Judas Priest--Metalogy
This is basically a box set version of Priest's "greatest hits."
Packaging--
The good:
The box itself is pretty cool...a leather feel with metal studs around the edge. The inside we have a very nice booklets with a bunch of photos, the track listings, a "timeline," and fairly decent essay on the band.
The bad:
This thing retails at $60 and the only thing truly "new" is the DVD. So why is it the people at Sony couldn't spring for putting the CDs in actual CD cases and the DVD in a DVD case? We have very cheap slipcases that aren't interesting to look at. The front artwork on each is subtle enough that it's not easy to distinguish them from each other.
The music:
The bad:
I know a lot of Priest fans probably have all of the remasters that came out in 2001...so the fact that these tracks are "remastered" doesn't mean much. The handful of unreleased material may be good but they're hardly essential. If you own all the remasters, then you have to ask if a DVD is worth the price of the whole set?
You also have you ask yourself is it worth the risk buying this when there's a pretty good chance the DVD will, at some point, be released by itself. How long can you wait?
There are a few songs that I would consider "essential" that are missing--"The Ripper," studio version of "Breaking the Law," "Burn in Hell" and so on, but when you condense a 30 year career into four CDs, things have to be cut. The only song on here that has never been released before is a demo quality track called "Heart of a Lion." It's okay, but let's just say it didn't make it onto an album for a reason.
The good--
If you have the original presses of the albums--or if for some reason you don't own any Priest--then this would be an excellent purchase. Priest is one of the best bands in heavy metal and most of the stuff that's coming out these days is being put out thanks to their influence. I really see no need to go into much detail. It's Priest.
The DVD itself is great recorded on the Screaming for Vengeance tour which some would say is the best era. I found it to be very enjoyable, but concert videos are never as good as seeing a band live...I suppose it's as close as you can get, though. The video quality is great with the exception of some special effects that were probably considered cool at the time, but just seem silly now. The sound quality is excellent. However, it should be noted that while it is a great concert DVD, I wouldn't say it's worth buying the set for this alone.
Recap�
Worth buying if you don't have the Judas Priest remasters. If you are a "completist" fan then you'll enjoy the half dozen or so unreleased versions as well as the DVD, but you may be disappointed by the lack of rarities. For the casual fan or the beginner, this is a worthy buy. For the fan who doesn't feel obligated to owning "everything" a band puts out, look elsewhere.
Review by Chris