It was May of 2024. My folks had gotten me 2 tickets to see them. One for myself, and the other for a friend (Who I hadn’t see in 5-ish years). I was at a sports arena roughly an hour away from where I lived, and in a fairly big city. It also happened to be raining that day, so it made moving around outside a little wet. There was already a big crowd inside the place, so the show hadn’t started yet. Right next to it was a little pizza place, so me & my buddy has some slices for dinner & a soda, which was nice. We walk back into the arena, where we stand in line for a little bit before we go in. From there, I bought 2 band shirts, since Sabaton was the opening act (And they were damn good in their own right that night). Then after the boys from Sweden had their rightful time on stage, Rob Halford & the gang came on, and I could only describe the moment.....as cosmic.
Keep in mind: I had only been a fan of the band for close to a decade by that point (Earlier this year was exactly a decade), so I had certainly be entrenched in the faithful for some time, but it wasn’t until seeing one of the godfathers of Heavy Metal in person that being a fan felt permanent. From the opener to the closer, it all clicked in my head. From the beginning to the end, it all made sense. This was especially important, as a few months before that their 19th studio album Invincible Shield was released. The record was pretty significant upon release, as it technically marks 50 years since their very first album Rocka Rolla was put out (It was officially 50 years on the 6th of September). I was definitely interesting in the release, since the singles for it were really addictive, but then when the whole thing came out I was floored in all the right ways!
Not only was Invincible Shield a phenomenal album from top to bottom, but it was also a message sent across to all corners of Heavy Metal. Not just to the newer bands, but to some of the older ones as well, and that statement was “We’re Still Here!”. Everybody is on point across this whole record: Scott Travis is like Raijin & Fujin on the drums, Ian Hill is smooth on the bass, Glenn Tipton is still great on the guitar, and Richie Faulkner sounds & feels better than ever after his horrific heart issues, but then of course there is the scream master Rob Halford. Now in his early 70s, he still has an incredible stage presence to this very day, and is still able to hit the high notes like he did back during the 80s. He can still move around on stage surprisingly well also, but his age now is incredibly obvious in that regard. Invincible Shield is proof that not only is Judas Priest eternal, but Heavy Metal as a whole is eternal as well.
Picking the best track off of the album was easy, and that honor goes to the title track. The only bad thing I could say is that the song doesn’t open the record up, but that’s it. Invincible Shield has the makings of a modern day Judas Priest anthem: lightning fast guitars, grooving bass, thunderous drums, and Rob Halford’s patented vocal work that has not wavered once since he reached his 70s. On top of that, there’s a big nostalgia vibe coursing throughout the track that harkens back to their 80s work, and to be more specific something like you’d feel off of Defenders Of The Faith. It’s an absolute blast to listen too with the volume turned up, but not too loud!
Invincible Shield
So, if I’ve heaped so much praise on Invincible Shield, does that mean there isn’t anything negative to say? Not really. Invincible Shield is damn good, and shows that Judas Priest is still able to be a force in Heavy Metal, even if many in the band are of exceptional age. If there is anything to fault the album, it would be a weird fluctuation of quality. Make no mistake: There’s not a single bad or mediocre track from opener to closer, and the over all experience is badass as it should be. That being said, Invincible Shield has an odd habit of going between great to good at seemingly random intervals. Again, not a single track ever goes to mediocre or awful, but it is weird to even remotely notice when it dips from great to good, and vice versa.
Invincible Shield gets a solid 10 out of 10 from me. Mild quality shifting aside, it’s a testament to the legacy of Judas Priest, and a statement to the metal community at large saying “We’re Still Here!”. With the band releasing albums for half a century as of last year, they’re still here despite some big ups & downs, and they will still be here until they can’t. And with that, my quick look back at 2024 I finished, and tomorrow is the final month of the year. See you on the 1st for my look at the top 5 albums of 2025. Until then, may the shield you carry keep you safe.
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If you would like to listen to this album, then click on the link below:
Invincible Shield
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