For young listeners not easy, but very good

I have to admit: When I heard Stained Class for the first time, I was less enthusiastic. Especially the opener Exciter rather annoyed me. Meanwhile, my opinion has changed and I think the album is now for the most interesting, and perhaps best of five metallischste Judas-Priest-plates from the seventies.

For younger ears like the sound of my Stained Class in the remastered edition takes some getting used to. Especially the guitars sound pretty thin. As you probably much faster warm with the sound of the successor Killing Machine and British Steel.

The same applies to the songs. Although the pieces of Stained Class, a total of a bit more accessible than the previous, but for Judas-Priest-conditions there are on average fewer earwigs. The very good cover version of Better By You, Better Than Me is there still the largest. The piece sounds its origin according to very hard rock. Elsewhere, the plate presents substantially harder and faster. The up-tempo entry Exciter would with today's recording technology act like a typical speed / power metal song and is settling for something for me to be a highlight. Similarly, if a little slower the title track comes along, by its strong chorus convinced me a little more than the opener. At the point should also be noted that the guitar work is been much more impressive when whole album than the better known Priest albums from the eighties. On drums me Les Binks like anyway over Dave Holland, who has tumbled from British Steel for the priests.
The absolute highlight of Stained Class in my opinion is the nearly seven-minute ballad Beyond The Realms of Death, which until recently was still the only song of the plate in the live program of the band. Such poignant (note here also the text!) It was in Judas Priest virtually unparalleled. The other five songs on the album are all consistently good, but do not reach the quality of the already mentioned. Something is inappropriate Fire Burns Below, the bonus song the remastered edition, which was originally created in the period of 1988 released album Ram It Down. Convince, the song anyway, you should only know that it has nothing to do with the origin album.

Stained Class is an album for which I needed some time. As light as about British Steel or Screaming for Vengeance, it reveals itself in any case not even with the predecessors Sad Wings of Destiny and Sin After Sin was at least I warm up more quickly. But over time, developed this disc, as I said to my Priest-favorite from the seventies. The pieces are harder and metallic than its predecessors, while also complex and varied in itself as the successors.
I've thought long whether I will give four or five points. If we now 1978, I had decided intended for the latter. Because the plate is young listeners but much more difficult with the acclimatization makes than about Killing Machine and songs like Invader or Heroes end up no more than are good, I opt for four stars with an upward trend.