Music reviews

Judas Priest have been around, in some form or another, for nearly four decades. They epitomize the classic heavy metal genre, particularly the “New Wave of British Heavy Metal” movement and have influenced literally hundreds of musicians and bands. Due to their overwhelming overall popularity, they have earned themselves the nickname “The Metal Gods”.

As one of the creators of heavy metal, Judas Priest are best known for their twin-lead guitar sound and the complex guitar duets of K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, along with the raging, high-pitched screaming vocals of singer Rob Halford. However, the band's largest musical innovation is that of the dual "rhythm guitar”, which plays an essential role in all hard rock genres and especially in heavy metal.

The band has an innate fascination with high-performance vehicles (particularly motorcycles), driving fast and hard, the nightlife, and sex. This is carried through in their music, with such songs as “Living After Midnight”, “Heading Out To The Highway” and “Turbo Lover”.

This particular album’s artwork is at first seemingly benign (and therefore not immediately eye-catching) compared to the outlandish designs created for other Judas Priest titles; however, this is by far – in the opinion of the author – the very best of Judas Priest’s live albums. This CD takes place during the heyday of the band, in the 1980s, and every single song on the disc is gold. From classic favorites such as “Breaking The Law” to lesser-known hits such as “Private Property”, the album sounds great, especially since it’s been remastered.

There’s one song in particular that ties into the Gabriel Knight mythos, and it’s called “Love Bites”. The song is about a creature of the night (either a vampire or an incubus) rising up and claiming his victims, mostly through pseudo-sexual means. Halford’s vocals are haunting and sexually charged all at the same time, and the musical accompaniment provided by the guitarists and drums sets the eerie mood. As opposed to many of their other songs (which are great to crank the volume up and party to), this song sends images of fright and lust through the mind.

The “adult” mood and setting of this song is not unlike that of the Gabriel Knight games. The Gabriel Knight series is rife with the supernatural and mystery, and “Love Bites” is a song that has both.

One point to note is that Priest… Live! is most definitely a live album. If one would like to obtain the studio-recorded version of “Love Bites”, then purchasing the CD “Defenders of the Faith” would probably be the best (and least expensive) option available.