To many hard rock and classic metal fans, Judas Priest is the torch bearer of the genre. The twin guitar assault of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing combined with the vocal talents of Rob Halford, arguably heavy metal's greatest living vocalist (either he or the late Ronnie James Dio are consistently named the best metal vocalist in poll after poll) has earned the British band a top spot in Heavy Metal history.
Point of Entry
Many Judas Priest fans would tell you that their 1980 release, "British Steel", marked the end of the group's "classic" era. Many of those same fans would tell you that 1982's "Screaming for Vengeance" was the beginning of their "modern" era. If that's true, then "Point of Entry", released in 1981, was truly a pivotal album for the band. And while POE never garnered the airplay of "Steel" or "Vengeance", it is one of their most interesting albums.
POE had it's share of moderately successful tracks; "Heading Out to the Highway" and "Hot Rockin" still get the occasional spin on classic rock radio. And you may even hear "Desert Plains" from time to time. But what sets the album apart from "Steel" and "Vengeance" is POE's progressive leanings. Some of the tracks have an almost "new wave" feel to them - but in a quirky, cool sort of way. Check out the stark, synchopated guitar intro on "Turning in Circles" or the funky riffing in the verses of "You Say Yes, I Say No" - this is quite a departure from "Steel" and was definately ground not revisited in "Vengeance".
"Point of Entry's" production values surpass "British Steel" and "Screaming for Vengeance"
Produced by Tom Allom, "Point of Entry" seemed to be aiming in a more radio-friendly direction. That may be why many die-hard Priest fans DO NOT cite the album as one of their favorites. However, from a production standpoint, POE is perhaps the band's best sounding album. True, it doesn't rock with the same intensity as "Hell Bent for Leather" or "British Steel", but the drum and guitar sounds are stellar and lead singer Rob Halford delivers possibly his best vocal performance ever. In fact, listening to POE and "Vengeance" back to back, one is struck by how much better the guitars and vocals sound on POE. "Screaming for Vengeance" sounds very processed and dated in comparison.
Some of the albums highpoints include the opening track "Heading Out to the Highway", "Don't Go", "Solar Angels", and a great song that has managed to slip under everybody's radar, "Trouble Shooter". Of course the more popular "Hot Rockin" and " Desert Plains" are also solid tracks.
Summary
While history hasn't been as kind to POE as to other Priest releases, it is a strong album. What it lacks in heavy metal bombast it makes up for in creativity. It showcases an experimental side of the band rarely seen on other albums. The production value is very high, the guitar work is great and Halford's vocal performance is incredible. When heading out the Judas Priest highway, "Point of Entry" is definately an enjoyable stop along the way.
Jeremy Lunnen - Jeremy Lunnen is a 44 year old MBA and father of seven whose "grown up" job is as a corporate leadership trainer. His love affair with ...
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