Judas Priest

Stained Class (1978)

Stained Class is the 3rd instalment of Judas Priest's 1970s classic trio of albums and an important way stone towards the NWOBHM that was to follow in the coming years. Despite being plagued by a razor-thin, trebly guitar tone, the dual guitarists duel it out and breath molten fury through-out. The melodies have a classy, energetic feel and are distinct from the bleak, doomy overtones found in early Black Sabbath and do not include much in the way of the psychedelic influence of that time period. There is definitely still a nod to Deep Purple on Stained Class noticeable in the up-beat tempo and the highly effective simplicity found in the riffing.

The songs are crisp and deliberate, with very little in the way of filler. There is a certain elegance in the way the guitarists employ a certain 'economy of movement' in the riffing style. The ideas appear simple at face value, but are subtly crafted with a certain dynamic energy. Halford's vocals are aggressive and whilst he does use shrill falsetto vocals, he also has a fantastic dynamic range when needed. He has a certain transcendent wildness to his vocals, which adds even more fuel to the fire and an unstoppable inferno results. 

Far from being just a trailblazer album or historical relic, Stained Class achieves longevity in its appeal through its aggressive and infectious song-writing.