Today’s playlist. PRIEST!!!!! Now you may be asking why Ram It Down, well unpopular opinion #1. Without , as corny as they may be, songs like Ram It Down, Heavy Metal, and Hard As Iron, which re-introduced pace after Turbo, I don’t think Painkiiller would’ve happened. Now do I wish songs like Love Zone, and Monsters of Rock never existed? Maybe, but without this transition album, it would have too much of a jump. Unpopular opinion #2 Blood Red Skies could have been on Screaming For Vengeance . You can fight me on that, but emojis only, I’m Canadian, and I don’t like violence. ROCK on Priest!!!!
**OPINION: Defending *Ram It Down* — The Underrated Transition That Led Judas Priest to *Painkiller***
*July 2, 2025 – By a Proud Canadian Metalhead with a Loud Playlist*
Today’s playlist is one word: **PRIEST!!!!**
Now before you roll your eyes at the inclusion of *Ram It Down* — yes, that *Ram It Down* — hear me out. It’s time we give this album the credit it truly deserves, even if it’s tucked between the glam sheen of *Turbo* and the apocalyptic power of *Painkiller*.
### Unpopular Opinion #1: *Ram It Down* Walked So *Painkiller* Could Shred
Let’s be real. Coming off the synth-heavy *Turbo*, Judas Priest needed to find their fire again. And what did *Ram It Down* deliver? **Speed. Grit. Intensity.** Tracks like the title song **“Ram It Down,” “Heavy Metal,”** and **“Hard as Iron”** brought back the band’s *pace* and *aggression*. Sure, they came with some ‘80s cheese — the lyrics were over-the-top and the production was uneven — but that raw intent to get heavier again was undeniable.
Would *Painkiller* have happened without *Ram It Down* loosening the chains?
🤔🤘🎸
Not likely. This was the band testing the waters again, picking up speed, and laying down the road for Scott Travis to come flying down the highway with those double kicks a few years later.
### Unpopular Opinion #2: “Blood Red Skies” Belongs on *Screaming for Vengeance*
Yes. I said it.
**“Blood Red Skies”** could have easily fit on *Screaming for Vengeance*. The soaring vocals, the dramatic build, the dark atmosphere — it’s a power ballad with muscle and menace. It bridges that cinematic sound Priest flirted with in *Defenders of the Faith* while still echoing the thunder of *Vengeance*.
You can fight me on that…
But only with emojis. I’m Canadian. I don’t do violence.
🇨🇦🎶🤘🔥💀
### Not Every Track Was a Gem — and That’s Okay
Sure, I’ll admit it: **“Love Zone”** and **“Monsters of Rock”** might not have aged like fine British steel. They feel like filler, maybe even a little cartoonish. But let’s not pretend *every* album doesn’t have its low points. And honestly? Even Priest’s missteps still kick harder than most bands’ best work.
### Why *Ram It Down* Still Rocks
It’s an album of transition — not perfection. It’s the sound of Judas Priest searching for their future while shaking off their past. And that’s **exactly** why it matters. It’s loud, flawed, fast, and full of promise.
So next time you’re crafting your Judas Priest playlist, don’t skip *Ram It Down* out of habit. Crank it. Revisit it. Reclaim it.
Because without it, we might never have gotten **“Painkiller”**, and that’s a reality no metalhead wants to live in.
🔥🎧 LONG LIVE PRIEST!
And remember — unpopular opinions are just future truths in disguise.
🦅⚡🎤🤘💥
— *Rock on, Priest faithful.
From one Canadian metalhead to the world.*
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