Judas Priest Today in 1982, Judas Priest released their eighth studio album Screaming For Vengeance. “Judas Priest’s biggest breakthrough, particularly in the US, came with this immaculate slab of none-more-metal bravado. “Screaming For Vengeance is an imperious display of heavy metal in its purest, most exhilarating form: from the ageless rush of Electric Eye and the world-dominating thud of You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ through to the neck-wrenching attack of the title track and the fiery crunch of Devil’s Child, it’s a flawless encapsulation of everything that made metal such a global force during the ‘80s. “More than 40 years on, it’s still exerting its influence over countless aspiring metal musicians around the globe. A steely masterpiece with a giant heart.”

Judas Priest

Today in 1982, Judas Priest released their eighth studio album Screaming For Vengeance.

 

“Judas Priest’s biggest breakthrough, particularly in the US, came with this immaculate slab of none-more-metal bravado.

 

“Screaming For Vengeance is an imperious display of heavy metal in its purest, most exhilarating form: from the ageless rush of Electric Eye and the world-dominating thud of You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ through to the neck-wrenching attack of the title track and the fiery crunch of Devil’s Child, it’s a flawless encapsulation of everything that made metal such a global force during the ‘80s.

 

“More than 40 years on, it’s still exerting its influence over countless aspiring metal musicians around the globe. A steely masterpiece with a giant heart.”

 

**On This Day in Metal: Judas Priest’s *Screaming for Vengeance* Turns 43 – The Album That Changed Everything**

 

*June 30, 2025 — Metal History*

 

Today marks **43 years since the release of Judas Priest’s iconic eighth studio album**, *Screaming for Vengeance*, an album that not only **cemented their place among the gods of metal** but also brought the genre surging into the American mainstream.

 

Released on **July 17, 1982**, *Screaming for Vengeance* was more than just a record — it was a seismic shift. It became **Judas Priest’s biggest commercial breakthrough**, especially in the U.S., where it found the band conquering arenas and saturating the airwaves with the unstoppable anthem, *“You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.”*

 

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### ⚡ Pure Metal Bravado

 

From start to finish, *Screaming for Vengeance* is a **masterclass in precision, power, and purity of genre**. It opens with the sci-fi fury of *“The Hellion” / “Electric Eye,”* a soaring, mechanized burst that still feels futuristic decades later. Tracks like *“Riding on the Wind”* and *“Bloodstone”* showcase the band’s signature twin-guitar attack, with **Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing** trading riffs like thunderbolts, while **Rob Halford’s** searing vocals cut through like steel.

 

The title track, *“Screaming for Vengeance,”* is a whirlwind of aggression and speed, while *“Devil’s Child”* closes the album with raw, defiant swagger.

 

> ***“It was everything we loved about metal — but sharper, louder, and more electrifying than ever,”*** one critic wrote in 1982. Decades later, that sentiment still rings true.

 

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### 📈 Global Breakthrough

 

Though Judas Priest had already made waves in Europe and among early metalheads, it was *Screaming for Vengeance* that **catapulted the band into global superstardom**, especially in the American market. It reached **#17 on the Billboard 200** and went **double platinum in the U.S.**, thanks in large part to the unexpected mainstream success of *“You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,”* which received heavy MTV and radio airplay.

 

The album’s accessibility without compromise became its secret weapon — **heavy enough for purists, catchy enough for casuals.**

 

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### 🎸 Influence and Legacy

 

More than 40 years later, *Screaming for Vengeance* remains **a cornerstone of heavy metal history**. Its streamlined production, thunderous pacing, and melodic sensibility inspired generations of metal musicians — from thrash icons like Metallica and Slayer to modern power metal and beyond.

 

Bands across genres cite it as a blueprint. Its artwork — a cybernetic metal eagle named “The Hellion” — has become just as legendary as the music itself.

 

> *“This is the album that taught us metal could be smart, stylish, and loud as hell,”* said Halford in a 2017 anniversary interview.

 

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### 💿 Tracklist Highlights

 

1. **The Hellion / Electric Eye** – One of the greatest opening salvos in metal history

2. **Riding on the Wind** – Speed, grit, and Halford’s banshee howl

3. **Bloodstone** – Melodic but fierce

4. **(Take These) Chains** – A dark, brooding standout

5. **You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’** – The anthem that conquered the world

6. **Screaming for Vengeance** – Thrashing fury with a punk-like intensity

7. **Devil’s Child** – A snarling closer with attitude to spare

 

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### 🔥 Final Thoughts

 

*“Screaming for Vengeance”* is more than just Judas Priest’s biggest success — it’s a defining chapter in metal’s global rise. With its unrelenting energy, trailblazing sound, and eternal songs, it stands not just as a monument to Judas Priest’s brilliance, but as **a roaring testament to the power of heavy metal itself**.

 

As fans across the world crank up *Electric Eye* today, one thing is clear: **43 years on, the scream still echoes.**