How do you feel about the result of this 13-round heavy metal melee? Tell me here in comments! 🤟Join Possessed By Metal's online community to revisit and celebrate the golden years of metal, rock and Kerrang! magazine. I digitise and upload my previously-unheard K! interview cassette tapes! No drama, no algorithms, no remorse: www.skool.com/metal 👊 Subscribe to Possessed By Metal on RU-vid: ru-vid.com 📌 Go all-in! Join the Possessed By Metal mailing list: eepurl.com/iBp25U 👀 WATCH NEXT: my deep-dive Invincible Shield album review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hq1nV6INuhA.html
The question is what makes Invincible Shield even better than Firepower? My three biggest issues with Firepower in spite of being great: 1) lack of really fast songs (No Firepower's title song or Lightning Strike are neither that energic nor fast) 2) strange unification of production - Firepower's songs simply sound at times like one continual huge song lasting 15-17 minutes. Here is this issue fixed 3) lyrical depth - definitely do not want to say Firepower is lyrically weak (better than 50% of JP's catalogue, but here on IS its simply wow...harking back to Rocka Rolla (Run of the Mill...etc). One small negative thing: predictable Album cover art, but love additional artwork, so it has been fixed somehow. My verdict: Invincible Shield is better than Firepower F: 74% vs IS: 87%
This and your full song ranking breakdown have made me so excited for this album!!! Great videos. I’m planning on staying up until midnight tonight to listen to this masterpiece (US eastern time)
Hey there! So exciting, isn't it. And I'm still looking forward to hearing the three extra Deluxe tracks. What's your fave song you've heard from the record so far? 😊👊
For me it's firepower. It has a bit more drive and punch. And I love the songwriting in songs like Traiters Gate, No Surrender, Necromancer, Flamethrower and Firepower. something about the atmosphere of the record i connect to more
I can understand that, Brett! And there's definitely something to be said for the way that the songs on Firepower tend to start more directly, generally without intros.
In my opinion this is such a great album cover......an eye catcher...the colors are phantastic mixed.....everything about this album is so over the top......the production of andy sneap is not from this world......what he did with these old guys is unbelievable!!!! I think the did such an album .....The album was made according to the motto...if you leave (which you always have to expect at this age) then leave behind a music album of enormous quality
"The Lodger" is one of the 3 bonus songs on the special edition. Written actually by Bob Halligan Jr ( Some heads are gonna Roll), it is an excellent song that, I would have included on the main album over say, Trail by Fire. The Lodger has a devilish and delicious dart of Alice Cooper, King Diamond in there, with I think the chorus having an absolute bang of Ghost in its theatrical themes and performance. It combines well with that Victorian Gothic of old Priest heard in The Ripper. It sounds a bit outta touch with the rest of the songs, but I think its inclusion on the actual album would really have spiced it up even more. You'll love it!
Thank you, yes, now I've heard it I do like it a lot! It's a really interesting piece of work, and feels like it's based on the movie Death Wish or something 🤔🤘👊😊
I've lived with the album for a good dozen spins at least and felt like coming back, weighing in, finally on the points you bring up: 1. Name - Firepower. Simply a better name. Invincible Shield had me disappointed when announced, its convoluted in a sense, and it's not as memorable. Also, I make the typo of "Invisible Shield" at least once daily. 2. Artwork - Firepower hands down. Its simple and dynamic as you said, and its cool. Shield I think is too simple and too abstract, what is going on? Is it a shield in cosmic goo? A tour poster? There's a reason so many of us thought it was AI artwork. I do like the original sketches and the shield design itself, but the final execution missed the mark in a big way. I ordered the Alternative artwork version for this reason, I really don't like the original. Less is more. 3. Production - Invincible Shield. Firepower was far better than Redeemer, but still a bit boomy on the bass. Neither album has good dynamics but I think things are just arranged better and enjoyable. Firepower nearly left a bad aftertaste in my mouth, even if it was fine to listen to. I agree with your remarks on liveliness as well. 4. Titles - I'll agree Firepower wins by a hair. It's a toss up. Firepower only has one "of the" while I.S. has three "of" tracks (4 if you include the bonus) and an "an the". Too samey. 