Coming at you with a visceral assault and an endowment to metal heads and Judas Priest fans world-wide is the re-release of Rob Halford’s Fight- “War of Words” with five new tracks recorded last year. For the uninitiated, Halford first formed the band “Fight” with Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis, bassist Jay Jay and guitarists Brian Tilse and Russ Parish in 1993. After two years, two studio albums and two varying sounds after Parish departed, Halford moved on to other projects and incarnations.
Originally released in 1993, “War of Words” remains a rock-solid metal CD with uncomplicated riffs that worked metal magic sans any artifice that was the downfall of other bands during that time. As a testament, the work is slick and salubrious even today. In short it hits the major pressure points, swipes at the jugular and is not for anyone who can’t take a hit to the glass jaw.
Additions to the menu include tracks “Now You Die”, “Forbidden”, “Down”, “Beast Denies” and “Dead Men Talk” making for a made for speed collection, and Halford’s 4 ½ octave range is given full court advantage to thrash.
Stand out tracks include “Forbidden”, “Beast Denies” and the still to this day powerful “Life and Black”.
It’s Halford. It’s Loud. It’s the “fight” with a ringside seat you’ve been waiting for.
