{"id":1736,"date":"2021-07-16T00:01:30","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T00:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kkdowning.net\/steelmill\/?post_type=thefuelofthefurnace&p=1736"},"modified":"2024-09-06T09:36:08","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T09:36:08","slug":"feedonme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kkdowning.net\/steelmill\/feedonme\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fuel Of The Furnace pt. 13: The 20th Anniversary of “Feed On Me”"},"content":{"rendered":"

[three_fourth]\u201cThey are dying on the dance floor, they are lying in debris \u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Origins<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The second album of Judas Priest<\/strong>\u2019s Ripper Owens<\/strong> era, \u201cDemolition\u201d<\/strong> is not often mentioned in the annals of Judas Priest as one of their land mark efforts. That credit usually is reserved to any number of albums the band recorded between 1976 and 1990. Even their reunion CD \u201cAngel Of Retribution\u201d<\/strong> is in many metal specialist circles nowadays regarded as classic return to form. \u201cDemolition\u201d was released in the summer of 2001 almost four years after previous studio album \u201cJugulator<\/strong>.\u201d Of course in between a live disc \u201c’98 Live Meltdown\u201d <\/strong>had seen the light of day.<\/p>\n

\u201cDemolition\u201d took a long time to record, the band having begun writing sessions in early 1999 after completing touring for \u201cJugulator.\u201d By the end of millennium, recording was well on its way and album practically promised for early 2000. Video clips of guitarists working out riffs were posted on the website and the momentum seemed to be building nicely towards the release. But for various reasons it took almost 20 months from that moment on before \u201cDemolition\u201d finally reached the shops. The album of course was much anticipated amongst the band\u2019s huge fan base and since the first single \u201cMachine Man\u201d<\/strong> backed with \u201cSubterfuge\u201d<\/strong> appeared, speculations on the musical direction was running wild.<\/p>\n

The album was largely led by Glenn Tipton<\/strong>\u2019s vision and production. At the time, grunge had all but vanished from the music scene and was now being replaced by a new nu-metal and industrial explosion. Traditional heavy metal\u2019s resurrection was still awaiting couple of years ahead, although new bands such as Hammerfall<\/strong> were starting to break through basing their sound on Priest and other classic acts from previous decades. The reception to \u201cJugulator\u201d had varied from mixed to decent and the band opted to return to more traditional approach, whilst retaining the down tuned sound of \u201cBlood Stained\u201d <\/strong>and \u201cDeath Row\u201d<\/strong> from \u201cJugulator.\u201d In addition there was still an attempt to modernize Priest\u2019s soundscape to collide with what was going on in the metal world in 2001.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo: Scott Harrison\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While certain sound of mostly guitars and dark arrangements in places harked back to \u201cJugulator,\u201d overall \u201cDemolition\u201d was more varied and lighter effort. The last number \u201cMetal Messiah\u201d<\/strong> even introduced rap into Priest\u2019s catalogue. \u201cCyberface\u201d<\/strong> and \u201cDevil Digger\u201d <\/strong>were rooted in the industrial metal wave then quite popular all around the world. The latter even bore some resemblance to Marilyn Manson<\/strong> who was one of the world\u2019s most popular artists at the time. There were also songs that marked Priest\u2019s return to more trademark, classic heavy metal, most notably the hard hitting \u201cOne On One,\u201d<\/strong> power ballad \u201cClose To You\u201d<\/strong> and \u201cBloodsuckers\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 latter inflicting band\u2019s frustration over the ludicrous court case in Reno 10 years earlier. Following its release, the band was seemingly excited in this vast collection of songs, Ripper Owens has stated afterwards that \u201cDemolition\u201d was his favourite album that he did with the group, claiming it had “better vocals and more melody.”<\/em><\/p>\n

