JUDAS PRIEST — Painkiller (review)

JUDAS PRIEST — Painkiller album cover Album · 1990 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
Kingcrimsonprog
Judas Priest’s Painkiller album was released in 1990 and has since went on to become a classic album, hugely respected and often included in lists of ‘best-ever-metal-albums.’

For a Judas Priest record, Painkiller is very fast and heavy. Drummer Scott Travis brought a new injection of energy to the band and the material is very hard, fast and Thrash Metal influenced. Painkiller as an album is full of thundering double kicks, buzzsaw riffs and of course the highest standard of guitar solos.

Along with the renewed energy from the band, singer Rob Halford pushes himself to his very limits on this album. At points it seems as if he is trying to win some sort of world record with his high-pitched screams.

The quality of songwriting is excellent and there is no filler or weaker tracks. Songs like ‘Metal Meltdown,’ ‘One Shot At Glory,’ and ‘All Guns Blazing,’ are all furiously energetic; Priest really delivered a supremely strong and exciting record with Painkiller.

‘A Touch Of Evil,’ slows the pace a little and adds some variety to the proceedings, with keyboards from Dio/Ozzy/Deep Purple’s Don Airey. The track is really powerful and when all the music climaxes and Rob delivers the line ‘You’re Possessing Me,’ I never fail to break out in a big grin.

Overall, Painkiller is a fantastic album from start to finish. Atypical of the usual Judas Priest style, but utterly essential to anyone who likes metal nonetheless.
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