Invincible Shield (2024)

[bgmnts]

It doesn't release until the 8th but it has been getting top reviews and I think it's very important to get a double dose of PRIEST every few years or so.

They released a slew of singles over the past 6 months, he pick of them being PANIC ATTACK!! which has Painkiller levels of 'this is how you start an album you soft cunts' energy:

Bonus points for going a bit Tom Sawyer in the middle.

Anyway, I hope everyone is excited for more Priest! Unsure how these old cunts do it but it's quite impressive.

[iamcoop]

Absolutely adore Priest and not trying to be negative but the new tracks that have been released so far just haven't done much for me.

I think it's a production thing, there's a lot of sheen but it doesn't strike the right balance with a bit of grit (like Painkiller does, for example).

I'll definitely check out the full album and hopefully I'm wrong.

They need to stop fucking about and get KK back though.

Halford still sounds great though, so fair fucks to him. Pure legend of the game

[idunnosomename]

They're pushing Glenn really heavily in the promotion for this, far more than Firepower, which is clearly because of K.K.'s Priest forming and touring in the interim, but its a bit sad because the poor guy does not look well at all. Don't expect him coming out at any encores on this tour.

The songs are ok but I cant get excited by them. Oh right it'll be out at midnight. Be back then.

And the intro/break in Panic Attack I think is an intentional lift from Tom Sawyer, as well as the melodic shape it's in 7/8, and lyrically the songs have similar themes about modern society.

[idunnosomename]

I think it's a production thing, there's a lot of sheen but it doesn't strike the right balance with a bit of grit (like Painkiller does, for example).

Yeah that's Sneap. Just the way he does things, became the big thing in metal for a while and was everywhere producing, not his fault if people want to pay him, hows he to know how long he can get work for until hes not the thing anymore.

Of course the thing with Priest is that hes in Priest tight as second guitarist now so they can't really not have him produce.

K.K. fucked himself into a corner pulling out the band over a decade ago. Even when Glenn passes, I cannot see him being invited back on any capacity. He clearly never got on with Jayne Andrews, and she'll know Rob Halford is the pull for punters.

Though interestingly if you look at the seating for the Priest/Saxon/Uriah Heep tour its not selling very well. But then it is seated. Fuck that

[axel2019]

I'm going to the Leeds gig next week, cant wait as I also love a bit of Saxon & (the oldest of all the line-up) Uriah Heep!
Mixed opinions on the songs released so far, but their last album, Firepower and their back catalogue in general is great.
The back row of the Leeds gig has been closed, which on the plus side means my ticket has been upgraded to the middle tier.

[idunnosomename]

probably shouldn't have stayed up this late to listen to it, but verdict: quite good, not embarrassing or anything. chunky, angular and clear-sounding throughout: not much variation in sound between songs. Happy to believe there's some Glenn input here - especially the title track - even if all the leads are Richie (I think some are set with Glenn's characteristic scooped-mids tone, maybe he had some input, but he's clearly not playing them).

The three bonus tracks - Fight of Your Life, Vicious Circle and The Lodger (written by Bob Halligan Jr.!) are very good and better than many of the main album songs.

Might be a few years touring left but this will surely, absolutely, be their last album.

[bgmnts]

Yeah it didn't quite kick as much arse as Firepower, but there were some decent tracks on it. Not the best but hey they're pensioners.

There's still nothing like a Judas Priest riff, though.

[wrec]

On first listen I'm very into this. Too soon to compare it to Firepower (which I forgot to give a few spins before this one came out) but even though many songs seem to nod to old ones there's nothing overly predictable or cliched (besides some of the lyrics). I think Sneap's shiny production is perfect for Priest. I ordered the viny but tempted to get the special edition CD for those bonus tracks.

But then it is seated. Fuck that

I have a standing ticket for Dublin, but hoping I can fit in a crafty sit down between sets as, unusually, I do want to see all of them.

[idunnosomename]

would like to see some Cabber reports on the live gigs.

look at these elderly men go! the Bald God doing incredibly well for 72.