With 13 tracks in all, the album was the most lengthy in Priest\u2019s career so far. It also lasted a whopping 70 minutes, which is almost painfully usual nowadays in the digital age. The bands are continuing to fill the albums right up to maximum, without sparing any thought to quality. With the exception of some more brutal death and thrash metal acts, this has been a problem with all of metal\u2019s various genres where a listener\u2019s interest simply doesn\u2019t keep up after a 50-minute point. With \u201cDemolition\u201d Priest were able to offer enough versatility to maintain decent amount of focus. Also included in the limited edition were re-recordings of two Priest classics; \u201cRapid Fire<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cGreen Manalishi.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"DEM03\"<\/p>\n

\u201cDemolition\u201d is the sole album in Judas Priest back catalogue following 1978\u2019s \u201cKilling Machine<\/strong>\u201d where writing credits were spread more across the board and also the first album since that same release not to have K.K. Downing<\/strong> credited as a song writer on every (original) Priest song. Priest\u2019s former producer Chris Tsangarides,<\/strong> who co-wrote the song “A Touch Of Evil<\/strong>” on the \u201cPainkiller\u201d<\/strong> album, assisted Tipton in the writing of a few songs and even drummer Scott Travis<\/strong> co-wrote the track “Cyberface”, marking his first and so far only contribution to song writing in the band’s history.<\/p>\n

This was also the first album since \u201cPainkiller\u201d to feature a guest appearance by keyboardist Don Airey,<\/strong> who had previously played on the aforementioned “A Touch Of Evil”. K.K. still co-wrote most of the album, however \u201cFeed On Me,\u201d<\/strong> the 9th track of the album and the song under close scrutiny here is fully credited to Glenn Tipton. It is a tune rarely played live and one not usually mentioned even when discussion ventures into this album. It is however, a song worth giving a more in-depth look.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeed On Me\u201d follows \u201cIn Between\u201d<\/strong> in a point which normally would be side two on an LP. Due to its length the \u201cDemolition\u201d LP actually has four sides and there the song takes position on third side after \u201cIn Between\u201d and before \u201cSubterfuge.\u201d<\/p>\n

The song begins with a keyboard effect sound, at first not too dissimilar to anything previously heard on 1986\u2019s \u201cTurbo.<\/strong>\u201d Soon guitars start to crank some soft chords in very different fashion (this part sounding very much like classic Judas Priest) before a first proper riff (played by Glenn) kicks in at around 0:21. Now instead of up-sounding guitars on \u201cTurbo,\u201d this is definitely down tuned arrangement more related to band\u2019s regular Owens-era material. However, the charging rhythm is essential Judas Priest, second guitar joins in for a quick second round and song is on its way.<\/p>\n

When Ripper starts singing the first verse, a fan is impressed once again by the sheer power of music on display. This is something Priest have mastered unlike any other classic heavy metal band with exception of maybe Scorpions<\/strong> and Accept<\/strong> in their best moments. Vocal melody is excellent with classic Priest style guitar riffing in the background, power chords supplying the foundation of the arrangement. Production at this point is also akin to a lot of records released in the turn of the century. Scott kicks in with excellent fills at the start of the verse and in between them, giving extra push for Ripper and guitars to take the song forward. For example check out parts at 1:06, 1:36 and again at 1:51. This song is a great example of his simpler, more straightforward playing not too often heard on these Ripper-era albums.<\/p>\n

From 1:18 to 1:22 rhythm guitar gets noticeably louder before power chords return with softer arrangement along with Ripper\u2019s voice. Ripper sings mostly with his upper mid-range register basically only venturing into higher sounding voice on the song\u2019s final line. His voice has great power in it perfectly supporting guitars, which really dominate the song. Guitars seemingly use many different sounding patterns throughout making the song ebb and flow. The music comes to a full stop when the chorus begins and Ripper belts out the songs title in lower, sinister range. The rhythm never lets up and the music always switches gears as the song hurdles towards either another verse, chorus or a bridge. Another sure fire sign of Priest\u2019s greatness.<\/p>\n

Second verse has Ripper singing verse in a harmony with himself, dropping the pace slightly. Notice also guitar adding higher chords in the background. These are the kind of solutions Priest always excelled at, not settling to simply repeat the verse arrangement but making subtle additions thus taking the whole song up to another level.<\/p>\n