Judas Priest are an English
heavy metal band formed in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the 1970s, the band had struggled with indifferent record production and a lack of major commercial success until 1980, when they rose to commercial success with the album ''
British Steel''.
The band's membership has seen much turnover, including a revolving cast of drummers in the 1970s and the departure of singer
Rob Halford
Robert John Arthur Halford (born 25 August 1951) is an English heavy metal singer. He is the lead vocalist of Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969 and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. He has b ...
in 1992.
Tim "Ripper" Owens
Timothy S. "Ripper" Owens (born September 13, 1967) is an American heavy metal singer who currently performs with KK's Priest, Spirits of Fire, the Three Tremors and A New Revenge. He first gained attention as the lead singer of Judas Priest ...
, formerly of
Winter's Bane
Winters Bane are a heavy/power metal band formed in 1990.
They have gone through extensive line-up changes throughout their history with only guitarist and sometime-vocalist Lou St. Paul featuring as an ever-present.
In their first incarnation ...
, replaced Halford in 1996 and recorded two albums with Judas Priest, before Halford returned to the band in 2003. The current line-up consists of Halford, guitarists
Glenn Tipton
Glenn Raymond Tipton (born 25 October 1947) is an English guitarist. Often noted for his complex playing style and classically influenced solos, he is best known as one of the lead guitarists for heavy metal band Judas Priest.
Early life and ...
and
Richie Faulkner
Richard Ian Faulkner (born 1 January 1980) is an English musician best known as one of the lead guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest since 2011, replacing original member K. K. Downing. Faulkner has also performed with Lauren Harri ...
, bassist
Ian Hill
Ian Frank Hill (born 20 January 1951) is an English musician, best known as the bassist and the sole continuous member for the heavy metal band Judas Priest.
Biography
Hill learned how to play the double bass from his father, a bass player ...
and drummer
Scott Travis
Mark Scott Travis (born September 6, 1961) is an American metal musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy and the supergroup Elegant Weapons. He was also a longtime member ...
. The band's best-selling album is 1982's ''
Screaming for Vengeance
''Screaming for Vengeance'' is the eighth studio album by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in July 1982 by Columbia Records. Considered the band's commercial breakthrough, it has been certified double platinum in the United S ...
'', with their most commercially successful line-up featuring Hill, Halford, Tipton, guitarist
K. K. Downing
Kenneth Keith Downing Jr. (born 27 October 1951) is an English guitarist and a former member of the heavy metal band Judas Priest.
Early life and career
Downing was born in West Bromwich, West Midlands. In the late 1960s, he developed a p ...
, and drummer
Dave Holland
David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years.
His extensive discography r ...
. Tipton and Hill are the only two members of the band to appear on every album.
Halford's operatic vocal style and the twin guitar sound of Downing and Tipton have been a major influence on heavy metal bands. Judas Priest's image of leather, spikes, and other taboo articles of clothing were widely influential during the
glam metal
Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...
era of the 1980s. ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' referred to ''British Steel'' as the record that defines heavy metal. Despite a decline in exposure during the mid-1990s, the band has once again seen a resurgence, including worldwide tours, being inaugural inductees into the
VH1 Rock Honors The VH1 Rock Honors were an annual ceremony paying homage to bands who influenced the sound of rock music. The events began in 2006, and the final event took place in 2008. The general format of each show is for modern bands to "pay tribute" to clas ...
in 2006, receiving a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for
Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
in 2010, and having their songs featured in video games such as ''
Guitar Hero
''Guitar Hero'' is a series of music rhythm game video games first released in November 2005, in which players use a guitar-shaped game controller to simulate playing primarily lead, bass guitar, and rhythm guitar across numerous songs. Player ...
'' and the ''
Rock Band
A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...
'' series. In 2022, Judas Priest were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
.
History
Origins (1969–1974)
Judas Priest was formed in 1969 in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
,
England, by lead vocalist
Al Atkins
Alan John Atkins (born 14 October 1947) is an English heavy metal vocalist
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers pe ...
and bassist Brian "Bruno" Stapenhill, with John Perry on guitars and John "Fezza" Partridge on drums. Perry committed suicide at age 18, and amongst the replacements the band auditioned was future Judas Priest guitarist
Kenny "K. K." Downing; at the time, they turned him down in favour of 17-year-old multi-instrumentalist Ernest Chataway, who had played with Birmingham band
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
when they were still called Earth. Stapenhill came up with the name ''Judas Priest'' from
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's song "
The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" on the album ''
John Wesley Harding
''John Wesley Harding'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on December 27, 1967, by Columbia Records. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album marked Dylan's return to semi-acoustic instrumentation and folk ...
''. Partridge was replaced in 1970 by drummer Fred Woolley, who later re-joined Chataway and Stapenhill in the band Bullion. No member of that early line-up lasted long enough to play on the band's recordings, though several songs co-written by Atkins appeared on their first two albums.
The band recorded a two-song demo "Good Time Woman" and "We'll Stay Together" and eventually gained a three-album recording contract with the label Immediate in late 1969 after a gig in
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
, but the label went out of business before an album could be recorded, and the band split in 1970. Late in the year, Atkins found a heavy rock band called Freight rehearsing without a singer, made up of K. K. Downing on guitars, his childhood friend
Ian "Skull" Hill on bass, and drummer John Ellis. He joined them, and they took on Atkins' defunct band's name. Their first gig was on 6 March 1971. Ellis quit later that year and was replaced with
Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell' ...
. Early shows included
Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
and
Quatermass
Professor Bernard Quatermass is a fictional scientist, originally created by the writer Nigel Kneale for BBC Television. An intelligent and highly moral British scientist, Quatermass is a pioneer of the British space programme, heading the Brit ...
covers, and in 1972, the set list included the originals "Never Satisfied", "Winter", and the show-closer "Caviar and Meths". July 1971 also saw them making a 45 rpm demo of "Mind Conception" with "Holy is the Man" on the B side for the Zella Records label.
Moore left and was replaced with Chris "Congo" Campbell (born Christopher Louis Campbell, 19 December 1952,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
) and the band joined Black Sabbath guitarist
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank Iommi () (born 19 February 1948) is a British musician. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and was the band's guitarist, leader and primary composer and sole continuous member for nearly five decades. I ...
's management agency Iommi Management Agency. Atkins continued to write material for the band—including "Whiskey Woman", which became the base for the Judas Priest staple "
Victim of Changes"—but as finances were tight and he had a family to support, he played his last gigs with the band in December 1972. Campbell left soon afterwards, later to surface in the band Machine, and the band enlisted two members of the band Hiroshima: drummer
John Hinch and vocalist
Rob Halford
Robert John Arthur Halford (born 25 August 1951) is an English heavy metal singer. He is the lead vocalist of Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969 and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. He has b ...
, the brother of Hill's girlfriend. Halford and Hinch played their first show with Judas Priest in May 1973 at
The Townhouse in
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
. The show was recorded and part of it released in 2019 on the compilation "
Downer-Rock Asylum" on the
Audio Archives
Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to:
Sound
*Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound
*Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum
*Digital audio, representation of sound ...
label along with one live song from the Atkins era.
Judas Priest made their first tour of continental Europe in early 1974 and they returned to England that April to sign a recording deal with the label
Gull
Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century, m ...
. Gull suggested adding a fifth member to fill in the band's sound; they took on as a second lead guitarist
Glenn Tipton
Glenn Raymond Tipton (born 25 October 1947) is an English guitarist. Often noted for his complex playing style and classically influenced solos, he is best known as one of the lead guitarists for heavy metal band Judas Priest.
