Hell Bent for Leather is the first record of what I would term the second phase of the Priest sound which spans from this record up to Screaming for Vengeance. First phase Priest would be up to Stained Class. Third phase Priest is Defenders through Painkiller. Classic Judas Priest ends with Painkiller. (Jugulator and Demolition are Tipton-phase Priest)

Second phase Priest is represented by a shift to what would become the 80's metal guitar sound with more intense distortion and a more fluid style of guitar soloing. The title track solo is a good example of this sound. Halford's vocals are a little grittier than early Judas Priest where he mostly sang clean and high. 'Delivering the Goods' is a good illustration of gritty vocals.

This is a must buy if you are a solid Priest fan. It would be good for general fans of late 1970s metal. Post-Metallica listeners may find the sound somewhat primitive but anyway you look at it the record contains some fine work.

The year was 1979; I was at "Big Apple Records" looking for new additions for my record collection when I ran across "Hell Bent for Leather." The front cover of the album pictured a white Zombie like face wearing a black studded leather helmet with blood covered shattered sun glasses, looking like some neo Nazi biker from hell; WOW, I had to have it! I hurriedly went home & played the record. I was immediately blown away by the sounds & power contained on the vinyl grooves, I loved it!

"Hell Bent for Leather" led me into the rest of the 70's Priest albums, "Rocka Rolla," "Sad Wings of Destiny," "Sin After Sin," Stained Glass," & "Unleashed in the East," though with the exception (maybe) of "Unleashed in the East," "Hell Bent for Leather" was my favorite Priest album. I literally wore the groves out of the record. So you might be thinking why did I give "Hell Bent" 3 1/2 stars then? Well if you asked me back then I'd of been shocked myself, surely this album deserves a 5 star masterpiece rating, right? Well... As fast as I was enthralled with Priest, within two years I tired of them. Their music just didn't hold up in the long run. I found it repetitive; many riffs recycled from better previous acts. Their music was just too lumbering, it was not sophisticated & exotic enough, but there are songs on this album that still grab my attention "Killing Machine" with it's message of cold & ominous killer riff, also "Burning Up" (being 18 back then I didn't know Rob was gay, LOL!) a testimonial of sexual heat. The truly beautiful ballads, "Evening Star," "Before the Dawn" & the killer title cut "Hell Bent for Leather." These songs still rock my roll, but the ludicrously banal pep song for metal misfits (Yes, I was one, still am) "Take on the World" turned my gut even back then, more so now. As for the rest, they just don't move me one way or another anymore, but it did for that 18 year old I once was.