'Point of Entry' sees 'Judas Priest' taking a more laid back, almost commercial approach, that while firmly in the classic 'Priest' mould, is still a lot mellower than previous releases. Despite this, they have notched up another very respectable album that shows plenty of diversity and the usual excellence we have come to expect from this classic line-up.

First up is 'Heading out to the Highway' a lightweight rocker with a carefree feel, lyrically enjoyable and further bolstered by a solid guitar fuelled instrumental break and sharp 'Rob Halford' vocals. Less impressive is the fairly average 'Don't Go', a listless plodder that's unimaginative and dull, saved only by some decent solos and a reasonable chorus- Not up to 'Priest's' usual standards. Back on track is the quality sing-a-long 'Hot Rockin'', a pretty basic song but memorable due to the irresistible chorus, lively pulsating melody and grooving rhythm. After a spiritless intro 'Turning Circles' matures into a decent mid tempo plodder, not really the usual thing you expect from 'Priest', but I kind of like the subtle yet driving melody. Next up is 'Desert Plains' a song I rate very highly, lyrically it's fairly simple but 'Rob' deliveries them with such passion they really hit home, this is balanced by great drum and bass work and comes complete with faultless guitaring- best track on the album. Following is similar fashion is 'Solar Angels', an almost instrumental track as there's very few lyrics, excellently played and benefits from some well used sound effects. 'You Say Yes' ensues and fails to excite, lyrically repetitive and musically the Pop influences are a real turn off, overall an ineffective effort. Well into 'The Rolling Stones' territory is the lightweight rocker 'All the Way', a fairly harmless affair, that flows nicely and is well executed with strong vocals and fret work. 'Troubleshooter' follows with more than a little 'AC/DC' swagger, regrettably falling short, as it fails to attain interest and seem to meander on without direction. Last up is the riff driven 'On the Run' a carefree plodder, highlighting solid rhythm work, decent chorus and 'Rob's' great screaming vocals.

Bonus tracks included with the re-mastered version of 'Point of Entry' include a previously unreleased song called 'Thunder Road', not quite sure what sessions it was taken from, but has a mid to late 80's vibe, so could be 'Turbo' or even possibly 'Ram it Down'. All told a decent effort that might easily have made album status being braced by a lively rhythm, great duel guitaring from 'Tipton' and 'Downing' and a sublime instrumental break. The second bonus track is a live working of 'Desert Plains', this rendition is a lot brisker than the studio counterpart and while it works well as a rocker, looses some of the emotion in the faster execution.

Far from a disappointing album, but I feel a couple of tracks don't come off particularly well and does separate 'Point of Entry' from the string of 'Priest' classics. Never mind they certainly get it bang on with the next album.