{"id":1519,"date":"2018-10-09T02:42:39","date_gmt":"2018-10-09T02:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kkdowning.net\/steelmill\/?post_type=thefuelofthefurnace&p=1519"},"modified":"2024-09-06T09:37:11","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T09:37:11","slug":"before-the-dawn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kkdowning.net\/steelmill\/before-the-dawn\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fuel Of The Furnace pt. 6: The 40th Anniversary of “Before The Dawn”"},"content":{"rendered":"

[three_fourth]\u201cIt\u2019s Been a Lifetime Since I Found Someone..\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Origins<\/strong><\/p>\n

The punk rock revolution had reached its zenith as Judas Priest<\/strong> prepared to record their fifth studio album in the summer of 1978. For the album \u2013 the last one for 12 years not to be produced by Tom Allom<\/strong> \u2013 Priest gave reins to James Guthrie.<\/strong> Guthrie had produced the song \u201cBetter By You, Better Than Me\u201d<\/strong> for Priest\u2019s previous record \u201cStained Class.\u201d<\/strong> Nowadays he\u2019s best known for his work with Pink Floyd.<\/strong> Guthrie has worked on one of their biggest selling albums, \u201cThe Wall\u201d<\/strong> as an engineer and co-producer, and has subsequently worked with the band and its members in some form or another on all future products. During the 1980\u2019s he also produced Queensryche\u2019<\/strong>s seminal \u201cThe Warning\u201d<\/strong> album.<\/p>\n

Despite earning his credentials as a progressive rock\/metal producer, no sign of it was heard on \u201cKilling Machine\u201d.<\/strong> The somewhat cold soundscapes of \u201cStained Class\u201d were now replaced by a much heavier, sharper sonic wall. \u201cKilling Machine\u201d in many ways was Priest\u2019s first pure heavy metal album in all essential areas: songs, delivery and production. Of course with \u201cBritish Steel\u201d<\/strong> the metallic horizons would be taken even further, but for its time \u201cKilling Machine\u201d was a groundbreaking moment. Falling in between \u201cStained Class\u201d and \u201cBritish Steel,\u201d it unfortunately often gets overlooked.<\/p>\n

While \u201cStained Class\u201d would achieve more legendary status later, at that time it was obvious next album would need to be a step up to another ladder. This meant a shift was coming in both music and image, for a while the band was bordering somewhere in the middle. Rob Halford<\/strong> had already made some changes abandoning the earlier flamboyant costumes for a more simpler straight ahead look. In the back cover of \u201cKilling Machine\u201d the four band members are pictured in distinctly defiant poses, similar concept was used on Priest\u2019s debut \u201cRocka Rolla\u201d<\/strong> but here the difference in both the look and the attitude is striking.<\/p>\n

After its release in Europe \u201cKilling Machine\u201d was deemed as too dangerous of a title. Ironically the album was then re-titled \u201cHell Bent For Leather\u201d<\/strong> in the US with an exclusive bonus track, a re-worked take on Fleetwood Mac\u2019s \u201cThe Green Manalishi\u201d<\/strong> slotted in. Ironically because the images created by \u201cHell Bent For Leather\u201d were arguably more dangerous than \u201cKilling Machine\u201d if you want to use that term. Back in those days heavy metal was yet to attain its bad reputation, but censorship still marched on. By the next studio album \u201cBritish Steel\u201d the original idea of blood dripping from the hand holding the razor was abandoned for being too controversial.<\/p>\n

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The production on previous album was also something clearly improved on this time. The versatility of the newly written material demanded a production that was both smooth and heavy at the bottom end, not an easy goal to achieve. As seventies were drawing to a close, Priest were already innovators in trying out different styles and frameworks within the genre.<\/p>\n

From the rip roaring opener \u201cDelivering The Goods\u201d<\/strong> to anthem like \u201cTake On The World\u201d<\/strong> to the very song we are talking about here; \u201cBefore The Dawn,\u201d<\/strong> the LP like most of Judas Priest\u2019s catalogue, moved around from one end of the spectrum to another. This becomes even more interesting when you consider their debut was released mere four years earlier. Priest had evolved enormously from one record to another, while never giving out any other impression than natural growth during the process.<\/p>\n

Before flipping to record\u2019s B-side \u201cEvening Star\u201d<\/strong> had already given listeners some time to breathe in between heavier, nastier rockers. Its single potential was obvious. \u201cBefore The Dawn\u201d follows one of the albums neck snapping anthems, \u201cRunning Wild.\u201d<\/strong> That song ends in chaos of guitar sounds, a short silence (very short, almost like someone drawing in a quick breath) before the acoustic refrain begins – the effect here is astounding. After \u201cRunning Wild\u201d the song first seems like nothing resembling heavy metal but the atmosphere is in its purest, rawest form is razor sharp. Judging by the sheer emotion alone, this could be the heaviest song on the whole album. Such is the effect it instantly creates. It is also incredibly beautiful, the shifts in chord structure in between verses are good examples how one can create wall of sound with just soft guitars, keyboards and a human voice.<\/p>\n

Keyboards carry a melody behind guitars at the beginning and bass comes in at the same time Rob starts singing, he stays in mid-range throughout creating haunting, a bit laconic surrounding that perfectly fits in with the musical backdrop. Listen to his vocals slightly cracking during \u201cas if to summon up my leaving\u201d<\/em> \u2013 cleverly used effect to further pinpoint the moment in time the story takes place, in the very early hours of morning as the sun is beginning to rise.<\/p>\n