Early life and ...
, whose group
The Flying Hat Band
The Flying Hat Band were an early 1970s Birmingham, England hard rock act that, alongside Judas Priest, ranked as the Midlands' favourites to succeed. Despite not having released an album, the band proved a successful club act and eventuall ...
were also managed by Iommi's agency.
''Rocka Rolla'' (1974–1975)
Judas Priest went into the studio in June–July 1974 with Black Sabbath producer
Rodger Bain
Rodger Bain (born 1945) is a British record producer, known for producing albums by heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Budgie and Judas Priest in the 1970s. He is mainly associated as the staff producer at Vertigo Records in the early to ...
. The band released their debut single "
Rocka Rolla
''Rocka Rolla'' is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 6 September 1974 by Gull Records. It was produced by Rodger Bain, who had made a name for himself as the producer of Black Sabbath's first three ...
" that August and followed in September with an
album of the same name. The album features a variety of styles—straight-up rock, heavy riffing, and
progressive.
Technical problems during the recording contributed to the poor sound quality of the record. Producer
Rodger Bain
Rodger Bain (born 1945) is a British record producer, known for producing albums by heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Budgie and Judas Priest in the 1970s. He is mainly associated as the staff producer at Vertigo Records in the early to ...
, whose resume included
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
's first three albums as well as
Budgie's first album, dominated the production of the album and made decisions with which the band did not agree. Bain also chose to leave fan favourites from the band's live set, such as "Tyrant", "Genocide" and "
The Ripper", off the album and he cut the song "Caviar and Meths" from a 10-minute song down to a 2-minute instrumental.
The tour for ''Rocka Rolla'' was Judas Priest's first international tour with dates in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark including one show at Hotel Klubben in Tønsberg, one hour from Oslo, Norway, which scored them a somewhat negative review in the local press. The album flopped upon release, leaving Priest in dire financial straits. Priest attempted to secure a deal with Gull Records to get a monthly pay of £50, however, because Gull Records were struggling as well, they declined.
''Sad Wings of Destiny'' (1975–1977)
The band performed "Rocka Rolla" on
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
's ''
The Old Grey Whistle Test
''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music show. The show was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough and aired on BBC2 from 1971 to 1988. ...
'' in 1975, as well as the "Dreamer Deceiver"–"Deceiver" pair the year before the songs appeared on ''Sad Wings of Destiny''. Hinch left the band for reasons that are disputed and was replaced with Alan Moore, who returned to the band in October 1975. Finances were tight: band members restricted themselves to one meal a day—and several took on part-time work—while they recorded their follow-up album on a budget of £2,000. The group intended to make an album mixing straight-ahead rock with a
progressive edge.
The band recorded ''
Sad Wings of Destiny
''Sad Wings of Destiny'' is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 23 March 1976 by Gull Records. It is considered the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image, and songs from it su ...
'' over two weeks in November and December 1975 at
Rockfield Studios
Rockfield Studios is a residential recording studio located in the Wye Valley just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was originally founded in 1963 by brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward.
Facilities
Rockfield is a two- ...
in Wales. The band stayed sober during the 12-hour recording sessions. The cover depicts a struggling, grounded angel surrounded by flames and wearing a devil's three-pronged cross, which became the band's symbol. The album was released in March 1976, with "
The Ripper" as lead single. The band supported the album with a headlining tour of the UK from April to June 1976. By this time Halford joked that fans should burn their copies of ''Rocka Rolla''.
The album had little commercial success at first and had difficulty getting noticed due to critical competition from the rise of
punk rock, though it peaked at in the UK and had a positive review in ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''. Fans, critics, and the band have since come to see ''Sad Wings of Destiny'' as the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image. It features heavy
riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...
ing and complex song
arrangement
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...
s that Tipton and Downing have said were inspired by the factories of The Black Country. The album's centrepiece "
Victim of Changes" evolved from a combination of Atkins' "Whiskey Woman" and Halford's "Red Light Woman", and went on to become a fan favourite.
The band grew dissatisfied with Gull; the tight finances led Moore to leave the band a second time—this time permanently. ''Sad Wings of Destiny'' caught the attention of , and with the help of new manager David Hemmings, the band signed with CBS and received a £60,000 budget for their next album. The signing required breaking their contract with Gull, resulting in the rights to the first two albums and all related recordings—including demos—becoming property of Gull. Gull periodically repackaged and re-released the material from these albums.
Major label debut (1977–1979)
Judas Priest recorded their major-label debut, ''
Sin After Sin
''Sin After Sin'' is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 8 April 1977 by Columbia Records. Produced by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, it was the band's major label debut, their first album for the ...
'', in January 1977 at
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
's
Ramport Studios
Ramport Studios was a recording studio on Thessaly Road, Battersea, south London, owned by the Who. The studio was built in an old church hall. Several major albums were recorded at Ramport, including 1974's ''Crime of the Century'' by Supertram ...
, with
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
bassist
Roger Glover
Roger David Glover (born 30 November 1945) is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the member of the hard rock bands Deep Purple and Rainbow. As a member of Deep Purple, Glover was inducted into the Rock and Ro ...
as producer. Moore left again during the sessions and was replaced with session drummer
Simon Phillips. The album features significant developments in heavy metal technique, in particular its use of
double-kick drumming on tracks such as "
Dissident Aggressor
"Dissident Aggressor" is a song by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest that was first released on '' Sin After Sin'' in 1977. In 2010, thirty-three years after its release, the song won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance after ...
", and includes a pop-metal cover of "
Diamonds & Rust
''Diamonds & Rust'' is the sixteenth studio album (and eighteenth overall) by American singer-songwriter Joan Baez, released in 1975. The album covered songs written or played by Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Allman Brothers, Jackson Browne and ...
" by folk singer
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
.
''
Sin After Sin
''Sin After Sin'' is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 8 April 1977 by Columbia Records. Produced by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, it was the band's major label debut, their first album for the ...
'' appeared in April 1977. It was the first Priest record under a major label,
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, and the first of eleven consecutive albums to be certified Gold or higher by the RIAA. Phillips declined to become a permanent member of Judas Priest, so the band hired
Les Binks
James Leslie Binks (born in Portadown, Northern Ireland), is a Northern Irish heavy metal drummer. He was the drummer for Judas Priest from 1977 to 1979.
History
Previously working for Eric Burdon, Binks was a drummer on Roger Glover's album ' ...
on Glover's recommendation. Together, they recorded 1978's ''
Stained Class
''Stained Class'' is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 10 February 1978 by Columbia Records. It is the first of three Judas Priest albums to feature drummer Les Binks, as well as the first to feature t ...
'', produced by Dennis MacKay, and ''
Killing Machine Killing machine may refer to:
Film
* ''The Killing Machine'', English language title for ''Shorinji Kempo'' a 1975 Japanese action film with Sonny Chiba, Hiroyuki Sanada and Etsuko Shiomi
* ''The Killing Machine'', a 1994 American action film with ...
'' (released in America as ''Hell Bent for Leather''). Binks, credited with co-writing "
Beyond the Realms of Death
"Beyond the Realms of Death" is a power ballad by English heavy metal band Judas Priest from their 1978 album ''Stained Class''. Vocalist Rob Halford's performance is considered one of his finest ever, and the guitar work is noted as well, esp ...
