JUDAS PRIEST - RAM IT DOWN | 6 FACTS About the Album Which SHOULDN'T EXIST

[@MetalPilgrim]

*🤘🤘🤘Watch the legendary ROB HALFORD joining me for an interview on the Defenders of the Faith Series - **kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6qohIFupdyXZs0** 🤘🤘🤘*

[@deanpmaloney]

Blood red skies...music, lyrics, everything about it is awesome!

[@MetalPilgrim]

One of my personal favourite songs... especially live!

[@FatalArrivalMetal]

Absolutely! Would choose the same \m/

[@EyeCandyAthlete]

I also like that one. I always suspected the percussion was a drum machine and not Dave, but otherwise it's an awesome song.

[@palikariena7292]

Only song I like from this album

[@russellhamilton2877]

Ram It Down has always been an unappreciated masterpiece. It kicked the barn doors aff their hinges to the more heavier sound the Priest have had fir over 30 years now. More of the tracks on this album should get played live especially Ram It Down 🤘🏻🇬🇧🖤

[@Nissardpertugiu]

Ram it down was played live

[@holdingholder]

@@Nissardpertugiu it's never been played live since the tour for this album

[@greg-warsaw4708]

The album is fair, with some very good moments and 2 masterpieces (the title song and Bloody Red Skies). But some song titles and some lyrics are really sorely uninspired.

[@fronthorse]

Ram it Down was my introduction to Metal. I was 12 and listening to German Punk when a friend of mine with whom I played soccer with approached me one day and said: "Hey... I got something new. This is Heavy Metal and the Band's called Judas Priest." Then he handed me his Walkman earphones and with the very first tone I was infected. I listened to this new sound over... and over... and over again. And I'm still a fan. And the journey has been huge since '88. It ain't their best but it's MY album.

[@MetalPilgrim]

This is awesome! Love how personal connections with an album can lift it up in someone’s eyes! I have the same thing as well🤘

[@estelombo]

I was 12 also, and heard Johnny b Goode on the radio, that got me and I finally got my parents to buy me the cassette.....I was blown away and priest were my favourite band since.

[@bolgarbalgarinov7325]

"Hard As Iron" is one of the top 5 most underrated Priest songs ever. This song is precursor of "Painkiller" album! Unfortunately it was never performed live. It's true that the last 20 years the consert setlists of the band are a great shit

[@robins5798]

That song and the title track basically laid the blueprint for the Painkiller album. Then you have a midtempo crusher like Come And Get It and the epic Blood Red Skies. The cheesy Heavy Metal and I'm A Rocker are pretty solid for what they are too. The remaining 4 tracks are forgettable though, especially the atrocious Chuck Berry cover.

[@imaouima]

@@robins5798 Of all the songs they made a video for... the crappy Johnny B Goode.

[@krisskriss1223]

Despite being heavier you can still feel the Turbo's touch here and there. Back in those years it was already clear that this 2 albums were connected . 2 blue hands on the cover...

[@swataz]

Hard as Iron and Blood Red Skies.

[@marianoc.8041]

My favorite song from this great album is the one that gives it its title, Ram it down. From Rob's initial scream, through the guitars, the base, and the lyrics, it's a perfect heavy metal song, one of the best I've ever heard. Greetings from ARgentina and congratulations for your channel my friend !!

[@vinaymulukutla358]

Ram It Down is an album that I loved instantly when I bought my first copy nearly twenty years ago. It is my third favourite Judas Priest record after Defenders and Painkiller. I never understood why many Priest fans deride it as awful and falling below the standard of what Priest did. You have some of the fastest and heaviest metal imaginable with Tipton and Downing absolutely hammering at each other in the duelling solo tradeoffs as well as songs where each guitarist handles all the soloing (Glenn: Heavy Metal and I'm A Rocker, KK: Blood Red Skies and Love You To Death)

[@estelombo]

Awesome!! My favourites would be ram it down, painkiller and staind class

[@RabidGerry]

Yeah me too. I do not know wtf is wrong with people who do not like this album. Obviously deaf. It's Amazin and yeah it was fast as fuck at the opening with some blitzkrieg guitars which to this day make me smile due to thet metal intensity. Glad you think the same as me 🙂

[@mitchelltheawesome1]

SO fucking underrated. Hard As Iron and Ram it Down are both in my top 5 JP songs.

