This came out in 2005 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Squeeze back into those leather pants, wipe the dust off those mirrored aviator shades and dig that riding crop out of the back of the closet, metalheads — Judas Priest are back.
Even better, this time it’s the real Priest, not the ersatz version that’s been treading water for most of a decade. Angel of Retribution marks the long-awaited return of king shrieker Rob Halford to the fold after 15 years. And as reunion albums go, this 10-track effort does a half-decent job of effortlessly recapturing (or at least reproducing) the sound and style of vintage JP.
Like a well-oiled machine, all the metal gods slip back into their familiar roles: K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton make with the power-chord riffage and howling solos; bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis supply the thundering foundation; and Halford continues to belt out notes that will freak out your dog.
If there’s a downside, it’s that they hit their marks a little too perfectly. From the menacing power ballads to the swaggering rockers and hell-bent-for-leather headbangers, these cuts sound more like the work of a skilled Priest tribute band (which admittedly is what they have been for the past few years). Halford’s shamelessly self-referential lyrics, replete with mentions of painkillers, stained class, sad wings and ramming it down, don’t help in that regard. Neither does the laughable Lochness, a bloated 13-minute behemoth worthy of Nigel Tufnel (“Lochness, confess, your terror of the deep”).
But then again, so what? If it’s truly classic Priest you want, go listen to British Steel. If it’s a blast from your headbanging past you’re after, Angel of Retribution will probably deliver the goods at least once.
