Invincible Shield is the upcoming nineteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest that will be released on March 8, 2024 via Epic Records. It was produced by the band's touring guitarist Andy Sneap, who also produced 2018's Firepower.
Pre-order New album Invincible shield Here
U.K and USA Tour 2024 Tickets Here
By Jimmy Kay
Video Review
Here is my opening Statement about this album 'WOW'
"This album will stand on its own over time the same way the Priest classics like British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith have. What we are getting here is the continuation of the Firepower sound, with more musical passages, more memorable songs, more memorable solos, more memorable melodies and the fury of Painkiller at times.. Basically More Metal.
It truly fascinates me that this Birmingham band which formed in 1969, who have sold over 50 million albums and who are ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time still have the goods to OVER- DELIVER the goods as they have nothing left to prove.
Leading the charge on this album is the NEW GUY guitarist Richie Faulkner, who has really come into his own after three albums with the band. The Falcon is now flexing his guitar soloing muscle and expanding his songwriting skills and it shows. He has invigorated and breathed a new life into the career of Judas Priest. And our second hero of the day is.... none other than the master vocalist Rob Halford. Rob shows that a vocalist can age gracefully and continue to sing with melody, metal annunciations, in a comfortable range and he still sounds GREAT.
Off to the music, I won't go into too much details of the three singles that everyone has heard but concentrate more on the other tracks and bonus material
1. Panic Attack- First single, a hell of an opener, you heard it, Blam- 9-10
2. The Serpent and the King- Second track is a fast paced burner. A la Headvoice Painkiller whaling falsetto . It could have been a' Freewheel Burning' / 'All Guns Blazing' /Ram it down' cousin. The song strength lies in the quick changing multi-tempos, fury and trade off solos- 9-10
3. Invincible shield- Fast chugging anthem, in the vein of Jawbreaker/ Freewheel's ferocious style. Halford doing his trademark metallic vocal phrasing delivering his sermon to the Priest loyalists 'Invincible, our masses are united'. Melodic and accessible with a nice injection of musical interludes throughout the song. Richie shines hard here- Hard -9-10
4. Devil in disguise- Batting 3 for 3 up to now but I have to say this is where the album drops a tad. A mid paced track that could have come off of Redeemer. Lyrics a bit on the cheese side. A nice high-hat drum pattern by Scott Travis. A little more blues based on the guitar. Where the song redeems itself is on The Falcon's musical break-outs and rhythmic playing. Still a solid track- 7.5-10
5. Gates of hell- Right after that tiny tad drop, things are back full steam ahead and soaring. Song starts off with dual guitar harmonies. A melodic radio friendly easy on the ears track but heavy enough to please the metal masses at the same time. Another 'Defender' vibe with lots of 80's flash guitar work. Great groove.- 9-10
6. Crown of Thorns- We all know it and I love it especially the hammer-on solo and sticky melody. Guitar intro similar to 'Heavy Metal' (Ram it Down)- 9-10
7. God as my witness- 'Bark at the moon' on steroids riffing and then toss in some Randy Rhoads. More hammer-ons ,another winner. The song has got BITE and it has got the speed of Leather Rebel (Painkiller Album ) - 8-10
8. Trial by fire- You know it and I love it. Nod to 3/4 time signature -9-10
9. Escape for Reality- Doom riffs and battle cry chorus. Spooky midsection. Whiny Vocal phrasing on the bridge sounds like 90's Ozzy 8-10
10. Sons of thunder- Anthemic Hair metal sunset strip track with gang vocals. A distant relative once removed of 'Hell bent for Leather'. Quick, simple fast and furious. You can visualize Halford riding his Harley on stage to this song 8.8-10
11. Giants in the sky- Mid Paced tribute to the Metal God in the sky that have fallen. Down tuned, groovy, thumping and heavy. Catchy hooky. 'The Legions still live on'. The mid section slows down with a nice acoustic guitar solo. -9/10
Bonus Tracks
12. Fight of your life- An anthemic, inspirational song with a great uplifting chorus. I have no idea why this song was not on the album as a regular track. This song should have replaced 'Devil in Disguise'. 9-10
13 Vicious Circle- Very riff based with lots of chugs and guitar harmonies similar to 'Hell Patrol' riffage. Maybe a bit more generic than the rest 7.0-10
14. The Lodger- Themed after Jack Ripper in the Alfred Hitchcock 1927 movie The Lodger: a Story of the London Fog. Written by Bob Haligan Jr who wrote the two Priest tracks in the past 'Take these chains' and 'Some Heads are gonna roll'. A little out of the box and more in the style of Metal opera or Boradway but I dig it. 7.8.-10
Photo by Scott Braun
Album rating 8.8/10 'A MUST BUY'
No. Title Length
1. "Panic Attack" 5:25
2. "The Serpent and the King" 4:19
3. "Invincible Shield" 6:21
4. "Devil in Disguise" 4:44
5. "Gates of Hell" 4:37
6. "Crown of Horns" 5:45
7. "As God Is My Witness" 4:35
8. "Trial by Fire" 4:21
9. "Escape from Reality" 4:24
10. "Sons of Thunder" 2:58
11. "Giants in the Sky" 5:03
Total length: 52:32
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No. Title Length
12. "Fight of Your Life" 4:15
13. "Vicious Circle" 3:00
14. "The Lodger" 3:46
Rob Halford – lead vocals
Glenn Tipton – guitars
Richie Faulkner – guitars
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums
SUBSCRIBE TO THE METAL VOICE YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
All you need is a gmail account
Judas Priest Guitarist Richie Faulkner Interview- 'Invincible Shield' New Album & Reaction, Review
Ex-Iron Maiden Blaze Bayley- 'Circle of Stone' New Album-Opening For Iron Maiden 'No prayer Tour'
Lucifer Johanna Sadonis Interview-Lucifer 5, Bands Name & Relations w/ Ghost & Rammstein Early Years
Comments