Priestess / Prior To The Fire / TeePee Records

It seems RCA dropped Canadian metal outfit Priestess when they felt the band’s second effort lacked a catchy single to match the success of hits such as “Lay Down” or “Talk To Her” from their debut. This helps to explain why the follow-up took so long to come to fruition, but it fails to explain how a label could, once again, so completely miss the point. Bands with chops like Priestess, capable of taking listeners on journeys with their instrumentals and their lyricism, aren’t in their element on the radio. Sure, Judas Priest had a few radio hits, but few fans of the prolific group would say “(You’ve Got) Another Thing Comin’” was their finest work. No, it’s at concerts, in front of fans that brought lighters with the intention of doing more than holding them over their heads, that metal gods come alive. On Prior to the Fire, Priestess captures a lurching, terrorizing set of jams. “Lady Killer” and “Trapped in Time & Space” give exhilarating bookends to an album best enjoyed at maximum volume.

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