Album battle: Empire vs. Painkiller

[dmbrocker]

Take a trip with me if you will back to the good ol' month of September 1990 and pick your favorite/better of these two albums. It's close for me, but I might have to go with Empire just barely over Halford and Co. here. Has this poll ever been done before, by the way? I'm thinking it may have been years, if so. Oh well. Pick your favorite of these two albums, Sludgers!

[Wild Obsession]

Empire is the only (and more than enough) Queensrych album I own, and I never got into Judas Priest.

Empire > Painkiller

[Psychobolia.com]

Painkiller, for the sheer intensity of the title track and its video.

[GoodJudge]

Empire was the first cd I ever bought, so wins for that reason. Never really got into Priest anyway. A schoolfriend had Unleashed In The Studio but it did nothing for me.

[Love_Industry]

The first three Ryche albums destroy Painkiller but with Empire (and PL) it's close. Neither of those is my go-to album for the respective band but I listen to Empire more often. So Empire it is.

[DemonFilth2001]

Empire is terrific. Just like all of Queensryche’s first 5 releases. 6, if you include the EP.

Painkiller is trash. A Touch of Evil is pretty good. The title track is ok. Sounds like Priest trying to be something they aren’t. The rest is filler/shit/garbage.

[HueyRamone]

Empire is dumb. And what's with the title track, complaining how the US underfunds law enforcement?

Painkiller by a billion miles

[VinnieVincentsVag]

Empire

[dmbrocker]

Empire is dumb. And what's with the title track, complaining how the US underfunds law enforcement?

Painkiller by a billion miles

Especially when you consider that the US is grossly overfunding its law enforcement these days (See: George Floyd and similar incidents). My apologies in advance for turning this into a political thread, by the way. Oops!

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Empire is dumb. And what's with the title track, complaining how the US underfunds law enforcement?

Painkiller by a billion miles

Prexactly...

[inextrem]

Priest

[Hellbound]

Priest trying to be something they aren’t. The rest is filler/shit/garbage.

If they "wanted" to make it then it IS what they ARE as opposed to the fuck-ass shit you want from them since I know you are the one retard on earth still breathing who likes 80s Pantera over 90s.

Also are you insinuating that you would like Painkiller if some other band did it? I never understood that angle like people say "oh, Load would be a masterpiece by anyone else if it wasn't Metallica".




TL;DR: I respect your opinion and cordially invite you to suck my dick.

[whiteowl yesterday]

i love 'em both but voted for empire.

[DemonFilth2001]

Priest trying to be something they aren’t. The rest is filler/shit/garbage.

If they "wanted" to make it then it IS what they ARE as opposed to the fuck-ass shit you want from them since I know you are the one retard on earth still breathing who likes 80s Pantera over 90s.

Also are you insinuating that you would like Painkiller if some other band did it? I never understood that angle like people say "oh, Load would be a masterpiece by anyone else if it wasn't Metallica".




TL;DR: I respect your opinion and cordially invite you to suck my dick.

No. Painkiller, the album, would be crap no matter who recorded it. People just pretend to like it because Priest’s name was attached to it. The fact that Priest tried a different style…and absolutely failed…makes it even worse.

Not only was a shitty album released, we didn’t get a new Priest album.

[Tommy2Tone84]

Neither. They both suck

[skinni]

Painkiller is a much better album.

[Love_Industry]

No. Painkiller, the album, would be crap no matter who recorded it. People just pretend to like it because Priest’s name was attached to it. The fact that Priest tried a different style…and absolutely failed…makes it even worse.

Maybe it wouldn’t be crap if all of Priest played on it. Dave Holland and Ian Hill instead of that guy from Racer X on drums and Don Airey playing bass samples on his keyboards.

Was the bass on RiD keyboards too? Always thought it was Glenn and/or KK playing bass when Ian wasn't with them in Denmark but who knows?

[pieceofme]

Empire.

Judas Priest are one of my favourite bands, but Painkiller ranks about 10th best when it comes to their album releases. Overrated. Sounds so forced.

[Love_Industry]

Empire.

Judas Priest are one of my favourite bands, but Painkiller ranks about 10th best when it comes to their album releases. Overrated. Sounds so forced.

It's around that for me too, but also I have to admit it was probably their best album in over 30 years - between Turbo (1986) and Firepower (2018). Angel of Retribution is close though. The more I think about it, Priest's drop in quality from Ram It Down and on is Leppard / Queensryche level. It's just the long break after Painkiller and the forgotten (and forgettable) Ripper era that makes it less obvious.

[Ol' Dirty Bastard]

Empire is dumb. And what's with the title track, complaining how the US underfunds law enforcement?

Painkiller by a billion miles