We’re really ready to put you to the test here. Metal icons Judas Priest are the subject of this Loudwire Nights poll. The pioneering metal outfit have amassed some iron clad classics over the years, but which of their albums is the best? That’s what we want to hear from you in this week’s Loudwire Nights Album of the Week poll.
You’ll have until Friday at 12N ET to cast your votes. We’ll then play the three tracks from the album with the most votes during Loudwire Nights’ Album of the Week block to start the following Monday’s show!
It all started back in 1974 for the band, with Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing and Ian Hill forming the core of the group while releasing their Rocka Rolla debut with John Hinch primarily playing drums on the set. Sad Wings of Destiny, featuring “Victim of Change” and “Dreamer Deceiver,” soon followed with Alan Moore handling drumming duties. Sin After Sin, Stained Class and Killing Machine (or Hell Bent for Leather as it was known in the states) rounded out an impressive and influential first decade for the band.
The ’80s started on a high note with British Steel, now featuring Dave Holland behind the kit. That album gave us some of the band’s first commercially successful singles with “Living After Midnight” and “Breaking the Law.” Point of Entry and Screaming for Vengeance saw a band totally on top of their game, Defenders of the Faith, Turbo and Ram It Down helped to firmly establish Priest as one of metal’s most prolific and successful bands of the decade.
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The ’90s saw the band’s output scale back significantly amidst some lineup changes. After 1990’s Painkiller, Rob Halford exited the band and they didn’t return until 1997 with Jugulator, an album featuring new vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens, playing alongside Downing, Tipton, Hill and drummer Scott Travis. Ripper remained their frontman on 2001’s Demolition as well, before Halford returned to the group for 2005’s Angel of Retribution.
Another change would come after 2008’s Nostradamus, with K.K. Downing stepping down from the band. But rather than call it a career, the remainder of the group recruited guitarist Richie Faulkner to join the lineup, which reinvigorated them on 2014’s Redeemer of Souls and 2018’s Firepower.
That’s a lot of recorded history to sift through, but which of their albums was the best? Share your rankings for each album below. Then tune into Loudwire Nights next Monday at 7PM ET to find out which record prevailed. During tonight’s show, you’ll get to find out which Stone Temple Pilots album was voted the best, and hear three songs from our recent poll.
Loudwire Nights with Chuck Armstrong airs nightly starting at 7PM ET. You can tune in anytime, from anywhere right here or by downloading the Loudwire app.
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