10 Heavy Metal Albums By Bands Thought Past Their Prime

There's an argument to be made that the legendary Judas Priest should've called it a day in 2005 following the release of 'Angel of Retribution'. The return of talismanic frontman Rob Halford was warmly received, and would've made for a bow on top of a legendary career. To appeal to a large sub-set of WhatCulture's reader-base, it was the chance of a Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels WrestleMania finale.

Instead, things looked more like we were careering toward that tag team match.

Follow-ups 'Nostradamus' and 'Redeemer of Souls' were both disappointing, with Priest failing in their experiments where other classic metal contemporaries were thriving. Excitement for a new Priest album was at an all-time low before the announcement of 2018's 'Firepower', who then took that apathy and launched it into the sun.

With lead single "Lightning Strike" in tow, Judas Priest produced the performance of a lifetime, the likes of which were immediately compared to their late-70s heyday. An evolution of the classic Priest sound, as 'Firepower' saw the band take on influences from bands, they themselves influenced, with Down-tinged riffs in penultimate track "Lone Wolf" and some unmistakeable Kirk Hammett/James Hetfield riffage on the likes of "Evil Never Dies" and "Flame Thrower".