New Priest Album is Finished!

After listening to it for 3 days. I think it's the best thing they've done since Defenders of the Faith.   

bass63 wrote:

After listening to it for 3 days. I think it's the best thing they've done since Defenders of the Faith.   

As much as I love Painkiller, I can understand this, although there's no way I can say it's better than AoR, which was a far more powerful and consistent record (and shorter thankfully).

Here's what I wrote on another forum:

I took a listen to Redeemer of Souls a couple times today--the wife gone (oldest having his tonsils out, I staying with my youngest) so I was able to crank it up LOUD on my stereo for best quality (barring Spotify stream quality). I dunno, it was a pretty passive experience. I was wondering what you guys though about it.

I really don't want to be a critic with this record because Rob, Ian, and Glenn are f*cking old. They've gotta be exhausted at this point after 17 studio albums (15 for Rob, and let's not forget side projects and solo material) and with AoR containing some of their most inspired work in a long ass time, and the Nostradamus F*ck up that they spent countless miles of energy on--let's just say I'm willing to give these guys a break.

But the album is over an hour long and contains some of the worst production I've heard from a recent classic lineup (although surprisingly as brickwalled as it is, the muddiness factor doesn't kick in at higher levels). Some of the songs work nicely, others sound, well, tired. The sequencing, which Witchfinder pointed out over at HOM, is poorly arranged. The band can't decide if they want to go Painkiller, Defenders of the Faith, or, awkwardly, Hell Bent for Leather. I could go on, but I really don't want to because I love these guys.

The worst part for me is that no one is talking about is the lack of KK. Richie is a great axeman and has memorable solos et al, but that interplay that KK and Downing had really is missing, there's no denying. I also wonder if Glenn is losing inspiration, and I can't blame him. The amount of creativity he's spent with KK these past decades has to be finite to some degree, even if it goes beyond the horizon.

Rob's vocals are really impressive given his age and, again, mileage, but I can't be blamed for missing that bite and snarl he had once upon a time. Overall, it lacks energy. Again, this is understandable and no one should be complaining.

It's a good album, nowhere near the power of AoR, but good. I'm fighting the urge to pick it apart like a Zenith transistor radio, but I wouldn't think it fair to the band.

Props to anyone who made it through all that.

DallasBlack wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

I'm completely with eyesore on that song. I had to double check the credits for Desmond Child's name. Terribly trite garbage.

I might like it then as I never had any problem with Desmond Child credited songs. Heck, I even quite like his solo album.

I love anything with Child's name on it, I think he's a great songwriter.

Vexer6 wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

I'm completely with eyesore on that song. I had to double check the credits for Desmond Child's name. Terribly trite garbage.

I might like it then as I never had any problem with Desmond Child credited songs. Heck, I even quite like his solo album.

I love anything with Child's name on it, I think he's a great songwriter.

There's no questioning his talent. Or the inevitable comparison to ipecac.

corplhicks wrote:

Vexer6 wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

I'm completely with eyesore on that song. I had to double check the credits for Desmond Child's name. Terribly trite garbage.

I might like it then as I never had any problem with Desmond Child credited songs. Heck, I even quite like his solo album.

I love anything with Child's name on it, I think he's a great songwriter.

There's no questioning his talent. Or the inevitable comparison to ipecac.

I like his contributions for Bonfire, Alice Cooper, Kane Roberts, Bon Jovi, Michael Bolton(back when he did hard rock), Ratt, Scorpions, Billy Squier, Joan Jett and Saraya

Another songwriter I really like is Diane Warren.

I'm jesting a bit, he's not that bad.

Diane Warren has written so good stuff, but some really, REALLY cheesy stuff too. "I Finally Found My Way" anyone?

I've gone through the first nine tracks now. I've spun them all three times, some four. So far the standouts to me have been Halls of Valhalla, Sword of Damocles, March of the Damned, Hell & Back and Cold Blooded.

Hell & Back makes me think of Tenacious D's "the Metal". 'Valhalla' and 'Damocles' sound like they could be Manilla Road songs.

By the way, is it Dragonaut or Dragonaught. It's spelled Dragonaught on the back of the disc. But the lyrics sheet says Dragonaut.

ultmetal wrote:

"I Finally Found My Way" anyone?

Horrible. Easily one of the worst

Giving this my first listen through and I'm liking what I hear so far although it does seem to have that modern sound to the production/mix (which doesn't really bother me;just an observation). I'm up to Crossfire.

ultmetal wrote:

Diane Warren has written so good stuff, but some really, REALLY cheesy stuff too. "I Finally Found My Way" anyone?

