On March 3rd, the mighty Judas Priest unveils their 19th album called Invincible Shield. This marks the band’s first new album in 6 years (Firepower was released in 2018) and nearly 50 years since their debut with Rocka Rolla (September 6, 1974). On the off chance you are not familiar with this legendary band, Judas Priest is Ian Hill (bass), Rob Halford (vocals), Glenn Tipton (guitar), Richie Faulkner (guitar), and Scott Travis (drums).

Ever since Judas Priest hit my radar as a teenager in the early 80’s with British Steel, I’ve been a fan. I dove into their earlier works and then jumped aboard for the ride. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing Priest as they experimented and grew into the juggernaut of metal that they are today. As a fan, I loved the inventive and dynamic music they created on early albums such as Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, and Hell Bent for Leather (Killing Machine). Yet often wished that those songs could be rendered with the more aggressive metal attack that Judas Priest perfected on Painkiller.

My wish to meld the primal power of early Judas Priest with the vicious onslaught of their more recent albums comes true on Invincible Shield. The songs on this new album have that intrigue and clenched fist fury of seminal tracks such as  “Sinner” or “The Ripper” with the explosive edge of tracks such as “Firepower”.

As much as I have come to love Invincible Shield, the opening guitar with synth overtones on “Panic Attack” had me worried. I flashed back to Turbo in a cold sweat. To my relief, the song quickly develops into a valiant beast of shredding guitars and pulverizing rhythms. The mix is stellar. Scott’s drums and Ian’s bass punch through with authority giving Richie and Glenn’s guitars room to rage. Speaking of guitars, the solos are gorgeous. They have excellent phrasing and just enough pyrotechnics to make you stop and go “fuck yes!” as you air-guitar with abandon.

One of my new favorite songs is called “The Serpent and The King”. This is the stuff that results in the crushing of Invincible oranges and neck injury. The riffs are hook-laden and intense. The hairs on my arm never relaxed as this song invigorated all of my senses. The riffs are classic Priest played with a passion that jumps out of every chord and into the listener. Rob’s vocals are both vicious and triumphant. I wanted to stand up and shout with him as he hit his patented piercing highs and teeth-gnashing growls. Rob is a master and his vocal performance on this album is spectacular.

Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio interviewed Richie Faulkner in June of 2023. When asked about the direction of the new Priest, Faulkner replied “There are definitely a few more twists and turns on this record. There are a few more musical parts. So, there might be a bit of…as I said, there are twists and turns. I’ve used the word progressive before, and the Internet ripped me… But it is progressive in the sense that it’s not verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-finish.”

An excellent example of “progressive” and another favorite track on Invincible Shield is the song “Lodger”. The mournful minor arrangement is phenomenal. It is theatrical and yet ominously heavy. The guitar flourishes spark an image of Brian May on “Bohemian Rhapsody”. This song is very different from the rest of the album with its noir feel. However, it is a fabulous treat to listen to and incredibly contagious. You won’t want to stop listening to this song.

The only slight blemish on this perfect album is “Crown of Horns”. This song is sadly formulaic. It feels like most of the ballads that metal bands in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Meaning, it sounds like filler created to indicate that the band has depth or dynamics. This song doesn’t do anything but dampen the vibe of an otherwise incredible album.

Thankfully, Priest recovers quickly from this misstep with “As God is my Witness”. This anthem reaches for the sky and is another example of what Richie alluded to in terms of “progressive”. The pace is brisk and victorious. You feel the might and fortitude coursing through you, particularly in the verse leading to the chorus. I felt like I was ready to go to war after hearing this tune. The guitar solos are classic Priest with vigorous and nibble fretwork.

Invincible Shield by Judas Priest is an epic album wrought from the finest British steel. All of the strengths of the band come to bear. Honed to razor sharpness, Invincible Shield features 14 songs that capture this legendary band at the height of their creative power. These songs are pure metal radiating with vivid riffs, triumphant vocals, gripping solos, and indomitable rhythms. It is as if Judas Priest have taken all the vital elements from their greatest works and reimagined them at the peak of performance.