Judas Priest - Painkiller review
| Band: | Judas Priest |
| Album: | Painkiller |
| Style: | Heavy metal |
| Release date: | September 03, 1990 |
| A review by: | Pierre Tombale |
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]
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.
Devastating drums and screaming guitars, a sound that has influenced many bands since the release of Painkiller, the most famous album among Priest's works. The guitars remind me at times of a chainsaw, incredible, lightspeed solos, this album gives you all that you may desire, but it is a complete breakaway from the sound the metal legends were famous for. A sign of the beginning of the end? Soon after Painkiller Rob Halford left the band to start a solo carreer, which should reach the height of the Painkiller-times a whole decade later.
To me the cover artwork already shows what kind of a furious monster of metal was unleashed with the release of Painkiller, the pure metal massacre? here comes the 'Metal Meltdown', run for your lives! My favorites on this album are definetely 'Night Crawler', a real metal-nightmare, 'Between The Hammer & The Anvil' and 'A Touch Of Evil', the latter using keyboards. The bonus track 'Living Bad Dreams' fits this record perfectly and the 'Leather Rebel' live is unnecessary but what the heck? this record could not be ruined even if the song had a bad quality.
Once again Priest have proven that they can make a record without a single weakness, leaving you the choice of loving or hating it. As I said I prefer the classic sound, but worship this of course as a masterpiece, just as it deserves.
Rating:
9.2
9.2
|
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. Read more ›› |
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Comments: 59
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by VPeter on 17.05.2009 at 17:02 Actually Iced Earth doesn't have too much of a Painkiller vibe cause Iced Earth is atually more influenced by thrash than by Painkiller. And of course Primal Fear is inspired by Painkiller, HELL Primal Fear are a Painkiller era Judas Priest rip-off and a bad one at that.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8669  |
Unlike most of others, i dont enjoy this Priest's album that much as some others...and i dont find Painkiller that great song... 
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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| roger73 Posts: 20 |
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| Hermann Langke Brahmastra Corps Posts: 471  |
That a superhuman album from a superhuman band.what a ferocious album that was.it makes me feel god-damn superhuman.especially the title track.:wall: 
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| Hermann Langke Brahmastra Corps Posts: 471 |
Thats a god-damn great album.it made what i am today.:wall:   
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| Hermann Langke Brahmastra Corps Posts: 471 |
Written by [user id=6048] on 19.09.2006 at 16:24 yeah scott is a great drummer.
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| Hermann Langke Brahmastra Corps Posts: 471 |
Written by VPeter on 27.12.2008 at 19:45 that's very lame of you ok.:maniac:
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| DoomGuard Posts: 368  |
Written by VPeter on 27.12.2008 at 19:45 your kidding? You think this is weak while you own Eluveitie's Evocation I album? Amazing album and truley inspiring, whether going into a job interview or heading to go take a really big test, this album can get you pumped on the car ride there for certain 10/10
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| VPeter Posts: 1450  |
Written by DoomGuard on 10.11.2009 at 20:41 Common logic for you: Eluveitie's Evocation I is an acoustic folk album and meant that way, not brutal and rough metal. Painkiller was meant to be brutal and rough but fails epically.
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| DoomGuard Posts: 368 |
Written by VPeter on 11.11.2009 at 20:02 I think they did better than alot of people in delivering some straight up heavy metal, how is there any fail in this album at all? Vocals, amazing, drums, better than alot of bands in your favorites with all due respect, and guitars are simply riveting. I don't understand how you can see this album that way friend
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| VPeter Posts: 1450 |
Written by DoomGuard on 13.11.2009 at 20:26 Matter of taste buddy
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| Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9156  |
this album is meh. its overratted and repetative even painkiller isn't that good.
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| Mad Mike Posts: 163  |
This album = another reason why listening to metal is better than sex
---- Did you ever notice that the people who tell you to get a life are normally people who should be dead in the first place?
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| AyΣm Posts: 287  |
Written by Mad Mike on 24.09.2010 at 04:47 I totally agree
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| Cuca Beludo Account deleted |
Cuca Beludo
Account deleted Written by Mad Mike on 24.09.2010 at 04:47 You could do the two at the same time... 
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| Valentin B Iconoclast Posts: 10094  |
The 70s era of JP was pretty awesome (aside from most of Rocka Rolla I think) but imo this is the peak of their careers. It's no secret and no accident how many bands ripped off the "Painkiller sound": biggest examples are of course Iced Earth, U.D.O., and Primal Fear, and then there are so many modern heavy metal and power metal bands it would take me an hour to list them. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but some are more alone in their opinion than others  :p
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| Unna Med Posts: 60  |
One of my first heavy metal albums. An amazing album of the amazing band
---- Hello? Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone at home?
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| Alcobia Posts: 1 |
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| UPDIRNS Posts: 366 |
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| pkillerjp Posts: 122  |
Best metal band of all time and one of their best albums, surely a classic, I only take off a point because I don't think it's perfect like some do. I could never stand Metal Meltdown and All Guns Blazing is kind of annoying as well. I'm also amazed at the number of people who call it Priest's best...Stained Class is way better, and I'd probably put Hellbent for Leather over it as well, Screaming for Vengeance is probably better as well.. I could even put up an argument for Defenders and Sad Wings...Priest rules..
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| BloodFireDeath Posts: 182  |
This album is like a chainsaw to the intestines. Vicious and hateful and dripping with blood.
---- Goodspeed on the Devils Thunder
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62017  |
My first priest album, even I know band from videos, and then it was wow, now somehow some say its overated, yes it is, some say bad, no it is not. I like it, heaviest priest album and back then it was super heavy, more modern metal way as people use to hav, well maiden also in 90's wrote heavier, seems it worked out.
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Sang Dalang Abu Posts: 1008  |
Someone who said this album worth for 10/10, should listen to Sads Wing of Destiny. Well that's just an opinion.
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| qlacs "The Quaker" Posts: 1547  |
Painkiller, Hell Bent, Sad Wings, Stained Class, Screaming or Defender... they are ALL the best, it's just your acquired taste speaking "this is better than". One thing nobody can take away from Painkiller is the glorious blazing sound it has. There is a reason it imprinted itself in many people's heads and inspired many. If you think it sucks you just don't listen to it with nearly adequate volume.
---- 
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| IHateTheSun Posts: 1  |
Coming back to this after religiously listening to it in highschool. still fucking rips
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