Album
Killing Machine
Killing Machine is Judas Priest's fifth studio album, released in 1978 on CBS. It also went out under the title Hell Bent for Leather, and the American release followed in February 1979 on Columbia Records. It sits between Stained Class and British Steel, and it finds the band leaning towards a more commercial style while holding on to the dark lyrical themes of their earlier records.
It also marks a turning point in how Priest looked. Around the time it was made, the band adopted the leather-and-studs image that became their trademark, inspired by Rob Halford's interest in leather culture. It is the last studio album with drummer Les Binks, which gives it a place in the band's line-up history as well as its musical one. For anyone tracing how Priest arrived at their classic sound and look, this is the record to hear.
Killing Machine: tracklist, credits and charts
10 tracks · 34:19Tracklist
- 1Delivering the GoodsDowning, Halford, Tipton4:15
- 2Rock ForeverDowning, Halford, Tipton3:18
- 3Evening StarRob Halford and Glenn Tipton3:55
- 4Hell Bent for LeatherGlenn Tipton2:38
- 5Take On the WorldRob Halford and Glenn Tipton2:58
- 6Burnin' UpKenneth Downing and Glenn Tipton3:55
- 7Killing MachineGlenn Tipton3:00
- 8Running WildGlenn Tipton2:51
- 9Before the DawnDowning, Halford, Tipton3:20
- 10Evil FantasiesDowning, Halford, Tipton4:09
- Produced by
- James Guthrie, Judas Priest, Judas Priest
- Recorded at
- CBS Studios (London), Utopia Studios (London)
- Recorded
- August 1978
- Engineered by
- James Guthrie
- Labels
- CBS, CBS/Columbia
- Length
- 34:19
Line-up
- Les Binks · drums (drum set)
- Kenneth Downing · electric guitar
- Ian Hill · electric bass guitar
- Glenn Tipton · electric guitar, keyboard
- Rob Halford · lead vocals
Singles
- “Before the Dawn” · 27 October 1978
- “Take On the World” · 5 January 1979
- “Evening Star” · 27 April 1979
- “The Green Manalishi” · May 1979 (US)
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1978–79 | 32 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1978–79 | 128 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 1978–79 | 62 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada | Platinum |
| United Kingdom · 1978 | Silver |
| United States | Gold |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
71.0
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
2.8k
ListenBrainz listeners
105k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
11k
Deezer fans (all editions)
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Full discography →
Rocka Rolla
1974
Sad Wings of Destiny (Original 1976 Masters)
1976
The Best of Judas Priest
1977
Sin After Sin
1977
Stained Class
1978
Unleashed in the East: Live in Japan
1979
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1980
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1981
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1981
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1981
Screaming for Vengeance
1982
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1983
Defenders of the Faith
1984
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1986
Priest…Live!
1987
Ram It Down
1988
Painkiller
1990
Genocide
1993
Metal Works ’73–’93
1993
Judas Priest Judas Priest 1996
Judas Priest
1996
Jugulator
1997
Judas Priest Live Meltdown 1998
Live Meltdown
1998
The Best of Judas Priest: Living After Midnight
1998
’98 Live Meltdown
1998
Judas Priest Bloodsuckers 2001
Bloodsuckers
2001
Demolition
2001
Live in London
2003
Metalogy
2004
Angel of Retribution
2005
The Essential Judas Priest
2006
Judas Priest Visions 2008
Visions
2008
Nostradamus EP
2008
Nostradamus
2008
A Touch of Evil: Live
2009
The Chosen Few
2011
Single Cuts
2011
The Complete Albums Collection
2012
Redeemer of Souls
2014
5 Souls
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2016
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2024
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More on CBS
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date sources disagree on the year (1978, 1979)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 9 October 1978 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 3 November 1978 | |
| Wikidata | 28 February 1979 | |
| UK / Europe release | 9 October 1978 | earliest UK or European date |
21 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | CA | Columbia | 07464357062 | other |
| — | MX | Columbia | 5099750212929 | other |
| — | US | Columbia | 074643570626 | other |
| 1978 | GB | CBS | other | |
| 9 October 1978 | GB | CBS | original | |
| March 1979 | US | Columbia | other | |
| 1986 | US | Columbia | 07464357062 | other |
| 1 July 1988 | JP | Epic Records | 4988010219352 | other |
| 1989 | XE | Columbia | 5099703221824 | other |
| 21 February 1991 | JP | Epic | 4988010525224 | other |
| 21 August 1997 | JP | Epic | 4988010766528 | other |
| 2001 | US | Legacy | 888430169623 | other |
| 19 October 2001 | CA | Columbia | 074649156329 | remaster |
| 22 October 2001 | GB | Columbia | 5099750212929 | remaster |
| 6 November 2001 | US | Columbia | 696998618121 | other |
| 6 November 2001 | US | Columbia | 888430169524 | other |
| 1 June 2005 | JP | Sony Records International | 4571191051738 | other |
| 2010 | GB | Back on Black | 803341319202 | other |
| 19 January 2010 | US | Audio Fidelity | 780014206628 | other |
| 15 February 2012 | JP | Sony Records International | 4547366063523 | remaster |
| 2014 | US | Columbia | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 600×600 | upscaled |