Hell Bent for Leather

by

Judas Priest

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'Hell Bent for Leather' (a/k/a 'Killing Machine' outside the U.S.) has a special place in my heart and is a bit of an oddity in the Priest catalogue. First of all, unlike its predecessor studio record ('Stained Class' (1978), released less than a year prior) and its successor ('British Steel' (1980)), this is more of a hard rock record (as opposed to heavy metal) - both lyrically and instrumentally, as the longest tune clocks in at less than 5 minutes. Furthermore, of all of Rob Halford's vocal performances on record, 'Hell Bent for Leather' stands out the most, as his voice is much lower and more menacing. For what it is, however, it is a fantastic and often overlooked record if, for no other reason, because it spawned the undeniable Priest classics - the cover of the Peter Green tune, "The Green Manalishi", and the title track - both of which have remained permanent fixtures in their live shows. (FYI: For those of us who were living in 1978, "Take On the World" was a minor hit, if not a little bit derivative of Queen's "We Will Rock You".)

The extra tracks on this remaster (as with many of the other Priest remasters) do not bear any contextual connection to 'Hell Bent for Leather'. The live version of "Riding on the Wind" from the 1983 US Festival is a great tune, but sounds a bit out of place when mixed away from "Electric Eye". The studio cut, "Fight for Your Life", is a true outtake from 1982 to 1983 that eventually became the much better song "Rock Hard Ride Free" on 'Defenders of the Faith' (1984).

This album marks the beginning of Priest's leather imagine. The music was also heavier then the previous STAINED CLASS. HELL BENT FOR LEATHER is a well-balenced album of heavy and commercial material. "Delivering the Goods" is my favorite track on the album. It is a fast-paced rocker with a heavy edge that has Halford growling at the top of his lungs. "Rock Forever" is a moderately heavy track and "Evening Star" is a clever balled that tones things down afterwords. The cheesy rock anthem "Take On The World" is a big departure from the tradition sound of Priest, but is a welcome ballad, nothingless. Other good songs include "Burnin' Up," "Running Wild," and the Fleetwood Mac cover "The Green Manalishi." The title is good, but is way too short. Other then that, a good effort. This is a good album for any classic metal fan.