The 10 Best Worst Albums by '80s Metal Legends: #5 Judas Priest "Turbo"

Believe it or not, there are a few out there that consider Turbo a classic—it’s not by any metric. The songs are lackluster (for Priest anyway), the haircuts and outfits were atrocious and even the “Fuel for Life” tour (captured for posterity on the unfortunate Priest…Live released the following year in 1987) seemed more like a death knell than metal gods defending the faith. But—in spite of the guitar synths and Rob Halford’s gerry curls—the album isn’t a total failure, and manages to remain (or become) listenable with each passing eon.

Even the most ferocious Turbo denier has to admit (now) that “Turbo Lover” was a great single, and remains a concert staple even if the rest of the album has been relegated to the dustbin of history. “Locked In” is a runner up for best track—even if it sounds like a Kiss outtake from the same era. When the horrible Twisted Sister-esque “Parental Guidance” rears its ugly mulleted head, however, the wheels fall completely off the wagon. Priest had never sounded so dumb and desperate for a hit.

The ballad “Out in the Cold” stands out as a minor triumph—or at least would have if it weren’t sandwiched between the schlocky “Rock You All Around the World” and “Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days” which are as embarrassingly banal as their titles suggest. Turbo rebounds at the end with “Hot For Love” and “Reckless” (which are as tolerable as the weakest tracks on Point of Entry), but by then it was too late to salvage the album

Priest can (somewhat) be applauded in hindsight for taking such a creative risk, though it’s more likely that cocaine, booze and MTV’s infatuation with glam metal was responsible rather than an artistic overreach. For all it’s faults, though, Turbo is still a hell of a lot better—and certainly more interesting—than Ram it Down, and for a band nine albums and a decade and a half into its career, Priest could have done much worse. All was forgotten and forgiven anyway when Painkiller appeared in 1990, which was proof that the band could still compete with their progenies. As it stands Turbo is worth revisiting, even if only in increments.