Legacy Recordings

When Judas Priest announced their final lengthy world tour, the metal world was shocked. Despite the over-indulgence of Nostradamus, the band seemed to be in the best form they had been in decades. Epitaph is the media capture of the band’s May 2012 performance at London’s legendary Hammersmith Apollo, a stage not too far from where the young Priests got there start. This time around, the band also introduces new guitarist Richie Faulkner, who brought so much new life to the band that they have begun work on a new album.

Not only was this the last massive tour for the mighty Priest, it was also unique in the fact that at least one track was chosen for performance from every album that included Rob Halford. It makes for a wild ride and a very comprehensive look at both the band’s evolution and their eventual reversion. Part of me is a little sad though that they didn’t include any tracks from the two non-Halford fronted albums. Jugulator and Demolition. While not the band’s greatest achievements, both had a handful of excellent tunes (like “Cathedral Spires” and “Jugulator” or “Hell Is Home” and “Machine Man”) that I would have loved to have heard Halford’s powerful voice on. But such is life.

If you have seen Judas Priest live then all the classics are here! Motorcycles, chains, laser lights, a huge stage set up, pyro, the whole nine yards. The band bring together all the classic elements of their stage show one last time to give the fans what they want. The band sounds absolutely awesome on almost every song, so much so that I found myself wondering if they were piping in parts of the show. They do a little intro for most of the songs and the backdrop reminds you of which album each track comes from.

The opening “Battle Hymn” is a certain highlight here with huge, epic guitar-godiness and Halford lurking around in a cloak with his Judas Priest emblazoned staff. Halford sounds top notch throughout the performance but he stays hunched over much of the time and was quite likely dealing with the severe back issues that he has had this year. “Judas Rising” is another highlight for me as it’s a new song and that album features a ton of great material that was somewhat overlooked. “Painkiller” and “Electric Eye” are taken to new heights by new guitarist Richie Faulkner. I wasn’t a fan of him coming into the band but he manages to make this material his own and he plays it with so much energy and respect, I get excited at the possibility of seeing him live. Additionally, “The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Pronged Crown)” (one of the two covers included here) is absolutely mesmerizing here with its raw power and commanding verses, proving this song belongs to Priest more than it does its previous owner.

Of course, alongside the diehard fan’s favorites are the big hits like “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming,” “Living After Midnight,” “Breaking the Law,” and “Metal Gods.” So the band have really done their best to include both diehards and casual fans in their setlist.

The high definition of the BluRay disc makes this absolutely outstanding. It so pristine, especially the colors (reds and blues in particular), that you feel like you are there. From the massive sound to the stage nearly jumping of the screen, I wish they had made this as 3D as well. It’d be so powerful to have, literally, come to life.

While Epitaph would be a fitting ending, I’m glad there is more to come even if the days of the lengthy world tour are over. The band’s age certainly catches up with them on Epitaph, as watching Halford have trouble standing and the rest of the band making only choice moves here and there is not like watching the Priest of even 2000. That said, they sound so good that they overcome that fairly well. If you are a Judas Priest fan then Epitaph is a must, if you are a casual fan, this may be the only way you’ll get to see the band live so don’t hesitate to pick it up.  

I Hope Utopia Looks Better Than This!

AFM Records

While Norway’s Gothminister are well-established in the industrial and rave scenes, the band have been making waves with metal fans for the last few years as well. Utopia is the band’s fifth album and their first full fledged concept album. The album plays loosely on mainman Bjorn Alexander Brem’s life, honing in on the idea that he is a lawyer by day and Gothminister by night, with the lines eventually blurring between the two worlds. In addition to the album, this set includes an 80 minute conceptual concert video (think about what Michael Jackson used to do with his “super singles” and you’ll have a rough idea of what they are going for here) and some behind the scenes footage.

Utopia gets it’s fully fueled start with “Someone is After Me.” While I love the entire album, this song really sets the right tone, tapping into the paranoid feelings of being stalked while laying down a solid industrial metal backdrop to build on. When combined with “Utopia,” it’d be easy to believe the album was going to be way more commercial than their previous works but it quickly descends into the world of ghouls, werewolves, witches, and, of course, zombies.

“Nightmare” is a spot on title for the synth driven, choir-infused, industrial rocker that appears around mid-album. Easily one of the highlights of Utopia, it taps into many nightmare-ish sounds, from spookily produced vocals and haunting keyboards and pummeling drums and a twin guitar attack that would make even Iron Maiden melt. “All Alone” is another highlight for me, although it lacks a solid structure, it’s got the hauntingly beautiful swagger of Switchblade Symphony’s Bread & Jam for Frances and all of the balls of a band like Mental Destruction. With a short bridge called “Purgatory,” the band launch into the destructive march of “Eternal.” The three work together brilliantly and feel like a complete act. “Horrorshow” is another highlight and one of the album’s most aggressive moments.

It’s the DVD though that takes everything over the top. Playing like a movie, the opening sequence sets the paranoid delusion up before the Gothminister finds himself on stage performing for zombies and other ghoulish fiends. The stage show is massive, especially for a band of Gothminister’s stature. Giant creatures of the night, the undead, werewolves, and more plague the band as they perform a set comprised of past and present hits. Everything looks extremely professional and, having since Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, two incarnations of The Misfits, and the mighty Rammstein, I can safely assure you that this stage show is certainly on par with Alice Cooper or The Misfits during their most successful years. It’s not quite on the level of Manson in his heyday or anywhere near the overwhelming stage show of Rammstein, but I doubt it has that kind of money behind it either.

Overall, this is a great album if you enjoy industrial or darkwave music. It’s heavier and a bit less danceable than most rave and not quite as atmospheric as most darkwave and maybe not quite clanky enough to be entirely industrial. On top of that, it’s way to electronic to be strictly a metal album. That’s what I love most about Gothminister in general and Utopia in specific, it’s tremendously unique and creative. Fans of horror rock or artists like Rammstein and Die Krupps will find everything they love wrapped up in Utopia.