Whether it is Judas Priest or his various other projects, Rob Halford has established one fine reputation as heavy metal’s most recognizable figure throughout his multiple decades of staying true to his roots. During select phases in the early 2000s, the legendary singer rejuvenated his solo band after a long absence and conjured two unique full-lengths alongside a nifty live album. Needless to say, Halford’s epic band appropriately revolved around him and has had a good run throughout its longevity, so in tribute, we have this huge agglomeration of his greatest moments along with other swell augmentations. Entitled The Metal God Essentials: Volume 1 this bag of classics presents the metal god’s choice cuts from his self-titled group, but not without tossing in a few new tunes and a cool DVD also; it’s a mini-arsenal of Halford, Halford, and more Halford!Coming off records that were popped out a couple years before this observation, you’ll probably notice the production has been digitally improved for a heavier, thinker sound reeking of Roy Z.’s crushing guitars and a wonderful balance of instrumental audio. Now to make things even better, we have a DVD featuring many video clips along with a few well-known trophies played live. Adding to such a genuine edition is great audio quality, clarion picture images, spot-on performances, and energy unlike your typical live show. I really didn’t think double penetrating an entire release with fifteen songs and a gigantic DVD would turn out nicely, yet you’ll likely have a gas experiencing Mr. Halford’s musical and visual majesties.
As this is a best-of thingy, The Metal God Essentials: Volume 1 presents some of the greatest Halford tunes ever recorded, including excellent tracks from both his major releases and a few new treats as well; no complaints with any of those. Besides all that goodness, there seems to be a tiny amount of Fight demos that somehow squeezed in on a compilation meant for Halford’s pair of solo albums without any real meaning; you could argue it’s to honor his musical career, or is it? It seems like a sly pitch to expose Fight’s K5: The War of Words anthology that came out dangerously close (and on the same label, ironically) to our CD in question. Sorry friends, but if I want to hear Fight, I’ll buy their damn disc instead of this one.
Other than that slight inconsistency, this massive omnibus fits properly among Rob Halford’s many enjoyable efforts as it firmly strides along with heavy metal flowing through its veins; a characteristic the god himself has demanded whenever summoned. If you do creepy stuff like collecting dirt Halford has walked on, then buy The Metal God Essentials: Volume 1 and continue acting really damn weird; it also ain’t a bad place to start if you’re curious about his solo band. Overall, this whole collection really reflects the magic and power surging through the energetic Judas Priest vocalist, and as a release, it’s certainly a worthy purchase for only a few bucks.