Stained Class (1978)

About this title: An indisputable metal masterpiece, Stained Class is the apex of '70s Judas Priest, a sinister, muscular collection that ties the disparate strands of their style together while jacking the adrenaline rush up to previously undreamed-of levels. Even the lone slow-tempo track, "Beyond the Realms of Death," has an exciting, visceral intensity, and the whole band is at the absolute peak of its powers in terms of technical execution. Lyrically, Stained Class is probably the darkest moment in a career filled with them; the whole second half of the record is positively obsessed with death (although ... read more

Tracks:

1. Exciter [Halford/Tipton]
2. White Heat, Red Hot [Tipton]
3. Better by You, Better Than Me [Wright]
4. Stained Class [Halford/Tipton]
5. Invader [Halford/Hill/Tipton]
6. Saints in Hell [Downing/Halford/Tip]
7. Savage [Downing/Halford]
8. Beyond the Realms of Death [Binks/Halford]
9. Heroes End [Tipton]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.