It's been largely ignored as it doesn't fit the metal template. I only really got prompted to properly check it out when I first saw the footage of them on The Old Grey Whistle Test after it was included on a DVD about 25 yrs ago. All silk and embroidery and flares and big hats. Magnificent.
My eldest and I listen to a discography in its entirety on his (now very long) drive to college. For the past two weeks we’ve been doing Priest. Absolutely agreed - for a while they were almost the Genesis of heavy and then *bang* - absolute unashamed metal. Fascinating transition.
It is amazing. I know the accepted metal wisdom is British Steel & Screaming For Vengeance are the biggies but for me that late 70s 5 album arc is without parallel. But even then they still pull out a surprise every few albums. Turbo, Painkiller, Nostradamus. Swinging for the fences.
I fuckin love it. The big grandiose intro to Out in the Cold is my favourite drunken kitchen air-drumming song to torment Phil with at 1am. The videos are hilarious too.
In the words of a mate; ‘leather was the best thing that ever happened to the Priest. Especially Rob, who here looks like Jacqui McShea from Pentangle’
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