JUDAS PRIEST – Sin After Sin [Remastered]

FINALLY! The Priest remastered back-catalog returns with a vengeance! The first four albums released on Columbia records, can now be bought either separately or in the collectors edition box. Earlier this year, the “middle-part” of their Columbia-back-catalog were released (British Steel, Point of Entry, Screaming for vengeance and Defenders of the faith), but the Metal Express Radio crew chose to ignore those, until we got the first four! High Fidelity anyone…?

So here we go:
Sin after Sin is more than a landmark album for the band, but equally important for the fans, the heavy metal-scene and the new bands, then starting up. Sure, you can get the odd Sabbath riff or the heaviness of Zeppelin, Purple, Queen etc. BUT, this is the birth of Heavy Metal as we know it! Check out this album, and spot the MASSIVE influence Priest had upon Iron Maiden and all the others to follow.

Starting up with the double whammy of: Sinner and Diamonds and rust, you just know you’re listening to a very special album indeed. Produced by former ( in 1977) Deep Purple bassist, Roger Glover, he perfectly captures the essence of early Priest: fast, riffing, melodic and heavy music.

Starbreaker follows violently, before the mood swings to something a little melancholic, Last Rose of summer. Check out the tender lyrics! Hardly ?Hell bent for leather?….

Let us prey/ Call for the priest and Here comes the tears, are next up, and even though they are not regarded as classics today, they are not bad. The original album bows out in style with Dissident Aggressor (covered by Slayer), and that IS a classic song. Phew! With a pristine clear sound, the lyrics, the pictures and the sleeve notes, this surely can’t get better. Wrong! You get the added pleasure of bonus tracks, and if you buy all the 12 remastered Columbia -releases, you’ll end up with 26 “new” tracks (live, alternative versions and unreleased songs). Sin after sin includes : Race with the devil ( pure Sabbath and Evil Woman) and a live version of Jawbreaker. All hard rocking stuff, and certainly good enough to put on this release.

It may snow. It may be cold. I may have a chilling wind chasing me, but it’s alright. The Priest remastered back catalog is here! Enjoy.
Highlights: Diamonds and rust, Sinner, Dissident Aggressor, Raw deal, Here comes the tears