Judas Priest Ram It Home!

Without a doubt, Judas Priest have been a prime example of the earsplitting virtues of heavy metal for most of their 15 years together. So when the band released the slightlyless-than-hammerin’ Turbo album a couple of years ago, fans ’round the globe were left pondering the unthinkable question—had the Priest finally lost their bite?

The answer, as evidenced on Priest’s new Ram It Down LP, is a resounding “no.” Ya can’t blame an old dog for trying a few new tricks every once in awhile, and both guitarist Glenn Tipton and lead screech Rob

Halford saw Turbo as a chance to experiment. But if anybody had any doubts about the band becoming a watered-down parody of its former greatness, Ram It Down should convince them otherwise. Everything from the unlikely cover of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” (from the film of the same name) to the powerhouse title track points to one inescapable conclusion: Judas Priest is back.

In between gigs at London’s Hammersmith Odeon and on the eve of an extensive U.S. tour, Halford and Downing found some time to talk to METAL about the album and tour.

The response to Turbo was kind of