The career arc of Judas Priest looks so predictable in hindsight, with the Brummie quintet’s glory years on the wane by the late 80s, followed by a difficult 90s and then a comfortable last decade as a classic metal act. Even so, no one could have predicted the impact made by British Steel in 1980, at a time when the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands were looking much cooler and better than the metal dinosaurs which preceded them. This expanded edition of the album, which – like Black Sabbath’s first three long-players – has become imprinted on most metal fans’ DNA, pays suitable homage, with a remastering job plus a bonus DVD and live CD.
There’s no arguing whatsoever with the bonus material. Priest played the album in its entirety on tour last year, and their near-flawless performances are rightly captured on audio and video. The bonus DVD content is a documentary about the making of the album, which isn’t as comprehensive as the Classic Albums DVD from a few years ago but still hits the spot. The album itself, however, isn’t quite as gobsmacking. The killer songs (Rapid Fire, Grinder, Metal Gods and Steeler) are as gripping as always, but to these ears Living After Midnight and Breaking The Law haven’t aged well, certainly not as metal songs. OK, this is blasphemy – but the verdict is still that the majority of British Steel is unmissable, especially in an era when the metal world is dominated by America, Germany and Scandinavia.
