"When Judas Priest released their 11th album on May 17, 1988, few people outside of the band’s inner circle had an inkling that they were standing at a crossroads.

Their previous record, 1986’s Turbo, was as successful as it was divisive, simultaneously broadening Judas Priest’s audience and alienating fans of the band’s older, heavier style with its wholesale adoption of synth guitars and other pop-metal trappings.

So imagine how those unhappy fans would have reacted had Priest gone with its original inclinations of making Turbo a double album and then using some of the leftover songs on Ram It Down.

Fortunately, many of those unused songs reflected Judas Priest's tougher and more aggressive side. So naturally they were left off Turbo. Old-school fans were relieved to hear Ram It Down’s potent title track opening the new album and quickly achieving speed-metal velocity, ignited by a paint-peeling scream by singer Rob Halford..."

- Eduardo Rivadavia, ultimateclassicrock.com