It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since metal icons JUDAS PRIEST released their debut album “Rocka Rolla.” It’s even HARDER to believe that from a band that released such legendary albums as “British Steel,” “Stained Glass,” or “Screaming For Vengeance” that their latest release “Redeemer of Souls” has just become their very first release to EVER break the top 10 on the American Billboard charts! WOW… unbelievable that it has taken 40 years for this band to get the mainstream recognition that they deserve but hey, for all of us who have been out their beating the drum for these guys for so many years, at least we can take solace in the fact that WE have been there! WE were the first and we KNOW what this band has been and IS capable of and although “Redeemer Of Souls” may not measure up to some of the aforementioned classic releases as a whole, there are definitely enough tracks that can easily hold their own amongst some of PRIEST’s most epic recordings.

Just take “Halls of Valhalla” for example; this one immediately jumps out as one of the releases elite recordings. Slowly fading in and building from a richly harmonize guitar intro layering both Glenn Tipton and newcomer Richie Falkner over each other into an energetic, riff-infused track highlighted by that signature Rob Halford shrieking of “Valhalla” just before the first verse. And while “most” of the CD itself keeps Halford in the more mid-level range his voice can handle nowadays, it’s absolutely amazing that after 40 some-odd years, he can still hit those notes when he needs to… great, GREAT track which will more than satisfy the hunger of the most finicky of JUDAS PRIEST disciple’s appetites.

Then later on, JUDAS PRIEST does something the likes of which hasn’t been heard since their mid-to-late 70’s releases as “Crossfire” re-introduces that long-lost blues riff infused into a mid-tempo rocker with a touch of DIO elegance. And what a guitar solo as images and flashbacks of the great Stevie Ray Vaughn go dancing through my head… brilliant!  And then finally, rounding off the release PRIEST once again completely changes direction with the hauntingly macabre ballad “Beginning Of The End” as without all the screams and aggression, Halford delivers one of his most brilliant vocal performances ever. In a word… breathtaking!

Just those three tracks ALONE are worth their length in gold, but there’s so much more as “Redeemer of Souls” takes you on a dauntless journey of musical styles influenced by JUDAS PRIEST’s four decade long career. With their aggressive, shredding guitars, electrifying hooks and medieval, deity saturated lyrics, tracks like “Battle Cry” or the opening track “Dragonaught” clearly represent the band’s “Painkiller” era. Like it a little more melodic (but not “too” much) ala “Ram It Down?” Then “Cold Blooded” is the track for you.

“March Of The Damned” is interesting as it maintains elements of a more classic PRIEST sound combined with a very prominent Ozzy-like style. “Down In Flames” opens with a hauntingly layered guitar intro which spirals into another slightly more melodic but edgy rocker while “Sword of Damocles” reverts back to that mediaeval lyric theme with an underlying tone of an Irish-folk melody and for some reason reminding me of something more around the “British Steel” era.

Then there’s “Metalizer!” I think the name says it all! This is PRIEST at their best as the double-bass pounding melody, more of Halford’s signature screams and the furiously aggressive rhythm propels into an almost operatic bridge leading into the dynamic chorus any true PRIEST fan can appreciate. And as for the title track “Redeemer of Souls,” this richly-riff oriented number seals the deal as a stout reminder that the mighty “metal-gods” have awakened once more.

After their mostly-mixed and not as highly received 2008 release “Nostradamus,” JUDAS PRIEST really needed to sit back and take stock of themselves… especially after the retirement of the band’s founding member and key song-writer K.K. Downing. There are not a lot of bands out there that could take that kind of blow but they did exactly what they needed to do. They re-grouped, went back to their roots and put together a collection of songs on “Redeemer of Souls” truly worthy of the JUDAS PRIEST moniker and redeeming both the heart AND soul of these mighty metal giants.