Crucible

The first 20,000 pressings of CRUCIBLE will contain two bonus tracks, "She" and "Fugitive."
Halford: Rob Halford (vocals); Pat Lachman, Mike Chlasciak (guitar); Ray Riendeau (bass); Bobby Jarzombek (drums).
Additional personnel: Ed Roth (keyboards).
Engineers include: Bill Cooper, Ritchie Polodor, Roy Z.
Personnel: Rob Halford (vocals); Pat Lachman, Metal Mike Chlasciak, Roy Z (guitar); Bobby Jarzombek (drums).
Audio Mixer: Tue Madsen.
Liner Note Author: Rob Halford.
Photographer: John Eder.
Continuing down the same path that found the former Judas Priest frontman embracing his metal roots on his 2000 comeback album RESURRECTION, Rob Halford re-teams with the same quartet of young musicians and ends up having lightning strike twice on CRUCIBLE. Buttressed by the twin-guitar attack of Patrick Lachman and Mike Chlasciak, Halford often flirts with the same kind of high-flying riffing provided by Priest's double-axe tandem Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, as on cuts like the runaway "Betrayal" and the equally intense Wrath Of God."
Fans not inclined to partake in the rap-rock hybrids of nouveau metal or the nostalgic posturing of once vital metal acts will also feast on cuts like the the Middle Eastern-flavored "Hearts Of Darkness" and the anthemic "One Will." Even on slower numbers, the Halford is in fine fettle, snaking his way through "Crystal," a mid-tempo cautionary tale of crystal meth addiction and the epic "Sun" with its goth-like atmosphere and exotic-sounding guitar runs. With CRUCIBLE, Rob Halford continues mining the vein of classic metal without sounding like a hapless retread.