[@Bruno-Guitarist]

YES! I dont really get the hate this album gets!

[@GalenIRL]

Those two songs actually got me into Judas Priest!

[@keepthemetalflowing]

For me, my favorite track on this album and of all of Priest's songs is "Hard as Iron". The track has a massively heavy (albeit programmed) drum beat and I believe there are some of Dave Holland's fills and so forth retained as back then, programmed drum parts couldn't do some of the things the final song has in it. The main portion of the beat, i.e. the double kick and the extremely metronomic snare drum are a machine. But if you listen to the fills, and snare rolls and some of the cymbal hits and when the track slows down at the end of the solo section and then end of the song itself, you can hear a more "human" element. For those more human elements they used in the final drum mix they probably had Dave play an electronic kit or pads, or just simply did what they did in the 70s and 80s and just used studio trickery to manipulate a heavily muffled accoustic kit. Regardless, I surely don't know but that's my best guess. This track has always fascinated as to WHY Priest has never played it live. With Scott Travis, he could easily pull it off. And the track is, for Priest and its time, heavy. There is a cover by the black metal band, ArchestrY . They did a remarkable job of it. Of course it has a very low fi production approach and the vocals are more black metal with some growls. Good cover, I have it saved in my faves. It's on KZbin if interested. Oh and they did a good job on the solo section too.

[@michaelevans3477]

Hard as Iron still is one of my favorite Priest songs.

[@grip6630]

I saw the Ram it Down tour in Toronto at the CNE Grandstand. Great show.

[@CygnusGalactic]

Honestly, Ram It Down has the best solos ever. This is the case why I fell in love with it. Title and Heavy Metal, just wow. I'm staying for more of your content definetely!

[@MetalPilgrim]

Totally agree about the solos! And thank you so much for the feedback, hope you will enjoy it!

[@CygnusGalactic]

@@MetalPilgrim I was really shocked that so much information and knowledge is really, you know, unknown. I thought that your channel was like, a couple of thousand subscribers to say the least. I already spoke about you to my metalhead friends. And thanks to you, I learned a lot :) After a peek on your comments I presume you are from Ukraine, so, hello from your Polish neighbour :)

[@MetalPilgrim]

Wow, thank you so much! And yes, I am from Ukraine and extremely happy to have a neighbour here! 🇵🇱 🇺🇦🤘

[@JavierRomero-ku2xn]

Love that album!! Hard As Iron is one of my favorite JP songs of all time. Blood red skies it’s a mix of Turbo (synth) and metal that’s amazing.

[@stefanssmellsvictory105]

One thing no-one can argue - Blood Red Skies is among one of the most underrated Priest songs ever. Maybe THE most underrated. Agreed that it doesn't sound completely synergised as other albums. Also agreed it does sound as though some songs were re-recorded to be more aggressive than previous designed. Oddily enough, personally, this is my favourite album to clean the house whilst listening to. Ram it Down - guaranteed to help you kill germs 50% more than your average album.

[@johnchr5368]

Blood Red Skies all the way. It has always been a source of motivation for me

[@davidknichal6629]

Wow nice to hear it! Heroes End gives me that power and Motivation too

[@MetalPilgrim]

*What is YOUR favourite song from Ram It Down and WHY?*

[@emorris0204]

Hard as iron is a favorite of mine because it preludes to the next album painkiller. High energy and speed with power!

[@MetalPilgrim]

@@emorris0204 Wow, never saw this track as a prelude to Painkiller, but I kinda see it now! Thanks for sharing this!

[@TheRealJawbreaker]

I’m a rockeeeeeeer!!!! Ohhhhhhh! And no one can take that away!

