Dopo lo spettacolare live "Unleashed In The East", cosa ci si poteva aspettare di meglio dagli "dei del metallo" ovvero i Judas Priest? Ebbene, nel 1980 questi non tradirono certo le aspettative con quello che oggi possiamo venerare come una pietra angolare del genere: "British Steel". Va premesso innanzitutto che è un disco ancora di passaggio, passaggio dalle sonorità originarie più epiche (per intenderci, le atmosfere che si possono trovare in "Sad Wings Of Destiny" e "Sin After Sin") a quelle più "dure" che troveranno la consacrazione nel loro massimo capolavoro, "Screaming For Vengeance".
"British Steel" è tutto giocato sull'alternanza di caratteri hard-rock e metal, il che è stato sempre il caratterizzante dei Judas Priest, e già dalla prima canzone ciò si fa notare: infatti il disco è aperto dal devastante riff di "Breakin' The Law", canzone autobiografica scritta dal cantante, Rob Halford, sul suo passato. Da notare che i chitarristi (ovviamente Glen Tipton e K.K. Downing) non fanno assoli per non stemperare la tensione.
"Rapid Fire" è veloce e infatti passa velocemente, mentre la terza traccia è un altro classicone: "Metal Gods", più lenta ma enormemente coinvolgente, uno di quei pezzi sempre eseguiti dal vivo (e direi!), che è anche l'origine del soprannome del gruppo e in particolare di Halford. Dopo di questa c'è "Grinder", nella quale riemerge qualcosa delle vecchie sonorità epiche della band, mentre nella successiva "United", un vero e proprio inno da stadio, è facile leggere una certa influenza dei Queen (ma questa è solo un'opinione). Poi parte "Livin' After Midnight", uno dei più grandi capolavori dei Judas Priest, e senza dubbio il brano più rappresentativo del disco; mi sembra proprio che questo pezzo citi l'hard-rock degli AC/DC, con il ritornello corale e il groove che lo permea.
Un'altro capolavoro, "You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise", continua sulla stessa linea di tutte le altre, ovvero un hard-rock più distorto e molto energico, mentre la successiva "The Rage" passa senza quasi lasciare traccia e la conclusiva "Steeler" è il brano più metal dell'intero disco, bella ma non particolarmente coinvolgente.
Per quanto i Judas Priest siano da sempre definiti una band metal, diciamoci la verità, solo "Painkiller" (e i seguenti...per quello che possono valere) è un disco metal, mentre il resto è hard-rock energico e distorto, ma probabilmente è proprio questo il punto di forza del Prete: questa commistione di generi, questo miscuglio di influenze, e di ciò "British Steel" è il lavoro più rappresentativo. Mentre il successivo "Point Of Entry" a mio parere è nettamente inferiore e "Screaming For Vengeance" è il capolavoro assoluto, è in questo disco che prende forma il suono su cui si costruira tutta la storia della band per gli anni '80 e '90.
Insomma da sentire.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Breaking the Law (02:35)
There I was completely wasted
Out of work and down
All inside it's so frustrating
As I drift from town to town
Feel as though nobody cares
If I live or die
So I might as well begin
To put some action in my life
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
So much for the golden future
I can't even start
I've had every promise broken
And there's anger in my heart
You don't know what it's like
You don't have a clue
If you did you'd find yourselves
Doing the same thing too
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
You don't know what it's like
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
02 Rapid Fire (04:06)
Pounding the world
Like a battering ram
Forging the furnace
For the final grand slam
Chopping away at the source
Soon the course will be done
Leaving a trail of destruction
That's second to none
Hammering anvils
Screaming muscle and might
Shattering blows
Crashing row beating fright
Fast devastating and
Desolisating the curse
Blasting the cannons of
Truth through each man
Of this earth
Wielding the axe
Comes the one culmination
That's always seemed
Certain to bring down the curtain on greed
Sifting the good from the bad
It's the age for the rage of the
Dogs which must fall to the just
And be free
Now grate for the vandals
Who trampled and sampled
Till this place conditioned
Brought forth demolition to war
The slipping and sliding
Corrosive subsiding
That withered and waned
Till the world seemed all drained
Fills the bay
Pounding the world
Like a battering ram
Forging the furnace
For the final grand slam
Chopping away at the source soon the course will be done
Leaving a trail of destruction
That's second to none
Second to none
03 Metal Gods (04:00)
We've taken too much for granted
And all the time it had grown
From the techno seeds we first planted
Evolved a mind of its' own
Marching in the streets
Dragging iron feet
Laser beaming hearts
Ripping men apart
From off I've seen my perfection
Where we could do as we please
In secrecy this infection
Was speading like a disease
Hiding underground
Knowing we'd be found
Caring for our lives
Reaped by robots scythes
Metal Gods, Metal Gods
Metal Gods, metal Gods
Machines are taking all over
With mankind in their command
In time they'd like to discover
How they can make their demand
Better be the slaves
To their wicked ways
But meeting with our death
Engulfed in molten breath
04 Grinder (03:57)