", now regarded as one of the band's classics, was an accomplished and technically skilled drummer and his addition added a dexterous edge to the band's sound. Binks also played on ''
Unleashed in the East
''Unleashed in the East'' is the first live album by the English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in September 1979 on Columbia Records. It was recorded live over two nights in Tokyo during their Hell Bent for Leather ...
'' (1979), which was recorded live in Japan during the Killing Machine tour. While the first three Judas Priest albums had considerable traces of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple in them, as well as ballads, ''Stained Class'' did not contain any ballads aside from "Beyond the Realms of Death". ''Killing Machine'' was the first nod to a more commercial sound, with simpler songs that brought back some blues influences. At about the same time, the band members adopted their now-famous "leather-and-studs" image.
Mainstream success years (1979–1991)
![Judas Priest dal viṿ a Cardiff in dal 1981](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Judas_Priest_dal_vi%E1%B9%BF_a_Cardiff_in_dal_1981.jpg)
Following the release of ''
Killing Machine Killing machine may refer to:
Film
* ''The Killing Machine'', English language title for ''Shorinji Kempo'' a 1975 Japanese action film with Sonny Chiba, Hiroyuki Sanada and Etsuko Shiomi
* ''The Killing Machine'', a 1994 American action film with ...
'' (1978) was the live release from the supporting tour, ''
Unleashed in the East
''Unleashed in the East'' is the first live album by the English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in September 1979 on Columbia Records. It was recorded live over two nights in Tokyo during their Hell Bent for Leather ...
'' (1979). It was the first of many Judas Priest albums to go platinum. There was some criticism of the band's use of studio enhancements and
overdubbing
Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more av ...
in what was marketed as a live album. By this point the playing style of the band had grown progressively heavier, with live versions of songs such as "Exciter", "Tyrant" and "Diamonds and Rust" sounding much heavier and faster than their studio counterparts.
Les Binks quit in late 1979, as he was unhappy with the band's manager Mike Dolan's decision not to pay him for his performance on the live album, so they replaced him with
Dave Holland
David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years.
His extensive discography r ...
, formerly of the band
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...
. With this line-up, Judas Priest recorded six studio and one live album, which garnered different degrees of critical and financial success.
In 1980, the band released ''
British Steel''. The songs were shorter and had more mainstream radio hooks, but retained the familiar heavy metal feel. Tracks such as "
United
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
", "
Breaking the Law
"Breaking the Law" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, originally released on their 1980 album '' British Steel''. The song is one of the band's better known singles, and is readily recognized by its opening guitar riff.
Com ...
", and "
Living After Midnight
"Living After Midnight" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was originally featured on their 1980 album '' British Steel'', which was their first gold album in the United States selling more than 500,000 copies (and eventua ...
" were frequently played on the radio. The next release, 1981's ''
Point of Entry'', followed the same formula, and
the tour in support of the album featured new songs such as "Solar Angels" and "
Heading Out to the Highway".
The 1982 album ''
Screaming for Vengeance
''Screaming for Vengeance'' is the eighth studio album by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in July 1982 by Columbia Records. Considered the band's commercial breakthrough, it has been certified double platinum in the United S ...
'' featured "
You've Got Another Thing Comin'
"You've Got Another Thing Comin'" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was originally released on their 1982 album '' Screaming for Vengeance'' and released as a single later that year. In May 2006, VH1 ranked it fifth on thei ...
", which became a major radio hit in the US. Songs such as "
Electric Eye
An electric eye is a photodetector used for detecting obstruction of a light beam. An example is the door safety system used on garage door openers that use a light transmitter and receiver at the bottom of the door to prevent closing if there is ...
" and "Riding on the Wind" also appeared on this album, and proved to be popular live. "
(Take These) Chains" (by
Bob Halligan Jr
Robert Sidney Halligan Jr. (born January 3, 1953) is an American singer, musician, music producer and songwriter who has collaborated with many artists, particularly in the hard rock/ heavy metal genre, throughout his career. He is currently the le ...
) was released as a single and received heavy airplay. This album went Double Platinum.
On 29 May 1983, the band played on Heavy Metal Day of the
US Festival
The US Festival (''US'' pronounced like the pronoun, not as initials) was the name of two early 1980s music and culture festivals in southern California, held east of Los Angeles, near San Bernardino.
Background
Steve Wozniak, cofound ...
, a music festival in
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 cen ...
sponsored by
Steve Wozniak
Stephen Gary Wozniak (; born August 11, 1950), also known by his nickname "Woz", is an American electronics engineer, computer programmer, philanthropist, inventor, and technology entrepreneur. In 1976, with business partner Steve Jobs, he c ...
. The band was fourth in the line-up that also included
Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band founded in Los Angeles in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni.
The original lineup featured Rhoads and Garni with lead vocalist Kevin DuBrow and drummer Drew F ...
,
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...
,
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
,
Triumph
The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...
,
Scorpions
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
, and
Van Halen
Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...
.
![Judas Priest K](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Judas_Priest_K.K._Downing_Glenn_Tipton%2C_1984.jpg)
Priest continued their success through the mid-1980s. "
Freewheel Burning
"Freewheel Burning" is a song by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, appearing on their 1984 album ''Defenders of the Faith'', and released as the first single off that album. The 12" version of the single contained an extended guitar i ...
", released in 1983, was a regular on rock radio. Its album ''
Defenders of the Faith
''Defenders of the Faith'' is the ninth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 13 January 1984 by Columbia Records. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and spawned the singles "Freewheel Burning", "Some ...
'' was released the following year. Some critics dubbed it "Screaming for Vengeance II", due to its musical similarity to the previous album.
On 13 July 1985, Judas Priest, along with
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
and other performers, played
Live Aid
Live Aid was a multi-venue benefit concert held on Saturday 13 July 1985, as well as a music-based fundraising initiative. The original event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 fami ...
at
JFK Stadium
John F. Kennedy Stadium, formerly Philadelphia Municipal Stadium and Sesquicentennial Stadium. was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia that stood from 1926 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was on the east side of the far southern end of ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. Their setlist was "Living After Midnight", "
The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" is a song written by Peter Green and recorded by Fleetwood Mac. It was released as a single in the UK in May 1970 and reached No. 10 on the British charts, a position it occupied for four conse ...
" and "(You've Got) Another Thing Comin'".
''
Turbo
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
'' was released in April 1986. The band adopted a more colourful stage look and gave their music a more mainstream feel by adding
guitar synthesizer
A guitar synthesizer is any one of a number of musical instrument systems that allow a guitarist to access synthesizer capabilities.
Overview
Today's guitar synths are direct descendants of 1970s devices from manufacturers (often in partner ...
s. The album also went Platinum and had a successful arena tour in support, with 100 concerts in North America, Europe and Japan in 1986. A live album recorded on the tour, titled ''
Priest...Live!'', was released the next year, offering live tracks from the era. The video documentary ''
Heavy Metal Parking Lot
''Heavy Metal Parking Lot'' is a 1986 documentary short produced by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn. The film features interviews with several small groups of young heavy metal fans gathered for a tailgate party in the parking lot outside the Capit ...
'' was created by
Jeff Krulik
Jeff Krulik is a director of independent films and a former Discovery Channel producer. Krulik's work frequently explores the fringes of popular culture from an enthusiastic and appreciative point of view.
