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List Price: $91.98 | | Label: Epic Japan
Salesrank: 332452
Released: April 27, 2005 |
| Our Price: $18.28 |
| Used Price: $44.99 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
Japanese limited edition pressing includes DVD (NTSC/Region 2). Please note you will need and All Code DVD player to view. Sony. 2005.
Angel of Retribution Reviews:
Return of the "metal god" after 15 years 
2008-06-03 - How good is this 2005 Judas Priest CD, which is highlighted by the return of their original "metal god" singer Rob Halford? Well, let me tell you a story: I bought it last November and fully digested the recording for 2-3 weeks. I felt it was decent new Priest material. I then got rid of it. About 3 months later I started yearning to hear certain songs from the CD again; this kept up for a few weeks until I finally had to buy it again (!). I am now of the mind that ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION stands with some of the better Priest albums.
Here's a run-down of the songs:
(1.) "Judas Rising." This is a decent, driving opener with a sinister edge. I can take it or leave it, however. It's nothing phenomenal. Personal Rating: 3/5 Stars.
(2.) "Deal With The Devil." This one is even more driving than the first tune and WAY more catchier. Everything works here; it's smokin' and magical. The lyrics address Judas Priest's slow rise to fame as they almost solitarily forged this musical genre called metal. The title and chorus, if taken literal, suggests that they made a deal with the devil to achieve success. Of course their just pokin' fun at the whole idea of "the devil's music," but I personally would never joke about such things. Personal Rating: 4.5/5 Stars.
(3.) "Revolution." This short ditty is the big 'hit' of the album, kinda along the lines of "United" or "You've Got Another Thing Comin'." It definitely jams and is full of hooks. You'll hear a little Led Zeppelin vibe here and there. Personal Rating: 4/5 Stars.
(4.) "Worth Fighting For." This song also has 'hit' written all over it. It's sort of a ballad, but not quite, if you know what I mean. Everything magically works. One of the highlights of the album. Personal Rating: 5/5 Stars.
(5.) "Demonizer." This is a fast, aggressive, double-bass driven number. The lyrics are sci-fi/fantasy oriented like "Sinner," "Exciter," "Saints in Hell" and numerous other Priest tunes. Personal Rating: 4/5 Stars.
(6.) "Wheels of Fire." This is a rockin' and well-done biker tune. Enjoyable, if nothing else. Personal Rating: 3.5/5 Stars.
(7.) "Angel." This is a beautiful, heartfelt ballad. I don't think it's about a woman, though; I think it's about a literal angel, possibly even the Angel of death (!). This is an incredible piece in every way; it ranks right up there with similar such Priest songs like "Dreamer Deciever" and "Here Come the Tears." Personal Rating: 5/5 Stars.
(8.) "Hellrider." Another smokin', aggressive number with sci-fi/fantasy oriented lyrics (like "Sinner" or "Exciter"). This song kicks a$$! Comparable to "Tyrant" (in particular the midsection of the song). Personal Rating: 4.5/5 Stars.
(9.) "Eulogy." A short, atmospheric, nigh-melancholic piece with a piano thrown in for good measure. Magnificent! Personal Rating: 5/5 Stars.
(10.) "Lochness." This is a long juggernaut about the Lochness monster. The opening is incredibly creative and the main riffs and stanzas are powerful and heavy. Unfortunately the chorus, albeit epic, is a bit weak. Still, it's a highly creative number. It's great that the Priest boys are still willing to take risks by recording such a heavy, epic and unorthodox song like this. Personal Rating: 4.5/5 Stars.
If I could offer one criticism it would be the trite, cliched subject matter of songs like "Hellrider" and "Demonizer." Rob's evidently trying too hard to be metal and consequently overdoes it with hell-this, demon-that tripe. It's like he's pandering to 13 year-old boys or something, which naturally comes off embarrassing to mature listeners. Can't he come up with something more meaningfull to write about now that he's in his mid-50s? That said, he does make up for it with potent lyrics on "Angel" and "Eulogy," and the creative, risk-taking words of "Lochness."
FINAL ANALYSIS: It may not strike you at first because it's new and nostalgia has no place, but ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION ranks up there with some of the better Priest albums. It's arguably better than DEFENDERS in my humble opinion, and leagues better than the pop rock of TURBO, although not quite up there with JUGULATOR and DEMOLITION (which you might understandably disagree with if you hate Ripper Owens). I'd put it on a par with HELL BENT FOR LEATHER or PAINKILLER.
Of course, the real test of whether or not a CD is any good is if you keep playing it. Well, I can't stop playing ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION!
Lochness Makes the Album
2007-12-25 - I can understand why some people dislike the Loch Ness song, but this 13:30 minute opus is one of new favorites of heavy metal. It smacks of the sort of neo-gothic claptrap we associate with the late 70s and "Spinal Tap" era, but (at least to me) seems more fun and ironic than melodramatic. It's about time ol' Nellie got the classic metal treatment.
I suppose you could read into the lyrics a more Freudian interpretation (water is a classic symbol for the subconscious, and the monster lurking beneath the waters could be a repressed desire).
The other songs on the album are mostly of the hard drivin' type; they make great background music for some World of Warcrafting. If "Revolution" doesn't make your neck twitch with latent memories of headbanging, I don't know what will. Finally, the chorus is back!
One notable exception is the ballad "Angel," a catchy and poetic song that some longhair will probably want played at his funeral or wedding. "Eulogy" is in the same vein, though here we do seem to be tottering towards the melodrama.
In short, all of the songs here range from decent to excellent, though to my mind "Loch Ness" is what moves this album from the "maybe" to the "yeah, I'll go ahead and order it." It's by far my favorite song from the album and deserves a listen.
Delivering the goods in the 21st Century 
2007-07-06 - I've loved Judas Priest for a long time now, so I was hot to pick this up on release day. While it is far from flawless, it's the kind of classic heavy metal that proves what so many of the current crop of heavy metal bands completely miss - just because you can play loud and fast, it doesn't make you heavy. "Angel Of Retribution" (what a classic album title!) delivers that message with accelerant.
From the ascending guitars and Rob Halford's inimitable scream that tears the album open for "Judas Is Rising," it's clear that the band is in stride. Tipton and Downing blaze through classic riffs in such standard fare like "Demonizer" and "Hellrider," and there is plenty of the kind of badman posturing that got the old PMRC in cold sweats back in the day. Especially good is "Revolution," the kind of in-your-face rock that made "You've Got Another Thing Coming" an anthem.
"Angel Of Retribution's" other big surprise is "Angel," a tragic love ballad that could easily be attributed to Rob Halford's personal orientation (this guy's more a gay icon that anyone wants to give him credit for!), and it strikes a personal note on an album that is otherwise filled with aggression ("Revolution"), testosterone ("Judas Rising") and mythology (the overlong and album low point, "Loch Ness"). But all in all, Judas Priest is delivering the goods.
Here comes the revolution
2005-09-01 - Ok. Maybe not a REAL revolution in the world of metal but hey! We're talking about the fathers of Heavy Metal here.
This album has everything from clasic old metal as Revolution or Wheels of fire. Some crazy 'in your face' speed metal in Demonizer and Hellrider. An instant classic ballad, Angel...
I would say that Lochness had me troubled in the first place. I listened to this and thought. What the...? I didn't understand why finish this powerful record with this. But with a few more listens I came to love that song a lot.
It seems like they haven't lost anything of their magic. THe last record I really like of them was of course Painkiller. This is the next that should have been.
