REVIEW: Judas Priest – Invincible Shield (2024 Deluxe with bonus tracks)

JUDAS PRIEST – Invincible Shield (2024 Epic Deluxe with bonus tracks)

I don’t usually write “first impressions” reviews, because I like the albums to have time to sink in, and to consider my opinions.

I’ll break some rules this time.

Invincible Shield tops Firepower and could be the best Priest album since Defenders.  Or maybe even before that…

The highlights are many and the riffs are strong.  Rob’s voice has not changed in 20 years and he is still of the same power and range as Angel as Retribution.  As one goes deeper in, the songs continue to gain strength.  “Invincible Shield” didn’t really jump out at first, but does now with a very Maiden-y outro.  “Devil In Disguise” is another early highlight.  “Crown of Horns”, “Escape From Reality”, “As God is My Witness” are instantly likeable, with hooks aplenty and the odd adventurous lick or detour.  Richie Faulkner has been a godsend to this band, injecting them with new songwriting life, metallic riffs and speedy leads.  Meanwhile, you can hear Glenn Tipton too, illness be damned!  He trades off with Faulkner just as is Priest’s trademark.  The classical guitar solo on “Giants In the Sky” is something completely new for this band and a surprising delight.

Invincible Shield has most of the longer material stacked to the top of the album, with the short songs going on side two.  Even with 14 songs, the album is only just over an hour with bonus tracks, not overstaying its welcome, and inviting to repeated listens.  There’s no point in getting a version of this album without the bonus tracks.  You’d be missing out.  You can get them at Target, Sunrise, or Amazon in Canada.  They are “Fight Of Your Life”, “Vicious Circle” and “The Lodger”.  “Fight Of Your Life” might be the most necessary song of the album, as it really hearkens back to the early 70s albums like Sin After Sin.  It could be the deep cut of the record.

Lyrics have always been a shaky point in Priest history, and there are some cringey ones on Invincible Shield, but I doubt they will impede anyone’s enjoyment of this album.  It has summer written all over it, as we await the coming of the sun and the highway months.

Production by Andy Sneap sounds great to these ears, with Ian Hill’s bass rich and deep, and Scott Travis’ drums livelier than ever.  There are flashes back to the 70s and 80s, and some of Priest’s highest peaks of the past.

Martin Popoff may be right, but I’m not going as far as he did.  Still…

Album of the year.

5/5 stars

32 comments

  1. I went to a pre-release album party on Thursday night where they played the full album with bonus tracks.

    The Sony rep there had the album to give away, but none for sale unfortunately. Opportunity lost Sony. We all would have bought it.

    I might also write about it so I will save looking at your review until later. No spoilers for me.

    Today I went out and bought the red vinyl at Encore and called about 25 record stores including The Beat Goes On (if you’ve ever heard of them) until I found one with the bonus tracks (funny enough it has the Target symbol even up here). Just got back from Hamilton and listened to about half the album. I heard different guitar sounds, and a lot of throwback, but will go into details when/if I write it up.

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  2. “Invincible Shield tops Firepower and could be the best Priest album since Defenders. Or maybe even before that…”

    Well if I didn’t have morning wood before…

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        2. My bed frame took a shit a few days ago, so I’ve been sleeping on the floor with a three blanket cushion.

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  4. This thing is a beast! Way better than expected and I’m thinking the hype is real! Some of the best and killer riffs and at times is way heavier than I remember Priest being. One of the best so far this year and will be in the Top 10 I am sure at the end of the year. I don’t see how this one gets knocked out.

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    1. Bruce Dickinson has the potential to knock it out for me, but we’ll see when I can afford a copy. In the meantime, cottage season starts next month and this album is lined up for the first road trip test!

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      1. Oh yeah. ‘Wednesday night and the Priest is back!!’ That’s funny I never look in advance – I want some surprises, if we don’t get Turbo Lover I’m going to riot.

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  6. it is a very big release and the hype was 90! Such a long lead in, 5 months or so since Panic Attack. Early days, but I have to say I do think even at this stage that this one will be recognised in future as one of their greats.

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    1. I hope so. It feels like they worked really really hard on the last two. For whatever reason this one seems more timeless than Firepower. I think they’re both pretty great though!

