Judas Priest – Live Vengeance ’82

artist website

publisher

impulse buy

Sony BMG
Produced by Judas Priest & Nocturne Inc.

Originally released as the bonus DVD in the Metalogy career retrospective box-set in 2004, this release comprises the full show in Memphis, TN, USA on the Screaming For Vengeance tour in 1982.

Despite some slightly annoying effects used from time to time, which from my layman’s knowledge of video editing seems to consist of removing every nth frame and making the remaining ones last n times longer (exceptionally ’80s in nature), this DVD is a far more satisfying experience of classic era Priest than the higher profile Electric Eye release, recorded three years later.

The latter does however have the upper hand in terms of performance. Guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing and bassist Ian Hill are as flawless as always on both releases, and erstwhile drummer Dave Holland makes his job looks as hard as he possibly can on both releases as well, drumming like a toddler bouncing a beach ball at arms length. The difference, performance wise, is seminal vocalist Rob Halford. His singing is much better, particularly at the higher end of his range, on the Electric Eye release (the live concert of which is the Priest… Live!! show recorded in Dallas, TX, USA and released as a home video and live album in 1987).

Live Vengeance ’82 does boast superior pyro-technics (they’re fairly ’80s in style, with lots of laser-beam type things going on, but it looks impressive) and a much better set-list. Electric Eye suffers from the inferior quality of the current album at the time, Turbo (check out the dire pop-fodder Parental Guidance for evidence). Screaming For Vengeance, on the other hand, was one of Judas Priest’s best albums, so the set-list on the tour was very strong indeed. As well as the evergreens like Breaking The Law, Metal Gods, Hell Bent For Leather and Victim of Changes, you’ve got other, rarer, metal classics such as Bloodstone and Devil’s Child along with older tracks that tend to get left out in later years like Sinner.

This disc doesn’t bother with pointless extras that will only be watched once, if at all, either. This is something I quite like. It’s just the concert and a discography. That’s it. It’s compact, to the point and definitely a success. Nice to have the bonus disc released on it’s own too, so fans that own the albums don’t have the buy the box-set to get this as well.

“ classic ”

Tracklist: The Hellion/Electric Eye / Riding on The Wind / Heading Out To the Highway / Metal Gods / Bloodstone / Breaking The Law / Sinner / Desert Plains / The Ripper / Diamonds And Rust / Devil’s Child / Screaming For Vengeance / You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ / Victim Of Changes / Living After Midnight / The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown) / Hell Bent For Leather

Written by Andy Lye
More: Heavy Metal, Live DVDs, Judas Priest