Judas Priest continues to be among the most consistent metal bands still touring to this day. After gaining critical acclaim status and putting out the best albums in the genre, the band confirmed that they had more to prove in the 21st century.
With Rob Halford back in the lineup, Angel Of Retribution set the new standard for heavy metal in the new century. Nostradamus saw a change in direction, but ultimately succeeded on its own merits. By 2014, Priest returned to form with a new guitarist in K.K. Downing’s position. The young blood of the group, Richie Faulkner, can easily take full credit for reviving Priest to their classic roots. The first sign of his impact was loud and clear on Redeemer Of Souls.
What made it one of their more distinctive releases is the strong emphasis of power metal in the overall sound. Opening up with a traditional face melter, Dragonaut, this track sets the stage for the remaining 57 minutes: Catchy choruses and memorable lead guitar.
Halls Of Valhalla still holds up as one of the best songs the group has created in recent years. Beginning with an iconic intro filled with revitalized energy and raw power, this beast demonstrates how to keep heavy metal sounding fresh and relevant. Detailing the long awaited goal of reaching the infamous Nordic afterlife, it all unfolds with a scorching solo followed by one of Halford’s legendary glass shattering screams. Halls Of Valhalla is a gem, because it picks two lanes and executes each one perfectly by blending the melodic and the metallic might.
The rest of the album delivers with crowd chanting anthems centered around traditional heavy metal. But Redeemer Of Souls makes an effort to distinguish itself from their previous output thanks to Halford’s vocal performance. While he normally remains consistently aggressive in most of his work including classics like Exciter and Freewheel Burning, Halford widens his range by incorporating a melodic attitude.
Especially on dramatic songs such as Sword of Damocles and the title track, there’s a strong emphasis on epic Nordic battles. Although the members themselves said their goal was to dial back to the retro metal vibe, Redeemer Of Souls comes off as an intentional experimentation with power metal. Both the music and lyrical themes sync together for the ultimate viking metal album.
That isn’t to say it’s the only thing the album has to offer. The full track list is pretty diverse from balls out speed metal like Metalizer to a more grandiose epic known as Secrets of the Dead.
The peak of the album is arguably at the very end with the standout track Battle Cry. Driven by a killer riff, it really starts to shine during the bridge and highlights their songwriting skills specifically when building up to the chorus.
All in all, Redeemer Of Souls is a little bit of everything while firing on all cylinders in true Priest fashion.
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