Judas Priest - Point of Entry: Underrated Albums by my favorite bands #3

[@billytrance6893]

I love this album. For one thing, it's more "raw" in it's recording. It was recorded as a band (everything sounds more equal in the mix without the guitars being pushed way up above the other instruments; it's more equally integrated musically), there doesn't sound like there is any studio "tricks" or enhancements, again it's more "raw" sounding. Just 1-year later everything changed for JP, it's just great to have captured them in this way. Great review!

[@BlackTerror]

I agree. You can hear the room on the album if that makes any sense. It sounds like they were playing together and recorded in a studio room instead of it being other worldly like defenders or painkiller.

[@jasonveganicus7933]

Love this album! Was the first Priest album I owned as a kid .

[@BlackTerror]

I wonder if the title Point of Entry was them thinking that album would be the one when it came out to open them up to new and first time listeners?

[@Riky_Jones]

Underrated yes what a great album especially Solar Angels

[@BlackTerror]

The guitar tone in that song is totally sick!

[@PiotrLangtvedt]

I agree, it's underrated. My fave track is Desert Plains with nice drum fills. After the huge success of AC/DC's Back in Black album JP tried to do something similar, and for me it works. I also like the sound very much. Metallica could be sounding like this, big arena rock sound. Not a band a listen to much anymore but I have the big leather box Metalogy. One of the coolest boxes made.

[@BlackTerror]

I wasn’t listening to JP much anymore myself because I’ve played them to death but I’m kind of hyped because KK Downing’s second solo album comes out this week so they’ve been on my mind. The first one was only oK but I got a positive feeling about the second. Im not jaded enough to not be thrilled when there’s basically 2 versions of my favorite band making albums. The more time Metallica takes to make albums the more forgettable they are. If they churned out a least an EP semi regularly with short songs big rockets they’d be selling like Taylor Swift.

[@PiotrLangtvedt]

@@BlackTerror I am more into Eric Clapton and John Lennon now. So no KK's Priest for me. But I am waiting for the new Rob Halford solo album (yes, not Judas Priest album). He said in an interview that he's currently making a blues (bluesrock?) album. Sounds exciting. :)

[@BlackTerror]

@@PiotrLangtvedt That does sound exciting. I think Halford has left no stone unturned when it comes to doing more metal. It would be cool if Rob's bluesrock album goes back to the sound of the Rocka Rolla album. They abandoned that style quickly but it was so cool.

[@JCStorm76]

Yes I agree with you. I actually prefer this album over British Steel. Interesting that in Rob Halfords book this was the album of theirs that he trashed the most. He’s not a big fan. He said sunny Ibiza was party central and too much of a distraction during the recording and they rushed it.

[@BlackTerror]

I get the same feeling from KK, although he says he loves all of JP's albums equally as if they were his children. The chapter in his book about this album was painfully short and focused more on drinking in local bars. It seems almost everyone of my favorite albums is a disappointingly sparse chapter in all the biographies I read.

[@mblair5327]

He must have felt different at some point because he said he liked it and he felt it was underrated.

[@JCStorm76]

@@mblair5327 That’s my sentiments about that album

[@krudetube795]

Q 104.3 in NYC. Good rock station back then POE doesn't make me want to listen to it straight through. Though much better than Turbo and Ram It Down

[@BlackTerror]

Somebody remembered it! Q104.3 was awesome and the only station I knew of that played a mix of not so old and new stuff. I was already burned out on classic rock stations in the mid 90’s.

[@Mike-aka747]

Seems really fashionable to love this album and call it underrated. Besides You Say Yes and Heading Out to the Highway, I find most of not very memorable. The albums sandwiched In between…you can see why they were huge and This albums still lies in obscurity. Defenders also boasts more memorable songs. So basically this album and Turbo and Ram it Down, not so great imo when talking about the eighties stuff. I’m glad people can find enjoyment from this album. I just never acquired the taste.(Gentle Giant pun greatly intended)😊

[@BlackTerror]

Hmm. I have to disagree. I kind of see it as the opposite. I don’t know why it doesn’t get the respect. Desert Plains and Heading out to the Highway are always welcome when played live. Hot Rockin’ does stink though. It’s far better quality than Turbo (lyrically a silly album musically pretty solid) and Ram It Down (bad drum machine, but I’m fascinated with that). It came out when bands churned an album out every year, not over stuffed with filler like they do now to justify 4-5 years in between each release. It was a solid release you got that year without reinventing the wheel. The early 80’s sound to me is my favorite era of metal. Love the production sound but I guess that’s just nostalgia for when I first got into this stuff.

[@Mike-aka747]

@@BlackTerror someday POE will grow on me. It has to, I give it a spin every couple years or so. All it does it make me want to reach for Hell Bent or Stained Class. An album I’m surprised you have so low. I get it though. Those 2 teens and their troubled life. Jp defintely wasn’t to blame. And Better by You is a damned cover song by Spooky Tooth who was an influence for the band. It’s been a couple or so years since POE was last played. I’m due again. Want to love this album. Believe me!

[@BlackTerror]

@@Mike-aka747 make a playlist that skips Hot Rockin’. That has to make the replay value go up! (NGL if they played that at a concert I went to I’d still mark out)

[@cariebroyles2853]

Absolutely agreed

[@BlackTerror]

Thank you! I knew I couldn't be the only one out there who thought this. Point of Entry is a total banger!