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Judas Priest - Painkiller



9.3 | 2247 votes |
Release date: 3 September 1990
Style: Heavy metal

Owners:

2844 have it
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01. Painkiller
02. Hell Patrol
03. All Guns Blazing
04. Leather Rebel
05. Metal Meltdown
06. Night Crawler
07. Between The Hammer & The Anvil
08. A Touch Of Evil
09. Battle Hymn
10. One Shot At Glory
11. Living Bad Dreams [Recorded during the 1990 Painkiller sessions] [2001 re-release bonus]
12. Leather Rebel [Live at Foundation's Forum, Los Angeles, California, USA in 13 September 1990] [2001 re-release bonus]

Top 20 albums of 1990: 2
Top 200 albums of all time: 1
Featured in "Getting Into: Judas Priest"

Additional info
Produced by Chris Tsangarides.

Staff review by
Pierre Tombale
Rating:
10
The most wicked, crass, screaming guitars, heaviest? album in Judas Priest's discography with Rob Halford. There are simply not enough attributes to describe it. To many if not most of the fans say it's the best album they ever recorded. For me, it's the second best (pointing at the Screaming For Vengeance review). Of course, this is a perfect production, incredible songwriting, a brand new sound you would not have imagined before 1990, but everybody can have his own view on that.

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published 20.12.2003 | Comments (59)

Guest review by
Valentin B
Rating:
9.2
The year is 1990 and after 2-3 softer releases like Turbo or Ram it down, Rob Halford, KK Downing, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill and new drummer Scott Travis (the five members of Judas Priest) decide to do something so brutal, even by death metal standards of the day. It's so heavy, so fast and shredding, yet so catchy and melodic that no-one has ever heard anything like it before.

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published 02.11.2006 | Comments (30)

30 years ago, on September 3, 1990, Judas Priest released the perfect heavy metal album. Not A perfect heavy metal album - THE perfect heavy metal album, a nonstop death machine bristling with power and speed that puts all competition to shame. The title track really says it all: it's iconic from head to toe, opening with Scott Travis's merciless drum volley and closing with Rob's peremptory shriek of "PAIN!!", with some of the greatest shredding ever committed to wax in between. But the album doesn't end there; for 47 minutes, Painkiller holds its listeners captive with stratospheric screeching, face-melting guitar solos, and the sleekest, heaviest, most brutally effective solution of thrash-laced heavy metal that the world has ever heard. The snarling evil of "Night Crawler," the pummeling metallic frenzy of "Metal Meltdown," the epic and intimidating groove of "Hell Patrol" - every track is a guaranteed killer from one of the most legendary bands ever to give meaning to the phrase "heavy metal." I love the myriad styles of metal music and I embrace it in all its deathly, blackened, doomy, thrashy, folksy, grindy, djenty extremity, but when it comes to the grand tradition, the classic sound, the stuff that "heavy metal" in its purest form is made of, there is nothing better than Painkiller.

ScreamingSteelUS's picks | More picks ››

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Comments page 6 / 6

Comments: 163   Visited by: 3138 users
15.03.2022 - 15:06
Rating: 9
nonZero

I could never properly get into Judas Priest before hearing this album. I first heard British Steel, which was good but not the masterpiece Kerrang! magazine made it out to be IMO. Painkiller is a much better album and easily my favourite of theirs (although Defenders of the Faith is also fantastic!).

9.5/10 for me - 'Painkiller', 'All Guns Blazing' and 'Night Crawler' are the standout tracks. 'Hell Patrol', 'Metal Meltdown' and 'A Touch of Evil' are also all fantastic.
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15.03.2022 - 16:00
gavdann

Written by nonZero on 15.03.2022 at 15:06

I first heard British Steel, which was good but not the masterpiece Kerrang! magazine made it out to be IMO.

That's what you get for taking the word of Kerrang!! Haha.
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15.03.2022 - 16:19
Rating: 9
nonZero

Written by gavdann on 15.03.2022 at 16:00

Written by nonZero on 15.03.2022 at 15:06

I first heard British Steel, which was good but not the masterpiece Kerrang! magazine made it out to be IMO.

That's what you get for taking the word of Kerrang!! Haha.

Haha, well as a teenager Kerrang! was the only source of metal info I had
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26.06.2022 - 00:33
Rating: 10
Joppe
Steelemeister
Considering Maco's wisdom that this is not even the best Judas Priest might hold some truth; how can you tell whether Sad Wings is better or this? It's truly a hard one to choose, different genres and different times. I don't know who to consult on this; I might be the best fucking heavy metal album commenter the world has ever fucking seen, which still makes it hard to resolve this one dilemma. As a conclusion if you seek more of a rock oriented album then of course Sad Wings wins it, in classic heavy metal Painkiller is superior.

