Halford – Live In Anaheim

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Continuing the excellent series of archive releases from Rob Halford’s Metal God Records, while fans wait for a brand new Halford album, this double live CD provides the official soundtrack to a forthcoming DVD recorded on the tour for second album Crucible. As the title indicates, the majority of the album comprises the complete show from the stop in Anaheim, with four tracks recorded in Japan appearing at the end of the second disc. Besides the excellent sound quality and Halford’s vocal performance, which is probably somewhere between the excellent Live Insurrection album (Halford, from the 2001 tour for first studio disc Resurrection) and the Touch of Evil Live album (Judas Priest, from the 2005 World tour), the release has two points of particular note. Firstly the show was the live debut of then new members Roy Z (guitar) and Mike Davis (bass) and with that in mind, the fact that the band sound so tight is remarkable. Secondly it includes a stellar setlist, bringing together the only officially released live recordings of several songs from Crucible, some from Resurrection, a few Priest and Fight classics, and two very rare old Priest songs that never make it into their own sets: Never Satisfied and White Heat Red Hot. The bonus tracks add two duplicate tracks present on disc one and two additional tracks not played in Anaheim. Live In Anaheim acts as an excellent companion to Live Insurrection, with only a few tracks doubled-up between the two and the sound quality and performance being very comparable. This is a must for fans.

Written by Andy Lye
More: Heavy Metal, Live Albums, Quick.Play Reviews, Halford