He is best known for his 1986 documen ...
and John Heyn in 1986. It documents the
heavy metal fans waiting on 31 May 1986 for a Judas Priest concert (with special guests
Dokken
Dokken is an American glam metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. It split up in 1989 and reformed four years later. The band had several hit singles which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, such as " Alone Again", " In My Dreams", and " Burn ...
) at the Capital Center (later renamed
US Airways Arena) in
Landover, Maryland
Landover is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 25,998.
Landover is contained between Sheriff Road and Central Avenue to the so ...
.
![Rob Halford Motorbike 1988](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Rob_Halford_Motorbike_1988.jpg)
In May 1988, ''
Ram It Down
''Ram It Down'' is the eleventh studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 13 May 1988 by Columbia Records. It was the band's last album to feature longtime drummer Dave Holland, and was promoted in Europe and North ...
'' was released, featuring several reworked songs left over from ''
Turbo
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
'', in addition to new songs. The band recorded three tracks with pop producers
Stock-Aitken-Waterman: two originals, "Runaround" and "I Will Return", and a cover of The Stylistics' hit "You Are Everything". Producer
Matt Aitken
Matthew James Aitken (born 25 August 1956) is an English songwriter and record producer, brought up in Astley, Greater Manchester, best known as the creative force behind the 1980s and early 1990s songwriting/production trio Stock Aitken Waterman ...
said of the sessions, "I think it was ill-conceived, it was unlikely it was going to work. But we went into it with the spirit of optimism, and we did the best with them, within the parameters within which we would be prepared to work. We weren't going to use live drum kits and stuff, and that probably made it a no go from the start. I have no idea why we were working with Judas Priest really, but I think we made a good fist of a heavy metal song. I think it sounded alright." The tracks were ultimately not included on this album due to a management decision.
A reviewer has called ''Ram It Down'' a "stylistic evolution" that resulted from the band's "attempt to rid themselves of the tech synthesiser approach ... and return to the traditional metal of their fading glory days". The reviewer argued the album showed "how far behind they were lagging ... the
thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...
they helped influence" in earlier years. In 1989, longtime drummer Dave Holland left the band.
In September 1990, the ''
Painkiller
An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It i ...
'' album used a new drummer,
Scott Travis
Mark Scott Travis (born September 6, 1961) is an American metal musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy and the supergroup Elegant Weapons. He was also a longtime member ...
(formerly from
Racer X), who gave the band an edgier sound thanks to his heavy use of double pedals. This comeback album also dropped the 1980s-style synthesisers for all songs except "
A Touch of Evil
"A Touch of Evil" is a song by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, from their 1990 album ''Painkiller''. The record was released as the second single from the album via Columbia Records label.
Overview
It is the only song on the alb ...
". The tour used bands such as
Annihilator,
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
,
Pantera
Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...
,
Sepultura
Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
and
Testament as opening bands, and culminated in the
Rock in Rio
''Rock in Rio'' is a recurring music festival originating in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It later branched into other locations such as Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas.
Nine incarnations of the festival have been held in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, ...
performance in Brazil in front of 100,000+ fans.
Part of the Judas Priest stage show often featured Halford riding onstage on a
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
motorbike, dressed in motorcycle leathers and sunglasses. During a Toronto show in August 1991, Halford was seriously injured as he rode on stage, when he collided with a drum riser hidden behind clouds of dry ice mist. Though the show was delayed, he performed the set before going to a hospital. Hill later noted "he must have been in agony". In a 2007 interview, Halford claimed the accident had nothing to do with his departure from the band.
Subliminal message trial
In 1990, Judas Priest was the subject of civil action in the United States which alleged that the band was responsible for an incident in
Sparks, Nevada
Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It was founded in 1904, incorporated on March 15, 1905, and is located just east of Reno. The 2020 U.S. Census counted 108,445 residents in the city. It is the fifth most populous city in ...
, in 1985 in which 20-year-old James Vance and 18-year-old Raymond Belknap shot themselves.
On the evening of 23 December 1985, Vance and Belknap went to a church playground with a
12-gauge
The gauge (or commonly bore in British English) of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the inner diameter (bore diameter) of the barrel.
Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the f ...
shotgun with the purpose of committing suicide. They had consumed
alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
and
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
earlier that evening. The lawsuit alleged that the pair had been listening to Judas Priest's 1978 album ''
Stained Class
''Stained Class'' is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 10 February 1978 by Columbia Records. It is the first of three Judas Priest albums to feature drummer Les Binks, as well as the first to feature t ...
'' that night. Belknap was the first to place the shotgun under his chin, and died instantly after pulling the trigger. Some time later, Vance also shot himself, but succeeded only in disfiguring himself by blowing away the lower half of his face. Vance died three years later of a suspected drug overdose.
Lawyers representing the Belknap and Vance families alleged that a
subliminal message
Subliminal stimuli (; the prefix ' literally means "below" or "less than") are any sensory stimuli below an individual's threshold for conscious perception, in contrast to stimuli (above threshold). A 2012 review of functional magnetic resonance ...
urging them to "do it" had been embedded in the song "
Better by You, Better than Me
"Better by You, Better than Me" is a 1969 song by the English rock band Spooky Tooth. The song appeared on the album ''Spooky Two'' and was composed by keyboardist Gary Wright.
In 1990, a 1978 cover version by heavy metal band Judas Priest w ...
", a cover of a 1969
Spooky Tooth
Spooky Tooth were an English rock band originally formed in Carlisle in 1967. Principally active between 1967 and 1974, the band re-formed several times in later years.
History
Prior to Spooky Tooth, four of the band's five founding members h ...
song. Judas Priest had recorded the cover at the urging of their record company after the rest of ''Stained Class'' had been completed. Plaintiffs alleged that this subliminal command was the trigger which led directly to the pair deciding to shoot themselves.
Vance's parents claimed that their son had been troubled for a long time prior to the suicide pact, but had recently "changed for the better" and had re-embraced his family's
Christian faith
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global populat ...
before the "garbage music" of Judas Priest had again led him astray. The trial lasted from 16 July to 24 August 1990, when the lawsuit was dismissed by the judge, who ruled that the so-called subliminal message "was a coincidental convergence of a guitar chord with an exhalation pattern".
One of the defense witnesses, Dr. Timothy E. Moore, wrote an article for ''
Skeptical Inquirer
''Skeptical Inquirer'' is a bimonthly American general-audience magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) with the subtitle: ''The Magazine for Science and Reason''.
Mission statement and goals
Daniel Loxton, writing in ...
'' chronicling the trial.
The trial was covered in a 1991 documentary film, ''Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance Vs. Judas Priest''.
Halford's departure and Ripper years (1991–2003)
After the ''
Painkiller Tour
The Painkiller Tour was a concert tour by English heavy metal band Judas Priest which was in support of the album ''Painkiller''. It ran from 18 October 1990 until 15 April 1991.
This tour introduced new drummer Scott Travis from Racer X, wh ...
'' in 1991, Halford left Judas Priest. In September 1991, there were indications of internal tensions within the band. Halford went on to form a street-style
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
group named
Fight
Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
, with Scott Travis on drums for the recording sessions. He formed this band to explore new musical territory, but due to contractual obligations, he remained with Judas Priest until May 1992. In his 2020 memoir ''Confess '', Halford blamed his departure on a ‘miscommunication’, rather than an intentional desire to quit the band.
Halford collaborated with Judas Priest in the release of a compilation album entitled ''
Metal Works '73–'93
''Metal Works'' is a compilation album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in April 1993. A remastered edition was released in 2001, with the same track listing.
All material was previously available. All albums to that date ...