5. Videos - Invincible Shield. I loved No Surrender, Spectre was ok, but the I.S. title track video knocked me out of my chair, I loved it, it carries the category. And I think the Trial by Fire video is better than Spectre or Lightning Strikes (it's just Rob in front of a green screen, no other members!), leaving Crown of Horns as a bonus to cement the win. 6. Panic Attack is much better than Firepower. Catchier, great intro, more memorable track to me. Firepower I think was great, but not one of my favorites off the record either. 7. Vocals - I.S. again. Rob has some standout vocal performances on here, his range is all over, this is the best he's sounded ever really. Painkiller, I love the album, but it has too many effects going on (see: A Touch of Evil), while I.S. is Rob at his best, organic sounding performance in many ways. 8. Consistency - I.S. There is only one song I'd skip (Crown of Horns) and one maybe-skip (Giants in the Sky), while Firepower has one skip (Lone Wolf) and 4 maybes, and Guardians is a fake track interlude. I wouldn't skip any of the Shield bonus tracks either. Shield is just a more solid album, solid like a shield. 9. Songwriting - I.S. again. This overlaps with the consistency, it just has more amazing songs and that carries the points. The lyrics are great, too, and Rob got really creative with some wording (see: Pecksniffian). Having more shreddy tracks with better guitars just adds insult to injury. 10. Killer riffs - Okay this is Shield, who are we kidding here. 11. See above 12. See 9. Actually, I'll point out that I think Firepower had some more deep and powerful lyrics: Never the Heroes, Rising from Ruins, No Surrender. This are three great, emotional tracks that Shield doesn't have. That said, I already made up my mind and I think Shield has more variety, while avoiding any cheese, and Firepower had more weaker tracks as well. Shield also had many more tracks where I found myself singing along, and when a song does that, it's special. Firepower: 3 Invincible Shield: All the other points
Love it! Thank you for your detailed assessment. 😊👊 I made this video before the IS promo video was released. If I'd seen that one, then Shield would've won the point hands down! 😆😊👊🤘
It's certainly true that the first seven songs are the best. But I feel like they're just so strong that it can't help but make the remaining songs (Sons Of Thunder aside) sound... less strong. 😆👊🤘
Listening to the two albums I think Firepower recalls more of the mid 80s USA metal vibe of Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith etc. Whereas Invincible Shield has more elements from their earlier career combined with some 90s Painkiller vibes so for me Invincible Shield is much more interesting so far.
Much more interesting and diverse. With songs on Firepower I had a feeling these do not want to stand out haha. Here is everything fixed and I am impressed with 4 songs. Crown of Horns, Gates of Hell As God is my Witness and this monster. Like it more than Firepower
This album is incredible. How do they keep doing this after 50 years is beyond me. I’ve listened to it 5 times already and I appreciate it more after every listen. It’s damn near a perfect ten. Long live the Metal Gods.
Great comparison man. I pretty much agreed on every point. IS is better. Firepower is an 8 and IS a 9. Could easily see it rivalling Screaming For Vengance at one point.
I like listening to metal from time to time, but I'm no metal head. I have heard some Priest songs before, even learned some on guitar. I liked some of their songs, but I have never bought a full Priest album ... until Invincible Shield ... I love it, from start to finish.
@@PossessedByMetal666 I cannot narrow it down. Invincible shield, Panic Attack, Serpent and King, Crown of Horns, Trial by Fire come to my mind immediately. But the others are growing on me the more I listen to it. I have the version with the three (?) additional songs and even they are not just filler material.
Okay, I think - the shield looks much better than the firepower cover - Firepower is the better opening track to me, but that’s a tough one, I love the intro of Panic Attack and I can’t wait to hear that live on Sunday next week in Frankfurt 🤟🏼 - I think Firepower is the better album overall, because it has a phenomenal consistency of song quality. When I first heard it, I was blown away, because I couldn’t find a song on it that I didn’t like! I’ve never had that with any album of any artist ever. But it’s a tough one again and luckily we don’t actually have to choose, they’re both great and we’re blessed being able to listen to both of them! Have a great day everyone!
