Hell Bent for Leather cover

Hell Bent for Leather

Released

Judas Priest’s fifth album was a transitional effort; they stripped the songs down, opting for a hard-charging style closer to punk than their previous, somewhat progressive work. This was also the record on which they adopted the black-leather-and-studs image that became not only their own trademark, but something to be regarded as essentially metal. There were still plenty of surprises, though, like the almost Lynyrd Skynyrd-esque guitar solo on “Rock Forever,” their somewhat silly attempt to write their own Queen-style stomp-and-shout anthem, “Take On The World,” and the funk-metal “Burnin’ Up” with its eerie synth intro and disco drum flourishes. But the title track is a speeding-down-the-highway anthem, and on the tour for this record, frontman Rob Halford began riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle onstage for the encore.

Phil Freeman

Suggestions
The Second cover

The Second

Steppenwolf
Beggars Banquet cover

Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones
Gaucho cover

Gaucho

Steely Dan
Medusa cover

Medusa

Trapeze
Dirt cover

Dirt

Alice in Chains
Pearl cover

Pearl

Janis Joplin
Metallica cover

Metallica

Metallica
Ugra-Karma cover

Ugra-Karma

Impaled Nazarene
Razor Wire cover

Razor Wire

Mean Mistreater