Never straight and narrow
I won't keep in time
Tend to burn the arrow
Out of the line
Been inclined to wander
Off the beaten track
That's where there's thunder
And the wind shouts back
Grinder
Looking for meat
Grinder
Wants you to eat
Got no use for routine
I shiver at the thought
Open skies are my scene
That's why I won't get caught
Refuse to bite the mantrap
Be led to set the snare
I love to have my sight
Capped everywhere
Grinder
Looking for meat
Grinder
Wants you to eat
I've held my licence
It came with birth,
For self reliance on this earth
You take the bullet
On which my name
Was etched upon in your game
Day of independence
Stamped us like a brand
Round the necks of millions
To the land
As the mighty eagle
I need room to breathe
Witness from the treadmill
I take my leave
Grinder
Looking for meat
Grinder
Wants you to eat
Grinder
Looking for meat
Grinder
Wants you to eat
Grinder
05 United (03:34)
Look around
They're moving in
Hold your ground
When they begin
We can do it
We can do it and if they wanna they can try
But they'll never get near
Then they can get out of here
Gonna keep on driving
Never stop
United, united, united we stand
United we never shall fall
United, united, united we stand
United we stand one and all
So keep it up
Don't give in
Make a stand
We're gonna win
We can do it
We can do it and if they wanna they can try
But they'll never get near
Then they can get out of here
Gonna keep on driving
Never stop
United, united, united we stand
United we never shall fall
United, united, united we stand
United we stand one and all
So keep it up
United, united, united we stand
United we never shall fall
United, united, united we stand
United we stand one and all
United, united, united we stand
United we never shall fall
United, united, united we stand
United we stand one and all
United, united, united we stand
United we never shall fall
United, united, united we stand
United we stand one and all
(Fade)
06 Living After Midnight (03:31)
Ch: Living after midnight
Rockin' to the dawn
Lovin' till the morning
Then I'm gone, I'm gone
I took the city 'bout 1 a.m.
Loaded, loaded
I'm all geared up to score again
Loaded, loaded
I come alive in a neon light
That's when I make my moves right
Ch:...
Got gleeming chrome reflectin' steel
Loaded, loaded
Ready to take on every deal
loaded, loaded
My pulse is racin', I'm hot to take
This motor's revved up fit to break
Ch:...
I'm aiming for you
I'm gonna floor you
My body's coming all night long!
The air's electric, sparking power
Loaded, loaded
I'm getting harder by the hour
Loaded, loaded
I set my sights and then home in
The joint starts flying when I begin
Ch:...
07 You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise (05:03)
[Tipton/Halford/Downing]
I've had enough of being programmed
And told what I ought to do
Let's get one thing straight
I'll choose my fate
And it's got nothing to do with you
The years are flying by and it's time I got high
Took a sample of the good things in life
This is a chance
I'm gonna take
Gonna get out trouble and strife
I grow sick and tired of the same old lies
Might look a little young
So what's wrong
You don't have to be old to be wise
No I don't care that the people stare
Accuse me of going mad
Just get a long hard look into the mirror
Then, tell me now who's been had
The way things are going I won't get to show 'em
Go single all the time's up to me
So it's off with the ties
No compromise
Wanna taste what it's like to be free
I grow sick and tired of the same old lies
Might look a little young
So what's wrong
You don't have to be old to be wise
I grow sick and tired of the same old lies
Might look a little young
So what's wrong
You don't have to be old to be wise
I'm gonna gather my things
Go through the door
Every night I'll live on my own
I'd like to be there
And I'm gonna be there
I got a will of my own
I go as I please
Fend for myself
Pull all the stops, roll the dice
Out on my own, gonna go it alone
When I need it
Then I'll ask for advice
You don't have to be old to be wise
You don't have to be old to be wise
You don't have to be old to be wise
You don't have to be old to be wise
You don't have to be old to be wise
You don't have to be old to be wise
You don't have to be old to be wise
[fade]
08 The Rage (04:44)
From a fire ball we came
Cross sea and mountain
We were drinking beauty with our eyes
We were given all
To make our own
Let us be left alone
Lay the tasks and pay the price
Everything suffice
Crashed and bolted all we craved
After every whim
What a state we're in
Is pain better than the grave?
Well we talk with other men
We see red and then
Deep inside our blood begins to boil
Like a tiger in the cage
We begin to shake with rage
09 Steeler (04:29)
Catch the play, now. Eye to eye.
Don't let chances pass you by.
Always someone at your back
Biding their time for attack!
Check for decoys. Stay sharp-edged.
Double-crossers get your head.
Carpet-baggers bluff and strike.
Kiss of Judas. Spider-like!
Waiting like jackals
To sneak up and trick you.
Wolves in sheeps clothing.
Slow death in consoling.
Lurking in shadows,
They pounce least expected.
When you come to,
They'll have gone right through you.
Tricksters, jilters play their game.
Sleight-of-handers, all the same.
Masquerader in his lair
Wants to tangle in your hair!
Carico i commenti... con calma