Couldnt get into Firepower (which sounded more like a halford solo album to me), but i love Invincible Shield, best since Angel Of Retribution. If Fight of your life replaced Escape From Reality as one of the main tracks, it would be the best since painkiller! I'm astounded at how good it is.
@@PossessedByMetal666 Saw your further vid, it was good. I didn't pick up on VC being about KK initially, but when you pointed out it seems highly likely! Still enjoying invincible shield, a truly great piece of work.
I'd love to know Sir, if you reviewed the album for Kerrang!, how many K's would you award the 'Shield?? A fistfull of Ks cementing it a modern klassik, or perhaps a 4K wonder that while excellent, just misses the full Marks? I'd give it a solid KKKK. Its still new, a bit early inthe game. Some weeks down the line, the grade might increase.👍 By the way - which Priest albums to you, are KKKKK KlassiKs?
Hello! I do believe I would give Shield five Ks. And five mighty Ks would also go to: British Steel, Defenders Of The Faith and Painkiller! Screaming For Vengeance and Firepower would get 4 and a half. 😆
@@PossessedByMetal666 I love it. Thanks for the reply!! Id award a fistfull o' Special Ks to Painkiller and Defenders. Id rate Angel of Retribution not far beyond either , I think that is an excellent variety of what they can do that, was very well written as a classic comeback.
I wouldn't say by a mile, lol, come on now. Firepower was their best easily since Painkiller. If Firepower was an 8, Shield is a 9. In no way does it BLOW away Firepower by a landslide. Let's be realistic.
This is probably the most detailed and complete Invincible Shield review I've seen up to now here on Ytb. After more than 10 spins my opinion is as follows: 1) Title - F: seems to be cooler than Invincible Shield to me. Honestly after more than 6 years I expected something dunno different more "proggy" direction in the vein of SWOD album, but its just me. I am a very picky bastard.(F) vs (IS) 1:0 (F). 2) Best album cover - as I stated previously I am NOT an enthusiastic fan of the title and won't change my point of view even in this case. It appears that it took not very long to create this cover, but I know Mark Wilkinson surely knows how its done so I prolly have to deal with it. (F) vs (IS) 2:0 3) Production - both of these albums are produced flawlessly as we speak. Andy is simply the best producer nowadays even tho some people say his production is stereotypical and unified in a strange way, but there is nothing to complain about imho. Simply a tie to me. (F) vs (IS) 3:1 4) Best song titles: Firepower is the epitome of aggressivity and attack. Invincible Shield sounds noble but in a defensive way so my vote goes to Firepower (F) vs (IS) 4:1 5) Promo videos - I ve been complaining since the very beginning their promo videos were pretty lame and unworthy of their legacy. Sry to say that. Both on Firepower and on Invincible Shield. Guys saved the situation with the Invincible Shield's official vid with Andy appearing in it. That was a stunning one and my spirit was finally redeemed. (F) vs (IS) 4:2 6) Best opening track - in this case is everything clear obviously. Panic Attack is an energetic machine that won't let you exhale. You may call me a lunatic but Firepower's opening and title track sounds lil bit generic to me. It desperatly tries to be fast and modern, but in fact it is not. Even the lyrics are much more sophisticated here in Panic Attack (F) vs (IS) 4:3 7) Best vocal performance - I am not sure how the hell Rob Halford achieved that without sounding strained and tired (Andy maybe) at his mighty age, but...man....it feels like Invincible Shield comes straight from the 80's. Somehwere between Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith. No contest here (F) vs (IS) 4:4 8) Most consistent songs - as far as I am concerned Firepower takes the lead. Its consistency and high level are noteworthy by any means. It seems to me Invincible Shield's first half is somehow pretty much stronger than the second one (I am not that happy with Sons of Thunder - this one would be perfect for KK's album). (F) vs (IS) 5:4. 