Rocka Rolla

Most debuts fall into two categories. They either show a band that has spent time developing its sound, and found its place, or show a band that is still trying to do that. Rocka Rolla definitely falls into the latter category. It has some catchy tunes, but it overall fails to impress. Just one album later, Priest had developed much further, and for that reason this album is generally written off. While it doesn't really deserve that fate, it certainly isn't a classic by any means.Let's talk about musicianship. Rob Halford is significantly misused, with his trademark screams present in only a few parts of this album. This is because most songs were originally designed for Al Atkins, the bands original vocalist. The twin guitars of KK and Glenn are essentially nonexistent, and the guitar solos in general are unmemorable. The riffs are good though. John Hinch's drumming is actually quite good, he's no Les Binks, but he does his job well. Ian Hill's bass playing is actually stellar. It's smooth and precise, a far cry from the stuff he's done since the 80's. Ian is probably consistently doing the best job of anybody on this album.