album cover Album · 2005 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
666sharon666
Judas Priest's fifteenth album Angel of Retribution from 2005 marks both the band's return to the Painkiller line-up, Rob Halford now being back at the front of the band where he belongs, but also their much needed return to form after the career low point that was the second Tim Owens fronted effort Demolition (though to reiterate my review for that album I lay no blame at Tim's doorstep). It's also rather back to basics traditional heavy metal without the band doing any messing around with the more modern groove metal sounds of the Owens era, but that's exactly what they needed to do at that point in their career.

The songwriting is at its highest level since Painkiller on Angel of Retribution although the album as a whole is still a way off from that sort of top tier standard. There are many excellent songs that stand out for me from the album though including what I'd call the aptly named opener Judas Rising as well as Deal with the Devil and Hellrider. With the closing Lochness Judas Priest also try their hand at an epic and although it's far from a favourite of mine from the album, I think that's pretty decent as well. In my view the track actually flirts with traditional doom metal at times. It's got some quite different vibes to the typical Priest song. Overall this won't ever be a favourite of mine from Judas Priest, they have too much stronger work from the 70's in particular for that but it's one of the better post-Painkiller albums.
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adg211288 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
This one didn't do too much for me at first but I've got into it now.
Unitron wrote:
more than 2 years ago
This was definitely a great return to form.

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