Judas Priest: Invincible Shield vs the rest (Best Priest Album Ever?)

[@jasongaylor2232]

I've always considered the 1970's "S" Trilogy(Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, & Stained Class) as being the best albums Priest ever produced. Musically, lyrically, and consistently. They would never be that good again.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for the comment Jason...That 70's era was absolute gold...we touch on this a bit in the show...

[@parishofrock2963]

Great review guys. My fav Priest albums are the run of British Steel, Point Of Entry & Screaming For Vengeance. Whilst I don’t think this matches those, I really like Invincible Shield. My main criticism with it is that it lacks a bit of variety. But nonetheless I really enjoy it. I saw them a couple of weeks ago in Birmingham & the new songs sounded great.

[@Andy1000]

Good review guys Im pretty much with you on your opinions. I'm also an older 58 year old Priest fan. If i were only allowed to take a handful of Priest albums to a desert Island it would always be the 70's / early 80's ones but this new album is great for what it is and probably the best since Painkiller. Would be nice to get one last album away from the speed metal and more in the mould of an updated Sad Wings...

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Well said! Something a little more nuanced (if that is the word) and back to the start... a real 70s album....

[@beastwishes]

Thanks a lot for this, it was very insightful and nice to get some perspective on this album, the fact Andy Sneap doesn't get a mention when I think he is the one who is single-handedly responsible for the sound and feel of this album, he is due a lot of kudos and respect...it is also a bit of an albatross for the band now as if you go and listen to Andy Sneap's recent work over the last few decades, he is producing Accept, Saxon and Judas Priest all at the same time and if you go and stick on the new Saxon album or listen to the new stuff coming out from Accept and these could all interchangeably by the same songs from the same band (save the solos which indicate their own personalities playing them) and I thought that was a VERY curious thing. For diehard long-term fans to sit and say, this album is better than Painkiller makes me scoff. I am 34 years old so I am in the "younger demographic" of Priest fans, Painkiller to me is a perfect metal album, the title track is iconic, not just among Priest fans but as a heavy metal song. Invincible Shield? the title track, it sounds like a cousin of Ram It Down (no bad thing) but it just doesn't have the impact or the impression that Painkiller does and people are so quick to heap praise on Invincible Shield purely because it is fun and enjoyable as opposed to underwhelming or poor that they proudly discount what's come before it... There is nothing on Invincible Shield, pound for pound or song for song that is as good or better than the songs on Painkiller and the album (I think mind you) doesn't have the impact or the invention, passion and creativity that Priest give (and are ignored for) on Nostradamus. What Invincible Shield does do well is give you some nice, easy-going, digestible, heavy metal. And that's all it does and sadly, I think that's a shame, that Priest, who were ALWAYS pushing the boundaries creatively, musically, sonically, on every album, its own personality, its own identity, when you listen to Sad Wings you get that marbled, majestic, feel, when you listen to Sin After Sin you get that earthy, rich feeling, you get that powerful sonic aggression with Stained Class. What identity does Invincible Shield have? other than Rob Halford talking about "themes on the album lyrically" themes which are very surface level in their lyrics (other than Halford's universal ambigiuity) which he always good at. This is Priest's most successful album ever in terms of sales and you have to wonder why that is and whether or not it actually means theyve made this album for themselves or have they made it to be as non-threatening as possible to a large swathe of people who have been turned away from Priest over the many many years. I think it's a fine album but it's just fine and it doesn't have half of the excitement that a Priest album should have and because of that, these songs will really fail to live beyond their runtime.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for watching and appreciate your views on the album. I'm always interested at different fan perspectives based on their entry into a band that has an extensive catalogue. Whether this album has legs beyond the hype of the initial release and is still compared to Steel, Vengeance, Painkiller...time will tell. To be frank, I'm not sure.

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

Being of the somewhat older fan group at 58, I agree with most the commentary here although I'm not that huge a fan of Painkiller but I concur it was a much needed boost after two flimsy albums, i.e. much of its praise is a bit like the praise for Invincible Shield; there was a thirst for something new and different. I like the new album here but it's also a bit lifeless and clinically samey sounding to me so it's nowhere near the old classics they're sacred and safe, if you will. This is Rob and screaming guitars, that's my main takeaway here. Along with the great music of the past, always comes a lot of cultural history that elevate any older material to where newly made music simply have no chance of reaching. Can't just erase or beat yesterday's brilliance easily or surpass important musical stuff, when there's so much world baggage that comes with it - after all, the Priest classics are ingrained into our collective consciousness, I don't see how they can better that when music is so much more than having good songs. It's great that bands are still releasing new material though, there's always bound to be gems found there, it gives them something else to play too spread among the legacy favorites that primarily will define Judas Priest forever.

