811. Halford / Halford IV: Made of Metal. 2010. 3.5/5

Given that Rob Halford had returned to Judas Priest some years earlier, and that two albums had been released since the reformation, is it unusual that Halford himself still felt the need to go out and release another album on his own? Was he not getting enough fulfilment from his band, or was it that he enjoyed being able to express himself away from that writing partnership? Or was it just that he enjoyed being busy and releasing music, while the output of bands as they get older always tends to wind back. Whatever the reason, here is the fourth album under the Halford banner with the message plainly stated in the title - Made of Metal.

The fact that this is a return to his successful partnership with the influential Roy Z as producer and co-writer is also significant, and it is also a delight to have him playing on the album as well. Roy Z's influence in the solo careers of both Halford and Bruce Dickinson is beyond significant, and his ideas are always worth hearing in a musical sense. I particularly love his guitar solos, there is just something about them that appeals to me. Metal Mike Chlasciak returns on the second guitar and blends in beautifully with Roy. Mike Davis on bass guitar and Bobby Jarzombek on drums provide the perfect platform in the rhythm section.
To the album itself, and to be honest it is a mismatch of styles here, and all of it seems to be either fighting to set itself aside from his work with Judas Priest, or then on the other hand deliberately trying to align it self with that work. The songs blend from the faster and heavier songs, to the mid-tempo chorus sing-along songs, to the slower and more reflective tunes that, depending on your own tastes either work amazingly well or just slow down the progress of the album. I guess you know my feelings on this by now. "Twenty Five Years" would be the case in point. This song is molasses-slow and long, stretching out beyond seven minutes with barely any respite or excitement. Judas Priest made this mistake with "Loch Ness". I know there are fans out there who will love this, but it just doesn't fit the profile at all. Why have a song like this, and then follow it up with "Matador", which rattles along at a faster pace with a solid riff, double kick drums and attitude in Halford's vocals. I admit I don't get it, but it isn't the only instance on the album. Having started off at a cracking pace with songs like "Undisputed", "Fire and Ice", "Made of Metal" and "Speed of Sound" there is a bit of a change in a song like "Twenty Five Years".  Still, it is his album, and Rob should certainly be free to explore all his options when it his own release. It is still amusing that his first album under the Halford moniker, Resurrection sounded more like Judas Priest than Judas Priest did at the time. Now however, a decade onwards, and both sides have slipped into this slightly more comfortable arena.
Ignoring my moaning over one particular song, this is a solid release once again. He doesn't over extend his vocal range apart from in "The Mower" but the attitude and strength is still there in spades. "Heartless" is a good example of this, its not a racy song but Halford's vocals followed by the ripping guitar solos make it worth listening to. "Hell Razor" is similar, with the guitars starring in a repetitive lyrical conglomerate. Roy Z's influence is easily heard in most of the songs that he co-wrote here, especially in "Made of Metal", "Speed of Sound" and "Thunder and Lightning", the harmonic guitars and layered vocals give these songs their own style.

The positives far outweigh any negatives I might have come up with here on this album. Certainly, in my opinion, this is better than the two reunited Priest albums that came before this was released. It allows the band to showcase their own skills with their iconic frontman on centre stage, and while it may not be as furious as one may have preferred, there are still highlights to listen to and enjoy.

Rating:   Reeling you in to a climax crescendo of sound.  3.5/5