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  7. The riffs and songs are amazing, but this album would be nothing without Scott Travis, in my opinion! His double kick drum technique really shaped the band’s sound for the better and maybe even made them heavier. You are right, we do like most of the same tracks! I love “Fight of Your Life” because it’s such a banger! Great review!

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    1. I’m seeing them soon, together with Saxon (whom I’ve seen once; not impressed) and Uriah Heep (whom I’ve seen several times). I was supposed to see them opening for Ozzy, but the show was postponed several times (due to COVID and to Ozzy’s other health issues) before finally being cancelled. Except early on (I really like “Dreamer/Deceiver”), Priest has seemed to me like their own caricature, like something out of Spinal Tap but not as good. On the other hand, I was put off of Maiden for decades because of their goofy image but now they are one of my favourite bands. I’ve heard good things about the new album so we’ll see.

      Also appearing soon nearby is K. K. Downing’s Priest. Worth seeing in a small club?

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    2. I’m seeing them soon, together with Saxon (whom I’ve seen once; not impressed) and Uriah Heep (whom I’ve seen several times). I was supposed to see them opening for Ozzy, but the show was postponed several times (due to COVID and to Ozzy’s other health issues) before finally being cancelled. Except early on (I really like “Dreamer/Deceiver”), Priest has seemed to me like their own caricature, like something out of Spinal Tap but not as good. On the other hand, I was put off of Maiden for decades because of their goofy image but now they are one of my favourite bands. I’ve heard good things about the new album so we’ll see.

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      1. Your taste could change! You disliked Maiden at first, but then you warmed up to them. Even if you don’t like Priest’s new album in the end, that’s fine because we all hear things differently. I’m sorry you didn’t like Saxon, though. I really want to see them live, that’s why.

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        1. I never disliked Maiden, I had just never heard anything by them. They aren’t much on the radio, and the goofy image kept me from checking them out. I’ve known that they exist for almost as long as they have existed. About 10 years ago, I came across a YouTube video of “Journeyman’ from a concert in Hamburg. I probably looked only because I had seen a few concerts at the venue. The song reminded me a bit of “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas, so not typical (I knew even then), so I checked out the Dance of Death album. Most fans don’t rate it highly, but I think that it is fine.

          Maiden’s output has certainly been consistent. For the last few albums, one could argue whether the latest album isn’t the best. Of course, the popularity and novelty of their early-80s albums will never be reached, but objectively I think that the new stuff is just as good.

          I’m not typical, though. I like the Blaze albums. (Since the others wrote the songs, why should they be different.). I like the first two somewhat less (though there are a few good songs) and prefer the first three with Bruce to the four more which came before he left, and like those since he returned.

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        2. I never disliked Maiden, I had just never heard anything by them. They aren’t much on the radio, and the goofy image kept me from checking them out. I’ve known that they exist for almost as long as they have existed. About 10 years ago, I came across a YouTube video of “Journeyman’ from a concert in Hamburg. I probably looked only because I had seen a few concerts at the venue. The song reminded me a bit of “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas, so not typical (I knew even then), so I checked out the Dance of Death album. Most fans don’t rate it highly, but I think that it is fine.

          Maiden’s output has certainly been consistent. For the last few albums, one could argue whether the latest album isn’t the best. Of course, the popularity and novelty of their early-80s albums will never be reached, but objectively I think that the new stuff is just as good.

          I’m not typical, though. I like the Blaze albums. (Since the others wrote the songs, why should they be different.). I like the first two somewhat less (though there are a few good songs) and prefer the first three with Bruce to the four more which came before he left, and like those since he returned.

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        3. I love Blaze. War Within Me is one of my favourite albums of recent years and I cannot wait to get the new one. Harrison and I did a great show on Blaze, you should check it out! We counted down our top 11 tracks, though Harrison ended up listing 22.

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        4. Ah ok, got it! Yeah I heard that Maiden never got much radio airplay since they weren’t really a commercial band. I’m not a super big fan of theirs. But I enjoy ‘The Number of the Beast’ all the way through ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.’ They’re one of those bands where I really need to be in the mood for. There’s no doubt that there’s good stuff on the albums they did with Bruce since the reunion, but I hardly have the patience for them.

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