HALFORD IV “MADE OF METAL” – THE METAL GOD… Has Returned With A Vengeance!
HALFORD – Oh, how The Metal God has cometh and made a Metal album that is mega-primed for satisfying my Metal hunger! Halford IV – Made Of Metal, released on September 28, 2010, on Metal God Entertainment, is clearly a raised fist to the air hailing all things… METAL. If one has a difficult time understanding as to why Rob Halford is called… The Metal God… and one is clueless about Judas Priest and Fight, then all one needs to do is sink their ears and awareness into Halford IV – Made Of Metal and thy should understand what the hell The Metal God is all about.
Not detracting here from what has put Rob Halford on the highest level of the Metal hierarchy, Halford IV – Made Of Metal is like a symbol of what The Metal God is all about… singing his lungs out on exceptionally written songs, both in Metal music and lyrics. It would be too damn easy for Rob Halford to rest on his laurels and reap the decades of Metal glory that he has so rightfully earned. Instead, Rob Halford has come out with all guns Metal blazing and has released an album that should make the earth shift off of it’s axis, just a tad, when played at it’s maximum volume.
Now, there is a song on this new Halford album that just seems to be so unbelievably great to my Metal ears and soul, that I’m pinching myself to make certain I’m not dreaming as I listen to it. It’s an exhilarating experience, of a profound mega-Metal high when I listen to this song… Thunder And Lightning. Throughout all of my Metal lovin’ life, I have continuously searched out for the songs, albums and the bands that make me Metal high. Thunder And Lightning is that thunder strike of a song, that I shall turn to for inspiration and psyche-out therapy for the rest of my Metal guided life.
Rob Halford is simply classic on vocals during Thunder And Lightning, with Roy Z. and Metal Mike Chlasciak on guitars making it freaking soar, trading off their licks to Metal perfection. It’s the intensity and the non-stop groove that’s happening with this song that makes it so damn delicious to my Metal senses. When a song can capture and hold onto a psyche-out vibe like this, it is a song that is worthy of my telling the entire world about.
Honestly, I can’t count how many times I have listened to Thunder And Lightning in the short time that I have owned Halford IV – Made Of Metal. Whatever Rob Halford and Roy Z. have tapped into when they wrote this song, it is nothing short of mystical for me. This song only solidifies the fact that music is indeed… a language all it’s own. Let those Metal vibrations pour into my Metal soul!! Metal be thy name.
I Know We Stand A Chance, based on it’s lyrics, is a love song. This song plays out with both a Hard Rock and Metal feel, with Rob Halford’s vocal harmony streaming through the music flawlessly. A very memorable song, both for it’s music and lyrics. Three quarters through this song it kicks up a couple of notches with some electrifying and melodic fret work that I know I’ll be hearing in my sleep.
Like There’s No Tomorrow showcases Rob Halford, the Metal vocalist for the ages. Sure, Rob Halford has his vocal peers amongst him, the difference is, this is The Metal God we are listening to on this album. This song is incredibly memorable beyond belief. Is it the vocals of Rob? Could it be the dualing guitars? The imbedded bass thumping? The drum beats and cymbal smashing? Try all of the above. Melodic and soaringly heavy is this song, drawing it’s strength from the totality of the band.
Twenty-Five Years is a powerful and Heavy ballad, both with it’s music and lyrics. Rob Halford exemplifies why he is truly a remarkable vocalist as he sings Twenty-Five Years. By delivering this song through his emotionally charged vocals, in a story form, that lends itself as being deeply personal to The Metal God. This is by far not a depressing song for me, it is a serious break in the Metal experience that I cannot shun away. Lyrically there are life lessons that are taught here, making for a Metal reality check that has been handed down by this living Metal Legend.
We Own The Night and Heartless are melodic listen’s into just how Rob Halford and his band can play accessibly Heavy songs, one’s that probably would have been a huge hit if Heavy Metal ruled MTV and FM radio like it once did in those loud and colorful ’80’s. Even when Halford comes across with some commercial appeal, they are still damn Heavy as hell… flooded with Metal molasses. Rob Halford just sounds like he beamed up his vintage vocal self, from decades long ago, surpassing my Metal expectations on not just these two songs… the entire album.
Yes, The Mower is by far and large… the heaviest, meanest and most Metal song on this new Halford album. Even Rob’s vocals are screeching with an evil intensity that is downright scary on The Mower. I love it. This is the other side to Rob Halford’s vocals, piercing, angry and impressively dark. Speed Of Sound has the vibe and sound that is tailor made for a Judas Priest – Turbo Part II… if there ever was to be such an album. However, Speed Of Sound is Heavy and doesn’t get saturated with any synthetic sounds that the long past Turbo album radiates.
Alright, there is a “semi-stinker” on this album. I’ll give Rob Halford and his band a pass on this though. I owe ’em that much for making my Metal world so deliriously fine from Thunder And Lightning. Um, well, this song is pretty much a stinker. Made Of Metal is the song. There are some bad flashbacks happening in my brain, each time I hear the techno-electronic voice that is part of the intro to this song. Mr. Roboto flashbacks that is. I still have never recovered from Styx messing around with electronica… and that goes too far back for my own liking. The “roboto” voice re-appears towards the end of this song too, not cool. It’s just a dated song that doesn’t fit the Metal mold of this album and I don’t like to use the word… dated.
Make the bad Mr. Roboto go away, make the bad Mr. Roboto go away, make him go now.
