Demolition, the Judas Priest album no one asked for or wanted, has bore many detractors from the onset of its release and it is easy to understand why. Unlike the energetic 80's albums, this album is mostly midpaced and very seldom ventures into breakneck territory, and unlike the revered 70's albums, this record is not a transcendent one. However, this album does share a significant connection to those 70's classics, it is a return to that style of composition. It might seem strange to write that about this release, mostly due to its universal disdain, but it was created in the same vein as Sin After Sin or Killing Machine.
For all of the excellence found on Jugulator, it worked for the same reason Painkiller did, it stuck to a particular style and rode that wave of consistency. It may have been ‘consistent’ but just like the two albums before it (Painkiller & Ram It Down) it can become a chore to enjoy in its entirety. For the first time since Turbo the band goes back to the light and shade formula - perhaps their lone identifiable mark - and developed a very inconsistent plethora of songs. None lack power so a knock on its consistency cannot be about that. Perhaps the biggest culprit behind the critical reception is the lyrical content and this is one of the few times that the silly inanity hurts the compositions. None of them are disasters by any means but for all of the talents Tim Owens has as a performer, he never mastered the ability to sing lyrics that are soaked in cheese (Devil Digger, Metal Messiah) and own the role. Halford had the theatrical style and charisma to still be taken seriously while singing songs like The Sentinel or Starbreaker.
Rob could have brought tracks like Machine Man and the criminally underrated Hell Is Home to different heights. He would have no doubt owned that role of depicting these ‘creatures’ to the audience in a way only Rob Halford could. However if we are going to credit Rob where it is due then we must credit Tim as well for laying down vocal melodies that would be impossible for Rob given both his current voice or his 2001 voice. Because Tim's has a naturally lower register than Rob he really gets to shine on the tracks that utilize his low end skill. If Jugulator was Tim's chance to scream like a banshee, Demoltion was Tim's chance to snarl like beast.
Like Subterfuge, with a throaty snarl denouncing totalitarian empires, he bemoans the subjugation with banshee shrieks and guttural grunts within seconds of each other. He uses the death grunts to great effect in Jekyll & Hyde, Devil Digger, Metal Messiah, but are used most on Cyberface. The entire album is a vocal tour-de-force, Tim is certainly not the reason this album failed, however I will concede that it is absent of the operatic screams the band is synonymous with.
Judas Priest were just being their typical self; ‘borrowing’ what was common in 2001. From the digital artwork, to aggressive title, industrial percussion, down-tuned instrumentation, low registered and also spitfire rap vocals, this album could not have been crafted to fit into the nu metal and groove metal scenes any more if it tried. As stated before however, this album does not wish to consistently beat you into submission for its entirety, it is more like Sin After Sin where there is a journey with plenty of circumventing forks.
So what of the music that exists behind the vocalist? The biggest knock against this record (and Jugulator to a lesser extent) is the lack of amazing solos. This criticism is slightly warranted but has also always perplexed me because while it is true that very few can shred like Tipton or Downing, guitar solos were not a very common element of metal music in the era.
It should be noted that Demolition does feature some well crafted solos, they are just more restrained here, less about flash and more about functionality. This is not the air-guitar glory days where solos served like a vacation from the composition itself, this brand is more about concise expressions. While this is subjectively good or bad, it does fit objectively within the context of what Priest were trying to achieve. They are nothing if not sufficient at copying the styles of others.
While the album does not contain as many memorable riffs as prior efforts, there are still plenty of substantive riffs that are the heaviest the band has ever laid down. By tuning down to C# the band was embracing the groove metal styles and this can be heard mostly on the albums two greatest tracks Subterfuge and Cyberface. I know I discussed them lyrically but musically the former is the bands sophisticated take on the Neue Deutsche Härte style made famous by bands like Oomph!, Weissglut or Rammstein, while the latter is an industrial themed opus of building thematic tensity. Much like Nightcrawler, this is high on atmospherics and suspense, while both are lyrically about an unnamed creature while sung mostly in a baritone range. The difference is the much slower pace, which allows it to build to a morbid crescendo similar to Depeche Mode, accompanied by Don Airey’s luscious synthesized backdrop. This mechanical arrangement lends a sort of credence to the lyrics, and it should be noted that this track was co-written by percussionist Scott Travis, adding to its deafening bottom end sensibilities.
