Invincible Shield, Judas Priest’s 19th studio album, is the first from the group since 2018, and their first since being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So, there was obviously pressure for the group to not only fill the void in the absence of new music, but also to create something of exceptional quality to live up to their Hall of Fame credentials. Fair to say, Invincible Shield is an exceptionally strong effort, facing down the headwinds of expectations in the no-surrender sweepstakes for the crown of heavy metal and beyond.
With an opening track like “Panic Attack,” you have to be willing to commit to a sonic assault once the opening section settles down. Glenn Tipton, Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap play guitar through-out the album, and this first track keeps the licks locked and loaded, allowing singer Rob Halford to vocalize his way across a wide spectrum on the steady foundation of bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis. “The Serpent And The King” and the album’s title track levitate the momentum with little deviation from Priest’s collating chemistry, well established and in place since 1980’s British Steel. All this without sounding dated is what keeps the band in motion.
“Devil In Disguise” drives a salacious rhythm, while “Gates Of Hell” explodes with all the thrust and velocity of a classic metal anthem. For pure adrenaline, “As God Is My Witness” offers a redemptive posit as Halford’s barks out the song’s lyrics with raw emotion. One of the album’s catchiest is the biting “Escape From Reality,” a thudding march that Halford somehow reigns into a more melodic mélange. It almost sounds like something Ozzy Osbourne should have recorded. To put it all to bed, both “Sons Of Thunder” and “Giants In The Sky” deliver on the promise of Hall of Fame contention, if anyone ever had any doubts.
Three additional “bonus” songs provide solid evidence to the aforementioned. “Fight Of Your Life” and “Vicious Circle” are like more fuel on the fire, while “The Lodger” takes an unpredictable turn with broader strokes and simmering strings under a boiling low-end. Why this song is the odd caboose in a train of heavy riffs is a little confounding, but nevertheless a treat. Hard to say if these numbers comprising the bonus seven-inch EP impact the collection on the whole, though their addition adds another layer to the overall power and execution Judas Priest bring to Invincible Shield.
~ Shawn Perry