If Maco died or whatever happened to him whether he is gone forever, I would like to see some kind of tribute towards him. He he had some quality comments.
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26.06.2022 - 01:23
Rating: 10
F3ynman2000
Nocturnal Bro
Written by Joppe on 26.06.2022 at 00:33

...how can you tell whether Sad Wings is better or this? It's truly a hard one to choose, different genres and different times. I don't know who to consult on this; I might be the best fucking heavy metal album commenter the world has ever fucking seen, which still makes it hard to resolve this one dilemma. As a conclusion if you seek more of a rock oriented album then of course Sad Wings wins it, in classic heavy metal Painkiller is superior....

Yeah it is indeed impossible to objectively say which is the best Judas Priest because, as you said, they're different genres.

For me, the best 70s JP is Stained Class, 80s is Defenders of the Faith, and 90s is Painkiller. And then it comes down to simply personal preference and what kind of metal you like. I think those people who like more extreme metal genres would find Painkiller best, while those who enjoy more melodic or prog metal would choose 70s JP.

And the true winners are those who can enjoy all of it!
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26.06.2022 - 09:48
nikarg

^ Exactly.
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27.06.2022 - 23:36
Alakazam
spendin' cheese
Written by Joppe on 26.06.2022 at 00:33

If Maco died or whatever happened to him whether he is gone forever, I would like to see some kind of tribute towards him. He he had some quality comments.

He could be, I dunno, having a life to spend? Something the majority of the users here haven't got perspective on. And all the highest-quality users I've known for the most part, from my experience have left either voluntarily or not.

About the album, if it were his perspective, it'll likely methinks have a similar approach to what he did with having Peace Sells be his best Megadeth.
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27.06.2022 - 23:44
Rating: 10
Joppe
Steelemeister
Written by F3ynman2000 on 26.06.2022 at 01:23

Written by Joppe on 26.06.2022 at 00:33

...how can you tell whether Sad Wings is better or this? It's truly a hard one to choose, different genres and different times. I don't know who to consult on this; I might be the best fucking heavy metal album commenter the world has ever fucking seen, which still makes it hard to resolve this one dilemma. As a conclusion if you seek more of a rock oriented album then of course Sad Wings wins it, in classic heavy metal Painkiller is superior....

Yeah it is indeed impossible to objectively say which is the best Judas Priest because, as you said, they're different genres.

For me, the best 70s JP is Stained Class, 80s is Defenders of the Faith, and 90s is Painkiller. And then it comes down to simply personal preference and what kind of metal you like. I think those people who like more extreme metal genres would find Painkiller best, while those who enjoy more melodic or prog metal would choose 70s JP.

And the true winners are those who can enjoy all of it!


I looked back what Maco offered

Written by Maco on 22.05.2016 at 05:29

My turn:

1. Sad Wings Of Destiny
2. Sin After Sin
3. Screaming For Vengeance


I don't know whether he missed listening to Pain - Fucking - Killer or was he trolling, because those those 2nd and 3rd picks doesn't make a sense, he is right about Sad Wing of Destiny though. Well, I can't say no more, prefer what you want, you guys. I do the way of true steele and you do whatever you guys do
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27.06.2022 - 23:52
Rating: 10
F3ynman2000
Nocturnal Bro
Written by Joppe on 27.06.2022 at 23:44

I looked back what Maco offered

Written by Maco on 22.05.2016 at 05:29

My turn:

1. Sad Wings Of Destiny
2. Sin After Sin
3. Screaming For Vengeance


I don't know whether he missed listening to Pain - Fucking - Killer or was he trolling, because those those 2nd and 3rd picks doesn't make a sense, he is right about Sad Wing of Destiny though. Well, I can't say no more, prefer what you want, you guys. I do the way of true steele and you do whatever you guys do

Yeah Sad Wings is undoubtedly amazing. The "problem" with JP is that I love so many of their albums, so that Sad Wings ends up further down on my list, even though it's incredible. My personal list would go:
1. Painkiller
2. Defenders of the Faith
3. Stained Class
4. Screaming For Vengeance
5. Sad Wings of Destiny

3, 4, and 5 are really close and their order changes a lot for me - but these are definitely my top 5 JP albums
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28.06.2022 - 12:27
JoHn Doe

Without the success of Sad Wings..., JP as we know it would have never existed, their influence on the genre would have never been either. That is why I never understand people not comprehending its importance.
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28.06.2022 - 13:04
Rating: 9
Redel

Written by JoHn Doe on 28.06.2022 at 12:27

That is why I never understand people not comprehending its importance.

Who is not comprehending the importance of Sad Wings?
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17.11.2023 - 19:55
Rating: 10
miekka18

My favorite heavy metal album of all times. Every song is just pure enjoyment. No matter how many times i listen this throught the years
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13.01.2024 - 10:16
JoHn Doe

A long time kept secret about this album was that most of the bass on the album is programmed by Don Airey on a moog synth.
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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