Release date: 9 October 1978
Style: Heavy metal, Hard rock

Rating:

8.3 | 391 votes

Owners:

538 have it
40 want it


01. Delivering The Goods
02. Rock Forever
03. Evening Star
04. Hell Bent For Leather
05. Take On The World
06. Burnin' Up
07. The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) [Fleetwood Mac cover]
08. Killing Machine
09. Running Wild
10. Before The Dawn
11. Evil Fantasies
12. Fight For Your Life [2001 remaster bonus]
13. Riding On The Wind [live] [2001 remaster bonus]

Top 20 albums of 1978: 5

Review
Lyrics (12)


Additional info
Originally released as "Killing Machine" in Britain and Europe, in 1978 without "The Green Manalishi", then re-released as "Hell Bent for Leather" in March, 1979 in the USA. The band themselves refer to it as "Killing Machine" consistently.

"Fight for Your Life" is a previously unreleased, early version of "Rock Hard, Ride Free" (which appears on Defenders of the Faith, 1984).

"Riding on the Wind" was recorded live at the US Festival, Glen Helen Park, Devore, California on May 29, 1983.

Staff review by
Pierre Tombale

Rating:
8.5
The real 70's classic metal album 'Killing Machine' was recorded in 1978. Judas Priest could celebrate a world success. Back then the sound of metal was a bit different from what we know today, Killing Machine is very much rocking, as the whole 70's era of Judas Priest was. From this album we get several metal classics and many are my personal favorites from Priest.

Read more ››
published 28.12.2003 | Comments (7)

Found in 9 lists
Top lists

~Starchild~ The Encyclopaedia of Beautiful Metal Ballads  | #152
Vasil de Shumen Top 200 Metal Masterpieces of All Time  | #82
Aebsi My Favorite Albums  | #5
ajohns1 Judas Priest Best To Worst  | #9
Mountain King The Greatest Rock/Metal Ballads  | #60
Nosurper Ranking Priest Albums  | #6
Iron Nostarion Judas Priest Albums - Top To Bottom  | #3
motts Top 10 Judas Priest Albums  | #7
More lists with this album (9) | Create a list! ››



Comments

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Comments: 13  
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megadeath13 - 12.01.2013 at 00:33  
  Another perfect album for me. Its rather in the commercial half but nearly all the songs here are great. OK, Take on this world is probably the weakest Judas Priest song ever, but who cares.
Ace Frawley - 12.01.2013 at 01:58  
Rating: 7 Yep, "Take on the World" is often referred to as a LUNKHEADED ANTHEM. It's a shocker.
Angelic Storm - 12.01.2013 at 10:12  
Rating: 8 "Take On The World" worst Priest song? Quite possibly... though the worst songs on "Turbo" sure run it close!

Compared with the likes of "Stained Class" and "Sad Wings Of Destiny", this is definitely a weaker album in comparison, but there are a lot of great songs on this one. Some really underrated, like "Burnin' Up".
Marcel Hubregtse - 12.01.2013 at 11:04  
 
Written by Angelic Storm on 12.01.2013 at 10:12

"Take On The World" worst Priest song? Quite possibly... though the worst songs on "Turbo" sure run it close!



United is even worse than Take On The World
Marcel Hubregtse - 12.01.2013 at 11:06  
 
Written by Ace Frawley on 12.01.2013 at 01:58

Yep, "Take on the World" is often referred to as a LUNKHEADED ANTHEM. It's a shocker.



United even surpasses it in mornoheaded football anthemness. But Take On The World is of course also extremely dire
Valentin B - 12.01.2013 at 11:26  
 
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.01.2013 at 11:06

Written by Ace Frawley on 12.01.2013 at 01:58

Yep, "Take on the World" is often referred to as a LUNKHEADED ANTHEM. It's a shocker.



United even surpasses it in mornoheaded football anthemness. But Take On The World is of course also extremely dire

At least they haven't played Take On The World live for quite some decades now and it takes only 2 minutes. United on the other hand...

But I generally agree with the people here, this (which is entitled just Killing Machine) is a classic album and another of Priest's albums that was a huge influence on the metal scene overall. The guitar duel in The Green Manalishi has been redone over and over, including by Priest themselves.
Ace Frawley - 12.01.2013 at 12:08  
Rating: 7
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.01.2013 at 11:06

United even surpasses it in mornoheaded football anthemness. But Take On The World is of course also extremely dire


Forgot about that song. You're probably right about it being worse. I also reckon the album it is on - British Steel is weaker than Killing Machine, which I really quite like as an album.
7thSlave - 12.01.2013 at 12:52  
Rating: 8
Written by Ace Frawley on 12.01.2013 at 12:08

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.01.2013 at 11:06

United even surpasses it in mornoheaded football anthemness. But Take On The World is of course also extremely dire


Forgot about that song. You're probably right about it being worse. I also reckon the album it is on - British Steel is weaker than Killing Machine, which I really quite like as an album.

A (dis)honourable mention should also go to 'Red, White & Blue'. Another terrible 'anthem' type song. Rubbish.
Marcel Hubregtse - 12.01.2013 at 13:55  
 
Written by Valentin B on 12.01.2013 at 11:26


But I generally agree with the people here, this (which is entitled just Killing Machine) is


The album is called Hell Bent For Leather in the US hence that name in between []
Marcel Hubregtse - 12.01.2013 at 13:56  
 
Written by Ace Frawley on 12.01.2013 at 12:08

I also reckon the album it is on - British Steel is weaker than Killing Machine, which I really quite like as an album.


100% agreed. British Steel is actually quite a weak album over all.
Angelic Storm - 12.01.2013 at 14:33  
Rating: 8
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.01.2013 at 11:04
United is even worse than Take On The World


I dunno about that, at least "United" provides a bit of amusement, "Take On The World" is just dull.

About "Killing Machine" being better than "British Steel"... they are very similar albums in a lot of ways, but I think "Killing Machine" is marginally the better album. And of course, "British Steel" is quite overrated, even though some of the songs on it are great.
Valentin B - 12.01.2013 at 14:38  
 
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.01.2013 at 13:55

Written by Valentin B on 12.01.2013 at 11:26


But I generally agree with the people here, this (which is entitled just Killing Machine) is


The album is called Hell Bent For Leather in the US hence that name in between []

Of course I knew that, but it's only titled like that because of record company bullshit.. to me it will always be Killing Machine.
Cream - 03.02.2013 at 19:21  
  The album should have ended with "Before The Dawn" and the album would be perfect. But unfortunely Evil Fantasies and the bonus tracks are included, the worst tracks they have created.

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