"Victim of Changes" opens in spectacular fashion. One of the most recognizable riffs in metal history, the song is a masterpiece. Singer Rob Halford sounds amazing on the track, and many would consider the song one of his best vocal performances. K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton unleash the heaviest guitar work this side of Black Sabbath circa 1976. I love when the song slows down near the end, and the hazy Scorpions-like section is frosty but beautiful. Halford closes the song with some uncanny banshee-like screams, an incredible range. A Priest staple, and easily the best song on the album. "The Ripper" is another Priest classic. About the infamous "Jack the Ripper", the song is a dark and dank journey through the back-alleys of olde London. The riffs are very intricate and groove-based, and the sound of metal would forever be changed by the seemingly endless riff factory that was Tipton and Downing. Short, but a great song.
"Dreamer Deceiver" shows off the importance of acoustics on the album. It opens with a bone-chilling introduction. Halford sounds gorgeous and hazy, while the gentle acoustics set the slow pace alongside the half-awake drumming of Alan Moore, who would leave the band after this album. The song's psychedelic and introspective lyrics build, until finally Halford unleashes some amazingly high notes. Besides maybe "Painkiller", I would be hard-pressed to find Halford performing better from a vocal standpoint. Some blazing solos play over the acoustics and solid rhythm section, and the lead guitar work on the album is nearly flawless. A great song that is occasionally played live even today. The albums rolls directly in "Deceiver", which is sonically connected to the previous track. Much faster and heavier, I love the rawness of the production, sparse but epic-sounding. The album really shows off the raw talent of the band, who have little need for effects or layers of distortion. Again very short, but a nice rollicking joint that sounds not that far off from the sound the band would take on the next few albums, much faster.
Side 2 opens with the short instrumental "Prelude". Piano and strings play a Wagnerian-esque orchestral piece. Very ominous, it sets the tone for the second half of the album and is one of the earlier examples of strings on a metal album. "Tyrant" is one of band's more underrated and unknown songs. The main riff is absolutely stellar, one of their most memorable in my opinion. Despite having too much echo, Halford's vocals deliver as well, and I love the lyrics concerning authoritarian despotism. A stand-out track. "Genocide" is another deep-album track from Priest. The more bluesy riff is not as heavy and dark as many other songs on the album, despite the very dark lyrics about massive swaths of death and destruction. I like the creepy spoken word narration section that happens before Halford comes back in full force, and the groove gets even tighter, dare I say disco-like. An interesting song for sure that closes with Halford almost rapping, via a lack of a better word.
"Epitaph" is an odd song and not nearly as heavy as it sounds. A soft and jazzy tune. I like the Queen-like harmonies and deep lyrics that concern mortality, but it is very different from anything you have heard from Priest. Still, an interesting song. The album closes with "Island of Domination". Classic Priest, a rollicking rhythm section drives along Halford's soaring operatic lyrics combined with some fierce riffing from the Priest boys. Despite some fairly nonsensical lyrics, I like the song in many ways. But not a standout track, it lacks the lyrical depth and emotional impact of many Priest songs.
"Sad Wings of Destiny" is the first true Priest album. Much heaver than their debut, it shows the band embracing and moving more towards the heavy metal sound that would propel them to international success.
Rating-9/10
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