9) Best songwriting - guys (Rob and Richie mostly) definitely improved their ideas and it feels like Invincible Shield is an older brother of Firepower. Not a sign of childish illusions here like on Firepower (Necromancer, Flamethrower). One of the best and most touching lines in Crown of Horns "I learnt the hard way that what you dream for..." and so on. Wow. We all know Rob and his Thesaurus lectures. It pays off! (F) vs (IS) 5:5 10) Biggest number of killer riffs - As God is My Witness, The Serpent and the King, Invincible Shield....? should I go on? Firepower is a great album but here wins obviously Invincible Shield and takes the lead (F) vs (IS) - 5:6 11) Best guitar solos - one of the biggest "problems" on Firepower has been somehow fixed here on Invincible Shield. Richie outdid himself in a very impressive way. Panic Attack possesses a very beautiful solo, Invincible Shield is the same case as my fav Crown of Horns and my fav song on IS As God is My Witness. (F) vs (IS) 5:7 12) Best lyrics - see No. 9 (F) vs (IS) 5:8. 13) Best closing track - Sea of Red is a beautiful balad harking back to the times of SWOD or SAS album, but Giants in the Sky possesses a strong message too. A hommage to Rob's idols and friends. Its a tough battle but my vote goes to Sea of Red. (F) vs (IS) 6:8. FINAL VERDICT: Even tho Firepower was and still is an amazing achievement at this stage of their career in the terms of consistency Invincible Shields brings back to life exactly THESE elements so typical for our beloved heavy/speed metal genre that Firepower lacks - SPEED, amazing solos, relentless riffs + harmonies and Rob's vocals are somehow even better than on Firepower. I am pretty sure fans of the previous record will be disappointed (if they even have time to read this short review) but Invincible Shield surpasses its predecessor. It is worthy of all accolades and chart successes in Germany, Switzerland, UK, Sweden, Finnland or Scotland for that matter. I am impressed with this album. Firepower (77%) vs Invincible Shield (91%)
What a great, detailed comment. Fun to read - thank you! Hopefully you also checked out my deep-dive review of the album, in which I rank the songs. That one was 28 minutes long! 😮👊
I agree with everything for the exact same reasons although i do love guitar solos. I skip the same songs as you on Firepower and agree about priest closing tracks 😅
I really wish andy sneap would go back and reproduce redeamer of souls. Its got weak production and being redone would being it much closer to firepower and invincible.
Good comment! I also felt since that Redeemer sounds very unnaturally and synthetically. The last two records are much more natural, dimensional, and thick in production
Excellent Comment. Songs like "Metalizer" or the fast songs in general would be a whole world different with a Sharp Sneap Shine. The overall production is grubby and muddy, isnt it? I utterly love "Cold Blooded". Its verses are very haunting, eerie and darkly melodic. It reminds me of the nocturnal mood that Defenders of the Faith omits to me, and I would love Cold Blooded to have a Defenders style sound. Redeemer of Souls is otherwise a damn good album .
Yes, I'm still trying to get to grips with that info. Do we know which? I'm very much thinking Trial By Fire, because the guitars sound exactly like Firepower's guitars. 🤔🤔😊👊🤘
@@PossessedByMetal666 “Sons of Thunder" and "Giants in the Sky" were co-produced by Tom Allom and in the CD booklet (still waiting for my vinyl copy) the band gives him a shout out: “Tom Allom- Priest Metal Insight”.
Thank you! Great to know - and surprising, in the case of Sons Of Thunder for some reason (don't know why, really - think I was just so convinced that Trial By Fire was actually recorded during the Firepower sessions!)
7 месяцев назад
Sons of Thunder and Giants in the Sky to be precise and Bob Halligan Jr is credited with The Lodger. Could't believe my eyes this musician is back on Priest's record
Id have to listen to firepower again. I think I liked it more first song I listened to is evil never dies lol because one of my favourite overkill songs is evil never dies. Amazing priest still doing albums when bands already retired or got soft. Except maybe exodus persona non grata a great album also very heavy.
Yes, I love both Evil Never Dies songs! Funnily enough, there's a part towards the end of Serpent where the verse riff comes back by itself, and the dry heaviness of the production actually reminds me of Years Of Decay! 😲😆😊👊🤘
The new album should of had a better album title...I love Judas Priest, they are my favourite band since Stained Class, and I do have their discography...Good album with a not so good title...still love you Priest...
