Judas Priest - Invincible Shield (2024)

There are some bands that have claimed the status of legend. The reason is that at some point of their career, they defined the whole Metal genre. Judas Priest did exactly that, they are the synonym of Heavy Metal and have a lifespan that just reached half a century!

If you are active for so many years and have 20 albums under your belt, it is only natural that there will be some ups and downs. Even during the downs, while we are unworthy of judging the metal gods, we are bound to saying things as they are and never turn a blind eye. Now, I don’t know what expectation anyone had from the band at this point of their career. But it matters not, because Judas Priest will proudly wink even to people with the highest expectations, as Invincible Shield is a total beast of an album.

They do not sound tired, they do not sound bored, but on the contrary we are presented with 14 tracks of 1 hours total duration, that sound energetic and reflect everything we love about this band. Halford seems to be the winner in his fight with time! Not only does he sound great overall, but does not restrain himself from hitting those iconic high notes. The fact that he records songs like The Serpent and the King and has to bring them on stage later, shows that there is nothing stopping him.

Same for the rest of the band, we are talking about legends after all, but they too do not rest on their laurels. Extra credits to Richie Faulkner who does not seem out of his waters, but the totally opposite. He blends greatly with the others and his place here, after three albums, feels more than natural.

Jumping a little deeper, just listen to the title track and tell me you needed something more. There is no shortage of fast moments overall, but the slower ones do not lack a punch either. Escape from Reality is just one instance where Priest teach how Metal should be played in lower BPM (bits per minute).

The thing with Invincible Shield is that it starts with amazing songs and is a long record. As you go, you expect that it is too good to be true for it to retain the same quality. But the decline you silently fear, never comes. That is, if we understand that we are not talking about a Thrash band, so slower songs are also expected. If you prefer everything to be like Panic Attack, then you will not agree with my above point.

This record is worthy to say it was created by the composers of Painkiller. To have a place in the discography of the fathers of Heavy Metal. It will not compare with the Priest’s past. It is however exactly what we should ask from a band of that caliber, that wants to proudly carry their torch high not just on stage, but creatively as well.