Undisputed is the one song on Halford IV – Made Of Metal that can be of “big time” commercial value for the future. The lyrics are borderline corny… this song is about an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, whoever that may be. This song would be perfect for the next (gasp) Rocky sequel or as an entrance theme for some WWE Wrestling Superstar. The Metal itself is brilliance on Undisputed, with scorching guitar leads and tough as nails riffs. Vocally, Rob Halford resonates with late ’70’s Judas Priest on Undisputed, capturing his very own classic self as only he can do.
For all intents and Metal purposes, Halford is backed up by one damned fabulous band. Mike Davis on bass and Bobby Jarzombek on drums hold it all together like a Heavy Metal pillar of unbreakable steel, giving each song an added dose of supercharged thump. I without hesitation, openly admit, that Halford IV – Made Of Metal has rolled into 2010 and taken me for a sensational Metal ride. This Metal ride I’m highly endorsing to fellow Metalheads, both young and old, stateside and worldwide. Don’t let this new Halford album be “the one” that you pass over for another day. Halford IV – Made Of Metal needs to heard… NOW… and forever.
* For more info on HALFORD, just click here: ROB HALFORD.com
Track Listing For HALFORD IV – MADE OF METAL:
Undisputed
Fire And Ice
Made Of Metal
Speed Of Sound
Like There’s No Tomorrow
Till The Day I Die
We Own The Night
Heartless
Hell Razor
Thunder And Lightning
Twenty-Five Years
Matador
I Know We Stand A Chance
The Mower
LONG LIVE HALFORD.
THE METAL GOD HAS RETURNED.
Stone.
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
October 6, 2010 at 2:01 pm
I’m a huge fan of Halford (I bought his first 2 solo CD’s back when people still bought them, haha!), and I was even at the Anaheim that they just released on DVD. I was really excited to see this CD about to come out, because I’m loving his solo stuff a lot more than anything Priest has put out since Painkiller. Heck, I even saw Priest with Ripper and then Halford’s solo band months within each other (those were the good old days… and I was only 18!)
There are some pretty strong tracks on this CD, but I’m with you with the title track ‘Made Of Metal’. When I heard it, I was thinking along the lines of Muse. It just really threw me off compared to the rest of the CD. Undisputed starts it off great, then Fire and Ice, and brickwall, Made of Metal.
My personal favorite so far was Twenty-Five Years, not only because of how strong a song it was, but the fact that I’m only 25, and it just really struck a chord (probably a power chord).
Anyways, great review!
-Eski
October 6, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Thats cool you connect with “Twenty-Five Years” that way. Your thinking of Muse is right on when mentioning the song “Made Of Metal”… I just don’t get why that song made it on this album? I realize it is the “title track”, only not every album has a title track either.
Maybe this song should have been named the term you used… “brick wall”. Despite this song, it is a Metal solid album and I’m glad you dig it too!
Thanks for your Metal insight Eski… it’s always welcomed. 🙂
December 24, 2010 at 2:53 pm
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February 12, 2011 at 10:08 pm
Do me a favor stone, listen to the album british steel (if you already havent) and theres a song on there called you dont have to be old to be wise, and it has some mean guitar hooks at the beginning, plus halford does some over the top 3+ octave vocals, other good ones are grinder, metal gods etc… her’s a list of my favorite songs from judas priest
(not in order from least to greatest)
1. Electric eye
2. sinner
3. devils child
4. you dont have to be old to be wise
5. grinder
6. painkiller
7. metal gods
8. the sentenial
9. a touch of evil
10. revolution
judas priest is probably my most favorite heavy metal band, not a suprise there called the metal gods.
February 12, 2011 at 10:23 pm
Oh yeah… Judas Priest has been a lifetime “core” band for me! That is as fine a list of Judas Priest faves as there could ever be. “Metal Gods” is unreal. I’ve always liked the “pissed off” vibe that “Some Heads Are Gonna Roll” gives off… plus that song psyches-me-out to no end!
“Electric Eye” is insane… plus “The Hellion” intro is flat-out a Metal classic. Another top Priest song for me is “Better By You, Better Than Me” from their “Stained Class” album. Man, I could go on and on with Judas Priest… I think you know what I mean!
“A Touch Of Evil” is out of this Metal world great… now I’m gonna have to listen to some Judas Priest. 🙂
February 13, 2011 at 4:21 pm
Glenn tipton to my suprise, wrote a few of them songs i listed, or atleast helped write it, even kk downing helped write a nice handful… one thing i question though for many bands is, does the guitarist write the guitar notes, riffs, melodies, solos, etc… because when i look back at other rock bands like let’s say the cars, it seems like a alot of work for ric ocasek to write all them guitar riffs, solos, notes and all that for elliot easton, because it seems to me that wouldnt the guitarist write the guitar notes, and the vocalist writes the lyrics?? I have doubt’s in my mind that ric ocasek was the only one who ever came up with every single guitar note, lyric, or keyboard line that was ever released from the cars. Or what may play a factor is that the only one that gets credit is the lyrics writer, not the guitar notes or keyboard lines writer. But besides that, yeah i agree, electric eye is insane. :), It’s one of those heavy metal songs that are catchy almost like pop culture in a sense, but of course this song is not even close to pop. Iv’e hurd bands like kiss and van halen labeled pop-metal… what the hell is that?? It’s just like when i was talking about how there’s no difference between power pop and poprock. Isnt glam-metal basically the pop side of metal?? so what the hell could be the difference between pop-metal and glam-metal?? Nothing, it’s just like that genre emo. Just some goofy name made up from the death metal/screamos from the backstreets.