'' to commemorate their 20th anniversary. He also appeared in a video by the same title, documenting their history, in which his departure from the band was officially announced later that year.
Tim "Ripper" Owens
Timothy S. "Ripper" Owens (born September 13, 1967) is an American heavy metal singer who currently performs with KK's Priest, Spirits of Fire, the Three Tremors and A New Revenge. He first gained attention as the lead singer of Judas Priest ...
, who had previously sung in
Winter's Bane
Winters Bane are a heavy/power metal band formed in 1990.
They have gone through extensive line-up changes throughout their history with only guitarist and sometime-vocalist Lou St. Paul featuring as an ever-present.
In their first incarnation ...
and a Judas Priest
tribute band
A tribute act, tribute band or tribute group is a music group, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act. Tribute acts include individual performers who mimic the songs and style of an artist, such as Elvi ...
called British Steel, was hired in 1996 as Judas Priest's new singer. This line-up released two studio albums, ''
Jugulator
''Jugulator'' is the thirteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was released in Japan on 16 October 1997 and the rest of the world on 28 October 1997. It was their first studio album since ''Painkiller'' in 1990 an ...
'' in 1997 (in 1999, the song "
Bullet Train
Bullet train may refer to:
Rail
* Shinkansen high-speed trains of Japan, nicknamed for their appearance and speed
* Other high-speed trains of a similar appearance to Japanese trains
* An ongoing project to build high-speed rail in India.
Rail to ...
" was nominated for a
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
) and ''
Demolition
Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...
'' in 2001. A considerable stylistic departure from prior releases, the former has been characterised as
groove metal
Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre achieved success in the 1990s and continued having success in the 2000s. Inspired by thrash metal and traditional heavy metal, groove metal features raspy ...
and the latter as
nu metal
Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...
, both receiving mixed reviews. The line-up also gave rise to two live double-albums – ''
'98 Live Meltdown'' and ''
Live in London'' (2003), the latter of which had a live DVD counterpart.
In a February 1998 interview on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, Halford
came out
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
as gay.
Reunion and ''Angel of Retribution'' (2003–2006)
![Judas Priest Retribution 2005 Tour](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Judas_Priest_Retribution_2005_Tour.jpg)
After eleven years apart, faced with an ever-growing demand for a reunion, Judas Priest and Rob Halford announced they would reunite in July 2003, to coincide with the release of the
Metalogy
''Metalogy'' is a four CD + single DVD boxed set released by heavy metal band Judas Priest in 2004. The CDs come in card sleeves and are housed in a faux-leather box, which has studs around the center. The box was re-released in 2008 in a c ...
box set (despite Halford's earlier insistence that he "would never do it"). They did a concert tour in Europe in 2004, and co-headlined the 2004
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband Ozzy Osbourne, both ...
, being named as the "premier act" by almost all US media coverage of the event. Judas Priest and "Ripper" Owens parted amicably, with Owens joining American heavy metal band
Iced Earth
Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band formed in Tampa, Florida and currently based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer ...
.
A new studio album, ''
Angel of Retribution
''Angel of Retribution'' is the fifteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in 2005. It is the band's first album since 1990's ''Painkiller'' to feature Rob Halford. The album debuted at on the US Billboard 200 ...
'', was released on 1 March 2005 (US) on
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
/
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
to critical and commercial success, earning the band a 2005
Metal Hammer
''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...
Golden Gods Award for Best Album. A global tour in support of the album ensued. As for the band Halford, writing for the fourth release was cut off. After the Retribution tour in June 2006, however, Halford announced he would create his own record company, Metal God Entertainment, where he would release all his solo material under his own control. In November 2006 he remastered his back catalogue and released it exclusively through
Apple's iTunes Store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
. Two new songs allegedly set for the fourth release, "Forgotten Generation" and "Drop Out", were released through iTunes as well.
![JudasPriest](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/JudasPriest.jpg)
Along with
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
,
Kiss
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
and
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), a ...
, Judas Priest was an inaugural inductee into the "
VH1 Rock Honors The VH1 Rock Honors were an annual ceremony paying homage to bands who influenced the sound of rock music. The events began in 2006, and the final event took place in 2008. The general format of each show is for modern bands to "pay tribute" to clas ...
".
The ceremony took place 25 May 2006 in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, Nevada, and first aired on 31 May.
Their presentation was preceded by
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, lead guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its forma ...
performing a medley of "
Electric Eye
An electric eye is a photodetector used for detecting obstruction of a light beam. An example is the door safety system used on garage door openers that use a light transmitter and receiver at the bottom of the door to prevent closing if there is ...
"/"
Victim of Changes"/"
Hell Bent for Leather." Judas Priest then played "
Breaking the Law
"Breaking the Law" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, originally released on their 1980 album '' British Steel''. The song is one of the band's better known singles, and is readily recognized by its opening guitar riff.
Com ...
", "
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" is a song written by Peter Green and recorded by Fleetwood Mac. It was released as a single in the UK in May 1970 and reached No. 10 on the British charts, a position it occupied for four consec ...
" and "
You've Got Another Thing Comin'
"You've Got Another Thing Comin'" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was originally released on their 1982 album '' Screaming for Vengeance'' and released as a single later that year. In May 2006, VH1 ranked it fifth on thei ...
", before which Halford rode a Harley-Davidson, Harley onstage.
''Nostradamus'' (2006–2010)
In a June 2006 interview with MTV.com, Halford said of the group's concept album about the 16th-century French writer Nostradamus, "Nostradamus is all about metal, isn't he? He was an alchemist as well as a seer – a person of extraordinary talent. He had an amazing life that was full of trial and tribulation and joy and sorrow. He's a very human character and a world-famous individual. You can take his name and translate it into any language and everybody knows about him, and that's important because we're dealing with a worldwide audience."
In addition to digging new lyrical ground for the band, the album would contain musical elements which might surprise fans. "It's going to have a lot of depth", Halford said. "There'll be a lot of symphonic elements. We might orchestrate it, without it being overblown. There may be a massive choir at parts and keyboards will be featured more prominently, whereas they've always been in the background before."
The album ''Nostradamus (album), Nostradamus'' was released in June 2008; the band began a support tour in that same month.
In early February 2009, the band joined the ranks of bands speaking out against ticket-touting ("scalping"), issuing a statement condemning the practice of selling tickets at well above face value, and urging fans to buy tickets only from official sources. In the same month, Judas Priest continued their tour, bringing their "Priest Feast" (with guests
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
and
Testament) to multiple arenas in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland in February and March 2009. From there the tour progressed to multiple venues in Sweden. Later in March, Judas Priest performed in Portugal (at Lisbon on the Atlantic Pavilion), which they had not visited since 2005. The tour then continued to Milan, Italy, and then Paris, France; Halford had last performed with Judas Priest in Paris in 1991.
![Judas Priest Sweden Rock 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Judas_Priest_Sweden_Rock_2008.jpg)
From June through August 2009, Judas Priest completed a North American tour to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of ''
British Steel'' (1980); the album was performed in its entirety on each tour date, with some other songs thrown in. This tour was to be a joint effort with fellow Englishman David Coverdale and Whitesnake. Unfortunately, Whitesnake would have to leave the tour after the show in Denver, Colorado on 11 August 2009 due to Coverdale falling ill with a serious throat infection; he was advised to stop singing immediately to avoid permanently damaging his vocal cords.
