Saturday, April 22, 2023

Judas Priest, "Traitors Gate"

Close your eyes, listen to the dude signing this song. Try to reconcile what you're hearing with a man (then) in his late 60s. 

Impressive. Aging warriors still fighting the world with metal.

Firepower (2018) is Judas Priest's 18th studio album. If it were their last, it would be a hell of a swan song. I love this album, almost every song on it, and "Traitors Gate" is one of my favorites. It might be the best song on the album. The lyrics speak of an impending execution for a man convicted of treason, but believing he's in the right. Uncompromising, and very metal.

The river shows no mercy
The tower looms into my view
I sense my execution's closing
With darkness all around me
The axe is ground to end my days
The raven's cry proclaims repentance

Few bands carry on for more than 50 years; fewer still continue to produce good original work in the twilight of such a long career. Judas Priest is a notable exception, but then again they've always been exceptional.



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