Album Review: Judas Priest – Defenders Of The Faith 30th Anniversary Edition

Judas Priest – Defenders Of The Faith 30th Anniversary Edition
Release Date: March 9, 2015
Label: Legacy

It’s so hard to believe that it was 30 years ago last year that Judas Priest released one of the most legendary, iconic metal albums of all time: Defenders of the Faith. As an extremely opinionated asshole of a metal fan, I can honestly say that some of these albums from back in the day considered to be “iconic” or even “legendary” don’t always stand the test of time very well. Sometimes these albums sound dated and just tired but leave it to Defenders of the Faith to stand strong as a survivor of the times. Not only does it hold up extremely well but it’s relevance and importance is even more obvious today than it was 30 years ago.

Defenders of the Faith has been given the re-issue treatment once already but I have to say that this remastered version of the album sounds absolutely fantastic. “Freewheel Burning” sounds so bombastic right out the gates and for the rest of the album everything just sounds fantastic. I even did myself a favor and listened to this version and the original vinyl version back to back and it was amazing to hear how just in the remastering of this album it sounds like it could’ve come out this year.

In addition to this awesome remastered version of the album, there are two bonus CDs documenting a full performance from the Defenders of the Faith tour recorded on Long Beach Arena on May 5th, 1984. I have to say that what I truly love about this inclusion is that it is a truly LIVE performance in every sense of the word. I love hearing Rob’s vocal imperfections and the warts and all performance from the band as a whole. Don’t get me wrong These guys didn’t suck by a long shot but they are human and it was just really cool to hear a truly live performance from this tour. This concert really captures the energy, the rawness, and the fucking brutal heaviness of Judas Priest. If you ever wondered why Priest is considered one of the reigning Gods of metal just listen to this show and you’ll get your answer right away.

With this remastered Defenders of the Faith 30th Anniversary Edition, Judas Priest really did it right. They preserved this album so that many future generations will appreciate this album and hear it for all of the brilliance that it truly is. In all honesty, even if you already have Defenders of the Faith the live show alone is worth the price of buying this one again. This is a really great listening experience and it’s a great way to remember and pay respects to a truly important and iconic piece of heavy metal history.

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