Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Judas Priest
Label: Columbia Records
Released: 1988
Running time: 58:12
Rating: 3.5/5
With a supersonic battle cry and a cannonade from every piece of artillery the band has, “Ram It Down” announces a return to the roots within the first few moments. Heh, heh, where’s the polished synth-driven melodizing? It’s gone (almost!). Priest are killer on “Ram It Down”. The sound of the whole band is cranked up several notches, and Judas Priest tear it up, torture their engines and, most importantly, like seasoned old tomcats, sound shocking again. In short, a return to the roots and, in the same breath, a fresh upgrade.
What a fantastic solo cocktail K.K. and Glenn serve up in the title track. Even today it’s one of the most beautifully crafted guitar duels ever laid down. It’s packed with great flourishes, including razor-sharp guitar licks, witty tremolo dive-bombs, and solos that are a real finger-twister. A song you devour with pleasure. The constant growth of both guitarists in Heavy Metal only confirms it. Glenn’s intro on it proves once more that Judas Priest aren’t messing around on “Ram It Down” anymore. They came back to hand every metal zealot a proper fistful of dynamite. If we look back at Judas Priest’s older repertoire, “Ram It Down” was a true sonic explosion up to that point. Come And Get It is already downright dangerous, but the excellent bomb Hard As Iron sucks out the last shred of “healthy” reason, and Priest carry us straight off into a perfect heavy metal dream.
The sixth track is the excellent atmospheric drama Blood Red Skies. Here Priest use guitar synths very tastefully. They don’t spoil the sound picture; the “synths” now fill it out fantastically and create an incredible mood in the song. A track full of pompous epicness, with vocalist Rob Halford at the center of it all, wielding his artful sixth sense. The song is a moving adventure, a real mix of rage, bitterness, longing and, at the heart of it, the burning fire of romantic passion. Note that you can hear a “sampled” rhythm in the sound of Blood Red Skies. It’s noticeable too in the excellent cover of C. Berry’s Johnny B. Goode and in the rolling metal beast Monsters Of Rock. Dave plays the drums normally, but the sound is backed by a synthetic layer. The band obviously liked the sound this gave them, because, let’s be honest, all the new experimental tricks complement the overall metalizing phenomenally and amplify it.
The bonus tracks on this remaster are the live versions of Night Comes Down and Bloodstone. Judas Priest are great live, as has been said countless times. Flawless and, as always, steel of the noblest pedigree. The only frustrating thing is that live versions of the songs from the “Ram It Down” album can’t be found on any official release by the band. Well, let’s hope they make up for that in the future.
However, “Ram It Down” as a whole doesn’t quite reach the level of “Screaming For Vengeance”, “Defenders Of The Faith” or “British Steel”, at least as far as consistency goes. Love Zone and Love You To Death are the weaker spots and struggle to measure up to the rest of the sonic material and the atmospheric drama of Blood Red Skies. On the other hand, there are tracks like Hard As Iron, I’m A Rocker, Heavy Metal and of course the title track, which are true crushers, and in sound, style and sheer magic they signaled where Judas Priest were headed with the next album.
Lineup
Rob Halford – vocals
K.K. Downing – guitar
Glenn Tipton – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Dave Holland – drums
Production
Tom Allom
Track list
1. Ram It Down
2. Heavy Metal
3. Love Zone
4. Come And Get It
5. Hard As Iron
6. Blood Red Skies
7. I’m A Rocker
8. Johnny B. Goode
9. Love You To Death
10. Monsters Of Rock
BONUS TRACKS ON THE 2002 REMASTERED EDITION:
11. Night Comes Down (Live)
12. Bloodstone (Live)
