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List Price: $12.98 | | Label: Sony
Salesrank: 110859
Released: October 25, 1990 |
| Our Price: $78.59 |
| Used Price: $2.03 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Hell Bent for Leather Track Listing:
1. Delivering the Goods
2. Rock Forever
3. Evening Star
4. Hell Bent for Leather
5. Take on the World
6. Burnin' Up
7. Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)
8. Killing Machine
9. Running Wild
10. Before the Dawn
11. Evil Fantasies
Editorial Review:
While the title of this 1979 release perfectly fits the band's increasing S&M-inspired leather-and-chains imagery, it's a mature and fairly sharp thematic departure from its largely death-obsessed predecessor, Stained Class. While the Priest could have easily fallen into the same stultifying goth clichés as forebears like Black Sabbath, they expanded both their musical range and lyrical focus here, shrewdly burnishing the album's commercial potential in the bargain. Kicking off with the upbeat "Delivering the Goods" and the Skynyrd-worthy arena boogie of "Rock Forever," the band blasts through material that's as wide as Sin After Sin's, but better focused. There are expected metal clichés--a big rock ballad ("Before the Dawn") and some expected bad-ass posturing (the title track and "Killing Machine")--but even the band's occasional bowing to gothic expectations is informed with a sense of surprise and adventure, as witnessed by their cover of the disturbing Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac track "The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Horn)." That much of this album's tack became inspiration--and then cliché--for the widespread metal revolution that Judas Priest helped foster is only testament to their enduring legacy. This digitally remastered edition features expanded artwork, new commentary by the band, and complete lyrics, as well as the bonus tracks "Fight for You Life" (a studio outtake later incorporated into "Rock Hard, Ride Free") and a manic live version "Riding on the Wind." --Jerry McCulley
Hell Bent for Leather Reviews:
Judas Priest - Hell Bent for Leather (1979) 
2004-06-04 - Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 = very good
The year was 1979; I was at Big Apple Records looking for new additions for my record collection when I ran across "Hell Bent for Leather." The front cover of the album pictured a white Zombie like face wearing a black studded leather helmet with blood covered shattered sun glasses, looking like some neo Nazi biker from hell; WOW, I had to have it! I hurriedly went home & played the record. I was immediately blown away by the sounds & power contained on the vinyl grooves, I loved it!
"Hell Bent for Leather" led me into the rest of the 70's Priest albums, "Rocka Rolla," "Sad Wings of Destiny," "Sin After Sin," Stained Glass," & "Unleashed in the East," though with the exception (maybe) of "Unleashed in the East," "Hell Bent for Leather" was my favorite Priest album. I literally wore the groves out of the record. So you might be thinking why did I give "Hell Bent" 3 1/2 stars then? Well if you asked me back then I'd of been shocked myself, surely this album deserves a 5 star masterpiece rating, right? Well? As fast as I was enthralled with Priest, within two years I tired of them. Their music just didn't hold up in the long run. I found it repetitive; many riffs recycled from better previous acts. Their music was just too lumbering, it was not sophisticated & exotic enough, but there are songs on this album that still grab my attention "Killing Machine" with it's message of cold & ominous killer riff, also "Burning Up" (being 18 back then I didn't know Rob was gay, LOL!) a testimonial of sexual heat. The truly beautiful ballads, "Evening Star," "Before the Dawn" & the killer title cut "Hell Bent for Leather." These songs still rock my roll, but the ludicrously banal pep song for metal misfits (Yes, I was one, still am) "Take on the World" turned my gut even back then, more so now. As for the rest, they just don?t move me one way or another anymore, but it did for that 18 year old I once was.
AWESOME.... 
2001-11-15 - OK....seriously, I bought this album back in '90 and it really rocked me big time. "Green manalishi", "Delivering the Goods", "Burnin' Up", "Killing Machine" and "Evil Fantasies" - YES!!! I love this song - very groovy !! I love the "thick" "creamy" sound The Police would rip off for their tune "Every Breath You Take" a few years later. Only one blemish from this album: "Before the dawn" - what a corny, contrived, wimpy, out-of-it style !!!! I must admit when I heard: "before the dawn, I hear you whisper in your sleep: "don't let the morning take him"" - Christ! I really thought Rob was talking about some guy sleeping in bed with him!!!!! Hahahahaha!!! Turned out I was right!!!! hihihhihhi!!!
JUDAS !!!!! JUDAS !!!! JUDAS !!!! 
2001-08-10 - THe good old days... THis album is classic, as all albuns up until SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE are. After that, the decline began (even if DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH has some good tracks here. Les Binks is the drummer here, don't know why he left. Dave Holland was good, but not in the same category. Anyway, the title track is a killer, everything shines here. BEFORE The DAWN is also great, different. A lesson in metal.
IT MAKES NO SENSE ...
2001-08-04 - I agree with some reviewers that say this album is a little bit weaker than STAINED CLASS. But you forgot one point: everything Priest released before they sold out in the middle eighties achieved classic status, including "HELL BENT FOR LETAHER".
Brutal Metal, Classic Priest...
2000-12-22 - Wow. If you listen to this album loudly enough you'll end up picking your friend up by the ankles and pile-driving him into the floor. It's that powerful. Tracks like Delivering The Goods, Hell Bent For Leather and Green Manalishi were designed to destroy furniture to. The energy is incredible. Evening Star offers a sense of optimism to temper the power of the other tracks. The whole album is terrific, even when it slows down for Before The Dawn. Worship at the alter of the Priest.
