JUDAS PRIEST – Point Of Entry [Japanese Remastered Edition +2]

As requested, here’s the underrated JUDAS PRIEST strong piece of metal ”Point Of Entry”, in its remastered Japanese edition including 2 bonus tracks.
”Point Of Entry” will always be one of those “other” Judas Priest albums. It will always just be “the album that came after British Steel” or “the one that came before Screaming for Vengeance“.
It did fine (500,000 US sales the first year) and spawned a killer single called “Heading Out to the Highway”, but it didn’t make history like the other two records. And it’s a shame.
However, over the years, ”Point Of Entry” has garnered accolades as a very good album, and some fans pick this one as their favorite Judas Priest album. No better than this Japanese edition to re-discover this LP.

Coming after ‘British Steel’, Priest continued with producer Tom Allom and drummer Dave Holland, sonically ”Point Of Entry” is pretty similar as a whole. ”Point Of Entry” does boast a few songs that could go toe-to-toe with any on ‘British Steel’. Certainly “Desert Plains” and “Heading Out to the Highway” can stand up to the prior album.
“Highway” has one of those riffs so classic that I sometimes find myself humming it in a grocery line wondering what song was in my head. As a mid-tempo road song, it’s a great one. One could argue it’s just a sequel to “Living After Midnight”, but you just try and resist this one.
Then “Don’t Go” is slow and plaintive, yet with that solid rocking beat and a killer guitar solo.

“Hot Rockin’” is high-speed, followed by midtempo yet heavy “Turning Circles” – “We’ve all got somethin’ wrong to say,” sings Rob in this song that seems to be about ending a relationship. The “ah ha, ah ha” break in the middle is an album highlight.

It’s “Desert Plains” that really brings it home. There is a pulse to this song, created by Dave Holland and Ian Hill. You don’t associate those two guys with awesome rock beats often, but here it is. It’s an instant classic, and it’s alive with movement. From the verses, to the choruses, to Holland’s drum sound effects, this is a Priest classic and shall forever remain so.

“Solar Angels” is another track with an interesting rhythm (slow drums, fast guitar chug). The song feels like it could use some more substance, but it’s still enjoyable albeit in a “Metal Gods” knock-off kind of way.
Though heaviness is always celebrated, who doesn’t enjoy when Rob Halford gets sassy? That’s “You Say Yes”, an outstanding shoulda-been hit. Rob spits out the words as only he can. Then the airy “what I do, what I do, what I do” middle section goes right to heaven.

Point of Entry ends on three pretty midtempo tracks. “All the Way” might be an attempt to rewrite “Living After Midnight”, and although it’s a cool track we all know Priest have better stuff in this vein. “Troubleshooter” has a great opening drum beat, then Rob’s vocals kill it. “On the Run” is a screamy album closer where Rob is once again the star.

The remastered release includes two bonus tracks, one of which has nothing to do with ”Point Of Entry”. “Thunder Road” comes from the ‘Ram It Down’ studio sessions. It’s heavy and cool. Then there is a live version of “Desert Plains” from what sounds like the 1987 tour judging by the big echoey drums and Rob’s added screams. It’s much faster than the album cut, but still kills! Somehow it didn’t make it onto the Priest…Live! album, which was already stuffed full.
Although ”Point Of Entry” will always live in the shadows of the towering albums that came before and after, it still leaves a glow behind all over the years.
Highly Recommended

01 – Heading Out To The Highway
02 – Don’t Go
03 – Hot Rockin’
04 – Turning Circles
05 – Desert Plains
06 – Solar Angels
07 – You Say Yes
08 – All The Way
09 – Troubleshooter
10 – On The Run
BONUS TRACKS:
11 – Thunder Road
12 – Desert Plains (Live)

Rob Halford – vocals
K. K. Downing – guitars
Glenn Tipton – guitars
Ian Hill – bass
Dave Holland – drums

BUY IT
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SICP-3397