Judas Priest - Sin After Sin

Beginning of a more METAL era

Sin After Sin is eternal. One of my favorite albums ever.
Contemporary and far beyond its time. Maybe because they had just left Gull Records and may have acknowledged the fact that they were starting to write history as they were engulfed by history itself, helping invent this thing that gave shape to our world as we know it, this thing called Heavy Metal.
Am I exaggerating? Nope.
Roger Glover of Deep Purple fame produces this artwork, but the Universe conspired with the making of this album in many ways.
A young 19 year-old guy is responsible for the drums and percussion of Sin After Sin. You know his name? Yep, I'm talking about Simon Phillips, my friends. He was freaking 19. I, myself a brazilian percussionist and drummer, can't say how awesome the drumming in this album is. Call For The Priest/Raw Deal simply gives you such an impressive beat: hammering but classy, heavy but stylish, constrained and yet explosive. Pure genius, along with virtuose.
70's virtuose. And the energy of a 19 year-old.
Enough said?
I don't think so. But I don't want to leave a song by song description of this album. This IS a MASTERPIECE that has to be on your shelf, period! From the cover, designed by Bob Carlos-Clark, nowadays one of the world's best known photographers of women (look for Shooting Sex, his book on the subject) to the last song, it's all pure classic.
One of my favorites album ever.
The band actually started to make some money after this one, so this is the point where you can call them pros. This is the band that helped these Birmingham guys to become one of the greatest Heavy Metal bands ever.
Oh yes, legend has it that Sin After Sin was recorded in a week...
Pure Classic!
Enough? May 14, 2008

Hugely Under-Heralded Metal Great

Sin After Sin is perenially one of the least heralded Judas Priest albums, seeming to have gotten lost in the shuffle between acknowledged masterpieces Sad Wings of Destiny and Stained Class, which is unfortunate because this is a start-to-finish great, with excellent, vintage metal style tracks like 'Sinner' and 'Starbreaker' and great, highly unusual songs like 'Last Rose Of Summer' and 'Dissident Aggressor', which are totally different from anything presented on any other Priest album. With the exception of its winning ballad 'Last Rose Of Summer' (which is the softest thing the band has ever done and probably won't be as appealing to some fans, although I love it) Sin After Sin is heavier than Sad Wings Of Destiny but retains that good otherworldly feel throughout; those albums along with Stained Class form a distinctive period in the band's output. Many would say Rocka Rolla started that period but I think of Rocka as having been a one-album phase of its own. The music in Sin After Sin goes all over the speed scale, from fast and very fluid on something like 'Let Us Prey' to an unprecedentedly relaxed flow on 'Last Rose'. There are lots of very eclectic, quirky sounds popping up briefly, as in the opening notes of 'Diamonds And Rust'. The vocals are impeccable, with some of the weirdest (and in metal, that's a good thing) deliveries Rob Halford has ever made, as in the end of 'Raw Deal'. The lyrics cover a lot of good ground, from science fiction-y 'Starbreaker' to dark emotional 'Here Come The Tears' to ant-bigotry 'Let Us Prey' (whose title seems to have nothing to do with its content).

Probably the single best track on the album is 'Starbreaker', which should be hailed as an alltime classic. As for the bonus tracks, 'Race With The Devil' is an excellent addition to the Priest pantheon, a perfect fit for the album and a track that it's hard to see why it didn't get released for fifteen years. The other bonus, a live version of 'Jawbreaker' is a bit more controversial. Sin After Sin is one of a couple of albums from the remastered series where the live track didn't hail from the album's original selection; 'Jawbreaker' is originally from Defenders of the Faith. It's actually a great version of a great song that I'm glad was released, but like most people I would have loved to have seen something from this album represented live on the bonus, but perhaps there just wasn't anything usable in the vaults that wasn't already out there (for those interested, there's a phenomenal live take on Starbreaker, different from the Unleashed in the East version, on Priest Live & Rare (Japan)). The bottom line though is that the live Jawbreaker is still a fine track, and even though it doesn't fit in with the rest of the disc you can just look at it as adding a very different dimension.

Overall a great and distinctive album, one of the very best releases of the 1970s and essential for fans of metal and hard rock. February 13, 2008

sins of the father

this is priest before they became the metal gods,mid-late 70`s,sin after sin is another of priests solid releases that would lead them to the top.if your new to this epic band here`s my advice,start with 1984`s defender`s of the faith and work your way back. December 25, 2007

A Stellar Major-Label Debut!

