JUDAS PRIEST - ROCKA ROLLA (1974)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Rocka Rolla is the debut album by heavy metal band Judas Priest.  It was released in September of 1974 and it did not even scratch the surface of any albums chart.  It was produced by Roger Bain and was the only Judas Priest album to feature John Hinch on the drums.  Glenn Tipton had just joined the band and did not contribute much to the album in terms of song writing.

To me, this doesn't sound as much like a heavy metal band as it does a hard rock, slightly progressive rock band.  I'm sure there are those who think that because it really doesn't sound much like what the band sounded like at the top of their fame, it isn't such a good Priest album.  But I like it.  I like this sound, even though the production isn't the greatest.  The song Run Of The Mill is amazing.  It will instantly be one of my favorite Judas Priest tunes.  The guitar work on that track alone is worth the price of the album.

Album Ranking List:

1. Rocka Rolla

RJ's Ultimate Judas Priest Playlist (at least one but no more than two from each album):

1. Run Of The Mill

[Niels (Mod)]

"..this doesn't sound as much like a heavy metal band as it does a hard rock, slightly progressive rock band".

Well, I've said many times, that HEAVY METAL didn't excist until '79-'80. Show me an article from before 1979, that says, Black Sabbath or anybody else was playing Heavy Metal. Nowadays, "they" say, that Sabbath was the first Metal-band, but back then, it was Hard Rock or maybe even Heavy rock. Just like Punk didn't excist until 1976.

But the album is much better, than I remembered it to be.