[@FatalArrivalMetal]

Blood Red Skies - such an epic hymn \m/ \m/

[@gianmarcodacol141]

I like the album as a whole, but Hard As Iron, the title track, Blood Red Skies, I'm a Rocker stand out

[@jasonboulet6415]

My ringtone is Ram it down screaming intro ... and it's badass... you should see the face of people when i get a call !!!

[@briansauer6695]

Had to laugh when I read that one!

[@zoranpavlovic9540]

Ram it Down was and still is one of my favorite JP albums since it was released. Ram it Down, Hard as Iron, Heavy Metal...I really was never in doubt about that album...

[@heavymetalvintage4x4]

@MetalPilgram I think the unreleased track you speak of is, may be called "My Design". (not my desire). This was taken from the old Judas Priest Info Pages website, back in the day. (Ps. Love your channel, and a huge Priest fan)

[@PowerAlejandroLegion]

The solo in RAM IT DOWN is delicious, i fucking love that song ^^

[@LoganFK]

Probably my favorite priest guitar solo that stands out above even robs voice in the song if you ask me

[@MetalPilgrim]

❗❗❗I was honoured to welcome *ROB HALFORD* on the *Defenders of the Faith Series* for an exclusive interview and speak about the *NEW album* and more! Here is the first bit from this episode which will be out on June 28th - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIjHmpV7Zs2sg5Y

[@kenfrederick6223]

Great album! I caught them live on this tour with Slayer as the opening band. What a night!

[@JayTyrus]

I've always considered "Hard as Iron" as the best, most underrated track from this album. It gave us a good sneak peak sound of what was to come on the next album. And just the lyrics alone...totally describe the typical Priest-style lyrics that Priest were famously known for.

[@beamerstrumpet]

LOVE ZONE! That drum intro! and most definatly BLOOD RED SKYS

[@bobberyrob7973]

The chorus riff on come and get it is one of my favorite riffs ever!

[@MetalPilgrim]

Overall it is an extremely underrated song! I personally love it!🤘

[@bobberyrob7973]

@@MetalPilgrim My favorite of the album together with hard as iron.

[@rodovanra6783]

The songs are good, I would love a re recording of some of the songs. least 3-4 songs with Scott on the drums.

[@MetalPilgrim]

Ram It Down with Scott on drums would be a killer!

[@Nissardpertugiu]

@@MetalPilgrim No i don't think . Because the live version , as rapid fire and stuff It had that balanced pre hardcore attitude to it , kind of punk rawness into metal , while keep the Back beat groove to it . And Scott is ...Flat . Plus , As Screaming for vengeance , this song is in the club of 3 songs that modern players , tributes , don't nail at all , along Call for the priest when they left off Little importants details and fall in the dust at every corner of a break into the song reception wise. Scott travis himself butchered SFV ALL THE TOUR in 2015 ..beign Flat , without any soul , Fucked The reception too late of the first drum lead after the first Chorus , sped up to catch it up , re slow down. Believe it or not , Scott dropped the Buddy rich roll before the " Guitar section + leads " , with a uninsplred 4 time bass drum and hit hat thing .. Its not all to add unecessary double bass ( and i love double bass ) . Mind you Scott have ears monitors .. Dave didnt . Dave played it hardcore , raw and crispy . The buddy rich roll , actually , Dave did a modif as he did in trapeze live . A rudimental subdivision or de composed phrasing , Passing the buddy rich roll into a " falling " swing de division swing triplet fill on the toms . And its tight . Physically speaking its not easy to do at all smooth .. And Dave was 10 feet in the air . Search the error .. Dave got a lot of shit , but in thoses few priest tracks he put in chops grounded in rudiments , and his Funk / Jazz space and stuff secret , in the sense at the hearing its not that obvious and it sounds easier because its arranged within the spaces and studied ( as opposite to a lot of notes that people call technical but its not always true ) , but when you try it , as architecture everything enlight itself . Its a bit like ive got feeling by James brown , you think its easy , because its funky but to control and master what Clyde was doing and make it sound authentic , Good luck ( and not one ghost notes is repeting itself ) Scott and The couple of others guys even Butchered Rock rolla lately . I mean ..... they play it like a Cheesy 80's metal band . Did they listen the original or did actually pay attention to Ian bass lines ? Its in the pocket , its swaggy and its funky . And beside playing it straight dead they fucking rush it . Its not as easy as it sounds either . There s a lot of trapping but smooth metric changes in rock rolla material . Ram it down is a hard song .

