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Judas Priest – Battle Cry

Label: Sony Music
Format: DVD
Released: 2016
Reviewed By: Rich Catino
Rating: 10/ 10


Even though Priest were looking to pack it in, live at least, for the Epitaph tour in 2011 (with guitarist K. K. Downing retiring from the band)…since then Halford, Glenn Tipton (guitar), bassist Ian Hill, drummer Scott Travis, with Downing look alike Richie Faulkner, refueled the gas tank for another round of touring. With younger six string slinger Faulkner giving the Priest a kick in the ass, new songs were written and recorded for the 2014 album “Redeemer Of Souls”, and tour where this “Battle Cry” comes from. With the three remaining original members (Halford, Tipton, Hill) in their late 60s, Travis ten, Richie twenty years younger…the band have not lost any of the abilities or stage presence.

 

Recorded at the legendary Wacken Open Air festival in Germany 2015, three songs are played from “Redeemer” in between all the classics; ‘Metal Gods’, ‘Victim of Changes’, ‘Breaking the Law’, ‘Hell Bent for Leather’, ‘Living After Midnight’, ‘Electric Eye’, ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Coming’. Also, are three bonus dusted off goodies - ‘Screaming for Vengeance’, ‘The Rage’, ‘Desert Plains’ are included from the Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland. And speaking of deeper cuts – ‘Devil’s Child’ and ‘Jawbreaker’ (from one of my favorite Priest albums, “Defenders of the Faith”) were great choices to make a return. The six unearthed tracks are worth the price of picking this DVD/CD alone, aside from the fact the band still sound great live.

Of course you ask…How does Halford sound? - Yes, he can still sing all the lows and highs, and he actually sounds as good as he ever has. As high and difficult the vocal is in ‘Painkiller’, “Screaming’, ‘Victim of Changes’, and ‘Jawbreaker’, Rob may not sing it in the same key, yet still does get up there and sounds great in the slightly lower register. Hats off to the Metal God – he truly is. I’ve seen younger singers half his age not even comes close to his power, projection, and effort. This is truly how the big boys do it, and must say as much as I love Motely Crue, Vince Neil should have gotten his act more together for their farewell tour.

 
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