Clearly Judas Priest’s release of “Rocka Rolla” back in 1974 is going to have one hand tied behind its back: Judas Priest was still trying to stoke the flames of metal brutality that Iron Maiden’s “Running Free” was able to warm its way into so easily six years later. But then again, this means Iron Maiden’s metal maniac Rob Halford will get to compete not against the operatically inclined Bruce Dickinson but against Maiden’s original singer, Paul Di’Anno, who to put it charitably “has some really great moments.”