Top ten out of nineteen is not much of a compliment 😂. For me personally both are top 5. I honestly can't think of a metal band releasing such quality material late in their career.
After listening to the album my favorite song without question is as god is my witness. However I still think overall I prefer firepower. Both great albums
@@ethenvallance-dx4uu Absolutely. And As God Is My Witness is almost my favourite too! 😊👊🤘
7 месяцев назад
What about Spectre? Its my fav song off this album and it made it on my TOP 15 Priest songs list. An amazing groovy monster. An instant crank up head fuck, but overal Invincible Shield is more diverse, contains of many amazing solos by Richie (nearly absent on Firepower) and songs are as fast as this genre requires
I agree the solos on invincible shield are on another level as far as Richie goes. Just something more catchy about the choruses on firepower album to me. My top two priest albums for sure, and I’ve been a fan since the early nineties
Great stuff! Much too early to get to grips with IS yet. Sea Of Red was my favourite track off FP only let down by rather weak ending to the solo. Cheers!
Both albums are really good, but I think Firepower has all over better songs. On Invincible shield there are a couple weaker tracks that has this US style that I don't particularly like (Devil in disguise, Escape from reality). I prefer the sound production on Invincible shield though - Firepower sounds a bit too polished. Robs voice is phenomenal, and it is really fantastic that they still produce such good music!
For me, Invinsible Shield is the better album. Prior to its release, I had a list of eight albums that I considered Priest's upper tier works. In order of release, those albums are Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, Stained Class, Hell Bent for Leather/ Killing Machine, British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance, Defenders of the Faith, and Painkiller. After fifteen or so listenings, I have determined that Invincible Shield joins this tier of albums. Firepower never reached that level for me because it has several tracks that don't interest me. The only comparison by which Firepower wins is the cover art. It doesn't even have the best song called Children of the Sun, as Hawkwind's Children of the Sun is better.
Hehe, I haven't heard the Hawkwind song. In fact, I've hardly ever heard Hawkwind. 👀 But I'm glad you rate Invincible Shield so highly. Quite right too! 😊👊
No, firepower had really memorable songs from start to finish and had a darker vibe. Invincible Shield sounds too bright and some of the songs are cringe like Turbo.
Crown of horns , trial by fire and escape from reality are low points to me . The rest are amazing , the bonus track fight of your life sound like a guns and roses a lot even rob sound like axl
@@marcelopedrazzoli602 Having heard the song, I know exactly what you mean! I'm not crazy about the opening riffs or the verses, but the CHORUS... the chorus makes the song superb. :)
Disagree on the album cover art. For the longest of time, I had no idea what was going on on Fire Power’s cover. If you squint your eyes fire power is a bit of a mess
That's the thing. Saying I prefer one doesn't necessarily mean I think it's a doozy! Having said that, I do genuinely like the Firepower cover because it has that classic mid 80s feel. 😊👊🤘
Firepower was catchy but awfully boring after a few weeks of listening. It collects dust as we speak. Invincible sounds like a bunch of decent B sides or leftovers from great albums. Not a huge fan of either album, but I'll say Firepower is more consistent of the 2.
Hey there! Some opinions make you feel as though the person opining is in a different dimension. And while this opinion is one of those, I respect it and thank you for watching and commenting! 😊👊🤘 what's your favourite song on Shield so far?
@@PossessedByMetal666 I'll go with Serpent And The King...As God Is My Witness a close 2nd. Escape From Reality is a Sabbath rip off...Modern Priest sounds more like solo Halford...the unique style of Glenn and KK is lost.
@@EliteAstro_OfficialChannel Even though KK and Glenn of course are legends, I must say that Jugulator - Demolition (both horrible imo) - Angel of Retribution (decent) - Nostradomus (disastrous) put Priest on a path towards as being way past their prime. Redeemer wasn’t a redemption for me. I find it hard to deny that Firepower - Invincible Shield isn’t a miraculous return to form.