As much as I have raved about this album, it does have some weak moments that keep it from being a top five release. The first two tracks are a terrible way to begin the release because even if they had been artistic masterstrokes they are entirely too long. One On One has a great driving riff but is six minutes when it should have been three, and Machine Man is a cheap second rate attempt at recreating Painkiller. As is most often the case with Priest the album gains serious momentum as it continues, with more vivid compositions buried in the grooves. The other weak moments are the other ‘hits’ from the album, Feed On Me and the second ballad Lost And Found.
Just like the other duds, these tracks have strong performances by Tim, the music is just uninspired and lacks a goal, meandering around before finally limping to the finish line. This is made even more egregious by the fact that Lost And Found is somehow the albums lone promotional video. What is wrong with the band’s management? Most of these songs have vivid depictions of the macabre, which would have translated well to video form, but little to no promotional effort was made with this release. It is one of the bands worst managerial missteps since 1986. If they wanted to promote a ballad they should have chosen, Close To You, one of the albums vocal and musical highlights.
Beyond that highlight are the hidden gems Hell Is Home, Jekyll & Hyde, In Between & Bloodsuckers, compositions cut from the same cloth as any from Stained Class. An array of different moods, atmospherics and tempos, the vocals snarling and shrieking at the appropriate measures. Tracks like Metal Messiah and Devil Digger are also weaker than the other tracks musically since not much happens in them, but are salvaged from being hollow by Tim’s masterful performances.
The Japanese version of this record contains a bonus track called What’s My Name, which is significant since it is the only song that Tim Owens had a hand in writing. The fact that his lone contribution was relegated to a bonus track shows the band could not sustain the novelty of a competent replacement for too long. It has been said the album lost steam as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11. Priest were in Mexico and heading to the US for a tour that would begin that night, but they had to wait four months before their plans could be continued. The trek across the US was also slated to be with Anthrax and while it may have been a great lineup, the US was under the grip of Amerithrax and it was seen as poor taste. The bonus track What’s My Name is an enjoyable but forgettable track that is worth getting the Japanese release for.
The limited edition also features two more bonus tracks, a decent re-recordings of Green Manalishi and a severe mediocre remake of Rapid Fire. During the Jugulator tour the band introduced a new bridge in this song, which was a grand addition and the whole reason to rerecord it. Here they only half commit and without it - as well as the energy those live performances had - this becomes a weak and inferior remake.
This album has not found much warmth during reevaluation in the years since, most still see it as one of the bands worst releases. However most who dislike the album always tend to prefer releases like Painkiller and Stained Class. You will never find a single critique of this album that does not contain, “<i>This is too inconsistent</i>” But what exactly is the consistency these people speak of? Is it the consistency of enjoyment? Well that is subjective and hardly counts as critique. Is it the consistency of tempos throughout? Is it the consistency of riffs per measure?
Is the consistency referring to how often the album moves at a steady pace? Well, just because a metal album is predominately fast and goes slow a few times does not make it inconsistent. When it comes to any metal that does not fit under the more extreme styles, some of its greatest creations are those that feature interludes, which serve to break the monotony. These light moments by default cause the heavier moments to become even heavier. A rule I believe should be understood about traditional metal is that, “<i><b>It is not going to be heavy if it is heavy all the time</i></b>” …
You need the those lighter moments to strengthen the heavier moments and no one understands this better than Judas Priest, who is also never better than when they compose like they did on this release.
Highlights: Subterfuge, Cyberface, Bloodsuckers & Close To You
Lowlights:: Machine Man, Feed On Me, Lost And Found.