Is Rocka Rolla the worst Priest album?

[BDG135]

What album is worse?

[AlexVonHaig]

And to think that there are people out there who would answer Turbo Lover

[Psychobolia.com]

My Big 4:

#1 worst: Demolition
#2: Rocka Rolla
#3: Redeemer of Souls
#4: Nostradamus

[Zabooka]

Probably. It's the most unlike the Priest we all now.
I tried to like it, but it's not even close to what I would expect.

[BDG135]

I gotta check out Demolition now. I like so-bad-it's-good stuff.

[Demon Kogure]

I'd rather listen to Rocka Rolla a hundred times in a row than listen to Turbo once

[WOLF]

My Big 4:

#1 worst: Demolition
#2: Rocka Rolla
#3: Redeemer of Souls
#4: Nostradamus

Same 4 for me… different order perhaps.

[daveg]

My vote would be Ram it Down

[Anthrax442]

No. I'd give that to Nostradamus. I actually like Rocka Rolla a lot, even if it's not what Priest would later be known for. Nostradamus is the only album of theirs that I'm completely indifferent to. I've tried to listen to it a few times, and nothing has ever stuck, which is impressive considering it's a double album, and there's twice as much material to...err....stick.

[Love_Industry]

My Big 4:

#1 worst: Demolition
#2: Rocka Rolla
#3: Redeemer of Souls
#4: Nostradamus

Same 4 for me… different order perhaps.

There seems to be a bit of consensus here. Different order for sure, but those make the bottom 5 together with Jugulator.
Probably this order for me: Demolition (worst), Redeemer, Jugulator, Nostradamus, Rocka Rolla.

The sound on the vinyl and older cds of Rocka Rolla is just atrocious, but some of the more recent remasters sound quite ok, 2012 Japanese or 50 Metal Years for example.

[Ziggy Sawdust]

I found Redeemer dire. No memorable songs. Which is why Firepower was such a surprise.

[Love_Industry]

I found Redeemer dire. No memorable songs. Which is why Firepower was such a surprise.

Exactly this. The production on Redeemer is not good either, and it's the only Priest album where I don't like how Halford sings. And his vocals are too upfront and loud.

Edit: Firepower was even more of a surprise to me as out of the previous five Priest albums, four make their bottom five. Angel of Retribution was listenable but uneven.

[LurkingAtWork]

Hot take: Hell Bent for Leather is their worst album

[HueyRamone]

Alway found the title track fun

Dying to meet you and never satisfied are good too.

The rest? Eh. It beats demolition, redeemer, maybe jugulator

[Anthrax442]

I found Redeemer dire. No memorable songs. Which is why Firepower was such a surprise.

I think both Redeemer and Firepower are fantastic. Not sure how you can't like at least the first three tracks on Redeemer, and they all went over well live.

[Psychobolia.com]

Run of the Mill is a great song as well, would have fit in perfect on that very first Rainbow album.

[The Stench]

Hot take: Hell Bent for Leather is their worst album

I mean, I can understand someone not liking it since its kind of a mixed bag with typical Priest fare combined with some lighter poppier songs. But the worst?!

I'd say the worst is Nostradamus. Just a dragged out and boring affair. I expect that kind of crap from latter day Maiden, but not from Priest.

I do like Rocka Rolla. My first Priest album was a compilation of songs from that and Sad Wings so those songs were the first deeper cuts I'd heard from them. "Dying To Meet You" is lyrically one of the darkest songs they've ever done. The title track is probably the closest on the album to the direction they'd eventually take. For me the hidden gem of the album is "Cheater". I always thought a sped up and more metallic version would have fit in nicely with their live set.

[Love_Industry]

Hot take: Hell Bent for Leather is their worst album

I mean, I can understand someone not liking it since its kind of a mixed bag with typical Priest fare combined with some lighter poppier songs. But the worst?!

