Judas Priest

With original singer Rob Halford back in the fold, A Touch of Evil showcases the bad*ss veterans of the metal wars' 2005 and 2008 tours in its reformed incarnation. One may be tempted to skip ahead for the classics like "Dissident Aggressor" and especially, especially, especially the exhausting "Painkiller," but the new songs are where the band flexes its considerable muscle, with modern elements (blast beats, death grunt vocals) filling out the old recipe. "Hellrider" positively smokes.