Judas Priest - Heading Out to the Highway

"Point of Entry" is the seventh studio album by the iconic English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on February 26, 1981. The album features three singles: "Heading Out to the Highway," "Don't Go," and "Hot Rockin'," each with its own music video. Notably, "Heading Out to the Highway" has become a live show staple since its debut!

Upon Entry (La llegada) | Upon Entry (2022) dir. Alejandro Rojas & Juan Sebastián Vásquez cine. Juan Sebastián Vásquez

Rob Halford for a German rock magazine during the Point of Entry era 🖤

Point of Entry was an album of mixed emotions, a record where Judas Priest aimed for American radio rock and somewhat succeeded on a qualitative if not commercial level.  There was little in the way of real heavy metal, but there were hooks and strong riffs and choruses to be found throughout.  And in the case of “Solar Angels”, a rare instance of Priest just riding a steady groove and building a story around it.  Dave Holland’s drumming regularly took heat for being more simplistic and less imaginative than his predecessor and successor, but on his first 3 albums with the band he knew exactly how to propel the songs forward, giving them an unyielding momentum that perfectly supported Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing’s riffs and frequently gave Priest a steamrolling quality that made them a lethal force on stage.  With “Solar Angels” Holland’s 4/4 rhythm gave Tipton and Downing ample space to chug, sway and solo, while Rob Halford largely floated over all of it.  The bridge essentially functioned as a wordless chorus, and there wasn’t a single pummeling moment that announced itself- in a way, this was arguably one of their more experimental tracks, since it had the basic sound of early ‘80s hard rock but without a conventional song structure.  And that was what made it awesome: here was Priest flexing their prowess without showing off, vamping a bit without being overindulgent and letting the groove do the lifting and speak for itself.