Search - Judas Priest :: Painkiller

A METAL MASTERPIECE

S. Smith | Sanford, ME United States | 04/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Priest pulled out all the stops for this album. Hard to believe that such a metal gem could be released in 1990. Probably my favorite Priest album, due to the consistency of material throughout the album, plus its being friggin' heavy as hell!"

The essential speed metal album!!

critico constructivo | PR | 06/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

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One thing is for sure, this is one of the best albums in the early 90's and of the best of all time in the Judas catalog. This is heavy metal in the simplest and pure form. The guitar complexity here is the main point on the album, Tipton and K.K. Downing never stops to impress me, both are great musicians and Rob Halford great as always improves why is the best metal vocalist of all time along with Bruce Dickinson and James Hetfield. This album is essential!!!"

Enraged and full of anger...

Mark H. | Hanson, MA USA | 10/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

""This IS the PAINKILLER"...So claimed the title track of Priest's comeback album. After the creative nadir of the `Twin Turbos' project, Judas Priest limped into the Nineties without a hint of the aural assault that they would produce to open the decade.

Straddling both the American thrash brigade led by Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer and hair metal, Priest seemed to be at a crossroads and threatened with irrelevancy. In stepped new drummer Scott Travis (a Yank!) who became the catalyst for the band's best example of technical brilliance combined with ferocious assault since the late Seventies. Travis' brilliant double bass speed metal playing completely energized the legendary duo of Glenn Tipton and KK Downing to create their most brutal riffs and stunning leads to date. In addition, the greatest voice in metal was in top form - Robert Halford, who sang as if possessed by the fires of hell. `Painkiller' would be their best album since `Screaming for Vengeance' as the band seemed to wipe away most of their mid to late Eighties mediocrity. However, it was not as many fans and critics would have you believe, their best record. Though the music was definitely killer, the lyrical content was of the same clichéd territory as much of their `80's material. Faves include the title track which without a doubt belongs in the sacred pantheon of metal recordings and is easily one of the band's greatest triumphs! It stands as both a call to arms and a statement of intent (move over young guns, this is how the masters do it). Others such as "All Guns Blazing", "Metal Meltdown", "Night Crawler" and "Leather Rebel" show Priest at the top of the game. Unfortunately a four star album is not five stars and `Painkiller' is let down by the much of the last half of the record. Technically flawless songs with lame lyrics include "Hammer and Anvil", "One Shot at Glory" and "Touch of Evil" (never quite dug this one). All good songs yes but again not great ones. `Painkiller''s legacy will rest one the monstrous title track and the fact that at least temporarily it brought Priest back as a REAL metal band. Alas, it prove to be an end to an era as Halford left the band soon after the supporting tour and Judas Priest would be on hiatus for much of the rest of the decade...until Ripper showed up...but the magic was still missing...

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