[@markwalch6065]

Adore thos album. Deffo the go to Priest album for virtuoso guitar solos. Its crazy how in how short a space of time they gave the eorld Screaming for vengeance, Defenders, Turbo and Ram it down!

[@Rubberbandman0529]

My favorite album after Painkiller. There are some songs like Blood Red Skies that kind of slow the album down, but there are a lot of awesome, heavy songs that make up 4 it. Ram It Down, Love Zone and Love You To Death are my faves

[@RabidGerry]

Great! You know your stuff. I commented on something you said on the Painkiller album video you made and here I am going backwards an discovering you already know Ram IT Down is an underrated heavy metal masterpiece. Salute you sir.

[@wendychan6679]

I definitely do NOT regard Ram it Down as a filler album. I am glad it was released as a separate album rather than being possibly the 2nd part of a Turbo double album. It was very different to Turbo and stands on it's own. It is hard to pick a favourite song but Heavy Metal and Blood Red Skies does it for me. Monsters of Rock is also very good.

[@scootermcgee6971]

Ram It Down, Heavy Metal, Hard As Iron and Blood Red Skies are incredibly underrated.

[@kevincarpenter3428]

I can't believe that a fighter hasn't used monster of rock as a ring entry song.

[@tc699]

Blood Red Skies. Hard As Iron. Both are great songs. I also really like Johnny B. Goode --a solid hard rock rendition. Anyway, I viewed the album as being a nice representation of Judas Priest at the time. Frankly, hearing the opening scream in my friend's basement the day it came out ... told me that Judas Priest was headed back in the metal direction. Great album. It also has a special place in my memory since it was this tour that I first saw Priest. I've still got the Ram It Down (Shove It Up) concert shirt I was lucky enough to get signed by Rob Halford.

[@LockedownSEO]

Under Blood Red Skies and the title track are the stand out songs on this album. Hard as Iron and I’m a Rocker are also strong.

[@davidknichal6629]

But Love Zone? Love you to Death? These "gems" should have been switched for Prisoner of Your Eyes and Fired Up or Thunder Road for that matter

[@GregTweeter]

Love the album and video. I look at it as a stepping stone to Painkiller

[@dardobartoli]

Well as promised, I am going through your back catalogue of Priest related videos. At this point, the UK had pretty much fell out with the band after they had focussed on conquering the US of A and the TOTP's fiascos 2 years running (I was one of those waiting in B'ham for the gig). So when they finally toured this time, they could only fill out small venues. I can see it now, The Powerhouse Birmingham, with my brother and best mate of the time, and to this date, it is still probably the best concert I have ever been to (and have been to 100's). Seeing your favourite band up close and personal, they were particularly tight that night. We even saw met KK, Rob and Ian at Five Ways Birmingham who were signing the album.. Great memories.

[@HenryCovert]

Your video is actually more entertaining than the album itself!

[@johnnyjohntheschemindreame9193]

I've probably have listened to this record more than the others. Don't know why I love it so much. There are better records but I just dig this record

[@MetalPilgrim]

You know, the songwriting on this one is actually pretty great, I think. Yet, it might not be as cohesive, but every sone individually - amazing!

[@TheWolvesCurse]

i didn't know Ram it Down was sort of looked down upon like this... it's my favourite priest album.

[@JDCUSA]

Dave Holland will always be the drummer I prefer when I consider and make the association with regards to the success and classic heavy metal sound of Judas Priest. In their prime they were the best heavy metal act of all time in my opinion.

[@valeriotagliaferri2125]

Totally agree with you. Scott Travis is great but too much double bass drums makes the rythm flat to me.

