Search - Judas Priest :: Sad Wings of Destiny

The best Priest album...and one of history's best as well

09/06/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sad Wings of Destiny is one of the finest metal albums of all time. Period. It belongs on the shelf next to Paranoid, Machine Head, KISS Alive, Van Halen I, Heaven and Hell, Blizzard of Ozz..all the absolute landmarks of the most misunderstood but passionate musical genre of modern times. Track by track, Victim of Changes sums up everything worthwhile in Priest: hooky, intricate guitars, wailing solos, a forceful rhythm section, and the vocals of Rob Halford. To go from some of the most intense screams ever captured on tape to the most sinister, Satanic sigh (during the mellow part preceding "once she was beautiful...") is to get a thumbnail sketch of human emotion in the amount of time it takes to have sex. Then comes The Ripper, a tune so frightful that the BBC banned it because at the time a serial killer was actually stalking London! Dreamer Deceiver is one of the few songs ever recorded which caused me to weep openly...it is the prototype for Beyond the Realms of Death which actually surpasses that already perfect song. Deceiver is the first mini-let down of the album, but the tempo reminds me of Children of the Grave by Sabbath so it can't be all that bad. The buildup to Tyrant reminds me of a James Gang song and reminds us that, hey, it WAS the '70s. Tyrant rocks along like punkish Thin Lizzy, with a chorus that would make for a great audience participation song. Next is Genocide, with its riff that could be right at home on KISS' Hotter than Hell. It never lets up despite some tempo changes; the listener cannot help but think "So catchy...but is it really about Hitler?" Epitaph is Queen-like, with soft beautiful singing, wonderful piano, and an air of uncertainty. Finally comes Island of Domination, not my favorite song on the album by a longshot but still great metal. Buy Sad Wings of Destiny today. The whole thing just reeks of evil."

Absolutly the best album ever recorded

04/24/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"there is nothing more to say #1 cd in my rack of 300 just to hear Dreamer Deceiver what a rush, the most powerful lead guitar riffs ever recorded. If i was to be trapped on a desert island this is the one cd i would want if you like metal this is a must buy at ten times the cost Rob Halford is the most phenomonal vocalist ever just listen to Dreamer Deceiver and see what i mean"

Priest's Best...Metal at its best

Sidsel Roine | Lexington, KY United States | 04/30/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Judas Priest is one of those rare Heavy Metal bands that seem to never put out a bad album (well...Turbo)Stained Class, British Steel, Screaming for Vengenace...but in my mind Sad Wings of Destiny is easily thier best effort. It's classic metal and classical metal at that: Roaring, crushing guitar riffs alongside reflective piano solos and gentle ballads. The album starts with one of Priest's best works, "Victim of Changes", and the quality of the album just doesn't let up after that. "The Ripper","Dream Deciever","Tyrant"....to finish it all off with the bruising "Island of Domination"...incredible. Halford's voice is at it's best here, with complete range from a pleasant tenor to glass-shattering wails. From what he shows here, he's the best male vocalist I've heard, heavy metal or otherwise. If you're into 90s crap metal, stay away. If you're a fan of great, classic 70's metal, you simply can't miss with this one. Amazon, get on the ball and get it in stock!!"