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Live In London Judas Priest Steamhammer/SPV, 2003
Buy it online
Reviewed by Lucas Aykroyd
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In the 1970s and 1980s, classic metal bands like Iron Maiden, AC/DC, KISS and Judas Priest loved to create gargantuan images for themselves. We're talking huge concerts, gigantic amplifiers and twin guitar-driven muscle beyond description. But naturally, the passage of time and the changing of popular musical tastes put these images to the test. Judas Priest's latest opus, Live in London, reflects some of the difficulties that crop up when Atlas is asked to carry the world on his shoulders for more than 30 years. We're not talking herniated discs, but you can definitely hear some creaking. Recorded on December 19, 2001 at the Brixton Academy, the double CD covers the Birmingham group's career output, making for a decent greatest hits package. But the track listing is very similar to 1998's Live Meltdown, with 14 of the same songs, which reeks somewhat of a cash grab. Both discs feature Tim "Ripper" Owens on lead vocals. He's the tribute band singer who took over from Rob Halford in 1997, performing on Priest's last two studio albums, Jugulator and Demolition. The Akron, Ohio native has the lungpower to replace the legendary departed screamer, but his vocal choices aren't always in the best taste. Introducing crazed octave leaps into the verse melody of "Metal Gods," for instance, is certainly impressive, but distracts from the power of the original arrangement. Likewise, the "I'm the Big Bad Wolf"-type growling in "Living After Midnight" is more eyebrow-raising than spine-tingling. At times, Owens seems to be bawling away for no purpose other than to show off the amount of reverb on his microphone. Newer songs like "Feed On Me" and "One On One" simply suffer in comparison to Priest's early 1980's goldmine. Guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, while still proficient, don't come across as forcefully as Rob Halford's axemen on the 2001 release Live Insurrection, which included a healthy dose of Priest classics. The production on Live in London just isn't as muscular. In fairness, if you prefer your live albums relatively undoctored, this may fit the bill. Owens sings the wrong line at the start of the second verse of "Turbo Lover," which would have been easy to tweak in the studio later if the band were so inclined. The CD liner notes state: "This package is a must for every Priest and metal fan on the planet!" Well, not quite. We're talking about an album that completists will want. The larger metal community will be more likely to get talking if the band ever bites the bullet and reunites with Mr. Halford. | April 2003
Lucas Aykroyd covers the rock beat for Wall of Sound, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and other leading music publications. He is the author of 1984: The Ultimate Van Halen Trivia Book. |
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