Most underrated vintage Judas Priest album

[Darth Kur]

What do you think is the most under appreciated of the pre-British Steel albums? The one's that, sadly, a lot of people don't even realize exist.
I'm a Priest fanatic so I like them all from the very beginning to the latest. But out of the five studio albums before 1980 I'd have to say that Stained Class is the most overlooked and the one that kicks the most serious ass out of them all.

 

[LAWMAN]

Give me Sad Wings Of Destiny. A true classic.

 

[Stoner Rock Chick]

Which one had Before the Dawn on it? That is by far the best Priest IMO.

 

[Wicked Child]

For me, it goes like this:

-Stained Class(possibly my all-time favorite Priest album)
-Sad Wings Of Destiny
-Hell Bent For Leather(Oh, And Stoner Rock Chich, Before The Dawn is On This One)
-Sin After Sin
-Rocka Rolla

 

[Nuclear Vampire]

Sad Wings for sure. A lot of people don't dig Rocka Rolla but I love it. Run Of The Mill is one of Priest's greatest songs EVER.

All of the pre-British Steel is excellent. Each album has it's own unique personality and the writing, playing, etc really progresses in an interesting way. By the time they get to Stained Class they're like "ok, we just defined what heavy metal is, so what now?" So they went back to their roots a bit with Hell Bent For Leather - more of a rock n roll vibe.

 

[bloodfiredeath]

I think Stained Class is the best album of what you listed, but you are asking for 'underrated.' In that case I voted for Sin After Sin simply because I think that Stained Class usually gets more credit. Sin After Sin is almost as good, and brilliant in it's own right.

 

[forevernin]

Stained Class

 

[Starbreaker]

I agree with Bloodfiredeath for the exact same reason. Stained Class does get most of the credit.

Sin After Sin is my personal favorite Judas Priest album. It is a very diverse record with many classics, and side two in particular is an incredible rollercoaster of emotion. It's almost exhausting to listen to! Incredible.

It is a bit like picking favorite children though. Sad Wings of Destiny is undoubtedly the most important melodic metal record ever made. It's production is incredible for the era, and all the songs are such landmarks. Same with Stained Class with the number of quality songs. I was ecstatic to see "Exciter" make it into the set list on JP's last US tour. And the title track is simply one of the best metal tracks ever written. Judas Priest were an incredibly, incredibly essential band for the history of metal for songs like this.

I do enjoy Rocka Rolla too. I appreciate it's "doominess" in places, it's raw emotion in tracks like the aforementiond "Run of the Mill", and I contend the multi-part "Dying to Meet You" is one of their most mysterious and powerful early-era tracks. Of all five of those though, Hell Bent For Leather is my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely good, but I think it suffers from the first of Judas Priest's "silly" songs. I could have done without "Evil Fantasies" for one, and they kinda revisited a rock and roll feel with many others. When the album does get down to business though with some other stompers. But it does fit well in the progression with what was to be British Steel next...it's just that they blended the "rock and roll" aspect better on British Steel.

Anyway, early Priest is among my very favorite metal ever. Great thread.