The Official RC Roundtable: Judas Priest Week 4: Sad Wings Of Destiny

[Papa Josh]

1. Victim Of Changes
2. The Ripper
3. Dreamer Deceiver
4. Deceiver
5. Prelude
6. Tyrant
7. Genocide
8. Epitaph
9. Island Of Domination



Considered by many Priest fans to be their best album, the second release from Priest, in 1976, is definitely in my top 5.

The opening track, The Ripper, Dreamer Deceiver (one of my favorite songs ever), the piano number Epitaph, and the closing monster, Island Of Domination.

If ever there was a classic metal album (in the vein of Zeppelin, Sabbath, etc.), it's Sad Wings Of Destiny.

 

[Ayeka]

Does anyone else think that Epitaph sounds like 10cc?

This took awhile to click with me at first, nothing really stood out on the first few listens. Somehow it just did eventually, maybe I'd made a tape copy of it sometime and ended up listening to that every so often. Probably.
I like the way this (and Sin After Sin, I guess) mark the transition from the crazy laid-back stuff on the first album to the all-guns-blazing later 70s attack. The two seem to sit alongside each other quite comfortably on Victim Of Changes. Dreamer Deceiver and Epitaph keep things happily Rocka Rolla while the rest of the album steps thing up a notch. The heavy songs sound very 70s though, in terms of guitar sound and riffing style I guess. It's why I don't class it as an all-time classic album - the ones that I do class as that still sound fresh today, while Sad Wings sounds very much like a 1976 album. Still cool though.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

IT IS the best JP album.

 

[Papa Josh]

Does anyone else think that Epitaph sounds like 10cc?

This took awhile to click with me at first, nothing really stood out on the first few listens. Somehow it just did eventually, maybe I'd made a tape copy of it sometime and ended up listening to that every so often. Probably.
I like the way this (and Sin After Sin, I guess) mark the transition from the crazy laid-back stuff on the first album to the all-guns-blazing later 70s attack. The two seem to sit alongside each other quite comfortably on Victim Of Changes. Dreamer Deceiver and Epitaph keep things happily Rocka Rolla while the rest of the album steps thing up a notch. The heavy songs sound very 70s though, in terms of guitar sound and riffing style I guess. It's why I don't class it as an all-time classic album - the ones that I do class as that still sound fresh today, while Sad Wings sounds very much like a 1976 album. Still cool though.

If you put it up against other albums from 76, it's quite heavy in guitar tone and who else was singing like Halford back then?

 

[IOfTheStorm]

David Byron (before him too)

 

[Ayeka]

Who's he?

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Uriah Heep

 

[Ayeka]

Oh yes, true true.

 

[Papa Josh]

Uriah Heep

God I hate that band.

I remember hearing this song where the vocalist was just sooooooooo off.

The line was something like , "but I've got to-niii-iii-iii-iii-ght"

Holding the word tonight into like 10 syllables (spelling??)

 

[Demilich]

Maybe I haven't listened to this enough, but as it stands now I'd take Stained Class slightly before this one as my favourite Priest album.

Just checkin' out the new one!

 

[Lies and Perfidy]

This album defined the classic Heavy Fucking Metal sound. Sure, Black Sabbath started metal, but songs like "Tyrant" and "Genocide" were some of the first examples of heavy metal as we know it, the sound that people think when they think "heavy metal." Beyond that, it's just a fucking great album, and heavy as shit for 1976. The live version on Unleashed In the East prove how ungodly awesome this is.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Well there were many other albums equally heavy at that time (some heavier) and even years before it. They just didnt have that specific "metal feeling", which is the most special thing in the album (except from the musical greatness)

 

[Tranquillian]

I've always said that Painkiller is the best Priest album but when I come to think of it, this might be the best one after all. Dreamer deceiver is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l and Skyclad made a great cover of it.

 

[Papa Josh]

I've always said that Painkiller is the best Priest album but when I come to think of it, this might be the best one after all. Dreamer deceiver is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l and Skyclad made a great cover of it.

What?????

I simply cannot imagine Martin Walkyier doing Halford, especially, that which is one of my faves.

 

[Ayeka]

I can't imagine ANYONE but Halford hitting those notes...

God I hate that band.

I remember hearing this song where the vocalist was just sooooooooo off.

The line was something like , "but I've got to-niii-iii-iii-iii-ght"

Holding the word tonight into like 10 syllables (spelling??)

Awww, come on, Easy Livin' rules!