Review of the Album "Turbo" by British Heavy Metal Band Judas Priest

Here Is a More in Depth Introduction to a Very Forgotten Heavy Metal Album

Of all the studio albums released by the band Judas Priest during the decade of the 1980s, Turbo may be the one that could be forgotten by some fans and this is one of those albums that I’ve always known about but had never really wanted to listen to until for the first time late in the year 2020. In spite of the album’s title, the songs are not a million miles an hour fast like a turbo race car. Turbo is also one of those albums that has this definite glam rock feel to it even if the style is considered to be standard heavy metal. Turbo is said to be an album that lyrically focuses on love and romance instead of the science fiction lyrical themes that we heard on their earlier albums. Turbo is the first album that sees Judas Priest use guitar synthesizers. The style on this album is more of a commercial feel as Judas Priest wanted to expand their audience that they could attract. This is a hint to say that Judas Priest wanted to expand their fan base. This approach was also used for their 1981 album Point of Entry but Turbo may or may not be a stronger album than that one. It is hard to say because there are certain albums that click with us more emotionally than others at different points in time. Lyrically, Turbo can also be thought of as a rebellion against the status quo. One example of this is the song “Parental Guidance.” This song lyrically is about a child or teenager that feels that there is no need for parental guidance because they can make their own decisions for the things that they have the desire to do. He wants to live it up as the song says.

1986's "Turbo" Was Supposed to Be a Double Album

Initially Judas Priest recorded what was supposed to be a double album called Twin Turbos. However, that idea was eventually scrapped and the songs were split up with the more commercial songs appearing on what was eventually the album Turbo. You can even tell when you listen to the material on Turbo that the sound is definitely more commercialized and the 1980s feel on the album is evident.

The Album "Turbo" Shows the Musical Evolution of Judas Priest

The musical approach was changing and Judas Priest changed as well. Speaking of that musical change, they did also change their approach for Turbo as we discussed earlier. They still had that sort of rock and roll attitude. The song “Rock You All Around the World” is a song about exactly that message. The message was that Judas Priest intended to show their style of play for fans all over the world. At the same time in this decade, there was much glam and hard rock and in this respect, Judas Priest joined that party late but it still worked out for them.

Rob Halford Provides His Perspective On Judas Priest's 1986 Album

Nonetheless, Turbo is an album that people will either love or hate depending upon their tastes. Even Rob Halford during an interview with the British metal magazine Kerrang! in 2008 said that Turbo is Judas Priest’s love/hate album. He said that if there ever was a time where fans would have thought of the band’s releases as controversial, Turbo was that moment. He said that the band was in a different atmosphere but that’s where they were at the time. Rob also mentioned that there are great tracks on Turbo but it is the album that leaves fans divided.

"Hot for Love"

Particularly the song Hot for Love with its rocky kind of feel also sounds like something that hard rocker Billy Idol would have done back in that time period as well. The song focuses on having good old fashioned romance and love. For what it is worth, Turbo is a good hard rock kind of album that fans of this genre should be able to like if they give it a chance.

Track Analysis: "Turbo Lover"

“Turbo Lover” is the best song on Turbo as it has that glam rock feel with the synth kind of sound that defined the decade of the 1980s. The chorus of that song Turbo Lover is also the most memorable part of the song. The song lyrically may be humorously about a secret lover sort of sneaking up on a woman.

Final Thoughts About Judas Priest's 1986 Studio Album "Turbo"

Listening to this album in 2025, I get the sense that Turbo is a much better album than it should be given credit for. Then, some of us may wonder what the weakest studio album by Judas Priest is. If it is not Turbo, then it would have to be one of their other albums. As someone that was growing up back then and a fan of much of the metal in the 1980s, I will be biased to say that Turbo is another underrated release by Judas Priest. In terms of Judas Priest albums with a glam rock feel and the use of synthesizers, they do not have another album like Turbo in their discography. This is a very refreshing musical blend of songs from one of the greatest British metal bands of all time. Turbo is the one album in the Judas Priest discography that is different from their 1970s albums and different from the next album Ram It Down. It is like this one is in the middle of those two different musical styles. Turbo is a glam metal 1980s album that shows that Judas Priest had this no-nonsense kind of approach, and they were a group of guys that were more than willing to live life their way and just rock to the music. If you want to hear a heavy metal album that is full of high energy glam metal and rock, then Turbo is a good choice. However, there is a good chance that if you are just getting into the music of Judas Priest that Turbo is one of those albums that could have you kind of shaking your head in bewilderment. The strongest tracks in Turbo as of this analysis are “Turbo Lover,” “Locked In,” and “Hot for Love.” After listening to this glossier, refreshing album, I don’t even want to listen to Painkiller, not because that is a bad album but because an album like Turbo should be given more credit now that it is nearing 40 years old and it is an awesome, lighter kind of album by Judas Priest.