Judas Priest-Sin After Sin (1977)

In 1977, Judas Priest was still finding its way, and despite having released the commendable "Rocka Rolla" (1974) and "Sad Wings of Destiny" (1976), these were far from defining the style that would propel them to fame years later. For their next album, "Sin After Sin", they moved away from the dark and melancholic sound of their previous record, raising the tone and adding much more aggression that would lay the foundation for their future work. They distanced themselves from the blues influences that had shaped greats like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple, and with their incendiary guitar duels perhaps the best in history (with all due respect to other legendary bands like Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy) and the accelerated tempos in some tracks, heavy metal began to grow and take shape. Tracks include true anthems like "Sinner" or the amazing version of Joan Baez's "Diamonds And Rust".

Judas Priest-Painkiller (1990)

"Painkiller" is one of the most memorable heavy metal albums ever recorded, a powerful record created by gods of the genre like Judas Priest. With this, their twelfth album, the British group reached the next level within their classic heavy metal style, featuring the blistering and lightning-fast guitar riffs of KK Downing and Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford's anguished and aggressive screams, Ian Hill's heavy and driving bass, and the prodigious, hyperactive double bass drumming of the newly added Scott Travis. Composed of ten tracks, the entire album is incredibly solid, dizzying, powerful, rhythmic, and tremendously catchy. Tracks like "One Shot At Glory", "Night Crawler", "A Touch Of Evil", "Painkiller", "Metal Meltdown", "Hell Patrol", "Battle Hymn" or "Leather Rebel" make up one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed albums worldwide, also representing a milestone in heavy metal, mainly due to the wide influence and impact it had on many subsequent bands.

Judas Priest-Turbo (1986)

In 1986, Judas Priest showcased their experimental side with the release of "Turbo", a controversial yet successful album where they first used synthesizers and embraced (albeit quite subtly) heavy pop. At the height of their success, Rob Halford and company dared to flirt with the styles that, at the time, most rivaled hard rock and heavy metal: the glamorous and commercial sound of American glam metal. Much like Iron Maiden did during those years, synthesized guitars are used elegantly, at least in tracks like the monumental "Turbo Lover", which would become an instant heavy metal classic. "Locked In" and "Private Property" follow a similar path, featuring the immense talents of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton on guitars and a driving rhythm section comprised of Dave Holland and Ian Hill. However, there are also glimpses of the usual Judas Priest sound with the ironic "Parental Guidance", the carefree "Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days", and the heavy rock of "Reckless". Despite being maligned by many of their more orthodox fans, "Turbo" is the album that best balances raw, powerful heavy metal with the rock/pop of the 1980s.

Judas Priest-Killing Machine (1978)

"Killing Machine" is the second album released by the British band Judas Priest in 1978, and the first to feature the same lineup as their previous album, "Stained Class". Interestingly, this album was released in the United States three months later than in the rest of the world, and was also retitled "Hell Bent For Leather". While maintaining a very high level of musicianship, this release adjusts the sound towards more basic parameters to make it more accessible and commercially viable. Even so, it remains a powerful heavy metal album, with thrilling, hard-hitting songs. Tracks like "Hell Bent For Leather", "Running Wild", "Delivering The Goods", "Evil Fantasies", and "Killing Machine" form the solid backbone of the album's heavy metal, while the melodic "Before The Dawn" is the only piece that offers a brief respite from the relentless pace of the rest of the album. "Killing Machine" is considered the perfect transition between the classic hard/heavy rock sound with some progressive tendencies of their previous works and the dark and accelerated tone of conventional heavy metal of their subsequent releases.

Judas Priest-Ram It Down (1988)

In 1988, heavy metal was immersed in the sounds favoring the speed of thrash and glam that dominated MTV, leaving the genre's more traditional bands at a crossroads: whether to stick to their established philosophy or explore these styles that were trending at the time. In this context, Judas Priest had attempted to commercialize their style with "Turbo" (1986), a synthesizer-heavy album that was panned by their most devoted fans but nevertheless gained many new followers. Despite the commercial success of "Turbo", the band didn't want to continue down that path, or at least not so blatantly, and several years later released the challenging "Ram It Down", an album that straddled the line between their classic heavy metal and some of the experimentation they had showcased on their previous work. On "Ram It Down", Judas Priest returned with their fiercest and coldest sound, crafting a precise heavy metal album with the dizzying riffs of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing and the thunderous rhythm section of Dave Holland and Ian Hill. Songs like the galloping title track, the accelerated "Heavy Metal" and "Hard As Iron", the conventional heavy metal/hard rock tracks "Come And Get It", "Monster Of Rock", and "Love You Death", the dramatic "Blood Red Skies", and the experimental cover of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" (the latter two being the closest to the sound of their previous album), not only demonstrated a profound reflection on the path forward but also showcased the astonishing vocal range of Rob Halford, who was at the peak of his powers during those years.

Judas Priest-Defenders Of The Faith (1984)

Considered by their most die-hard fans as one of Judas Priest's last great albums, "Defenders of the Faith" continued the triumphant path of its predecessors, "British Steel" (1980), "Point of Entry" (1981), and "Screaming for Vengeance" (1982). On this occasion, the band even transformed their visceral style into aggressive heavy metal, with countless instrumental pyrotechnics driven by their two ruthless guitarists, K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, and supported by the blistering rhythm section of bassist Ian Hill and drummer Dave Holland. Special mention must be made of the soaring vocals of a sublime Rob Halford in immeasurable form. Thrilling heavy metal tracks like "Freewheel Burning" or "The Sentinel", along with the raw "Jawbreaker", "Rock Hard Ride Free", "Love Bites", "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" or "Heavy Dute", make up the amazing repertoire of one of the essential albums in the history of heavy metal.