[@daddyg8791]

Scott's a way better drummer!

[@machupikachu1085]

@@valeriotagliaferri2125 they make him do that.

[@nncoco]

I saw this tour, and Dave played fine. Not sure why official story exists.

[@mojorisin7371]

Les Binks was their best drummer. The way he added to unleashed in the east to some of their best songs made those songs even more epic. Stained Class and Hell Bent For Leather are even more examples. Long live Priest 🤘🤟💯

[@barrysmith839]

@Dušan Janek Scott Travis. Worst drummer. Worst sound.

[@sherlockholmes2360]

Criminally underrated! Heavy Metal and Ram it Down are bangers!

[@lokiodinsson666]

LOOOOOOVE the album. Blood Red Skies is phenomenal, the title track Ram It Down is killer and the lead break shows the brilliance that will lead to the best song lead break ever in Painkiller and overall the album is just sweetness.

[@gianmarcodacol141]

Ram It Down sessions had also two gems and a lost song. The tracks are Thunder Road and and Fire Burns Below, they're bonus tracks on Stained Class and Point Of Entry remastered CDs

[@briansauer6695]

Thanks for cluing me in to those songs! Never knew they existed, Even their "throw aways" kick ass!

[@vinaymulukutla358]

The other lost songs are the three they recorded in those sessions with the songwriting team Stock, Aitken and Waterman (who wrote and produced songs for Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Bananarama in the 80's). They were pretty much pop metal type songs (I think two were covers) However, Glenn and KK went over them and decided not to include them on Ram It Down and to this day, they still haven't been released.

[@briansauer6695]

@@vinaymulukutla358 Would love to find out what they were and hear them. I learned a long time ago not to judge songs by what someone else labels them as I may just love them!

[@vinaymulukutla358]

@@briansauer6695 Glenn and KK have both released statements that it was better that they were not released and that they had nothing to do with Judas Priest's direction and that the recording sessions with SAW (Stock, Aitken and Waterman) were actually great. They may get released eventually but at the moment, plans to release them still are still suspended indefinitely. They are sitting somewhere in a vault in Priest's label's branch in London. Got nothing against SAW but I don't really want to see their presence in heavy metal. Still, in spite of that, the collaboration must have produced something interesting.

[@briansauer6695]

@@vinaymulukutla358 I can only hope that someday..... As long as they are stored and not erased, that's ok by me, just knowing they are there! Thanks for the info!

[@estelombo]

my first priest album, and still my favorite

[@kevinunger433]

Was an awesome album for it’s time. I still rock out to it.

[@rafael_81q]

Ram It Down is for sure an underated masterpiece

[@dietersmit6639]

I agree about I'm a rocker on aor tour. Played alongside with worth fighting for, excellent!

[@Theheavymetalshop]

For a long time i wasnt a big fan of this album but as ive grown older i have become a big fan of this album i really never gavev it a chance but after futher review i love it with the songs im a rocker and heavy metal being my fave on this album i now like this album more than turbo. Keep up the great work metal pilgrim cuz im a rocker!

[@chrisrevill8717]

I like the way the album kicks off with Rob screaming like he's trodden on a piece of Lego.

[@miroslavstankov7919]

Ram It Down was a sign of things to come. Priest had their brush with mainstream with Turbo, and were trying to reclaim their steel-forged crown. The prodigal son was coming home. Yes, there are some Turbo-era artifacts on the record, but overall, it's a killer. It has classic melodies and anthemic choruses reminiscent of the Screaming For Vengeance/Defenders Of the Faith period, mixed with track-opening screams and sick guitar solos, as well as a whole new level of sheer ferocity.

[@anybody7367]

ram it down is by far one of the bands heaviest songs i love it

[@DarioDNA1]

"Blood Red Skies" is my favorite of the album

[@juklymgdm777]

"Ram it down" is such a great and awesome album! I have ALL the tracks that they recorded in the sessions in my playlist. Actually, i love "Fire burns bellow", one of the best experimental tracks they wrote, I think that if they have released " Thunder Road" instead "Johnny B. Goode" the album will be more closer as a golden album. My favourite track is "Blood Red Skies", all the song is perfect, rob's interpretation as the 2 solos!

