Judas Priest

Judas Priest is responsible for some of the finest metal albums of the '80s, but their best recording is arguably 1980's British Steel, which is the subject of a Classic Album documentary in 2001. Featuring interviews with guitarists K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, bassist Ian Hill, former singer Rob Halford, and the album's producer, Tom Allom, the 50-minute video/DVD examines nearly all of the album's tracks in great detail, while archival live material and photographs are added to mix, as well as Downing and Tipton breaking down and examining their guitar riffs for the viewer (also included are short clips of fan interviews taken from the hilarious underground video Heavy Metal Parking Lot). Interesting tidbits include a discussion about creating unorthodox sound effects for the anthem "Metal God" and recording the album at a mansion/studio that at different times belonged to John Lennon and Ringo Starr. British Steel helped signal the arrival of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, subsequently opening the door for other English bands to take the world by storm (Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, etc.), and this documentary does a good job of explaining the album's origins. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide