String Tribute to Judas Priest

Usually, the String Tribute To... series is fraught with pitch-challenged players whipping through really cheesy charts of music by popular artists, with ridiculous trills and flourishes that don’t enhance the music in any positive manner. This tribute to Judas Priest, however, is a different story. There are still a few pitch issues, but they are few and far between. The arrangements are suited to the harmonics in the music itself -- down to guitar solos -- and present these songs as much more riff-oriented and melodic without flowery sentiment. The other attractive thing about this set is the way it covers the band’s historical catalog -- the performers here don’t necessarily lean toward the later material in favor of the earlier stuff. For instance, one can hear “Breaking the Law,” “Hell Bent for Leather,” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” as well as more familiar tunes from the band’s revised and resurrected persona in the 21st century. This volume in this seemingly never-ending series is recommended to fans of Priest for a different spin on their material, if not heavy metal itself.