Judas Priest - Live in London

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Music reviews of Live in London

Music Review: Another Classic And Now A Collector's Item
Rating: 5 Stars

A few years from now, Priest fans will look at this performance as a pivotal one as it may have been the turning point in the long struggle between Rob Halford, K.K. Downing and Glen Tipton.

It had been over a decade since Rob Halford left Priest, and over five years since Tim "Ripper" Owens took over as vocalist when this very dynamic performance was recorded. Since "the Ripper's" arrival there had been two studio albums, two live albums, a live DVD, and two major and extended world tours by the band. And yet, there were still rumors of a Halford reunion, and questions about the band's future.

On July 11, 2003 all those rumors were laid to rest and the questions were all answered. Halford is back, Owens is gone, and perhaps, all that will be remembered of Owens will be this album and the companion DVD.

The only question left to be answered now, as when Owens was the lead singer, is whether this band can come up with a studio album that measures up to their successes of the 1980's, "Screaming For Vengeance," "British Steel," "Defenders of the Faith," and "Painkiller."

But while we wait, we should celebrate the fact that they are still around, that Halford is back, and that Tim Owens delivered the goods on this CD, and in my opinion, during his entire stint with the band, even if he could never seem to shake the comparisons to Rob Halford.

This CD, and the companion DVD should let a lot of these things rest, although it most likely won't. And the reason is that the Halford fronted Priest wrote the book on metal. Thus no matter how good Owens was, he will always suffer from the inevitable comparisons to Halford.

Nevertheless, the Owens fronted Priest was an excellent heavy metal band, as long as the listener keeps an open mind and does not expect a carbon copy of the old Priest, and perhaps soon to be the born again Priest. Owens hits all the required high notes, and in many instances sounds uncannily like Halford, making the experience quite interesting for long term fans.

But there are also significant differences to be noted. And on this live album, they are glaring. Songs like "The Sentinel" find Owens searching for his range, and jerkily moving from his trademark growl to Halfordian like screeches within the same phrase, creating a less than stellar interpretation of classic Priest songs.

On the other hand, "Green Manalishi" rises to a new high on this album, with Owens whipping the crowd into frenzied choruses of "Hoy, Hoy" as the band chugs through the song. "Painkiller" is stunning, with every single high note delivered with gut wrenching, hair raising relish that would make a banshee take notice. The energy is clearly transferred through the speakers, and the true fans will feel the hair on the back of their neck stand as they bang their head in rythm.

The new stuff is also pretty well done, with Jugulator's "Burn in Hell" and Demolition's "One on One" rocking along nicely to the more modern darker and thrashy tone.

The highlights are "Victim of Changes," "The Ripper," and what became Owen's live trademark, the semi-acoustic version of "Diamonds and Rust," where there is no doubt about Owens' vocal range and ability to sing.

Highly recommended for old fans and those that are searching for a nice compilation from the Metal Gods during the Tim Owens era.

Description of Live in London

Hard Rock & Metal CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• Rock