On 14 July 2009, Judas Priest released a new live album, featuring 11 previously unreleased live tracks from the 2005 and 2008 world tours, ''A Touch of Evil: Live''. The performance of "
Dissident Aggressor
"Dissident Aggressor" is a song by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest that was first released on '' Sin After Sin'' in 1977. In 2010, thirty-three years after its release, the song won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance after ...
" won the 2010
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
.
In May 2010, Halford said the band had been offered a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but "we've just never been there when they wanted to do the ceremony." He also revealed that a ''Nostradamus'' tour was still being contemplated: "We were in Hollywood recently and met with some producers and agents, so there are a lot of things going on behind the scenes."
Downing's retirement and Epitaph World Tour (2010–2011)
Judas Priest announced on 7 December 2010, that their Epitaph World Tour would be the band's farewell tour and would run up until 2012.
In a January 2011 interview, Halford said about the band's impending retirement: "I think it's time, you know. We're not the first band to say farewell, it's just the way everyone comes to at some point and we're gonna say a few more things early next year, so I think the main thing that we just want to ask everybody to consider is don't be sad about this, start celebrating and rejoicing over all the great things we've done in Judas Priest."
On 27 January 2011, it was announced that Judas Priest was in the process of writing new material; the band also clarified their plans for the future, saying, "this is by no means the end of the band. In fact, we are presently writing new material, but we do intend this to be the last major world tour." Speaking at a press conference in Los Angeles on 26 May of the new material Glenn Tipton said: "It's quite a mixed bag. Really, there's more sentiment on this album. In a way, I suppose, it's also our farewell album, although it might not be our last one. There are some anthems on there, which pay tribute to our fans".
On 20 April 2011, it was announced that K. K. Downing had retired from the band and would not complete the Epitaph World Tour. Downing cited differences with the band and the management, and a breakdown in their relationship.
Richie Faulkner
Richard Ian Faulkner (born 1 January 1980) is an English musician best known as one of the lead guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest since 2011, replacing original member K. K. Downing. Faulkner has also performed with Lauren Harri ...
, guitarist for Lauren Harris' band, was announced as his replacement for the Epitaph World Tour. Downing's retirement left bassist Ian Hill as the only remaining founder member of the band.
On 25 May 2011, Judas Priest played during the finale of American Idol (season 10), ''American Idol'' season 10 with James Durbin (singer), James Durbin, making it their first live performance without K.K. Downing.
The band played a mixture of two songs: "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking the Law".
On 7 June 2011, the band announced that it planned to release the box set ''Single Cuts'', a collection of Single (music), singles, the following August.
''Redeemer of Souls'' (2011–2015)
In an August 2011 interview with Billboard, Halford explained that he and Tipton had "about 12 or 14 tracks completely mapped out" for a new studio album, with four of those tracks already recorded and mixed.
The band made a point to take its time with the album, with Halford explaining "I'm of the attitude it'll be ready when it's ready ... I don't think we're going to slack off. We're determined to do a lot of work and be just as dedicated as we've always been and take a lot of care and attention with all the songs. We're not going to just bang this one out, so to speak."
On 13 September 2011, Priest announced its plans to release a new compilation album, ''The Chosen Few (Judas Priest album), The Chosen Few'', a set of Priest songs chosen by other iconic heavy metal musicians.
On 5 June 2013, Halford confirmed that the Epitaph World Tour would not be the band's final tour. On 22 December, Judas Priest released a short Christmas message on their official website, which confirmed that they would be releasing their next album in 2014.
On 17 March 2014 at the Ronnie James Dio Awards in Los Angeles, Halford announced that the band's 17th studio album was finished. On 28 April, the band released the album's title track "Redeemer of Souls" for streaming on their official website. On 14 May 2014, the band's original guitarist Ernie Chataway died at the age of 62 from cancer, as reported by vocalist Al Atkins. ''Redeemer of Souls'' was released on 8 July 2014. It sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart, the band's highest charting position in the US after the double-disc concept album, ''Nostradamus'', debuted at No. 11. This was the band's first top 10 album in the US. The band went on tour in support of the album which ran from 1 October 2014 until 17 December 2015. The Redeemer of Souls Tour led to the sixth live album ''Battle Cry (Judas Priest album), Battle Cry'', which was released on 25 March 2016 after being recorded at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany on 1 August 2015.
''Firepower'' and Tipton's retirement from touring (2015–2019)
![Judas Priest at The Warfield Theater in San Francisco](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Judas_Priest_at_The_Warfield_Theater_in_San_Francisco.jpg)
In a November 2015 interview with Reverb.com, Richie Faulkner said that the band would start work on their eighteenth studio album in 2016. In April 2016, Loudwire posted a photo showing Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton and Faulkner himself in the studio beginning the process of the album, with Halford confirming in a radio interview that it would be ready by early 2017. During an interview at the 2016 edition of the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp, Halford expressed dissatisfaction on making an album similar to ''Redeemer of Souls''. Faulkner then stated that the band would begin recording in January 2017 and also said that they would not go on tour until 2018.
In March 2017, the band entered the studio to begin the recording process, with support from long time producer Tom Allom, along with former Sabbat (English band), Sabbat guitarist and producer Andy Sneap and engineer Mike Exeter, who worked with the band on the previous album. This marked the first time since 1988's ''Ram It Down'' that they had worked with Allom. In an April 2017 interview with Planet Rock (radio station), Planet Rock, Halford said that the band was "coming to some of the final moments" of completion of the new album. He also promised "a very exciting 2018 period" with a world tour taking place in 2018. In an Instagram post in June 2017, Sneap said that the band completed tracking.
The eighteenth album, ''Firepower (Judas Priest album), Firepower'', was released on 9 March 2018, with a Firepower World Tour, world tour taking place thereafter, beginning in North America with Saxon (band), Saxon and Black Star Riders as their support acts.
On 12 February 2018, Glenn Tipton revealed that he had Parkinson's disease and would step down from touring. According to the band, the disease's progression left him unable to play the more challenging material. Tipton stated that he was still a member of the band despite his diagnosis and did not rule out future on-stage appearances. Andy Sneap was then announced as his replacement for the tour. Richie Faulkner later assured fans that Tipton would perform with the band "at some point in the tour." At the 20 March 2018 show in Newark, New Jersey, Tipton joined the band on stage to perform "Metal Gods", "
Breaking the Law
"Breaking the Law" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, originally released on their 1980 album '' British Steel''. The song is one of the band's better known singles, and is readily recognized by its opening guitar riff.
Com ...
" and "
Living After Midnight
"Living After Midnight" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was originally featured on their 1980 album '' British Steel'', which was their first gold album in the United States selling more than 500,000 copies (and eventua ...
", then "
Victim of Changes" and "No Surrender" on later dates. He continued to appear for encores throughout the remainder of the Firepower World Tour.
On 29 January 2019, Judas Priest's European tour with
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
was cancelled after Osbourne experienced a severe upper-Respiratory tract infection, respiratory infection. The band later confirmed that the tour was rescheduled to 2020.
Upcoming 19th studio album and 50th anniversary (2019–present)
In a March 2019 interview with Australia's ''May the Rock Be With You'', Rob Halford stated that Judas Priest would "definitely" release a new studio album in the future, and that Tipton had already started composing riffs. Bassist Ian Hill said that the band had "some very strong ideas that were left out of ''Firepower'' which we never got around to completing. So it's very much on the cards. When that will happen, I don't know." Halford expressed uncertainty as well on when a new album would be made, but assured it would happen. Despite Tipton's condition, Faulkner said that he would "very much be involved in the creation of the next record." Halford later confirmed that the band began compiling ideas for the next album, but said that ''Firepower'' would be difficult to top. He then said that the writing sessions would begin in early 2020, and that there would not be new material that year.
