Originally Posted by LoathsomePete

I would like to take this time to highlight a neglected and underrated album from metal pioneers Judas Priest. I understand and respect people's opinions on Rob Halford and he is the metal god but I want to pay my respect to Tim 'Ripper' Owens who fronted the band from 1996-2004.

While Owens only appeared on two studio albums, his vocal styles and youth really helped Judas Priest keep up with the newer, more extreme styles of metal that had been festering underground for so long. Priest's 1997 album Jugulator was an incredibly heavy album that featured lots of double-bass drumming and low-tune guitar playing. While this does not necessarily equate to the requirements for a good metal band, I found it to be quite interesting to see a pioneer band from the '70's keeping up with the new kids on the metallic block, and in many cases blowing the straight out of the fuc*ing water!

It's a shame that Jugulator didn't sell well, many of the complaints were directed towards Owens, critics and fans alike uncomfortable with the new vocalist. They were also largely unhappy with the content matter of the songs being largely violent, many of them suggesting that the band was merely trying to copy death metal artists in order to expand their demographic.

Of course on the other side there were critics who were judging it by what it was and not what they expected it to be. And what it was was an amazing rebirth of a band, utilizing the techniques of the very band they inspired. Owens vocals soared high above the music, much like Bruce ****inson, as well as going into the lower, more thrash-styled growl.

If there's one thing that all critics can agree on though, it's that the album did spawn one "classic" hit. The 10 minute long finale "Cathedral Spires" is perhaps one of the best closing songs off any album, just listen for yourself:



While Halford will never be surpassed in terms of importance to Judas Priest, I do wish that people were a little bit more open and appreciative to what Owens did for the band.