### Judas Priest: A touch of evil

#### 15/10/09 || InquisitorGeneralis

What can be said about the mighty Judas Priest that has not already been said on Teh Domination? Daemonsleepontheflooromania wrote possibility the greatest and most bromantic review ever when he tackled Angel of Retribution and allowed us all to swim with his purple-headed love dolphin. Former staffer Bobby Peru and forum fanatic skin-beater deluxe Floodhorse double-penetrated Painkiller. Hell, even yours truly took on Priest’s entire career-spanning Metalogy with my usual tact and verbal grace!

So, Robbie Robertson and the Partying Priests have put out a live album to celebrate their past few years as a reunited, geriatric assault squad. Normally this would spell disaster and despair but Priest have actually been kicking some ass since Halford got back on and strapped on the leather that he is obviously so hell bent for. Is this as classic as “Priest: Live!” or as god-awful as “Live Demolition”. No and no respectively: “To touch my evil penis” falls in between, and like my massive meat-rod leans slightly to the left, this album leans slightly towards the good.

None of the tracks on here have ever been been featured on a live album before and that is pretty fucken cool. No one really needs to hear another live version of “Living after midnight” or “The green manalishi” even though they are certified classic cuts. Being a big fan of “Angel of Retribution” it pleases me to see “Judas rising” and “Hellrider” on here: their heavier feel courtesy of Scott Travis’ doublebassing appeals to my death metal sensibilities.

Same goes for “Painkiller”. If I need to tell you why that song rules you have no business reading this website and I hope a herd of AIDS stricken Satanic goats rape your monkey ass until it bleeds weakened T-Cells. “Between the hammer and the anvil” also dominates and Priest rip it up. “A touch of evil” rounds of the triple play gangbang of tunes from Priest’s heaviest, most aggressive release. Tossing in three slices from the “Painkiller” album definitely steers “A Touch of Evil” in the right direction.

“Prophacy” and “Death” are weak tracks but anything off of “Nostradildo” kinda sucks so that is old news to you. Look, I do not hate that recored because of its goofy subject matter and general concept album wankery. It just seems a limp-wristed follow up to the (anal) pounding delivered on “Angel of Retribution”.

Priest however does dip into the classic early 80s and late 70s material so all of you grey-skulluted beer-swollen broken husks of humanity who last scored a decent looking slice of poontang in the summer of 1983 do have something on here to enjoy and make you harken back to the “glory days”. “Dissident aggressor” and “Beyond the realms of death” represent older Priest material quite well. Nothing from “British Steel” is somewhat of a letdown (“The rage” anyone?) but if you want old stuff played live get “Priest Live!” or “Unleashed in the East” or just shit the fuck up.

The production sounds great and it is amazing that Halford can still hang in there on alot of these tracks. While he wavers from time to time there are no major vocal lapses. Hail Halford, I salute ye, ye crazy bald bastard. The band is tight with Downing and Tipton stellar as usual and the previously mentioned Scott Travis ripping up the kit. Like their aging, well-fermented British metal brethren in Iron Maiden it is pretty impressive that Priest can still go out year after year and deliver quality live performances.

Is this a landmark, “Live at Budokan”, career defining moment captured on tape? Sadly no. However, “A Touch of Penis” does deliver solid performances of new and old Priest material that should satisfy casual after-midnight rockers as well as trve metal-meltdowners like yours truly. Judas Priest are hanging in there and “A Touch of Evil” shows why: steadfast devotion to tried and true style coupled with still impressive metal musicianship. To the five wrinkled wankers in Judas Priest I say this: you can touch my evil anytime fellas… just be gentle, alright?

- Info
- Released: 2009
- Label: Sony Epic
- Website: www.judaspriest.com
- Band Info
- Rob Halford: vocals
- Glenn Tipton: guitar
- Kenneth ‘K.K.’ Downing: guitar
- Ian Hill” bass
- Scott Travis: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Judas Rising
- 02. Hellrider
- 03. Between The Hammer And The Anvil
- 04. Riding On The Wind
- 05. Death
- 06. Beyond The Realms Of Death
- 07. Dissident Aggressor
- 08. A Touch Of Evil
- 09. Eat Me Alive
- 10. Prophecy
- 11. Painkiller