Judas Priest: Firepower

[Pedrito]

A couple of years since this bad boy came out and it has absolutely stood the test of time. I remember CT wrote a review of it gushing about it though dismissing the first couple of tunes. I have to say, they are just perfect lazer beam, sci fi, metalized pop songs. Perfect singalong tunes in the vein of their best work on Painkiller, Defenders etc. Things slow down and get deeper towards the middle of the album. Children of The Sun, Rising from Ruins(one of my favourite Priest songs ever), Spectre, Never the Heroes...class class class. I remember there was some hilarity around the lyrics to Flame Thrower, but my god what a fist pounder, air guitar going 90, imagining you still had some hair on your head, jumping around the house to it.

Anyone else still listening to this perfect piece of molten metal? For a band their age to produce it, ad considering everything that was going on with Tipton at the time, it really is a special album.

[leatherface]

I haven't listened to it in a while but bought it when it was released and thought it was a great release, not essential in their catalogue but still great. Thought it was just a fun, no nonsense metal album that didn't pretend to be anything else unlike some of their more recent offerings. At least Priest didn't go the Iron Maiden route and release an album full of pretentious and overlong songs that don't hit the spot. 'Firepower' is just a nice antidote to all that.

Have most of their back catalogue on vinyl which gets more spins though.

[Trev]

I was very late getting into Priest, only really started listening to them about five years ago. So I've never had the nostalgic pull for them like I would for someone like Maiden, and for me Firepower easily stands up with their best stuff. Incredible how they came up with it nearly 50 years  into their career

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Great album. Had it on again over the last week or so after watching that Richie Faulkner riff breakdown video.

[Kunt 4 Life]

Pity they never got to tour the album. They tied themselves to that tour with Ozzy and he kept cancelling time and time. They missed their 50th anniversary here.

[Carnage]

Like Trev, I got into Priest later on - until 10 or 12 years ago I'd only heard 3 songs by them: Breaking The Law, Living After Midnight and Painkiller - so didn't have the nostalgia a life with the them would bring. Being familiar with their back catalogue now, it's well up there, easily their best since Painkiller and well above a lot of the preceding albums too. Still gets regular spins from me, it's one of their most consistent albums and a damn sight better than the steaming turd that immediataly preceded it.

The only issue I'd have is with the jingoism of Sea Of Red, but I rarely pay heed to lyrics anyway so it's a minor quibble.

[ldj]

Gonna give it a spin as I remember the hype at the time, I'm always a bit sceptical when bands try to 'turn back the clock' so to speak. I must say though, I fucking hate Andy Sneap's production.

[mugz]

Gonna give it a spin as I remember the hype at the time, I'm always a bit sceptical when bands try to 'turn back the clock' so to speak. I must say though, I fucking hate Andy Sneap's production.

that's been a point of contention for decades now, but his style can be useful for older bands looking to crystallise their sound

problem being the sterility that process brings as a side effect

[jobrok1]

Have it on the phone and it gets regular plays still. If I'm out for my evening walk and cant decide what to throw on the headphones, it's my default go-to.

I gave Flame Thrower a bit of flack early on, but absolute love it now. Every track is a winner.

[Pedrito]

Have to say I love the production on it. It brings a whole new lease of life to the band and has this really enjoyable grunt to it. As my good man Jobrok says, there's not a bad tune on it. Even ones where you're thinking, 'ah I might skip this', you stick around and something very good happens. I remember thinking Death Magnetic might be a return to form and played it a lot but after a month or two it died to me..I'd find it hard to even recall a tune off it anymore. Firepower is light years beyond that, a band of class acts just laying down the law. Age and all the excuses doesn't come into it, just focussed, quality, molten metal quality.

[Slaughterday]

Probably their strongest album since Painkiller for me. As mentioned the production is a bit too slick, particularly the shite drum sound, but the songs are great.

[leatherface]

'Lone Wolf', a slow, Black Sabbath meets Priest sounding affair, is actually the best song on this album in my opinion. Had completely forgotten about it,.

[mugz]

Probably their strongest album since Painkiller for me. As mentioned the production is a bit too slick, particularly the shite drum sound, but the songs are great.

Jugulator is the best since Painkiller, a great one-two

[jobrok1]

'Lone Wolf', a slow, Black Sabbath meets Priest sounding affair, is actually the best song on this album in my opinion. Had completely forgotten about it,.

Traitors Gate is my fave off it.