Although compilations and “hit” packages are still largely a waste of time and money, the Metal Gods of rock and roll have put a new twist on this type of seasonal cash grab.

The 17 tracks that make up The Chosen Few were selected by the veteran hard rockers’ peers, who all emphatically state the importance of the mighty Priest in their own careers.

Members of Metallica, Slayer, Def Leppard, Korn, Pantera, Queensryche, Guns N’ Roses, etc. have carefully listed the hits and deep cuts which have made Judas Priest the face of metal for nearly 40 years.

Over the Birmingham group’s storied career of hits and misses, and ups and downs, early work such as “Victim of Changes,” “Delivering the Goods” and “Dissident Aggressor” still stand up well beside metal classics such as “Breaking the Law” (chosen by Lemmy, incidentally), “Living After Midnight” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming.”

Aging metalheads will easily recall why this music was important when they were pimply faced 14-year-olds, but The Chosen Few is likely a better primer for current 14-year-olds who are already on the Proactiv zit system — especially if they routinely raid their father’s record collection.

It’s not easy to age gracefully in the often-ridiculous world of heavy metal, but when Judas Priest plays the final show of its current Epitaph farewell tour it will, most certainly, mark the end of an era.