Getting into Judas Priest. Anyone reccomend any of their best material?

[Terminus Est]

I don't know Judas Priest very well and for starters, which of their best material would you reccomend for me. I know they have made alot of music(more than Maiden) and for all I know, finding the good stuff might be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

 

[Nocturnal Emperor]

get the song painkiller it is amazing

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

Get the album Painkiller.

 

[Psychonaut]

Their older stuff like on Sin After Sin is pretty depressing. Point Of Entry, Screaming For Vengeance, and Defenders Of The Faith are excellent mid-career albums. Painkiller is amazing and they went downhill after that. All in all, you really can't go wrong with their stuff. Some people don't like the older, more depressing stuff but I grew up on it so I think it's tits. Check out the songs Victim Of Changes, Diamonds And Rust, Tyrant, Love Bites, Electric Eye, Metal Gods, Desert Plains, and Nightcrawler to start then buy their shit up. It's all good (except Demolition).

 

[Darth Kur]

They all kick ass to a varying degree. And that's including their newer material, Jugulator, Demolition and the two double live ones all the way back to the earliest ones, Rocka-Rolla, Sad Wings Of Destiny and Sin After Sin which, being as old as they are (mid 70's), have a more primitive sound but are all quite "dark" in nature. I think their weakest point was probably Turbo and Ram It Down which were both watered down a bit making them more commercially acceptable at the time.
I'd have to say the absolute best one is Screaming For Vengeance. This is taken from the bands heyday and is the release that got them noticed on a grander scale here in the States. It has both heavy as hell and varied, complex emotional elements.
Like I said though...they all kick ass. Stained Class is a much overlooked classic with not a bad track on it as is Hell Bent For Leather. Painkiller is probably the fastest hard sounding release with the "classic" line-up.
Either way you can't go wrong. If money is no object I say go for the whole lot of them.

 

[no country for old wainds]

In my opinion, Painkiller is BY FAR their best album. Not a weak track. Get it.

 

[svenske kocken]

Get these amazing albums:

Painkiller
Unleashed In The East
Defenders Of The Faith
British Steel
Sad Wings Of Destiny
Stained Class

All their albums are strong, apart from Turbo, Point Of Entry and the Ripper albums.

 

[Niklas]

living after midnight is a prety cool song, not heard much more though..

 

[MacMoney]

Stained Class and Sad Wings of Destiny are their best albums followed by Killing Machine and Painkiller.

 

[bloodfiredeath]

The sound of Priest varied over the years, so it really depends on what you like. I think that Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, and Stained Class are their best albums and would highly recommend any of them. These albums are definitely have a strong NWOBHM feel.

 

[willj56]

Buy 'Painkiller'

 

[Soul_Schizm]

Painkiller
Screaming for Vengeance
British Steel
Defenders of the Faith
Hell Bent for Leather
Sad Wings of Destiny

Those 5 ought to get you started. Painkiller is a masterpiece, and I've always thought Screaming for Vengeance was, too. The others all have their moments and are tough to beat. On British Steel: Metal Gods and The Rage among others. Defenders of the Faith: The freakin' Sentinel will rule your world. Hell Bent for Leather: I love Killing Machine, Green Manalishi, and the title track, among others. And Sad Wings is a classic--Tyrant, Genocide, and Victim of Changes pretty much established Priest as a powerhouse.

Don't look for singles--only the full-length CDs will do for a Priest fanatic

Have fun.

 

[capeda]

hmmm... their absolute BEST are....

Unleashed in The East (live with the best old songs.... except theyre faster and heavier)
Screaming For Vengeance (duh)
Painkiller (their heaviest)

 

[Hatebreeder33]

"Painkiller" is their only decent album, in my opinion.

 

[no country for old wainds]

"Painkiller" is their only decent album, in my opinion.

Mm, yep, pretty much. Defenders of the Faith isn't bad though.

 

[JonnyD]

Pick up Painkiller, Defenders, '98 live Meltdown (that Ripper kid can really scream), Ram it down, Jugulator Or just get the 2 disc 73-93 collection it has all the goodies!!!

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

I recommend Sad Wings of Destiny and Defenders of the Faith for the most representative and overall best albums of the band's career.

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

"Painkiller" is their only decent album, in my opinion.

It's funny.. I find this album to be one of the most overrated, ever...A few great songs, but still.....

 

[no country for old wainds]

Painkiller is pretty thrashy. Unlike their other albums, really. But I never did like the more 'Arena Rock' based stuff, so that might explain why I like Painkiller the most.

 

[OPETH_DT]

Stained Class, Unleashed in the East (it gives a better feel,and not just live, to a few slower, older tunes), British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance, Defenders of the Faith, and Painkiller are by far, my favorites; also, you can do no wrong with getting the Halford solo cd's, as they totally destroy Priest with Ripper, and it makes one hunger that much more for a reunion.