[@kenwheeler3637]

Seen this our, with my girlfriend at the time, from the third row, center. Had a great time. I really miss the 80's

[@dardobartoli]

Oh and 'Hard as iron', what an incredible riff... sign of things to come!

[@skottcoucill8343]

Ram It Down is my favourite album by the Priest. Totally over the top 80s Metal and it reminds me of Troma movies. Speed masterpiece.

[@willibordus]

Ram It Down: - the first metal song I heard - the first metal album I bought - the best album of Judast Priest (imo) - I like ALL the songs in this album - true metal sounds of heavymetal musics ever… (sounds like metal and iron scratch, noise, sharp, blade, speed) - full power, full energy, best arrangement - the best and true heavymetal album ever (imo)

[@hsmetalhb2036]

Very nice video, always very informative... My favorite Priest-album ever since is Painkiller, issued a month before my 16th birthday... As far as Ram it Down is concerned - and picking up your question - it is neither a filler nor a masterpiece... It has some great songs (title Track, Come and get it, Hard as Iron, Blood Red Skies), but the rest of the material cannot keep that level (especially Johnny B. Goode...yuk!) For me, this album was a necessary step, away from Turbo, moving towards the Greatness of Painkiller. Maybe the band needed this album to get aware, in which direction they wanted to go (and that they needed someone else behind the Drumkit...) To be clear: No pun intended towards Dave Holland, but Scott Travis lifted Priest to a new level.

[@erikpedersen5218]

The first priest album I heard was sad wings of destiny when it was first released. Then came Sin after Sin. I loved them both. But, since then, there have been many sub-standard songs. There are a few bright spots on other albums

[@tomaslolaswettling2079]

Ram It Down has to be my third favourite Judas Priest's album! Not every track were as good as in the Defenders of the Faith formula (Monsters of Rock or I'm a Rocker as its biggest flaws), but others such as Love you to death, or Love zone gave Judas Priest a storm of fresh air to their repertoir. Definitely my fave tracks by far from such an underrated masterpiece

[@SimonTheChimp]

Love this album, first album i ever bought. As an 11 year old it blew my mind. Awesome

[@LeatherRebel75]

This album isn't terrible, but it's just not as strong as much of the catalog that had come before. Still, it's worth owning for the majesty that is "Blood Red Skies."

[@Axe_Slinger]

One of my top 10 favorite Judas Priest songs is from, the much maligned album, Turbo. LOCKED IN is a KICK ASS song! I started playing guitar in 1984 and the Locked In solos were the FIRST time I heard sweep picking. Not only was Judas Priest one of my 3 favorite bands (Triumph, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden), and still are, but I was BLOWN AWAY when I first heard, and saw, the song on MTV!

[@sergiomarketweb]

I love everything of the this record, including cover art and Jhonny Be Good ;)

[@Nissardpertugiu]

I like all the tracks but Ram it down , Heavy metal , Love you to death, monster of rock , Hard as iron and Blood red skies are my favorites .

[@lray8771]

this album is awesome! their cover of johnny be goode is amazing and one of the greatest covers ever done. Love Ram it Down!

[@krisfreouf]

Blood Red Skies, I'm a Rocker and Ram it Down are my favorites from this album.

[@KevPez-IS]

All I know is that Ram it down Live in the late 80s, Dave Holland was a MONSTER. It was faster then even the studio version

[@zls9890]

I remember seeing them play "Blood Red Skies" on the Epitaph tour. 🤘

[@leonardomota9679]

I just began to listen to this album days ago. The song "Blood Red Skies" is fantastic!! 🤘

[@johnfletcher948]

MASTERPIECE PAL!!! COME & GET IT! HARD AS IRON!!!! BLOOD RED SKIES!!!!!!!

[@joaobabler1584]

Ram It Down has THE BEST vocals

[@FatalArrivalMetal]

Priest forever!

