Stained Class

iTunes Review

From the opening seconds of “Exciter” it was clear that Stained Class heralded the ascension of a whole new strain of heavy metal thunder. An assault of tribal, amphetaminic drumming merges with electroshock guitar as Rob Halford’s trademark howl descends from the sky: “Racing cross the heavens / Straight into the dawn / Looking like a comet/ Slicing through the morn.” Halford was describing nature’s most elemental forces and at the same time, offering an accurate description of his band’s modus operandi. There isn’t a dud on the album, and though the music is still a recognizable outgrowth of Seventies blues-rock, one can hear the beginnings of Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera in the punishing tempos and lacerating riffs of “White Heat Red Hot,” “Stained Class,” and “Heroes End.” A cover of Spooky Tooth’s “Better By You, Better Than Me” would go on to eclipse the rest of the album when it was used as evidence in the infamous “subliminal message” trial of 1990. Fearful adults accused Priest of encouraging teenage listeners to commit suicide, but a thorough listen of Stained Class reveals its true purpose: to give a new generation of hard rock fans an outlet for their energies and imagination.