JUDAS PRIEST — Jugulator (review)

JUDAS PRIEST — Jugulator album cover Album · 1997 · Groove Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
666sharon666
1997's Jugulator was Judas Priest's comeback album of sorts as it was their first release since 1990's Painkiller. This album marked the first release to feature Tim 'Ripper' Owens on vocals following Rob Halford's exit from the band in 1992. Rob Halford is a vocalist of the sort of calibre that makes him difficult to replace and the fact that Judas Priest is one of the biggest and longest running names in metal didn't really help the band when they needed to do just that. For metal fans, being the fickle bunch that we are, whoever the band brought in was never going to cut it for most of Judas Priest's followers. Personally though I think they made a great choice in Tim Owens. His career has been rather marred by the fact he replaced an iconic frontman in not one but two metal bands (the other being US power metallers Iced Earth), only to later be replaced himself by the very guy he replaced. But he's a great vocalist in his own right and I personally think he held his own while in Judas Priest. He's definitely not the reason why Jugulator isn't the most worthwhile Judas Priest record.

Actually, this isn't a bad album. It's even a good album. I think that Judas Priest have made weaker records even with Rob up front but it certainly is one of their oddity records, in that it features a much more modern groove metal sound as its primary element. While oddities have actually been a feature of their discography, the others aren't really too much of a far cry from their usual traditional metal sound. Rocka Rolla was a finding their sound album. Point of Entry and Turbo really just play up the hard rock influences that have been present on nearly every Judas Priest album ever released. Even Painkiller could be described as simply turning things up to eleven. But Jugulator is more difficult to think of as the work of Judas Priest. Some of the riffs here sound like they'd be more at home on a Pantera album. As I said, I think Jugulator is a good album; definitely not their weakest effort, so long as one is prepared to judge it on its own merits. The songs aren't classics but they are all enjoyable. I can't help thinking that the album may have been better received though if it didn't have the Judas Priest moniker on it.
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adg211288 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
I've scored this in the same range as you at the moment because it is a decent enough album. However having spun it a few times I just don't see it being a Judas Priest album that's going to get too much of a look in from now on.
Unitron wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Nice review, I like this album too. Not as much as some of Priest's other albums, and a far cry from most of their other albums, but still good for what it is.
siLLy puPPy wrote:
more than 2 years ago
I think the Ripper was a great choice. I love the sound i just don't like every track. Great review :)

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