Judas Priest - Ram It Down review
| Band: | Judas Priest |
| Album: | Ram It Down |
| Style: | Heavy metal |
| Release date: | May 17, 1988 |
| Guest review by: | Spyroid |
01. Ram It Down
02. Heavy Metal
03. Love Zone
04. Come And Get It
05. Hard As Iron
06. Blood Red Skies
07. I'm A Rocker
08. Johnny B. Goode [Chuck Berry cover]
09. Love You To Death
10. Monsters Of Rock
11. Night Comes Down [Live at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, California, USA in May 5, 1984] [2001 Re-Release bonus]
12. Bloodstone [Live at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee, USA in December 12, 1982] [2001 re-release bonus]
Judas Priest has always been a band that have changed their style a lot - from the early rock albums to harder stuff, then more or less inventing heavy metal before putting out some quite cheesy stuff in the eighties. This resulted, at least in my opinion, that Judas Priest put out many albums that only feel like a transport to the next classic album. 'Ram It Down' is such an album, and I imagine Judas Priest didn't really know where they wanted to go when they wrote the songs for this album. Still - there is no Priest album without good songs and 'Ram It Down' is not an exception.
With this album, Judas Priest jumped on to (or invented?) the train which was just about to evolve to power metal. Not all, but some songs on this album could easily be classified as speed metal or early power metal, like the title track. There's also a lot of elements from the eighties hard rock, like the cover of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B Good". Also the production is almost my definition of the eighties - I feel it like I'm driving on the highway or running on an open field when I hear albums with this kind of production. Ram It Down carefully shows what's about to come two years later, a lot of twin guitars and some other passages could be fit on 1990's 'Painkiller'.
The problem with this album is just that that there aren't too many good tracks - even if there are satisfying passages in more or less every track. The riffs aren't always so memorable and the song structures can be quite boring, although the solos are always great. But - the title track and 'Blood Red Skies' are great classics, and I also think 'Hard Is Iron' is very catchy. Not essential but if you have 6-7 other Priest albums, you could get this one.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 6 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 7 |
Written by Spyroid | 11.06.2008
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
8.2
8.2
|
Rating: 8.2 |
For any other band, Ram It Down would probably be considered the crowning achievement and pinnacle of their talents. It is testament to the quality of their canon that this album is crowded out from contention for that title; Judas Priest truly are that great. Coming off the heels of the whipping post that Turbo became, Ram It Down was a breath of fresh air, one that was quickly overshadowed by Painkiller, but hey, that doesn't diminish the quality of this album. Read more ›› |
Rating:
9.0
9.0
|
Rating: 9.0 |
As Painkiller is possibly Priest's most popular album, Judas Priest must have had an era which lasted for at least three albums in a row, and had quite a same style. Taking a listen through Judas Priest's whole discography is a very interesting experience when you notice how the style, sound and melodies have changed during the years. Ram it Down was the album before Painkiller and these two do really have same kind of sound in them, Painkiller gained a lot more publicity and the band just succeeded better on that one. Read more ›› |
Comments
Comments: 23
Visited by: 106 users
| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857  |
I agree with most of this review. This album is pretty boring and just plain bad , in my opinion. Except for the title track, I couldn't find any song that didn't annoy me with lame, generic-ness, and I'm a pretty big Priest fan. Also, the Jonny B. Goode cover is fucking AWFUL. 
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8674  |
I was quite satisfied with this album...true, it is no asskicker, but still worth for me to listen from time to time
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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| HELL BENT FOR JU Posts: 13 |
Written by Fat & Sassy! on 19.07.2009 at 21:58 THE JUDAS PRIEST- "RAM IT DOWN" IS THE BEST ALBUM EVER.THIS CONTAINS 10 AMAZING SONGS. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE METAL MUSIC. I CAN'T RESPECT YOUR TALENTLESS OPINION."RAM IT DOWN" AND THE "HARD AS IRON" BRILLIANT,CATCHY SPEED METAL SONGS WITH FULL OF ENERGY. HALFORD AND THE INSTRUMENTAL DEPARTMENT ARE AMAZING ON THE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH.THE "JOHNNY BE GODDE" IS AND INCREDIBLE COVER WITH VERY SMART MUSICAL SOLUTIONS.THE "HEAVY METAL" SONG WITH BLISTERING SOLOS AND POUNDING RAZOR SHARP RHYTHM SECTION AND ONE BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE EVER.ANYWAY THE BRILLIANT "BLOOD RED SKIES" IS CONNECTED PERFECTLY WITH "HARD AS IRON" BY ATMOSPHERE. ALL IN ALL EVERY SONG IS PERFECT ON THIS ALBUM.BUT I DON'T WANNA CONVINCE YOU(ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU'RE TALENTLESS) OR OTHERS. UNFORTUNATELY YOU COULDN' T SPELL THE "JOHNNY BE GOODE" SONG TITEL.THIS SAYS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU.
