JUDAS PRIEST – Defenders Of The Faith [30th Anniversary Remastered 3xCD Japan Edition] Out of print

Sandwiched between the bona fide metal classic Screaming For Vengeance and perhaps JUDAS PRIEST’s most controversial album, the synth-guitar laden Turbo, “Defenders Of The Faith” often seems to be an overlooked gem in the band’s catalog.
Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, Judas Priest released this three-disc digipak including a newly remastered version of the album, which also includes a 21-song live set from Long Beach Arena in 1984 taped during the album tour, into 2 discs.

It doesn’t take long to remember that Judas Priest was still at the height of its game as album opener “Freewheel Burning” comes raging out of the speakers. It’s a classic, high-speed Judas Priest number with vocalist Rob Halford screaming like a demon and hitting some of his biggest notes.
After a year or so of listening to last year’s exceptional Redeemer Of Souls, it’s an instant reminder that as good as Halford sounds now, he was that much more impressive in his prime.
The energy continues with the pummeling “Jawbreaker” before fans finally get a chance to come up for air on the third track, “Rock Hard Ride Free,” more of a classic hard rock tune in the vein of some of the band’s earlier work.

Then comes what has become for me at least, the centerpiece of this album, “The Sentinel”, one of the best Judas songs ever. It’s got everything that a good Judas Priest tune needs; opening with a big, heavy killer riff, then kicking things into crunching high gear for the verse and choruses. After a couple of verses we break down a little for the guitar solo and then drop in for a quiet, but dramatic climactic scene in the lyrical story, which tells an apocalyptic tale of a an unbeatable warrior who cuts down all foes with his throwing knives.
What’s more classic metal than that? Finally we wind things down for a few repeats of that big, powerful chorus. It’s classic ’80 heavy metal and classic Judas Priest.
“Love Bites” is not exactly the conventional love song. A vampiric sex anthem, the tune is one of the simpler on the album, but also features one of the most memorable choruses.

Another favorite of mine is the hard-hitting “Some Heads are Gonna Roll,” which puts you playing air guitar to the riffing of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing and snarling along with Halford’s menacing vocal. “Night Comes Down,” is a classic Judas slow track, I won’t call it a ballad, but atmospheric and mysterious.
Then you have the blazing “Eat Me Alive,” the kicking “Heavy Duty” featuring a huge guitar riff that’s one of the coolest on the record, and finally, there’s the operatic title track that fades the album out in a heavy manner and plenty of adrenaline.

The second and third discs feature the high-energy 1984 performance at at Long Beach Arena which showcases most of the songs on Defenders Of The Faith, as well as a host of favorites from the band’s previous records.
Most fans will already have multiple live and studio versions of all of these songs, but hearing a great live Judas Priest performance never gets old, and this one qualifies as the sound is pretty awesome.

It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and listened to “Defenders Of The Faith” in its entirety, and the thing that strikes me most about this 30th Anniversary Edition is how well the songs hold up. They’re just as vibrant and powerful as they were in 1985, and the album itself sounds classic rather than dated.
With this remastered “Defenders Of The Faith 30th Anniversary Edition”, Judas Priest really did it right. They preserved this album so that many future generations will appreciate and hear it for all of the brilliance that it truly is.

In all honesty, even if you already have this album, the live show alone is worth the price of buying this one again. This is a really great listening experience and it’s a great way to remember and pay respects to a truly important and iconic piece of heavy metal history.
Yeah, the Anniversary was last year, but due some logistic troubles it’s being reissued 2015… but, who cares? Because this MF is a beast of an album that has had the original ten tracks remastered by the original producer, the sixth member of JP back in the day, Tom Allom. It really sounds amazing.

Though British Steel and Screaming for Vengeance usually get the praise, “Defenders Of The Faith” is their equal, and there’s no better way than this Japanese Edition 3-CD Anniversary Remaster to rediscover it.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

CD 1: Defenders Of The Faith remastered
01 – Freewheel Burning
02 – Jawbreaker
03 – Rock Hard Ride Free
04 – The Sentinel
05 – Love Bites
06 – Eat Me Alive
07 – Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
08 – Night Comes Down
09 – Heavy Duty
10 – Defenders of the Faith

CD 2: Live at Long Beach Arena 1984
01 – Love Bites (Live)
02 – Jawbreaker (Live)
03 – Grinder (Live)
04 – Metal Gods (Live)
05 – Breaking the Law (Live)
06 – Sinner (Live)
07 – Desert Plains (Live)
08 – Some Heads Are Gonna Roll (Live)
09 – The Sentinel (Live)
10 – Rock Hard Ride Free (Live)

CD 3: Live at Long Beach Arena 1984
01 – Night Comes Down (Live)
02 – The Hellion (Live)
03 – Electric Eye (Live)
04 – Heavy Duty (Live)
05 – Defenders of the Faith (Live)
06 – Freewheel Burning (Live)
07 – Victim of Changes (Live)
08 – The Green Manalishi (Live)
09 – Living After Midnight (Live)
10 – Hell Bent for Leather (Live)
11 – You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ (Live)

Rob Halford – vocals
K. K. Downing – guitar
Glenn Tipton – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Dave Holland – drums
Produced and Remastered by Tom Allom

Out Of Print
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SICP-4388