On 15 January 2020, Faulkner revealed via Twitter that he, Tipton and Halford would meet up in February 2020 to begin work on the next album. The songwriting process commenced on 3 February 2020. Halford confirmed that Andy Sneap and Tom Allom would return to contribute to its production. Prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns, Faulkner said that a month's worth of songs were written, but incomplete, and that the band would eventually begin composing material. Halford said that Tipton contributed material during the writing process, describing the songs as "monsters. Even in a very, very rough, primitive stage, they're great — they're really, really good." He explained that the album would capture "the emotion of what we're going through together." In regards to recording the songs, he dismissed the idea of doing so via Zoom Video Communications, Zoom, citing his old school lifestyle of being in the studio with the band members to write and record music in normal fashion.
Judas Priest were originally scheduled to embark on the 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour in 2020 in Europe and North America, but was pushed back to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, due to its continued presence, the European leg was pushed back to 2022. They returned to the stage on 15 August 2021 as they headlined the Bloodstock Open Air festival, once again rejoined by Tipton for the encore songs. The tour commenced on 8 September; however, the remainder of the US Tour was postponed as Faulkner was hospitalized for major medical heart condition issues. It was rescheduled for the spring of 2022 with Queensrÿche as their support band, while the European leg with Ozzy Osbourne was rescheduled for 2023.
On 29 April 2021, former drummer John Hinch died at the age of 73, as confirmed by Halford on Instagram. When speaking about the upcoming album, Halford said that the band had "a bunch of great new ideas for tracks, lots of really strong demos", describing it as being "a potent record". In regards to the material they had written, bassist Ian Hill said that there was enough for at least an album or two, expressing doubt that it would be released before 2023 due to the band's tour schedule. Halford confirmed Tipton's appearance on the album.
In January 2022, Judas Priest announced the departure of Andy Sneap as he would shift his focus on his production work while the band continued as a quartet; however, the decision was retracted and he was reinstated. In regards to the album's musical direction, Faulkner and Halford said that it would take a more progressive approach than ''Firepower''. Tipton assured that it would be "what every Priest fan will want", while explaining that the tracks may or may not fancy the fans taste, but expressed satisfaction in its sound. Faulkner confirmed that the drum parts were recorded, and that the album was completely written, "but we need to record it properly and everything like that. So it's not really anywhere near done. But when it's done, it's done." In June 2022, Halford indicated that the album will not be released until 2023 or 2024.
On 5 November 2022, Judas Priest were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
, playing a 3 song set alongside former members K.K. Downing and Les Binks.
Musical style and influence
Musical style
Judas Priest's style has always been rooted in heavy metal, and many of their albums reflect diverse aspects of the genre. For example, their first album, ''Rocka Rolla'' (1974), is primarily rooted in heavy blues rock. From ''
Sad Wings of Destiny
''Sad Wings of Destiny'' is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 23 March 1976 by Gull Records. It is considered the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image, and songs from it su ...
'' (1976) through ''
Stained Class
''Stained Class'' is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 10 February 1978 by Columbia Records. It is the first of three Judas Priest albums to feature drummer Les Binks, as well as the first to feature t ...
'' (1978), their style was somewhat progressive, with complex guitar passages and poetic lyrics. Songs would often shift in dynamics and tempo, and the music was some of the heaviest of its day. This would later have a major influence on progressive metal and stoner rock bands. 1977's ''
Sin After Sin
''Sin After Sin'' is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 8 April 1977 by Columbia Records. Produced by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, it was the band's major label debut, their first album for the ...
'' used a combination of double bass drum (or "double kick") and rapid 16th-note bass rhythms combined with rapid 16th-note guitar rhythms used by
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
, Venom (band), Venom, and Motörhead that came to define the genre.
While the double-bass rhythms of Judas Priest are generally measured and technical, the song "
Dissident Aggressor
"Dissident Aggressor" is a song by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest that was first released on '' Sin After Sin'' in 1977. In 2010, thirty-three years after its release, the song won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance after ...
" (1977) pushed an increase in "tempo and aggression" which was later adopted by other bands with a much harder-edged approach.
Starting with their fifth album, ''
Killing Machine Killing machine may refer to:
Film
* ''The Killing Machine'', English language title for ''Shorinji Kempo'' a 1975 Japanese action film with Sonny Chiba, Hiroyuki Sanada and Etsuko Shiomi
* ''The Killing Machine'', a 1994 American action film with ...
'' (1978), the band began to incorporate a more commercial, radio-friendly style to their music. ''
British Steel'' has been referred to as the "record that, more than any other, codified what we mean by heavy metal". The lyrics and music were simplified, and this style prevailed up to their seventh album, ''
Point of Entry'' (1981). With their eighth album, ''
Screaming for Vengeance
''Screaming for Vengeance'' is the eighth studio album by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in July 1982 by Columbia Records. Considered the band's commercial breakthrough, it has been certified double platinum in the United S ...
'' (1982), the band incorporated a balance of these two styles. This continued on ''
Defenders of the Faith
''Defenders of the Faith'' is the ninth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 13 January 1984 by Columbia Records. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and spawned the singles "Freewheel Burning", "Some ...
'' (1984). With the follow-up album, ''
Turbo
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
'' (1986), the band incorporated guitar synthesizers into its signature heavy metal sound. On 1988's ''
Ram It Down
''Ram It Down'' is the eleventh studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 13 May 1988 by Columbia Records. It was the band's last album to feature longtime drummer Dave Holland, and was promoted in Europe and North ...
'' the band retained some of the more commercial qualities of ''Turbo'' but also returned to some of the fast tempo heavy metal found on their earlier works. This fast-tempo style continued with 1990's ''
Painkiller
An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It i ...
''. ''
Jugulator
''Jugulator'' is the thirteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was released in Japan on 16 October 1997 and the rest of the world on 28 October 1997. It was their first studio album since ''Painkiller'' in 1990 an ...
'' (1997) tried to incorporate some of the 1990s contemporary groove metal styles. ''
Demolition
Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...
'' (2001) has a more traditional heavy metal sound with
nu metal
Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...
elements. Following the return of Halford for ''
Angel of Retribution
''Angel of Retribution'' is the fifteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in 2005. It is the band's first album since 1990's ''Painkiller'' to feature Rob Halford. The album debuted at on the US Billboard 200 ...
'' and ''Nostradamus (album), Nostradamus'', the band returned to the style of its early albums.
The band's popularity and status as one of the exemplary and influential heavy metal bands has earned them the nickname "Metal Gods" from their Metal Gods, song of the same name.
Vocal style and influences
Halford listened to and was influenced by Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin and Robert Plant as a vocalist. He learned to push to the limits of his vocal abilities by their vocal demonstrations on record.
He developed a powerful, operatic vocal style with an impressive range from lower throaty growls to ear-piercing high screams with strong vibrato. He was also a fan of Freddie Mercury, referring to him as his ultimate hero.
Media recognition and legacy
Judas Priest have influenced a great deal of metal music since the late 1970s. They were ranked by
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
as the second "Greatest Metal Band" of all time (after
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
), and VH1 named them the 78th greatest artist of all time in 2010. They were nominated for induction into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
in 2018, but were passed over despite placing among the top 5 fan-voted nominees.
