After a fairly silent 2017, Judas Priest have roared back at a million miles per hour. Delivering their full first single of the their new album ‘Firepower’, ‘Lightning Strike’. And it’s freaking awesome.
It’s classic Judas Priest. And I don’t mean to jump the gun here but I have a feeling that ‘Firepower’ is going to be one of the strongest Judas Priest albums in their catalog. Much like 2014’s ‘Redeemer of Souls’ is. The album is produced by two heavy metal genius producers. First is the new school Andy Sneap who keeps Priest sounding current and relevant. But this time around the Priest brought back their OG producer Tom Allom. The mastermind behind albums such as ‘British Steel’ and ‘Screaming for Vengeance’. Two of the highest regarded albums in all of metal.
The track itself is just that. A classic old-school Judas Priest sound with a couple of new school elements. Of course, it’s melodic. Halford’s seemingly ageless voice shines through with veracity. Hitting all the high screams that he always has. Along with some creative vocal harmonies. The riff is classic ‘Painkiller’ era but slightly ahead of mid tempo. As opposed to all guns blazing (no pun intended). It’s dark and moody which is classic for the Priest. And it’s got that perfect double peddle gallop that the band innovated and cultivated all those years ago.
Hopefully this is a little taste of what’s to come on the rest of the record. ‘Firepower’ drops on March 9th through Epic records. Yeah, that’s right, they’re still signed to a huge label. And make sure you check out the tour dates. I personally can’t wait to see what their stage looks like for this tour.
