I was never a really big Judas Priest fan, of course you could blame that on my late entry into music. This has changed over the past decade. I still cannot be considered a big fan, but I recognize their place amongst the top bands that have influenced so many others of the years (up their with Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden).
The album that gave me the first inkling that I could be into Priest was 1990's Painkiller, that is a great metal album, period. Two years after that Rob Halford announced that he was leaving the band. He wanted to do something else in the music world. That "something else" turned out to be Fight, a band that was distinctly different from Priest, while still living up to the standards that Halford had set during his 19 years with his prior band. This box set collects all three Fight releases, remixed and remastered, along with a DVD featuring one of their early appearances.
The big question for fans is going to be whether or not they really need this set. That is a question that each of you will need to ask for yourself. My answer is yes; you do need it. It is a nicely packaged set, featuring great sounding remastered audio, plus that concert disk. The audio quality is a definite step up from the original CDs. So, if you have those early disks, this is a very nice upgrade. For those of you who don't have any Fight, this is the perfect way to get it all. If you are a metal fan, you owe it to yourself to own these disks. Fight turned out some strong music during their short tenure.
In 1993, just one year removed from his departure from Judas Priest, Fight's debut release, War of Words hit store shelves. It proved to be one of the best metal albums of the year, somewhat overshadowed by the continuing dominance of the grunge scene.
The band's line-up consisted of Halford, Brian Tilse and Russ Parrish on guitars, Jay Jay on bass, and Scott Travis behind the drum kit. The music was heavy, riff driven, and considerably more raw than Priest material. The songs here have a stripped down to the bare essentials feel to them, with an almost punk-like aggression throughout. Halford seems to experiment more with his voice here, expanding his range from his traditional highs all the way down to a death metal like growl. He sounds phenomenal, and those riffs behind him? Wow, the first time I heard the band I fell in love.
Article comments