If Black Sabbath’s Paranoid was the album that defined heavy metal in the 70’s, Judas Priest’s British Steel was the album that defined heavy metal in the 80’s. Featuring early elements of thrash, glam metal, and hard rock, Judas Priest took the slow plodding sludge grooves of the previous era, turned up the BPM, and injected a layer of melody into the vocal harmonies that gave heavy metal a more pop-oriented sound. The results were immediate– Judas Priest went on to influence nearly every metal band that came after British Steel, from Metallica to Motley Crue to Motörhead, and have cemented their place in history as “Metal Gods” ever since.
Dominated by the dual guitar attack of K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, British Steel is a riff-heavy tour de force that eschews frills and lead guitar hooks in favor of downstroke driven approach to guitar. You have the requisite ear-melting solos layered throughout the songs, but in general the riffs are straight forward and succinct. Paired with Ian Hill’s chugging bass and Dave Holland’s steady drums, the band provides a nice bed for lead singer Rob Halford to shine.
And shine he does. Halford’s vocal capabilities are well-chronicled, from his rusty low-end growls to his soaring operatic falsetto, and his wide-ranging vocal range is the highlight of this album. Much like the instrumental sound of Judas Priest, Halford’s vocal talents would go on to influence a generation of heavy metal singers and nearly made it a requirement for the singers following in his footsteps to have a bag of tricks up their sleeve vs. a singular approach in their delivery. And furthermore, once paired with his iconic leather and studs clothing (which is now an iconic metal look) as well as his struggles with paranoia being a closeted man in the world of heavy metal during the 80’s (Halford officially came out in 1998 and the fans immediately accepted him), it’s safe to say Halford changed the game for heavy metal on so many vectors that he will forever stand alone with the one-and-only Ozzy Osbourne on the pantheon of heavy metal gods.
Standout Songs: “Breaking the Law”, “Living After Midnight”, “Grinder”
