Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)

In 1976, people were getting tired of Black Sabbath's brand of heavy metal. Even that band was getting tired of that, getting ready to switch to a more hard rock sound in Technical Ecstasy. But then Judas Priest restored the genre and added more speed and energy in their second album Sad Wings of Destiny! Gone is the messy forgettable blues/hard rock of the 2.5-star debut Rocka Rolla. Instead, we have Rob Halford's aggressive singing shrieks and Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing's harmonic guitar melodies.

Like Black Sabbath's debut, the visual is worth the price of admission. The dark cover (Why's the angel dude dabbing!?), the gothic band logo, the fierce song titles... Judas Priest wanted to let the world know that they're not the bluesy hippies producer Rodger Bain forced them to be, but rather a band who wants to be the next Black Sabbath, but in a more unique way. While Judas Priest's sound is heavier, they still don't mind composing soft and long songs, albeit with most of the progressive aspects taken out for something more commercial. Also, note that side A and side B were switched after the original pressing. I like the more well-known tracklisting better, so let's dive into that...

Spawning from two earlier songs from other bands, "Whiskey Woman" and "Red Light Lady", "Victim of Changes" is truly a song that no Judas Priest fan can ever deny. Already it makes me feel curious about checking out the live rendition of that song and a few others in this album in Unleashed in the East. Although it is a single song, you can split it into a few parts, with smooth transitions, as the great riffing and soloing from the guitars continues to shine alongside the booming bass and Rob Halford's melodious screams. The ending part with the riff building up to the last of Halford's screams is the best part of the song and possibly the album, making up a lot for the lifeless quiet slow sections. An excellent piece of classic heavy metal that's hard to replicate! If that song is this album's "War Pigs", this next one is this album's "Paranoid"... "The Ripper" is a short track based on the notorious Jack the Ripper, in which Halford sings through a truly memorable chorus. It's so simple, yet that's the song's charm, practically inspiring the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that Saxon and Iron Maiden would kickstart a few years later. A cool riff creeps in at the center and speeds up, letting out a similar vibe to the Ripper's horrid actions. Then we have one more ripping scream by Halford. Next up, "Dreamer Deceiver" starts off with acoustic atmosphere with soft clean guitar and singing. If many later bands throughout the ages have the confidence to make soft metal ballads, this song is why, though it's a bit repetitive, while nowhere close to as dull as "Planet Caravan". Still I enjoy the long mellow soloing and Halford's screaming having more energy why the song stays at that slow speed.

It segues to another song that you might think is connected to the previous track as a suite because of its name, "Deceiver". It works much better midway through the album instead of at the end. However, it's quite mediocre. Not bad, but a bit disappointing when the speedy guitar riffing isn't as memorable as it should be. That's this album's "Iron Man". The album's still amazing though, and an interesting "Prelude" plays that is strange but marks a great start to the album's second half, with its booming synths and guitar. The monstrous song "Tyrant" is actually the greatest highlight here, slightly higher than "Victim of Changes". Pretty much everything great about the band at that time is displayed; heavy riffing, a fun pounding chorus, a necessary break, and best of all, a full-on guitar solo duel! That underrated classic really does the band justice.

There's a similar lyrical subject to the previous track in "Genocide" that's a bit deceiving with lack of energy, but still a really cool piece of early heavy metal. What makes that song stand out is when things really speed up at the end, and while Halford is tried out, he lets out the last bit of yelling he could do for this song. Piano and vocals are all you can hear in "Epitaph", which can be a struggle for any fans of Judas Priest and metal, but it breaks up the repetition. The piano is performed by Tipton while Halford sings in sweet bliss. He even layers his vocals with higher vocal tracks as if he's leading a choir, which is pretty impressive. Interesting, but not a song I would add to a metal playlist. It segues directly to the closing "Island of Domination" which marks a comeback for the monumental energy of the album's earlier classics. It's great hearing Halford's usual melodic shrieks and another pounder of a chorus. This oughta give me a great feeling for their next album Sin After Sin, if I ever feel like giving that one a go.

Sad Wings of Destiny is an amazing album that I recognize as a classic in early heavy metal. And as a young metalhead who's had much experience with the classic past as the modern present, I can really see the appeal. This melodic album was the definition of heaviness in 1976, though highly different from the definition of heaviness that was given to Suffocation's debut 15 years later. Sure the more mainstream Priest listeners can praise British Steel, but Sad Wings of Destiny has heavy metal classics that has seen the band break free from their bluesy roots. This would even set the stage for when metal becomes faster in the 80s, infused with the punk explosion in that decade. The few songs that don't reach true glory prevent the album from being totally perfect. Nonetheless, there are great treats in this heavy metal game-changer to behold!

Favorites: "Victim of Changes", "The Ripper", "Tyrant", "Genocide", "Island of Domination"