HALFORD – Halford IV: Made of Metal

Fans of Judas Priest (JP) and Rob Halford certainly have had no reason to complain over the past 6 years. Starting with Angel Of Retribution as the first release of the reunited Halford-fronted JP incarnation in 2005, fans have been “spoiled” year in and year out since then by new releases featuring the Metal God at the microphone via either studio CD’s, live CD’s, or show performances on DVD. With JP taking 2010 off for all intents and purposes, the stage was left wide open for Halford to fill this year’s gap with his own sequestered band (all itching for new action to be sure) … the product being a new studio CD entitled Halford IV: Made Of Metal.

What’s Good

Halford wasn’t dubbed The Metal God by accident … it’s a sure bet virtually anything Halford is associated with is going to ROCK and is going to display Metal in its best, most artistic forms. Halford hits the bullseye 6 times spot on within Made Of Metal … the tracks “Like There’s No Tomorrow,” “Heartless,” “Thunder And Lightning,” and “Matador” are both heavy and catchy with remarkably memorable choruses, “Till The Day I Die” intertwines elements of Swamp Blues into very emotional and inspired lyrics, and the title track “Made Of Metal” delightfully blends in a little new recording studio technology within a Traditional Metal framework.

Halford seems to take the opportunity often to convey personal trials and tribulations, attitudes, and philosophies within the lyrics of this release. There’s plenty to pay attention to and lots to muse about when taking in Made Of Metal from start to finish. There are as many “take it as it comes” messages as there are “where do we go from here” questions to be pondered in Halford’s lyrics, and if anything, taking the time to get to know this album thoroughly and to attempt to pick Halford’s brain and unlock the sentiments behind many of the songs causes the album to steadily grow on you … and you may find this release sort of oddly becomes a trusted companion as you invest more and more listening time.

What’s Less Than Good

Usually an artist sets up a run list that features impact songs first, and then weaker tracks are intermixed somewhere in the middle or at the end. Oddly, perhaps the 2 weakest tracks on the album, “Undisputed” and “Fire And Ice,” are first up. The result of this strategy is a bit baffling, and if anything puts the burden on the listener to overcome that initial “ho-hum” impression of the album when trying to soak in its true worth.

Ever since 1980’s British Steel release by JP, anything Halford has been associated with always demonstrated top quality, cutting-edge production techniques. Made Of Metal delves into several different combinations of Metal musical styles, and unfortunately the manner in which these styles are presented causes inconsistencies in production quality … the aforementioned first two tracks sound thin, the last track “The Mower” has a much more prominent drum sound than its counterparts, and the title track “Made Of Metal” just sounds “better” and more polished than any other track on the album. The vacillating production quality begs the question of whether or not final mastering was rushed, and the end result is Made Of Metal lacks the cohesive personality boasted by Halford’s first 3 releases.

In A Nutshell

When the last chapter of the Metal God’s history book is written, Made Of Metal will likely be viewed as Halford’s most “personal” release … but it will likely also be viewed as a step down in overall quality compared to Resurrection, Crucible, and Winter Songs. However, in the world of Metal, Halford’s new release will still stand out as one of the better albums of 2010, and Made of Metal is certainly a quality CD that deserves your attention and should be part of your collection.