So I was thinking about this British Steel / Point of Entry thing. I was as perplexed as any that one would like the latter over the former.
As I am doing a full catalogue listen from the beginning, due to Firepower reigniting my Priest passion.
I just happened to be at BS & POE yesterday and this morning, so I would like to share my findings so to speak.
First, I like British Steel far better, as I feel it is the better METAL album, and better PRIEST album. Part of my assessment is likely partially due to the fact that I was introduced to BS as my first Priest experience, so there is some romanticism there. I also fully respect that someone can absolutely like POE more than BS, but there are a few points I would like to make.
British Steel is far more in line with what Judas Priest was all about. Heavier riffs and heavier lyrics. Point of Entry was a response to heavy pressure from the label to write more radio friendly music. Its still Priest, but exhibits less of the Priest feel than BS. The band has said so themselves.
Now its 100% cool to like POE better than BS, but what shocks me is someone saying POE is a Better Priest album. That I have a tough time accepting. POE is a better Cars, Foreigner, or Billy Squire album than a Priest album....what with all the tamer guitars and pop sensibilities.
Again...like it better? Absolutely cool. But is it a better Priest Album? I guess one would look to the bands own words....but also their actions as well. After Hell Bent and BS, they make POE......then immediately course correct with Screaming and Defenders.
I did enjoy my listen this morning, and found I liked POE better than I did in the 80's. But it also felt like exactly what it was.....their Falling into Infinity. A great album that was affected by pressure to have a metal band make more commercially radio friendly tunes, right after a killer game-changing release (Awake)....then a course correction to an even more game-changing release with Scenes.
tldr:
**POE is FII 'cause BS is A, and SFV is SFAM, so BS > POE.
**all in good fun and JMO.