When looking at picking deep cuts for a band as iconic as Judas Priest, it depends which audience you are aiming for: the diehards or the more mainstream fans. Then again, when you have 18 studio albums (with another, Invisible Shield, coming in March), there’s a lot to choose from. The band have perenially embraced the contrast of light and dark, and as frontman Rob Halford declared to Billboard in 2018: “Judas Priest is Star Wars because we’re always battling against evil. We’re giving you hope.”
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With that thought in mind, the following selections from Priest’s catalog represent the cinematic side to their music, with each track different from the others.
“Solar Angels,” from Point of Entry (1981)
The band’s seventh studio album veered into more commercial, blues-based territory with a little boogie to it, and it was unlike anything they had done before. “Solar Angels” is a straightforward, mostly verse-chorus type song with simple yet dramatic chords lurching forward. One could interpret the lyrics as being about the witnessing the high-speed beauty of an air show, but it might also be about watching a dazzling aerial display from alien spaceships. Golden halos radiating higher / Diamond visions softly breathing fire / Sky processions, we are watching you arrive.
“Worth Fighting For,” from Angel of Retribution (2005)
One could consider this brooding mid-tempo track from their reunion album to be a variation on “Desert Plains” from Point of Entry. But whereas that previous song is more about the anticipation of reuniting with a lover after a long motorcycle trek, this journey in search of a departed partner is weighed down by heat, dust, and regret. But there is a smattering of hope. The hazy verses, melancholic riffs, and bluesy solo mirror all those feelings beautifully.
“Savage,” from Stained Class (1978)
Priest have never been considered a politically driven or social issue-oriented band, but sometimes they delve into such topics. Case in point: this underappreciated gem from their fourth album which itself is ripe with dark themes. “Savage” has an appropriately tribal vibe, especially with Les Binks’ tom work piled on at the end, as singer Halford angrily laments the incursion of missionaries into a native culture: You poisoned my tribe with civilized progress / Baptizing our blood with disease / You christened our bodies with sadness and suffering / Saying then that your god is well-pleased.
“Blood Red Skies,” from Ram It Down (1988)
One of the most cinematic Priest songs, this Terminator-inspired, post-apocalyptic tale makes you think of what it would be like to be on the run from our future machine overlords. But at least our hero won’t go down without a fight. A mournful acoustic intro, quietly tense verses, dramatic choruses, bombastic synth brass, K.K. Downing’s spiraling guitar solo—this is a wild 8-minute ride that showcased how the band and their Platinum producer Tom Allom fluidly integrated sound design and music into a cohesive whole, including the “cybernetic heartbeat” of the drum track. The quintet finally played this sci-fi epic live during their Epitaph tour in 2011.
“Between the Hammer and the Anvil,” from Painkiller (1990)
Priest have always had a bit of a Goth side as evidenced by this fire-and-brimstone rocker. Then thrashing new drummer Scott Travis showcased a lot of clever ideas throughout his debut album with the band. Seemingly inspired by the subliminal messages trial that took place after the song was recorded, “Between the Hammer and the Anvil” unleashes a variety of tempo and rhythm changes, passionate solos, and ominous riffs as Halford rails against moral hypocrisy. The court case itself was hard for the band who were unfairly accused of the deaths of two fans who loved their music but took their own lives due to tragic personal circumstances.
“Sea of Red,” from Firepower (2018)
The group’s last album hit the Top 5 in 15 countries and was noted for its potent sonic brew on songs like “Lightning Strikes” and the title track. But this album closer is really its best track and was inspired by the John McCrae poem “In Flanders Fields.” That work in itself was inspired by the red poppies that bloomed notably in parts of the Western Front in soil churned up by WWI fighting and bombing. (Red poppies are now worn by many on Remembrance Day in honor of those who lost their lives in that war.) The first minute and a half of “Sea of Red” opens in acoustic ballad mode before the band thunderously accompanies Halford’s emotional lyrical journey that includes an electrifying Richie Faulkner guitar solo and a massive choir created from stacking glorious vocals. It’s simply stunning.
“Reckless,” from Turbo (1986)
Priest’s deviation into guitar synth-driven metal certainly ruffled the feathers of fans who abhorred Turbo’s pop slant, but it at least produced three true gems: the cheeky “Turbo Lover,” the epic ballad “Out in the Cold,” and this majestic manifesto of independence roaring with passion. The synth-less “Reckless” was originally considered for the movie Top Gun, and one can hear why—fervent riffs, soaring vocals, and one of Glenn Tipton’s greatest six-string solos which builds to a bristling climax. A song that, to our knowledge, has never been played live, “Reckless” should really reside on the short list of supreme metal anthems. It makes you feel like you can take on the world.
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Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