[@jayjaytee9944]

@@RockDaydreamNation That is exactly how I describe Firepower imo Invincible Sheild blows it away!

[@iancocks9408]

@@jayjaytee9944I really liked firepower but agree this one is much better

[@marcdiego1]

It's a very good release. It's a very typical Priest album. I'd rank it ahead of Rocka Rolla, Killing Machine, Turbo, Ram it down, Jugulator, Demolition, Angel of Retribution, Nostradamus and Reedemer of Souls.

[@herbie-f4x]

I would rate this album above Demolition, Nostradamus , Turbo and Rocka Rolla. So that makes it 15 th on my list of favorite Priest albums.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for your picks. Appreciated.

[@davidknichal6629]

😄😄😄

[@bonescheffel7795]

I've been listening to this about once a day for the last few weeks along with their older stuff, and feel it stands up pretty well. There are a few self-referencing spots-Which I'm ok with. Ritchie is on Fire. So is Rob It sounds better (sonically) than the 80s stuff. I think the songwriting is more consistent than any period. My fave is also Unleashed- you can hear Ian on that one Holy Cow! I'm an old guy-quoted "You've Got Another..." in my grad yearbook in'83/84.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Its a mighty fine album...Appreciate your take on it!

[@prosperoeaton8201]

Great discussion. I've listened to this album fifteen or so times at this point and absolutely love it. Is it the absolute best Priest album? Not quite. Screaming for Vengeance, Stained Class, and Sad Wings of Destiny are at the top for me. I'd rank it somewhere between seven and nine, depending on my mood. It's my highest ranking album of the reunion era.

[@kevinturchin]

Best since Screaming for Vengeance for me. I agree about the bonus tracks, especially Fight for Your Life. That is a top 3 song of the release and should’ve been included on the album proper.

[@cameronsmith8328]

It’s the best new album I’ve heard in a long while. I’d place it somewhere in Priest’s top 5.

[@lance98541]

I don't think it's their best, but it is easily my number 5 and best since Killing Machine IMO.

[@jayjaytee9944]

Great review guys, my fav Priest since Painkiller, Vicious Circle reminds me of Fight. Although not written by the band The Lodger seems to be a low key sequel to the Ripper imo. The Alferd Hitchcock 1927 silent film The Lodger - A story of the London Fog was also probably the inspiration for The Ripper too?

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks JayJay..Per The Lodger that makes sense

[@davidknichal6629]

Firepower was great in the terms of consistency, lyrics and melodies but it was all TOO SLOW and heavy metal requires speed. Without speed it sounds generic. Invincible Shield is the true follower of Painkiller. Fantastic harmonies, even better lyrics than on previous record and vocals out of this planet. Wow

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for your feedback on the album David!

[@jimekberg]

1. British Steel 2. Sad wings of destiny (bad production) 3. Killing Machine 4. Sin after sin 5. Defenders of the faith 6. Stained Class (could be better produced) 7. Angel of Retribution 8. Painkiller 9.Rocka Rolla 10.Firepower

[@damienfoyer]

Got the special edition of the CD, it's a strong album. You raise the question about who plays on what. This has been a guarded secret for a long time in the band. Take for example the use of Don Airey synth bass on Painkiller and the travesty of replacing Dave Holland with drum programming.

[@paulwills1459]

Dude if you think Dave Holland is better than Scott Travis you don't know anything about drumming. Travis could do Holland in his sleep. He just likes to play intricate drums . I could imitate Dave Holland with ease.

[@inmyhouse11]

The new album is trash and doesnt come close to any of their 70s and early 80s output. The new album has a generic modern metal sound that you can plug in any modern metal vocalist with. The Priest sound is not there. Sounds more like a new Elegant Weapons album with Halford as the new vocalist.

[@woutwout8398]

Agree wholeheartedly.

[@davidknichal6629]

Ehm...lol