It was 1986. Hair was big, spandex was tight, and the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" was staring down a neon-pink shotgun. Judas Priest, the Birmingham bruisers who basically invented the leather-and-studs look, walked into Compass Point Studios in Nassau and did the unthinkable. They plugged in guitar synthesizers.
Honestly, people lost their minds.
When the Turbo Judas Priest album hit the shelves on April 14, 1986, it didn't just sound different. It sounded like a total betrayal to the die-hards who grew up on the serrated edge of British Steel or the high-octane fury of Screaming for Vengeance. Instead of the raw, biting dual-guitar attack of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, fans were greeted with "Turbo Lover"—a track that throbbed with a mechanical, polished, almost danceable pulse. It was polarizing. It still is. But if you look at the charts and the staying power of those songs, the story isn't about a band losing their way; it's about a band surviving the mid-eighties by the skin of their teeth.
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The Twin Turbos That Never Were
You can't talk about Turbo without mentioning Twin Turbos. That was the original plan. The band had written a massive amount of material—enough for a double album that was supposed to bridge the gap between their traditional heavy metal roots and this new, experimental "glam" sound. It was an ambitious, sprawling concept.
But the label, Columbia Records, got cold feet.
Double albums were expensive risks in the mid-80s, especially for a band trying to navigate a shifting market where Mötley Crüe and Ratt were dominating MTV. The project was chopped in half. The more "experimental" and commercial stuff became Turbo, while the heavier, darker tracks were shelved, eventually surfacing on Ram It Down two years later or appearing as bonus tracks on various reissues. This decision fundamentally changed how the public perceived the Turbo Judas Priest album. Had it been a double release, the synth-heavy tracks might have felt like a balanced artistic detour. Instead, Turbo stood alone as a shiny, polished monument to the decade’s excess.
Guitars or Computers?
The big controversy, of course, was the Roland G-707 guitar synthesizer. If you talk to purists today, they’ll tell you it made the band sound "soft." Tipton and Downing weren't just using effects pedals anymore; they were triggering MIDI sounds that mimicked textures usually reserved for keyboards.
Listen to "Out in the Cold."
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It starts with this haunting, cinematic wash of sound that feels more like a John Carpenter movie score than a metal anthem. It's atmospheric. It’s moody. Rob Halford’s vocals are soaring, but they’re wrapped in layers of reverb and electronic sheen. For a band that built its reputation on the "hell bent for leather" ethos, this was a massive pivot. It wasn't just about the technology, though. The songwriting itself shifted toward the "party rock" vibe that was sweeping the Sunset Strip. "Parental Guidance" is perhaps the most egregious example—a song that feels almost tailor-made for a teen movie montage, dripping with the kind of rebellious cliches that Priest usually stayed away from in favor of more mythological or darker themes.
Yet, "Turbo Lover" remains a masterpiece of tension and release. It’s a slow burn. The chugging, mechanical riff builds into a crescendo that, despite the synths, is undeniably Priest. It’s one of the few tracks from that era that has stayed a permanent fixture in their live setlists, proving that even the skeptics eventually succumbed to its hook.
The Production Wall of Sound
Tom Allom, the legendary producer who worked on every Priest record from Unleashed in the East to Ram It Down, was the man behind the glass. He brought a level of "sheen" to this record that was unprecedented for the band. The drums, played by Dave Holland, had that gated-reverb snap that defined the 80s—think Phil Collins but with more double-kick potential.
Everything was huge.
The bass was thick, the vocals were multi-tracked into a choir of Halfords, and the guitars were processed until they shimmered. Critics at the time, and even some today, argue that this production buried the band's natural grit. But if you compare Turbo to other 1986 releases like Van Halen’s 5150 or Ozzy Osbourne’s The Ultimate Sin, it’s clear that Judas Priest wasn't an outlier. They were competing. They were trying to be the biggest band in the world, not just the biggest band in the local metal club.
Why We Should Stop Hating on Turbo
Is it their best album? No. Most fans would point to Painkiller or Sad Wings of Destiny for that honor. But the Turbo Judas Priest album represents a specific moment of bravery. It’s easy to keep making the same record over and over again. It’s much harder to say, "Let’s try those weird guitar synths and see what happens."
The album actually performed quite well, reaching Number 17 on the Billboard 200 and eventually going Platinum. It expanded their audience to a younger generation that was watching Headbangers Ball and wanted something with a bit more melody. Without the commercial success of Turbo, it’s debatable whether the band would have had the financial backing and momentum to eventually pivot back to the ultra-heavy sound of the 1990s.
Key Tracks to Revisit
- "Locked In": Often overlooked, this track has a fantastic energy and some of the best lead work on the album.
- "Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days": Pure 80s cheese, but undeniably catchy if you’re in the right mood.
- "All Fired Up": A high-energy rocker that shows they hadn't completely lost their pulse.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Listener
If you’ve written off Turbo as a "synth-pop" disaster, you’re missing out on some of the most interesting arrangements in the Judas Priest catalog. To truly appreciate it, you have to stop comparing it to Stained Class.
- Listen to the 30th Anniversary Edition: The remastered sound helps bring out the nuances of the guitar synths, making them sound less like "keyboards" and more like the experimental textures they were intended to be.
- Watch the Fuel for Life Tour Footage: Seeing these songs performed live in 1986, with the massive stage sets and the band's undeniable energy, puts the music into context. It was meant to be a spectacle.
- Evaluate it as a "Time Capsule": Instead of looking for "True Metal," look for a snapshot of 1986. Turbo is the perfect sonic representation of that year’s technological optimism and excess.
Stop focusing on what the album isn't and start listening to what it is: a bold, weird, shiny, and incredibly catchy experiment by a band that refused to stay stagnant. Put on some headphones, crank "Turbo Lover," and let yourself enjoy the ride without the "metal police" whispering in your ear.
Check out the original track sequences from the Twin Turbos sessions if you can find them on bootlegs or deep-dive YouTube playlists; it completely changes how you view the transition from Defenders of the Faith to this era.