Are you a fan of British heavy metal? If so, then get ready. Today is the day. It’s time to get your studded leathers out of the closet because the almighty Priest is back with a vengeance with the release of their 17th studio album, “Redeemer of Souls.”
This release marks the first Judas Priest album since the departure of founding member and guitarist K.K. Downing in 2011 and the first to feature new guitarist Richie Faulkner. Richie has already proven his capabilities as a live player but the question of the hour is how would this change affect the new material and overall sound. After all without two insane guitars, Priest just wouldn’t be Priest. There’s no need to worry as Faulkner has crafted some amazing riffs for this record, most notably on “March of the Damned,” and there already seems to be great chemistry between Faulkner and legendary guitarist Glenn Tipton.
“Redeemer” offers up a great mix of just about everything Judas Priest can do, from the eighties feel of the title track and “Dragonaut” to the powerful “Halls of Valhalla” and the fists in the air feel of “Sword of Damocles.” Pleasant surprises were the blues groove of “Crossfire” and the prog-rock throwdown on “Secrets of the Fire.” Five additional bonus tracks were also included with the standout being the hard rocker “Snakebite.” As always, the Metal God himself proves worthy of the name as Rob Halford’s vocals sound better than he has in years. Bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis keep the rhythm section thundering along and the twin guitar attack of Tipton and Faulkner is electrifying.“Redeemer of Souls” is the best record Judas Priest has put out in a very long time cementing their position once again at the top of the metal world.
