British Steel

Fand ich auch geil. Schöner 80er Metal.

Not sure if it’s my vibe, but started sounding a lot better after a beer. Guitar tone is great too. Had a fun time listening, really liked the middle/2nd half. Some other parts just didn’t do it for me

For an album described as heavy metal, I wasn't expecting it to sound like an early Def Leppard joint (without the glam charm that makes them unique).
I think they have good energy overall, and even a couple of bangers, but this is not a style of metal I'd return to.

Standouts: Grinder • The Rage

Favorite track(s): Metal Gods, Breaking the Law, Grinder

Prior to this list I hadn’t spent much time pinning down exactly when certain music happened. To me, who was unborn until the mid-80s, this is classic "80s Metal" and it's wild to realize that it came out in 1980, was their SIXTH album, and they were already kinda famous. So I guess this is actually late 70s Metal and that puts JP squarely at the forefront of the genre. Some of this feels more like "Hard Rock" by modern standards, so it's a good place for the Metal-curious to start.

The genre is obviously defined by its crunchy distortion and 'widdly-wah' guitar solos, (this album is no exception!), but I'll also mention the new-to-them drummer, Dave Holland, who puts in a nice tight performance here on his debut JP record, and JP’s forever bass player, Ian Hill, who lays down a few really fat (almost funky?) baselines I wasn't expecting (like the intro to "The Rage"). I don't picture myself working this into my normal music rotation, but it's a pretty good occasional listen!

"Living After Midnight" > "Breaking The Law"

PS: The track order doesn't make a lot of sense in a post-vinyl world, but "United" was originally the last track on Side 1 of the record. That's great placement because you're always gonna get up to turn that bullshit off anyway, so you might as well flip the record while you're doing that. Pure genius.
"Red, White, & Blue" is pretty awful too.

I instantly gained 100lb on my bench after listening to this

Great album

Love hate relationship - love the driving guitars - hate the timepiece that is the cringe inducing falsetto.

Not always my vibe, but definitely a fun album

unexpectedly a lot of fun!

Classic, but not my favorite.

Solid

Let's get something straight: it's a crime that this is the only Priest album on the list. There are many other albums by this band that deserve to be here as well. That said, it's a great metal album. Halford's singing is as good as ever, and the loud guitars and thunderous drums make for some invigorating heavy metal.

I liked this! It was fun, not too cheesy/corny, with great vocals. Really enjoyable the whole way through.

I will lay my bias out right now, because I saw Judas Priest perform live last year with my Dad, and they're still kicking ass over fifty years into their career. One of the pioneering groups of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, the band has been highly influential in heavy music, and their record British Steel is a testament to that legacy.

From the opening guitar riff of "Breaking the Law" to the blistering speed of "Rapid Fire" and "Steeler", to pulse-pounding stompers like "Metal Gods" and "The Rage", to outright uplifting jams like "Living After Midnight" and "United", everyone in the group was firing on all cylinders. Rob Halford's soaring vocals, the twin-guitar attack of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, and the equally visceral rhythm support of Ian Hill and Dave Holland made for an electrifying experience, filtered through the well-balanced production from Tom Allom. These songs boast tight compositions, and the lyrics match the ferocity of the execution.

Sure, arguments could have been made for later efforts, such as Screaming for Vengeance and Painkiller; those albums have also garnered popularity in their singles and more aggressive sound. Yet, it was British Steel that was chosen for the list because this was Judas Priest's breakthrough into the mainstream, and I'm inclined to say it still holds up all these decades later. They are Metal Gods among mortal men.

Really enjoyed this one! Never really thought this kind of metal was for me but love the theatrical vocals and riffs. Kicking myself for writing it off for so long and looking forward to hearing more like this

The most enjoyable album of this genre I've listened to through this project. Seems to have a sense of humour that isn't based on tedious innuendo like so many others. Some entertaining choruses and melodies too, and not just overwrought guitar theatrics.

Judas Priest, seemingly at their poppiest here. The tracks differ between good old heavy metal to some awful 80's cheese. This really isn't their strongest album, but it's fun to listen to nonetheless. Songs like Grinder and Breaking The Law are great and metal classics. This album is brought down by some of the more anthemic poppy songs on here. This could've been a great album with shit like United and Red, White & Blue.

An excellent example of British metal of the late 70s/early 80s.
The band were probably a bit old to be considered part of the NWoBHM. This is album is all killer no filler.

What can i say? I love British Steel. I have had some experience with listening to Judas Priest though i don't think that anything i really listened to by them was from this album. I am glad i did find this album though as it is an excellent listen. Of course some of my favorite songs off this album are the singles like Breaking The Law, United and Living After Midnight but the other songs are no slouches either. These songs are mainly so good due to their excellent guitars and bass. Listening to the bass really made me think about how much modern metal pushes the bass into the background and makes me appreciate it being in the forefront here. I really enjoyed this album as expected.
Best Song: Breaking The Law
Worst Song: Rapid Fire