| Angel of Retribution is the 15th studio album by British heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in 2005. It marks the return of Rob Halford, after a 12 year departure from the band. The album debuted at #13 on the U.S. Billboard chart, which made it the second highest chart of a Judas Priest album (only before Nostradamus). It also marked the first time Judas Priest have been the number 1 artist on a national chart (in Greece). The album was produced by Roy Z, who co-wrote the song "Deal with the Devil".
Within the album, nods to the sound of past albums and songs are found, as well as lyrics that apparently reference earlier songs. The song "Demonizer" references both "The Hellion" from Screaming for Vengeance as well as "Painkiller" from the eponymous album. "Hellrider" mentions "Ram It Down" off the same-titled album, and "Tyrant" from Sad Wings of Destiny. "Eulogy" references "Stained Class" and "The Sentinel" from the albums Stained Class and Defenders of the Faith, respectively. Finally, "Worth Fighting For" acts as a sequel/prequel to "Desert Plains" from Point of Entry. The song "Deal With the Devil" can be viewed as a autobiography of Judas Priest, telling their origins from the Black Country of England's West Midlands, mentioning their transitory days gigging around England and practicing at the Church of Holy Joseph in Walsall, which is where Judas Priest was effectively born. "Deal With the Devil" also mentions the song "Blood Red Skies" from Ram it Down. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply. |
