Halford
Made Of Metal
Review by Mike Korn
With the sad demise of Ronnie James Dio earlier in the year, nobody can argue that Rob Halford is truly the Metal God. His importance to the metal genre is so great that I automatically cut him a ton of slack on any project he does, including that oddball "Christmas" album he did last year. I think that in the case of Made of Metal, that slack makes the album a little easier to digest.
It's been quite some time since we've heard from the Halford solo band. Their last effort Crucible was simply of the best things Halford’s name has ever been attached to, so Made Of Metal had a lot to live up to. In all honesty, this new album isn't even close to touching its predecessor. It comes across as too long and too slick and it lacks the fury and passion behind Crucible. But still the album has its enjoyable tracks and while Halford's vocal performance is not at its apex here, it is never less than entertaining. Halford wrote a lot of these tunes himself, with no collaboration. Honestly, he needs the songwriting prowess of Tipton and Downing to be at his best, just as they need him to front Judas Priest.
And again, this is Rob Halford we're talking about, so I think his fans, of which I am one, are more than prepared to give him a break on Made of Metal.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2010 Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.
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