[@nicholaskruger9460]

My first concert was screaming for vengeance. When I was 13. I never really liked any album after it but I loved loved everything before. The super early stuff is what I got into later. I left when they made sings like parental guidance.

[@dardobartoli]

I'm about 3 videos into your JP work and enjoying it very much. At 56 and from the same area as the band, it should come as no surprise that they were and remain my favourite Metal band. I first saw them supported by IM (and no, IM didn't and could never 'blow' them off the stage), sorry I digress and I also saw this UK return tour at the Powerhouse in Birmingham (I think) and was a small venue as they had lost quite some fanbase thanks to focus on the States and TOTP fiascos 2 years running. However I stil think it's one the best concerts I have ever witnessed... The one thing you should do, as you touch on here (and forgive me if I have yet to come across it) is that ultimately, it would be JP's Management that would hold them back with poor decisions like you've mentioned here (or them wanting 50k of Stephen King just to use 2 lines from Another thing coming (I think). Someone needed to get hold of them across the whole spectrum of their work and marketing: Lyrically, they becamse so very Metal focussed.. there is only so many times you can hear about Metal being just the best... Album covers, grow up for goodness sake, they just kept getting worse and more childish with every one. Free marketing to wider audiences - why would you ever turn this down. Guitar harmonies... why did they move away from them so much ... but I still love the priest..

[@XaviClot]

Ram it down is a criminally underrated album!

[@chabaloo8855]

I really like the feeling of collection of songs with the more experimental and heavy sound of the album. It gives it a special feeling. A masterpiece for me.

[@1justinswift]

This is the First New Judas Priest album I ever heard (I was 3) . I was a fan before . But after this ,I was hooked for life. :) #metalgods

[@wayneschnacker7976]

One of my favorite Judas Priest songs is Reckless it's on Ram it Down. I used to crank it up in the car to get my day started.

[@Rubberbandman0529]

On Turbo*

[@heavymetalenthusiast4231]

Masterpiece, of course ! Favourite song: hard as iron 😍

[@seanat3034]

Ram It Down is my favourite JP album, god damn it’s good. I just don’t understand why Painkiller got the love, but not Ram It Down, that dosen’t make sense to me. It’s almost the same 🤣🤷🏻‍♂️ both albums are just crazy good 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@martincalero3203]

JP has always done an outstanding job of producing and delivering excellent music. The day the artists are born, a critic is right behind them!

[@ghostman5620]

i declared myself a fan of priest in 1987 with "Priest...Live!"...i was 14. began working my way thru the catalog. during that time, Ram It Down was released. despite all the older music being ''new'' to me...Ram It Down was the first new material released to my ears. Love Ram It Down................if thats an issue, call my lawyer.

[@dmnddog7417]

Ditto. I was about the same age and I'm pretty sure "Priest...Live" was my first JP album. It became my gateway to the rest of their discography. I recently sold my original vinyl of "Ram It Down," but I still have the CD remaster.

[@RickKing06]

What other songs were re written for ram it down, you said I'm a rocker and what are the other ones

[@babayaga8513]

'Come and get it' is the real underrated badass song of this album.

[@artkierstead7655]

I always wished they would reproduce this with Mr Travis playing!!!!

[@JoeStrubel13]

When Ram it down hit the world in 88, I loved the Johnny B. Goode cover!! The best song on this record for me is Blood red skies!! What a epic killer!!

[@adhuruesi]

I love this album,songs like Hard as iron,Ram it down,blood red skies,monster of rock are great.

[@pumpkinheadghoul]

During my rocker years back in the 1980s, I played in a number of metal cover bands, and we always played Judas Priest's Johnny Be Good cover. We played it rather well.

[@abmendez7102]

Blood Red Skies is an epic work. Very good album 8/10

[@rushshukla4636]

People bitch a lot about Dave Holland but I think he's the best drummer Priest had. Listen to his work with Trapeze. He was using double bass clicks then and his fills are precise and full of finesse. I've seen them a few times in the 80s Defenders and Ram It Down tours and they and he was rocking it. Personally I love RID. It's top 5 Priest anyday. Also Turbo and Nostradamus. All three are among in my top 5 with Sin After Sin and Sad Wings being my 1 and 2.

