Judas Priest, Sin After Sin

Still early in the career of Judas Priest, Sin After Sin retained much of the raw dramatic power of Sad Wings of Destiny while previewing the more polished sounds of subsequent albums. The latter probably came as much from producer Roger Glover (of Deep Purple fame) as from the band itself.

The cover has the perfect dark, Gothic feel. The stone temple, the eerie sky, even the lettering used for the band's name contribute to the theme.

One thing, however, doesn't quite fit: the white female figure at the base of the temple. It's hard to tell if she's emoting--perhaps feeling sad about sitting alone on the stone (not to mention having no face)--or if she's a swimsuit pinup girl waiting to be exploited.

Whatever it is she is meant for, it presents an unfortunate distraction. The blank figure adds no value to the theme; by whiting out her face and body, the band even reduces the sex value to nearly zero.