Judas Priest: Live Vengeance '82 (DVD)

Judas Priest is screaming for vengeance once again with the release of this vintage concert performance from 1982. Originally presented on VHS cassette, this concert was unseen for decades until the release of the Metalogy boxed set where it was included as a bonus DVD with the first editions. The reunited and touring Judas Priest of 2004 made a lot of this type of product seeing release once again which is a great thing for the fans. This concert itself was quite enjoyable and shows a very sparse set with only the banner of the album cover as a backdrop while Priest just play their hearts out. The camera work is limited to close-ups and far away shots but it finds a very in-prime Judas Priest performing a great set from their new album of the time which was Screaming For Vengeance in Memphis, TN. This album would be a lot heavier than its predecessor British Steel and find the band once again on top of the Heavy Metal Mountain. Since this album was being showcased an ample amount of the set list would revolve around its content from "Electric Eye" to the mega-hit "You've Got Another Thing Comin". The younger fans of Priest will enjoy this as almost a historical film and be shocked to find out that this same video received ample rotation on MTV Networks in the long years ago. Headbanger's Ball was not even an idea yet, but at the time the showing of Rock and Metal on the video channel was commonplace. Seeing a full concert such as this was cool, but nothing unexpected of them. Surrounding the killer new songs is a healthy amount of Judas Priest classics as well such as "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law" and even older material like "Sinner" and "Diamonds And Rust". The lineup was Halford, Tiptop, Downing, Hill and Holland. The one thing this reminded me of especially was how little I enjoyed the drumming of Holland. His level of play on some of the earlier material of the band just had no kick to it. I am glad the Judas Priest of today finds Scott Travis in the driver's seat, for he allows them to maintain levels of heaviness and speed that would otherwise be unattainable.

While this DVD film is on the limited side as far as features (a discography and biography are about all the extras) this is a worthwhile release to own. It not only gives you an amazing look at band from a point in time but also proves to you that they always rocked no matter when it was in history. There is something for everyone in terms of favorite Judas Priest songs which in 2006 are all considered classics from their catalog. The stage banter and motions might seem dated and cliché by what happens in bands today but The Priest are Metal Gods and this helps you reaffirm the reasons why once again. This will be the third official Judas Priest DVD and the second full concert release available. "Electric Eye" featured the bands videos as well as the Turbo tour while Rising In The East gave fans the reunion tour of 2005. Let's hope the band digs into some unknown stash of archives and gives us a little more in 2006.

Track Listing
1. Hellion
2. Electric Eye
3. Riding On The Wind
4. Heading Out To The Highway
5. Metal Gods
6. Bloodstone
7. Breaking The Law
8. Sinner
9. Desert Plains
10. The Ripper
11. Screaming For Vengeance
12. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
13. Victim Of Changes
14. Living After Midnight
15. The Green Manalishi
16. Hell Bent For Leather

Added: July 20th 2006
Reviewer: Ken Pierce
Score:
Related Link: Judas Priest Website
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Language: english

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