Search - Judas Priest :: Jugulator

Not bad, but not really Priest either

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 03/05/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There's probably no point in explaining the history behind Judas Priest's 1997 album Jugulator. They made a movie (Rock Star) out of it, after all. Jugulator was the first Judas Priest album not to feature Rob Halford on vocals. To say that the band, now fronted by Tim "Ripper" Owens, had something to prove is an understatement.



Sadly, Jugulator was not one of Judas Priest's better efforts, despite the obvious talents of their energetic new frontman. Actually, Owens' powerful vocal performance may be the album's only real highlight.



Some of Jugulator's failings have much to do with the time it was released. Metal wasn't terribly popular in 1997, and the metal that was popular (heavier thrash and death metal) didn't really go well with the traditional Judas Priest sound. Bands are supposed to imitate Judas Priest, not the other way around. The songwriting and lyrics are another major flaw. Some of these songs - "Death Row", "Dead Meat" and "Decapitate" for example - are just ridiculous. There are some good songs, like "Blood Stained" and the 9-minute epic "Cathedral Spires", but most of these songs just aren't that well written.



If Jugulator had been released by any other band, it probably would have been fairly well received as a Priest-inspired heavy metal album. It's worth hearing, particularly if you're an Owens fan, but the album just doesn't live up to the legacy that is Judas Priest."