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
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| HELL BENT FOR JU Posts: 13 |
Written by [user id=17278] on 15.03.2012 at 03:00 Haha! Try to use sovereign phrases.Ignore this juicy phrase(fanboyism) .LOL!! Try to tell me intelligent opinions if you can.I think you're talentless too. Anyway yes I'am a fan!And...?You have not to do with this. Otherwise i think you're a nobody.Do you disagree with me? Read other opinion.And you're not an exciting person at all. Don't be too proud of your weak answer... fanboyism... LOL. This is annoying.
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| Boxcar Willy REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Posts: 9216  |
Oh man this guy is funny.
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| HELL BENT FOR JU Posts: 13 |
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| Boxcar Willy REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Posts: 9216 |
Written by HELL BENT FOR JU on 16.03.2012 at 00:43 lolwut?
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| Boxcar Willy REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Posts: 9216 |
Quote:Written by [user id=4365] on 16.03.2012 at 00:53 I shall do well, master Gouda.
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| HELL BENT FOR JU Posts: 13 |
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Written by HELL BENT FOR JU on 16.03.2012 at 01:04 Hi. Welcome to the site. You should read our FAQ, which can be found right over here. We try to maintain a certain sense of "community" here, in that we don't appreciate new users coming in and insulting everyone for their personal benefit. That's the equivalent to bullying, and we don't like bullying. In fact, in GLORIOUS NATION OF SUPREME CAPITALIST NORTH AMERICA, we even hold campaigns against this kind of behavior. Consider this a fair shot at starting over - a second chance. Life doesn't give you many of these, but here at Metal Storm we're more lenient and tolerant than that. Cheers, and enjoy the site.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| HELL BENT FOR JU Posts: 13 |
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| Boxcar Willy REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Posts: 9216 |
Quote:Written by HELL BENT FOR JU on 16.03.2012 at 01:13 I honestly have no idea what you're talking about...
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
JohnDoe
Account deleted Written by HELL BENT FOR JU on 15.03.2012 at 20:59 I honestly don't know what to say...English is not my first language either, but still people understand what I am trying to say. What do my talents have got to do with anything? Or this thread. Did you copy/paste some of the things written in caps there? (thank God you found the caps lock button, it's a miracle!) Are you one of those guys that think that only YOU are always right and everyone else is wrong? Sure looks like it. Everyone is entitled to an opinion if I remember right. As you got the right to praise Judas Priest to hell and back, others have the right to bash them. I really love Judas Priest, I even saw them live and I had a big happy grin on my face when they played Blood Red Skies... Am I on topic or what!
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| Valentin B Iconoclast Posts: 10096  |
Written by HELL BENT FOR JU on 15.03.2012 at 20:59 It's a good thing we have you for limitless talented entertainment.
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| Supernaut Posts: 21 |
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| Spyroid Rosetta Stoned Posts: 1023  |
I love what happened to my review. Haven't been logged in for several years and this is what I face, awesome.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by deadone on 14.02.2014 at 05:37 Terrible cover. Btw, it was shot in the Netherlands with the crowd being regulars of the Dynamo Club. Can't remember if it was actually shot there as well.
---- 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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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62283  |
Band hasn't change style yet, even sound yes, but band sounds as band and always will be well Rob ere anyway, so I disagree whit statement here
---- 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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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Crap album. Even worse than Turbo.
---- 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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| Maco Pvt Funderground Posts: 3593  |
Written by HELL BENT FOR JU on 16.03.2012 at 01:04 Gold posting.
---- Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme.
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