Judas Priest "Screaming For Vengeance (30th anniversary edition)"

Screaming for Vengeance is the eighth studio album by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 17 July 1982 by Columbia Records. Considered the band's commercial breakthrough, it has been certified double platinum in the United States and platinum in Canada. Screaming for Vengeance spawned the hit "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", which became one of the band's signature songs and a perennial radio favourite.

Screaming for Vengeance was recorded at Ibiza Sound Studios, Ibiza, Spain (during this period, it was common for UK-based musicians to record in continental Europe for tax purposes). Mixing and overdubs were done at Beejay Recording Studios in Orlando, Florida and Bayshore Recording Studios in Coconut Grove, Florida.

It showcased a harder, heavier sound than British Steel and saw the band reverse back into straight heavy rock after the melodically styled Point of Entry. The album also marks the first time a drummer played on more than two Judas Priest albums, with Dave Holland having also played on British Steel and Point of Entry.

The album's most commercially successful track, "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", was a last-minute addition. According to guitarist K. K. Downing, "We were quite happy with the album, but decided late on that we could add one more song. I know we had some of the parts, but we set about completing "Another Thing Comin'" during the mixing sessions at Bee Jay studios. It came together quite quickly, and I seem to remember that we all had a good feeling about it, as it did sound like a good driving song and possibly a good radio track." Rob Halford expressed surprise at the song's success, saying "that track was buried. Normally the tracks you think are going to do stuff are at the front end of the release. But our friends at Sony said, 'We're going to go for this song.' And we didn't really know what was going on. But then the feedback was coming over: 'Hey, the record's buzzing in this town and that town', and it just took off."

Screaming for Vengeance was released on 12 July 1982, with a remastered CD released in May 2001. "Fight for Your Life", recorded during the Screaming for Vengeance sessions, was left off but subsequently reworked as the song "Rock Hard Ride Free" on the next album, Defenders of the Faith. The original version saw the light of day as a bonus track on the 2001 remastered version of 1978's Killing Machine. As of the album's 30th anniversary in 2012, it remains the top-selling release of Judas Priest's career. To celebrate the album's 30th anniversary, a remastered CD with bonus 1982 live tracks and a bonus DVD of the band's performance from the 1983 US Festival were released. The most recent remaster was released in late 2017 as part of the Sony We Are Vinyl series, on vinyl and digital download only.

The World Vengeance Tour began shortly after the album's release in July 1982 and focused on North America during the summer and fall, Priest not performing in Europe until December 1983. This emphasis on US audiences was in order to establish a solid commercial foothold there, and in particular because "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" became a major hit. That and "Electric Eye" became live setlist staples and some of the band's most performed songs. "Devil's Child" has also been performed on various tours between 1982 and 2008, and "Riding on the Wind", "Bloodstone" and the title track have also been in the setlist on various tours. For comparison, "Fever" was only played at the first two 1982 shows, "(Take These) Chains" only appeared in the setlist in 2019, while "Pain and Pleasure" and the short instrumental "The Hellion" have never been performed live. The 30th-anniversary release of the album in 2012 came with a DVD of a live show recorded in May 1983 at the US Festival in California on the last date of the Screaming For Vengeance Tour. During the US tour to support the album in 1982, Judas Priest were supported by bands such as Iron Maiden, Krokus, and Uriah Heep.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford and K. K. Downing, except where noted.

Side one

1. "The Hellion" (Instrumental) 0:41
2. "Electric Eye" 3:39
3. "Riding on the Wind" 3:07
4. "Bloodstone" 3:51
5. "(Take These) Chains" (Bob Halligan, Jr.) 3:07
6. "Pain and Pleasure" 4:17
7. Side two
8. "Screaming for Vengeance" 4:43
9. "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" 5:09
10. "Fever" 5:20
11. "Devil's Child" 4:48

Total length: 38:43

30th Anniversary Edition bonus tracks

1. "Electric Eye" (live at San Antonio Civic Center, San Antonio, 10 September 1982) 4:25
2. "Riding on the Wind" (live at San Antonio Civic Center, San Antonio, 10 September 1982) 3:10
3. "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" (live at San Antonio Civic Center, San Antonio, 10 September 1982) 7:18
4. "Screaming for Vengeance" (live at San Antonio Civic Center, San Antonio, 10 September 1982) 4:45
5. "Devil's Child" (live at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee; 12 December 1982) 5:02
6. "Prisoner of Your Eyes" (recorded during the 1985 Turbo sessions) 7:12

Total length: 70:35

30th Anniversary Edition Live DVD

All tracks are written by Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford and K. K. Downing, except where noted. All tracks were filmed and recorded at the second US Festival, Devore, San Bernardino, California, 29 May 1983. One track from the set was cut because of audio problems with the source material..

1. "Electric Eye"  
2. "Riding on the Wind"  
3. "Heading Out to the Highway"  
4. "Metal Gods"  
5. "Breaking the Law"  
6. "Diamonds and Rust" (Joan Baez cover) Joan Baez  
7. "Victim of Changes" Al Atkins, Tipton, Halford, Downing  
8. "Living After Midnight"  
9. "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" (Fleetwood Mac cover) Peter Green  
10. "Screaming for Vengeance"  
11. "You've Got Another Thing Comin'"  
12. "Hell Bent for Leather"

Recording information:

Recorded at Ibiza Sound Studios, Ibiza, Spain.

Mixed at Beejay Recording Studios, Orlando, Florida and Bayshore Recording Studios, Coconut Grove, Florida.