Why do I mention it now?
Because Judas Priest is coming to Jones Beach this July 12 – Jim will be there (and holding a free ticket that should have been mine, but unforeseen travel plans got in the way).
Here's what I said back on 5/14/07:
Remember the huge controversy in 1990 when Holford and band were on trial for causing the suicide death of two metal kids? That song is Better By You, Better Than Me, and it's just one of the crowning achievements, and my favorite, in this quick, powerful classic.
Songs like Exciter and Saints in Hell are fast and morbid, with Beyond The Realms Of Death, my second favorite song on Stained Class, as the only possible exception. It's a as ballady as the Priest gets, but still rocks with a death obsession in its awesome chorus.
Judas Priest has become my favorite heavy metal band. Partly because I never grew up listening to them as a kid, and each song and album has been a new exciting discovery for me.
This album is one of the best in their career and I think it resonates with me because It was also released on my exact birthday.
But what do you think?