2024-03-08 08:00:54
(c) Judas Priest
With more than half a century of metallic divinity belong Judas Priest long since become a devil-horned institution. They actually wanted to say goodbye years ago, but the victory laps on record and on stage are evidence of a band that actually gets better with age. Almost exactly six years to the day following the strong “Firepower” it starts „Invincible Shield“ now the 19th studio album of the indestructible legends, who not only manage to confirm the strong form, but also shake out a real classic.
It is clear from the start that an astonishingly fresh and yet familiar wind is blowing here. Yes, the intro of “Panic Attack” leads us a little on the wrong track, but behind it lies a rough powerhouse in the best “Painkiller” style, dismantling everything and turning it into kindling with growing enthusiasm. Halford’s falsetto, the angry double bass pressure waves, the sharp-edged guitars – the metal world is still in order here. “The Serpent And The King” goes one step further and makes the chorus really hymn-like, accompanied by the finest steel edges and a breathless solo. The title song concludes the powerful opening trio with power-metallic rides, pleasantly cerebral epicness and repeated mid-tempo excursions.
The medium tempo becomes the standard, no matter how fast the start is. Songs like “Escape From Reality”, an oppressive stomper with surprising Ozzy Osbourne qualities and oppressive darkness, or “Devil In Disguise”, which has a delicate Southern touch, speak for Priest’s musicality. This also applies to “Crown Of Horns”, which hints at a bit of kitsch before an incredibly stirring Halford removes any remaining doubts with his vocal performance. The oppressive and at the same time massive “Trial By Fire” pays homage to classic metal wisdom with earthy force. And then there is “Giants In The Sky”, the almost perfect swan song for an album that is convincing from start to finish, of course flirting with pathos and Maiden megalomania and yet so undeniably great.
Although the form curve on the last two albums was already pointing steeply upwards, a caliber like “Invincible Shield” was hardly to be expected. Of course, Judas Priest sounds like Judas Priest from the first to the last second, self-quotes included, of course, but this long player doesn’t have a single weak point. On the contrary: hymns, neckbreakers and stirring melancholy give each other the proverbial handle and string together a wealth of possible modern classics. Judas Priest creates what is probably the strongest album since “Painkiller” and at the same time one of the greatest feats of their unique career. If that was it: what an unprecedented departure!
Rating: 9/10
Available from: March 8, 2024
Available via: Columbia Records (Sony Music)
Website: www.judaspriest.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest
Category: Magazin, Reviews
1710009632
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