Judas Priest was one of the more influential heavy metal bands to follow in the wake of Black Sabbath. Both visually and sonically, they embodied every clich

Being a band which relied pretty heavily on its visual image, Judas Priest were one of the first metal acts to fully embrace MTV, using the medium to their advantage; I remember the then-fledgling cable channel playing "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" to death. That video is here, along with 12 others. I'll say this...the songs have aged a lot better than the videos, many of which look laughably cheesy, with bargain-basement production values and silly "stories" (back then, artists weren't yet willing to shell out a million bucks to produce a promotional video). Still, they are entertaining, and will have many-a-former headbanger waxing nostalgic. Also included is a full-length concert performance, recorded in Dallas during their mid-eighties heyday. Typical of most heavy metal bands of the time, their performance is an over-the-top marriage of sight and sound, chock-full of banshee screaming, tongue-wagging, masturbatory guitar solos, lasers, and fist-pumping audience sing-alongs. They play all of their most popular songs, including "Breaking the Law," "Living After Midnight," "Hell Bent for Leather," and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", in front of 13,000 screaming fans. Whether their performance elicits adulation or chuckles, you have to admit Judas Priest are consummate showmen, and lead-singer Rob Halford knows how to win over an audience. Of special interest to Judas Priest fans will be the six British TV performances, originally aired before most folks in America had ever heard of them. I think a couple of jaws will drop upon seeing the band's 1975 appearances on The Old Grey Whistle Test, filmed long before they adopted the studs & leather image; with their platform shoes and silk shirts, they look more like David Bowie's back-up band (it's also really strange seeing Rob Halford with hair).

Useless trivia: After a twelve-year absence, lead singer Rob Halford has reunited with the other members of Judas Priest; an album and tour are planned for 2004. Summary: Electric Eye serves nicely as a historical document of both the band and 80s' heavy metal in general. And since it runs nearly three hours, it'll be hard for anyone to complain that they aren't getting their money's worth.