I thought that song was decent, but as far as her KISS contributions go, "My Way" is easily the best, it's probably my all-time favorite song by the band.

A very enjoyable album from them. Better than Nostradamus? Yeah. Better than Angel Of Retribution? No. The one thing I thought was weird is Beginning Of The End at the end of the first cd. An odd track to use as the album closer.

007 wrote:

A very enjoyable album from them. Better than Nostradamus? Yeah. Better than Angel Of Retribution? No. The one thing I thought was weird is Beginning Of The End at the end of the first cd. An odd track to use as the album closer.

Very odd, and boring at that. And yeah, I'll echo everyone here, MUCH BETTER THAN NOSTRADAMUS. By miiiiiiles.

Saw this again to day at Wal-Mart. It was actually $2 more and as I said before, I think it's best to wait at this time.

Picked up the vinyl copy tonight too   

Everything I could hope for from Priest in 2014. It'll be a top album of the year for me. And with repeated listens maybe more than that. I was a little worried with the number of songs that it would drag - but my experience was it was a quick listen. Held my interest the whole way.

I'm really liking it - once you get used to Rob's diminished vocal range on it, it's a great album with cool riffs.

I bought it this afternoon! I've already heard parts of the album on Liquid Metal, and will hear the rest this evening.

jstate wrote:

Everything I could hope for from Priest in 2014.  It'll be a top album of the year for me.  And with repeated listens maybe more than that.  I was a little worried with the number of songs that it would drag - but my experience was it was a quick listen.  Held my interest the whole way.  

It took me a couple listens in my car, but I'm really diggin' it now.

It's still not clicking very well with me. It just feels a bit generic, good yes but generic. My last resort is to blare it with the headphones on. Sometimes that does the trick. Like with Slayer's Hell Awaits. That album always sucked to me until a threw on my headphones, and now it's one of my favorite Slayer albums. Can't explain it.

DallasBlack wrote:

Saw this again to day at Wal-Mart. It was actually $2 more and as I said before, I think it's best to wait at this time.

Best Buy has the deluxe edition on sale for 17.99 and the regular edition for 9.99. I had a 5.00 off coupon so I went ahead and got the deluxe for about 14.00. Well worth it I think.

Eyesore wrote:

ZombieHavoc wrote:

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but there's nothing that special about it to me. I listened to it on Spotify yesterday and there isn't much that will make me feel compelled to listen to it again today.

The Spotify version automatically has the bonus tracks, so it's an 18-song album. Way too long. 13 songs is too long to me. If they had released a 9-song album, it'd probably hit me harder. Then another 9-song album next year or the year after. I am not a fan of long albums, personally.

Pay for it. That might compel you.

Seriously. This isn't a dig or anything, but I tend to think people who legally stream or illegally download albums are much quicker to dismiss them than someone who invests money into them. When there is nothing at stake, why give things a second chance?

You said, "There's nothing special about it." It's good, though. Good isn't special, but why isn't good good enough? Why does it have to knock your socks off?

I haven't heard the album yet. I went to get it yesterday but Best Buy was out of the Deluxe version and I wouldn't want to buy anything else. As far as Priest goes to why isn't good, good enough is because this is their 17th album and after the last album they released (which I liked) that a lot of people really hated, they needed to up their game also with loosing KK. If they just put out an OK album then I can see why good isn't good enough. They don't have too many more albums left in them why just make a "good" albums? They are going to sell either way, which maybe they can look at it that way, I really hope they don't tho, but they should be making THE album that says, if they called it quits today this is the best album they ever did.

Thats just me tho. I don't listen to anything on spotify. I don't download albums, I buy them and when I pay $18 for a deluxe cd I'm really hoping I can get more than a listen or two from it.

I was hoping to get this today but the other best buy that has it is about a half hour away. I haven't walked outside the door and its already almost 4pm lol

I have no complaints. I've liked it since I first played it. There might a be a few weak tracks, but the only one I legitimately dislike is the bonus track "Never Forget."

I wish I could see the tour, but not sure I can make the trip to Indiana.

One thing I have to give RoS over AoR is that I kind of cringe when Loch Ness comes on and someone else is in the room (second only to Roger Taylor for some lyrics you just don't want friends to know you're digging). There is no such song on RoS where the lyric is so rudimentary that I just want to hide.

So... Winning?

Runicen wrote:

One thing I have to give RoS over AoR is that I kind of cringe when Loch Ness comes on and someone else is in the room (second only to Roger Taylor for some lyrics you just don't want friends to know you're digging).  There is no such song on RoS where the lyric is so rudimentary that I just want to hide.

So...  Winning?

Loch Ness is awful. One of the worst tracks in the band's discography.