Far from the worst but it may be their least cohesive before Ram It Down. There's no direction and no flow on the album. Songs like Evening Star, Burnin' Up, Running Wild and Before the Dawn are all good but don't sound like the same band let alone the same album.

[VinnieVincentsVag]

I actually like Rocka Rolla a lot.

Me too.

[Ozzy Stradlin]

My vote would be Ram it Down

I concur.

Blood Red Skies & I’m a Rocker are the only songs on there that do it for me.

[inextrem]

Not at all.
I love it. First time I listened to it (late 80's I guess or early 90's) didn't do shit for me. But nowadays is one of my go-to Priest records.

[Dyslexicheart]

I also like it quite a lot, and even moreso the Best of that had songs from the first 2 albums. It's not modern metal, but interesting early 70's hard rock as others have mentioned.

[EatNails]

Rocka Rolla would be top 5 for me.

I like a lot of oddball albums though.

[Tommy2Tone84]

I like some Priest and while they certainly have their moments, I was always a bigger Ozzy, Maiden, Scorpions, AC/DC and Def Leppard fan.


They have a number of great songs and BS and SFV are a couple of bright spots in their discography, I was always underwhelmed by their albums.

I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but I find Turbo to be one of their better albums. While Love Bites, Some Heads and The Sentinel are wicked genius, Defenders fell flat for me as a prepubescent. It still falls flat for me all these years later as an old man. Ram It Down was absolute garbage. I wanted to love Painkiller and the effort was there. It ultimately didn’t do it for me.

I finally bought SC in the compact disc era and that was audio garbage too. If there was any reason those two kids shot themselves while listening to it, it’s because they realized their favorite heavy metal band’s latest opus was a shyte sandwich.

I did not know HBFL’s title was changed from Killing Machine after an elementary school shooting in San Diego in 1979. I also did not know that the Boomtown Rats song I Don’t Like Mondays is about the shooting.

[tommy trixter]

Yea I Actually Like It..Alot.Not The Worst At All.I Like It A Whole Lot More Than Ram It Down.

[DemonFilth2001]

That or Painkiller. Both suck.

[Love_Industry]

I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but I find Turbo to be one of their better albums.
<snip>
I did not know HBFL’s title was changed from Killing Machine after an elementary school shooting in San Diego in 1979.

Everyone who likes Turbo seems to think it's an unpopular opinion but I've met far more Priest fans who like it than not. Maybe because I was there at the time, meaning I'm too old to know those who got on board with the "heavy as f**k, dude!" albums Painkiller or Jugulator

Also didn't know they changed the title to HBFL because of a specific shooting. Always heard the label found it too violent and changed it to avoid a negative reception.

[HueyRamone]

I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but I find Turbo to be one of their better albums.
<snip>
I did not know HBFL’s title was changed from Killing Machine after an elementary school shooting in San Diego in 1979.

Everyone who likes Turbo seems to think it's an unpopular opinion but I've met far more Priest fans who like it than not. Maybe because I was there at the time, meaning I'm too old to know those who got on board with the "heavy as f**k, dude!" albums Painkiller or Jugulator

Also didn't know they changed the title to HBFL because of a specific shooting. Always heard the label found it too violent and changed it to avoid a negative reception.

I hate Parental Guidance and Rock You All Around the World, but I like Out in the Cold, Private Property, and WNH&CD. The rest is meh. I feel like I dislike it cause of the drop from Defenders, but there is a couple good ones on there..... Probably close to as many as I like on HBFL, which I consider to be an odd, unfocused and strangly overrated album.

[The Stench]

I finally bought SC in the compact disc era and that was audio garbage too. If there was any reason those two kids shot themselves while listening to it, it’s because they realized their favorite heavy metal band’s latest opus was a shyte sandwich.

Latest opus?! That album was several years old already when them kids did the suicide thing, ya dingbat.

[Ziggy Sawdust]

I almost said Painkiller, I wouldn’t say terrible but very overated. But not at overated as say, London Calling.