by Steve Huey

Having recaptured their heavyweight status with Screaming for Vengeance, Judas Priest stuck with their successful formula for the follow-up, Defenders of the Faith. Overall, it's a solidly constructed, unapologetically commercial metal record, and it doesn't feel underdeveloped as Point of Entry sometimes did. It isn't quite up to the level of British Steel or Screaming for Vengeance, partly because (unlike those two) it lacks a truly standout single, and partly because of a few lowest-common-denominator moments. Still, it's far from a bad entry in Priest's '80s arena metal period, and it remains a favorite among many fans who prefer those recordings to the band's '70s work.