A solid example of a major label debut, 1977's Sin After Sin, while unnoticed at the time, stands as a foundation to the mighty heights that Judas Priest would soon exceed. Not as dark and morbid as what Sad Wings Of Destiny was or what Stained Class would become, this release occupies a still-powerful middle ground between those two landmarks. Highlights include "Sinner" (easily one of the best driving songs ever), "Let Us Prey/ Call For The Priest", "Starbreaker", "Raw Deal" & (on the 2001 remaster only) "Race With The Devil". April 3, 2007

A Secret Gem in the Priest Catalog

The first album I bought from Judas Priest was BRITISH STEEL (1980), which was a fun, likable album, but it struck me as kindergarten pop metal, if you know what I mean. Not long after that I picked up HELL BENT FOR LEATHER (1979), which was similar to BRITISH STEEL but quite a bit more mature. I then ventured to explore their three mighty late 70's releases: SAD WINGS OF DESTINY (1976), SIN AFTER SIN (1977) and STAINED CLASS (1978). These three albums tower in the Priest catalog. All three are very different-sounding; the Priest boys didn't regurgitate ideas, material or sound, that's for sure.

I recently picked up the remastered version of SIN AFTER SIN and, let me tell you, the sound is noticeably better; it's much more crisp and in-your-face than the non-remastered CD (which I used to own).

I always had a problem with the production of this recording. The guitars are clear and crisp, but they're not heavy, which is sacriledge in metal circles (of course, metal was still being invented at the time). The drum performance by guest-musician Simon Phillips is superb, but the drums themselves sound almost muddled. Still, I'm not one to nitpick; I accept and embrace the album 100% as is.

Allow me the privilege of evaluating the 8 songs and 2 bonus tracks:

(1.) "Sinner" (6:41): This is a smokin' and intense upper-mid-paced lead track featuring simple riffs and a slight gothic air. The lyrics are sci-fi/fantasy oriented dealing with the titular "Sinner," his 'god' the devil and "War" apparently searching for carcasses of war or some sh*t. Personal Rating: 5/5 Stars.

(2.) "Diamonds and Rust" (3:23): This is a rock remake of Joan Baez' folk song and was a minor hit for the band. It sounds completely different than the superior Baez version. It was never my cup of tea and it doesn't jell with the feel of the rest of the album (with the exception of "Last Rose of Summer"). Personal Rating: 2.5/5 Stars.

(3.) "Starbreaker" (4:47): A catchy mid-paced number, not to mention underrated in the Priest catalog. The titular "Starbreaker" is a character reminiscent of Marvel Comics' Silver Surfur. Personal Rating: 4/5 Stars.

(4.) "Last Rose of Summer" (5:36): A sickly sentimental ballad. The vibe is the antithesis of everything Judas Priest is. God, I hate this song! I always skip it. Personal Rating: 1/5 Stars.

(5.) "Let Us Prey/Call For the Priest" (6:12): This song starts out with a 1.5 minute intro wherein Rob Halford sings "Call for the priest, I'm DYYYYIIIIINNNNGGG." The following "Let Us Prey" is the prototype for progressive, near-speed metal. An incredible piece from 1977, to say the least. The lyrics are equal parts creative, ambiguous and intriguing; they partially criticize the cynical slander of journalists. Personal Rating: 5/5 Stars.

(6.) "Raw Deal" (5:58): A slower mid-paced number with psychedelic elements. Interesting and atypical. The lyrics address Halford's surreal experience in a pub and the resulting trouble. The song powerfully ends with Rob screaming out "I give my life; I am immortal!" followed by a musical piece that deviates from the rest of the song. Personal Rating: 4.5/5 Stars.

(7.) "Here Come the Tears" (4:36): Now this is how Priest REALLY does a ballad. According to the lyrics, Halford evidently feels alone and unloved. He sings: "All alone, no one cares. So much to give to you all out there. Take me now in your arms. Let me rest safe from harm." The heavy guitars then suddenly kick-in as Rob SCREAMS out for love. Trust me, it's one of the most emotionally potent pieces in the entire history of song. Personal Rating: 5/5 Stars.

(8.) "Dissident Aggressor" (3:06): The is the final original track and it kicks a$$. It starts out eerily with various gothic-tinged sound effects and builds up to Halford's blood-curdling falsetto accompanied by incredibly aggressive and intense riffs. The lyrics address a dissident from (the former) East Germany who seeks to by-pass "the impregnable wall." It's only a 3 minute song but it's powerful, innovative and remarkable. Personal Rating: 5/5 Stars.

BONUS TRACKS: "Race with the Devil" (3:06) is an obscure early-Priest rocker. It's worth it just for the intro, which is reminiscent of Mercyful Fate's early work. "Jawbreaker" (4:00) is an enjoyable live version of the song that was originally released on Priest's 1984 DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH album.

FINAL ANALYSIS: SIN AFTER SIN stands with the best albums in the Priest catalog. It's unique, innovative, gothic-tinged and very different-sounding than their 80's output, not to mention more mature and intricate.

Halford sings "No one cares" in "Here Come the Tears." He's wrong.

In any event, I refuse to even take calls from people that don't have SIN AFTER SIN in their listening arsenal.

Listen and learn, my son. March 27, 2007

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