Great video as always. Forgive this post which I suspect will be quite the read. This is so personal to me. 😊 NWOBHM introduced me to metal. When I was young I considered Maiden to be the best metal band. The older I got, the more I drifted towards JP. As a grown up, JP had overtaken the throne. But the years went hard on them. The Ripper era led to two bad records. AoR was a decent comeback, but deep down, I had hoped for a better record. Then distaster struck as Nostradomus was released. At that point, I gave up hopes of JP releasing a great record ever again. The plodding RoS only served to cement my opinion. Meanwhile Maiden was consistently putting out at least decent and somewhat interesting material. When I saw that JP were about to release a new single my first reaction was ”oh no”. It’s always hard to see heroes fall, but when JP releases tired material it’s the same feeling as to see my children fail on some public event. Then lightning struck as Lightning Strike was released. I remember after my first listen ”am I crazy or was that f*cking awesome?”. When Firepower was released as a single I almost started to cry. THIS was what I had been waiting for since I began listen to JP in the mid 90s. Firepower for me is the greatest comeback record in metal history. Period. I still can’t believe or comprehend how JP suddenly remembered how to be the best metal band on the planet again. I love how straightforward all the tracks are. It’s almost a sense of urgency, not one wasted second. You puch play and the riff starts the same nanosecond. Invincible Shield is almost like Firepower’s more sofisticated cousin. More refined, more complex and generally more well-worked - I generally agree with your excellent analysis. For me Panic Attack still is the icing on the cake - that track is the best I’ve heard by them since the Painkiller-era. And the Terrible Triad that opens the record is completely amazing. JP defies modern science and refuses to grow old. The record loses some steam mid-finish, but there are gems for sure. It’s such a complex album that I have to give it more time before I can decide for sure, but as you can guess Firepower is hard to beat for me, especially since it was so utterly unexpected. For this record I had high hopes from the start. Comparing aside, let’s celebrate these two titans of records, that for me truly and without any doubt proves that JP deserves the throne!
Shield edges it out. It's more diverse in its songwriting. I feel a lot of Firepower had just too many uptempo riffs, while amazing, is there and doesn't have more intricacies like the harmonizing and breakdowns of Shield. It's like Shield took what was the best of Firepower and perfected it.
Firepower for me was an easier listen on first few listens than Invincible Shield. So my vote goes to Firepower, better album, more straightforward metal, less progressive.
Hey there! Yes, that's an interesting point - Firepower may well have been more immediate. Come back and let me know how Shield grows on you over time! 😊🤘👊
Hello Simon! This isn't the case - Glenn has written songs such as Sons Of Thunder. Richie simply does most of the actual playing on the record. Glad you do love 'em both, though! 😊👊🤘
Well all I can honestly say is the last three prest albums were some of the best of their career. The last three iron maiden albums were the worst of their career.
@PossessedByMetal666 Impossible to say! Devil in Disguise surprised the hell out of me. I just didn't see it coming, and i think that's why it's my current favorite, but it's changing each thing I listen.
@@PossessedByMetal666 I’m split between Gates of Hell and God Is My Witness. To me Firepower and Invincible Shield are bookends of each other like Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith were.
I'm not agree. The riff and the solo on on invisible Shield are weaker and the solo too. Lack of Tipton investment and the solo is nothing to compare with the best duo of Kk and Tipton. It's not Priest anymore
8 minutes into this it's one of the dumbest videos I've ever seen. All that matters is the music, not the cover art or album title or song titles or videos. This is - so far at least - an astonishingly stupid and shallow comparison.
Hi there! I guess you probably won't enjoy Round 10, in which I compare the postmen who delivered each of the albums to me, based on who had the smartest uniform and the biggest smile. 🤔🤔🤔
Never the heroes is one of my favorite songs on Firepower. To me, firepower and Invincible shield are the same one two punches they’re known for aka SFV and Defenders.
Or maybe we simply have slightly different opinions? 😊👊😆 And if you agree with everything else in the video, then 12 outta 13 ain't bad, right? 😊 How are you feeling about the new album?