[@midnightadmirer]

100% agree❤🤟🏻

[@stevelamonica2297]

At the time of its release in 1988 I was very happy that it was much heavier than Turbo. However with decades of hindsight, I find it a patched together retread of leftovers from Turbo. I still like the album... but it is what it is. I saw them on the tour for this album and it was great!

[@GilbertClark]

Ram It Down was one of my favorite Priest albums. It was the first Priest CD I had purchased after getting my first CD player in college (other priest albums were of course LPs and cassettes). My favorite track is probably "Heavy Metal" and I love their version of "Johnny B. Goode". "Ram it Down" and "Hard as Iron" are also favorites. I was NOT a fan of Turbo so this album was a godsend to me.

[@CaptBeauregards]

Blood Red Skies, I'm A Rocker, HARD AS IRON and Monsters of Rock. The four horsemen of the Revelations.

[@PeteHawthorne]

Ram It Down used to be my favourite Priest album for years! Now it's a tie between Stained Class and Point Of Entry! ;)

[@arvispinkletter5324]

If Turbo had been Twin Turbos, my understanding is that it was supposed to be part retrospective, part present, part future. That being the case, I think that the synth effects would only have been present on a few tracks, and the variety of approach for each song would have been more varied. I expect we'd still have Ram It Down (the song) as is, but a few tracks would have been made to sound like they belonged to previous albums. "Prisoner of Your Eyes" likely would have been there, styled as a callback to the Sad Wings era, for example. Instead, we got two separate albums, each with a different primary focus. Some of the aggressive sounds on a few tracks from Ram It Down might have been dialed back a bit. The idea of "let's take this song, but make it heavier and more aggressive" makes sense because I kind of feel like some of the heaviness and shredding feels thrown in and a bit forced.... and maybe the songs would have sounded more "geniune" in their original form. But we'll never know which moments those are. I don't love Ram It Down (the album); parts of it feel ham-fisted and thrown together ... and of course there's the drum machine .... but it does have its moments. It has "Blood Red Skies" for example. It's been said that we had to go through Ram It Down to get Painkiller, and I think that's right. On Painkiller, instead of trying to rewrite existing songs into being heavier, they just wrote songs that started out that way and I think it worked out better.

[@MetalPilgrim]

Exactly! It seems like even though they pushed a bit harder than they originally intended on this one, they were able to discover a new side of their music, paving the way to the new Judas Priest era of Painkiller onwards!

[@FatalArrivalMetal]

Great commend! This is exactly how it is \m/

[@vinaymulukutla358]

They also wrote and demoed a song called Heart of a Lion in the Turbo sessions which was later given to Racer X to record on their Second Heat album by Rob Halford as a gift. Ironic that Racer X's Scott Travis would later join Judas Priest after Racer X folded. The original demo is found on Metalogy but in 2001 or so, Rob recorded his own version for Halford's Live Insurrection album.

[@V3ntilator]

I remember buying the vinyl on day 1 of release for 6 bucks. Most songs on it is great. At some point in recent time "Ram it Down" song became my favourite on the album. When album were new, i listened most to "Blood Red Skies". Edit: I'm a rocker is a rocker.

[@DocSolstice]

Blood Red Skies... Great song! definitely one of their best... and with drum machine! I was working these days in my band with a drum machine too and heard it immediately that this drumsound could not be from an real drummer... But what a pattern! Absolutely impelling! Apart from this Blood Red Skies has beautiful harmonies and perfect voice from Rob. Masterpiece in my eyes (ears?). They did a similar hymn on Firepower with Rising From Ruins... The rest of the Ram It Down album... hmm... ok... there are better ones...

[@briansauer6695]

Blood Red Skies is a metal masterpiece!

[@hellrider2844]

I really dig ram it down,,, It's got some great songs on their,, Differently an underated album,,,,👍