The 1978 albums by british Heavy Metal band Judas Priest. A follow up to the still-bluesy Sin After Sin, this album marked the point of Priest's transition to full-bore metal that would be cemented with the next album, Killing Machine/Hell Bent for Leather.
The songs are lyrically and musically complex - written at a time when the band was exploring its new direction and was not tied to formula or fan expectations. The lead track, Exciter, demonstrates the emerging raw power of the band, and is often cited as a precursor to the speed metal movement to come, while Beyond The Realms Of Death set the standard for power ballads and is a great demonstration of Rob Halford's voice in its prime.
This is the album that resulted in the band's infamous U.S. trial. The plaintiffs in the case asserted that their sons had attempted suicide after hearing a subliminal message recorded in the song "Better by You, Better Than Me" which told them to "Do It." The message was not in evidence on the 24-track master tape and may have been imaginary, a combination of guitar chords and Rob Halford's breathy vocals.
Track listing:
- Exciter
- White Heat, Red Hot
- Better By You, Better Than Me
- Stained Class
- Invader
- Saints In Hell
- Savage
- Beyond The Realms Of Death
- Heroes End
- Fire Burns Below -- CD remaster only
- Better By You, Better Than Me (live) -- CD remaster only
This albums shows the maturation of the early Priest into soon-to-be legends of metal, with Glen and KK at the top of their game, and Bob with his full vocal range intact. This is heavy metal at its dark, muscle-bound best -- the sort of album you put on when you need to shake plaster from the ceiling. Worth buying the remastered CD, if you're into Priest at all.