Exciter

This was either intentionally about Christ or subconsciously. It sure sounds like the second coming. He promised that he wouldn't again destroy the world by water again but instead by fire.

"Salvation is his task"...? Many obvious references.

"Ignition hits you the very soul of your being will cringe".. reference to hell or the born again experience with the birth pains.

"When he leaps among us With combustive dance All shall bear the branding Of his thermal lance, Cauterizing masses Melting into one Only when there's order Will his job be done."

This sounds like the Day of Pentecost. The trinity is about how the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three but one. So the Spirit of Christ leapt amid them "with combustive dance" (tongues of fire rested upon them) and they were anointed, branded with power on high and were one, which meant also there was now order among his believers.

And Christ is the one with whom we all have to do, believer or unbeliever. We need to cope with the fact of the empty tomb and who broke the Roman seals that were on the stone. When someone rises from the dead on the third day, and is one of the most historically legitimate figures of all time, it authenticates all he said and did rather effectively. And the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., so another relentless proof that Christianity is just simply inseparable from the past, prevent or future.

Stand by for Exciter, he's come to make you snap out of the state you are in, looks around to make you see the light again.

Fall to your knees and repent if you please! Salvation is his task!

These lyrics fit pretty tight with that point of view whether Rob meant it to consciously or not.

Love this song and whole album. Beginning of speed/thrash echoed from Dissident Aggressor, the end of the last album, and has wonderfully British (or genteel even) lines like "predominant complacency leads to beguiling lies".

Stained Class from a lyrics point of view seem to speak about the fall of man as well. Saints in Hell speaks about martyrdom and/or the "christians" and Catholics who were behind the Inquisition and/or manifest destiny and that pattern throughout colonizing atrocities, which is spoken about in Savage. However with Savage, Africa seems cursed, right? Not a lot of blessings come from the satanic and insane witchcraft, shamanism, etc.

I personally refer to Rob as the High Priest of Heavy Metal, not a god. He acts more of the role of a High Priest rather than god. Though "metal god" is a term of endearment and respect, unless he could sing every night flawlessly like in Victim of Changes from Unleashed in the East and Painkiller, and unless Rob was a megalomaniac, which he isn't, Rob is no God, he's just the greatest heavy metal singer (and maybe lyricist too) there ever has been or ever will be. He is a gentleman as well, seems to be more of a loving and legendary Grandfather of metal than a Marlon Brando Godfather of metal. He's closer to being genteel than being some egotistical party freak, but of course he had his seasons of that much earlier in Arizona and elsewhere.

Exciter is a great song!

Very well said Spiral ... beginnings of Speed Metal

quiffporn, Black Sabbath was really the first metal band Judas Priest was still one of the most influential and flat out awesome bands ever though.

Black sabbath and deep purple were more blues rock, and while I think they certainly laid the ground work, I think Judas Priest were the first band to play 'metal' as we currently understand it.

@TheExciter I agree what your interpretation, its blatantly obvious the lyrics are inspired by Jesus Christ's second coming. The description of Jesus Christ in the book of revelations is quite powerful itself. Even Painkiller is inspired by a Christ like being coming to deliver judgment. But also I should stress, Christ's does not come with violence or to kill, but to judge. And this powerful message is seen through Judas Priest, gotta love it, and yet they are condemned of being Satanic.

This song totaly kicks arse !got out my dads old vinyl the other day and found "Judus Priest - Stained Class" this must be 1 of the best albums ever !

This song is speed metal par excellence with excellent guitar work from K.K. and Glenn. Given the time this album was released, I think it's safe to say that this was some of the fastest tempoed music of it's time. Judas Priest inspired countless metal bands and their early work is acclaimed by critics and fans alike.

Judas Priest were the first Heavy Metal band, ever.

"Fall to your knees and repent if you please" - The greatest and campest song lyric in history, bar none.

Speed metal yes! But I'd say this tune definitely roots power metal. The riffs and rhythm exemplifies an early speed metal feel but Halford's high register vocals and the lyrical theme especially makes sound like a huge influence for power metal musicians, having made reference to "salvation".

great song, My dad said that Judas Priest were probibly the heaviest band around in the late 70s, its equivilant to the death/thrash scene of today lol