Sad Wings Of Destiny [Vinyl LP]

Frontman Rob Halford has considered this to be Judas Priest's Sgt. Pepper's, and it's easy to see why. The album expanded upon the group's debut by tackling a variety of styles, utilizing dynamics to striking effect, and establishing the essential guitar interplay between Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing. "Victim of Changes" may be forever known for its snarling riffs and Halford's startling final scream, but its subdued mid-section enhances the power of those elements. "The Ripper" offers up Victorian horror, while "Tyrant" and "Island Of Domination" thunder along with metallic machismo. The album has it softer side, however, notably the neo-classical rock instrumental "Prelude," the melancholy piano ballad "Epitaph," complete with crooning vocal harmonies, and the semi-acoustic existential contemplation "Dreamer Deceiver," a long-lost gem in the band's large oeuvre. Frankly, every track on this album is a winner, and Sad Wings of Destiny would become the first of several albums from Priest that would forever transform the world of heavy metal.