Judas Priest-Stained Class (1978)

One year after their impeccable "Sin After Sin", Judas Priest is releasing another superb work that at the same time is one of their darkest albums, with a theme ranging from science fiction to the occult.
It was also the album of the controversy years later, when the band was legally accused and involved in a trial accused of indirectly inciting suicide to two of their fans while listening to the songs "Exciter" and "Better By You, Better Than Me".
Far from it all "Stained Class" is an album with a lot of punch, where the fierce guitars and the powerful rhythmic section are at great height as demonstrated in the visceral "Saints In hell" or "Stained Class", or in hymns of classic heavy metal like "White Heat, Red Hot", "Savage" or the mentioned "Better By You, Better Than Me".

Judas Priest-Unleashed In The East (1979)

'Unleashed In The East' is considered by many to be the best studio-recorded live album in history. In fact, Glenn Tipton acknowledges that some of Rob Halford's voice overdubs were re-recorded in the studio, but absolutely nothing else. It seems credible that Judas Priest, in February 1979, which is when the Japanese tour in which this album was recorded was made, were at an optimal moment, which would not lead them to have to organize a testing laboratory to release a live album that, in any case, transmits the strength, aggressiveness and power that the group that led the second generation of heavy metal gods had in 79.
When in November 1978 Judas Priest sold out for three consecutive nights at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, it is when it is considered more or less unofficially that the so-called New Wave Of British Heavy Metal began, which would explode as a true phenomenon of masses in England in the summer of 1980.
The success of this album live and the point of reference that it marked as long as it recovered for a heavy metal group in England that "great" award that had enough success in Japan to record a live album there, he had to necessarily influence the fact that Geoff Barton, founder and director in 1981 of Kerrang! wrote in Sounds in April 1979: “Judas Priest have done more than just put out a flawless live album: They have resurrected an entire genre of music that many had condemned to the rock history books as an outdated and exhausted style Hard rock, the legacy that Black Sabbath or Deep Purple left in the early years of this decade could not be diluted in the nostalgic memory of those who no longer go to concerts, stay home watching “Los Roper” and are scandalized by punks who dance pogo and face the police. It has been an indelible mark on a whole new generation, ready to bring hard rock up to date and give it a new personality Judas Priest are the most relevant example of this new wave of British Heavy Metal ”.
The live versions of “The Green Manalishi”, “The Ripper”, “Exciter”, and the shocking “Tyrant”, make this fantastic album a sensational, unique document of the genesis of everything that legendary New Wave meant. Of British Heavy Metal, of which no one has been able to fail to recognize Judas Priest as spiritual parents, and in whose concerts in Japan recorded on this album - in whose CD reissue "Rock Forever", "Delivering The Goods" were added, "Hell Bent For Leather" and "Starbreaker", sowed the fruitful seed whose fruit would change rock history well into the 80s.

Judas Priest-Screaming For Vengeance (1982)

For a whole generation of fans of the genre, this is the most complete and solid album of heavy metal ever recorded.
Released in 1982, "Screaming For Vengeance" is Judas Priest's most successful album, with more than two million copies sold in the United States alone, and considered one of the 25 best albums in heavy metal history.
With an impressive arsenal of great songs such as "Pain And Pleasures" or the commercial "You've Got Another Thing Coming" that was a success with the North American public and the addictive "Devil's Child" would end up raising them worldwide with more than five million copies sold.

Judas Priest-Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)

Sad Wings of Destiny is the great work of the Judas Priest, being above any other work they have done. Few or very few Metal records exceed it.

We were in 1976. AC / DC released "High Voltage", Rainbow conquered the music scene with its legendary "Rising", .... The Priest were at the beginning. They had only one published work, "Rocka Rolla", and they still had a long way to go to win the affection of the young metal fans. With the desire to move forward, the quintet decides to enter the studio and record a series of songs previously composed and performed on the previous tour, or some being even discarded from the previous work already mentioned.

While it is true that today it is considered essential to understand the origin and evolution of Heavy Metal, being one of the best that has been published and an influence for so many bands, at the time and despite the positive reviews, it did not wake up A lot of interest, with a very short tour (22 concerts in England) and with few sales.

Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine, who doesn't need many presentations, confessed in his autobiography his love for the Halford band and, especially, for the "Sad Wings." It was the first Metal album that managed to be bought and, today, he still thinks that it is his best album, and that he is one of the greats of Metal. This is one of many cases in which authentic Metal legends were nourished by this Priest masterpiece.

Judas Priest-British Steel (1980)

If Judas Priest has demonstrated something on some occasions, it is that quality is not always at odds with commerciality. The right point between heavy and hard rock with catchy choruses and effective riffs was created in British Steel (1980) , the key to the doors of success and massive recognition. There we have the hymns "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law", two clear examples of the undoubted search for an immediate hit. Cannon shots like "Rapid Fire" or the more contained "Metal Gods" are not far behind in terms of importance and quality. An influential work by the barriers that it has demolished, being much easier to assimilate than other classics of the band.