Defenders of the Faith album cover
Defenders of the Faith

Judas Priest

1984
CBS

In 1984, with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal exploding around them and thrash just on the horizon, Judas Priest had to prove they were still hell-bent for leather. Arguably the peak of their world domination/John Berg cover art years (Screaming for Vengeance had the bigger hits but more filler), Defenders of the Faith comes out rapid fire with some of their heaviest pre-Painkiller metal anthems. “Freewheel Burning” and “The Sentinel” remain concert staples for a reason. Their eighth album may also be the band’s horniest. “Jawbreaker,” “Love Bites,” “Eat Me Alive,” “Heavy Duty” – Rob Halford ain’t exactly being subtle here, folks.

Jeff Treppel

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