The band has sold over 50 million records so far, having 11 top 30 albums in the United Kingdom.
Many metal bands have named themselves after classic era Judas Priest songs and albums, including Sinner (band), Sinner, Exciter (band), Exciter, Rage (German band), Rage, Running Wild (band), Running Wild, Steeler (American band), Steeler and Tyrant.
Fashion
In addition to the sound, Judas Priest is also known for being revolutionary in heavy metal fashion.
In the band's early years, they dressed in hippie-style 1970s outfits, but as the decade drew to a close, the rise of punk rock made this look outdated, so the band began wearing simplified wardrobes on their 1978 tour. For the 1979 tour, Halford adopted his now-trademark leather-and-studs look, inspired by punk fashion and leather culture. The rest of the band adopted a similar style which became prominent at the time of their 1978 release, ''
Killing Machine Killing machine may refer to:
Film
* ''The Killing Machine'', English language title for ''Shorinji Kempo'' a 1975 Japanese action film with Sonny Chiba, Hiroyuki Sanada and Etsuko Shiomi
* ''The Killing Machine'', a 1994 American action film with ...
''. This style would go on to be adopted by many heavy metal bands in the early 1980s, especially those of the NWOBHM and early black metal movements. To this day, it is not uncommon to find metal artists and fans sporting such a look at concerts.
In a published quote on the back cover of
K. K. Downing
Kenneth Keith Downing Jr. (born 27 October 1951) is an English guitarist and a former member of the heavy metal band Judas Priest.
Early life and career
Downing was born in West Bromwich, West Midlands. In the late 1960s, he developed a p ...
's autobiography ''Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest'', Downing said that Judas Priest "had a bit of an identity crisis from the beginning. There was always a bit of a question mark about the band's look. To me, it never seemed to say anything—and in the earliest days of our career, I suppose I actually saw that as a good thing."
Downing claims that he was the one who came up with the band's black-leather look back when he first started in the music business. He explains, "I had this Heavy Metal attitude inside of me. I had it all of my life. When I got into Judas Priest I knew I had a band that had a great name. I knew we were a great band ... but something was not quite complete. The leather and studs image came along and it all started to complete itself. We had the album cover with the razor blade ... and Heavy Metal was born, mate. I was a youngster and it came to me. Around 1976 is when it happened. The band took to it and got on with it, really."
In popular culture
The American director Rob Reiner went to see Judas Priest in concert as part of his preparation for making the film ''This Is Spinal Tap'' (1984), which spoofs British heavy metal bands.
The drama-comedy film ''Rock Star (2001 film), Rock Star'' (2001), starring Mark Wahlberg, is loosely based on the story of how Tim "Ripper" Owens replaced Rob Halford as the vocalist in Judas Priest.
The Judas Priest song "Electric Eye" was used in the temp score for ''Toy Story 3'' (2010), but was ultimately replaced by another piece of music.
The song "Electric Eye" was also used as placeholder music in "Galaxy Rangers", an early promo reel for ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' (1993). The series was notable for its hard-rock soundtrack.
On 5 January 2014, the band appeared in the episode "Steal This Episode" of comedy cartoon show ''The Simpsons'' playing a parody of their song "
Breaking the Law
"Breaking the Law" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, originally released on their 1980 album '' British Steel''. The song is one of the band's better known singles, and is readily recognized by its opening guitar riff.
Com ...
". Their music was referred to as "death metal", for which the producers subsequently apologised by having Bart Simpson write "Judas Priest is not 'Death Metal in the opening sequence chalkboard gag.
Band members
File:Judas Priest With Full Force 2018 13.jpg, Ian Hill, Hill
File:Judas Priest With Full Force 2018 03.jpg, Richie Faulkner, Faulkner
File:Judas Priest With Full Force 2018 32.jpg, Rob Halford, Halford
File:Glenn Tipton en 2008 au Luxembourg..jpg, Glenn Tipton, Tipton
File:Judas Priest With Full Force 2018 08.jpg, Scott Travis, Travis
File:Andy Sneap au Hellfest 2022.jpg, Andy Sneap, Sneap
Current members
*
Ian Hill
Ian Frank Hill (born 20 January 1951) is an English musician, best known as the bassist and the sole continuous member for the heavy metal band Judas Priest.
Biography
Hill learned how to play the double bass from his father, a bass player ...
– bass, backing vocals
(1970–present)
*
Rob Halford
Robert John Arthur Halford (born 25 August 1951) is an English heavy metal singer. He is the lead vocalist of Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969 and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. He has b ...
– lead vocals
(1973–1992, 2003–present)
*
Glenn Tipton
Glenn Raymond Tipton (born 25 October 1947) is an English guitarist. Often noted for his complex playing style and classically influenced solos, he is best known as one of the lead guitarists for heavy metal band Judas Priest.
Early life and ...
– guitars, backing vocals, keyboards
(1974–present) (limited touring due to illness since 2018)
*
Scott Travis
Mark Scott Travis (born September 6, 1961) is an American metal musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy and the supergroup Elegant Weapons. He was also a longtime member ...
– drums, occasional backing vocals
(1989–present)
*
Richie Faulkner
Richard Ian Faulkner (born 1 January 1980) is an English musician best known as one of the lead guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest since 2011, replacing original member K. K. Downing. Faulkner has also performed with Lauren Harri ...
– guitars, backing vocals
(2011–present)
Touring musicians
* Andy Sneap – guitars, backing vocals
(2018–present)
Discography
;Studio albums
*''Rocka Rolla'' (1974)
*''
Sad Wings of Destiny
''Sad Wings of Destiny'' is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 23 March 1976 by Gull Records. It is considered the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image, and songs from it su ...
'' (1976)
*''
Sin After Sin
''Sin After Sin'' is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 8 April 1977 by Columbia Records. Produced by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, it was the band's major label debut, their first album for the ...
'' (1977)
*''
Stained Class
''Stained Class'' is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 10 February 1978 by Columbia Records. It is the first of three Judas Priest albums to feature drummer Les Binks, as well as the first to feature t ...
'' (1978)
*''
Killing Machine Killing machine may refer to:
Film
* ''The Killing Machine'', English language title for ''Shorinji Kempo'' a 1975 Japanese action film with Sonny Chiba, Hiroyuki Sanada and Etsuko Shiomi
* ''The Killing Machine'', a 1994 American action film with ...
'' (1978)
*''
British Steel'' (1980)
*''
Point of Entry'' (1981)
*''
Screaming for Vengeance
''Screaming for Vengeance'' is the eighth studio album by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in July 1982 by Columbia Records. Considered the band's commercial breakthrough, it has been certified double platinum in the United S ...
'' (1982)
*''
Defenders of the Faith
''Defenders of the Faith'' is the ninth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 13 January 1984 by Columbia Records. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and spawned the singles "Freewheel Burning", "Some ...
'' (1984)
*''
Turbo
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
'' (1986)
*''
Ram It Down
''Ram It Down'' is the eleventh studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 13 May 1988 by Columbia Records. It was the band's last album to feature longtime drummer Dave Holland, and was promoted in Europe and North ...
'' (1988)
*''
Painkiller
An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It i ...
'' (1990)
*''
Jugulator
''Jugulator'' is the thirteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was released in Japan on 16 October 1997 and the rest of the world on 28 October 1997. It was their first studio album since ''Painkiller'' in 1990 an ...
'' (1997)
*''
Demolition
Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...
'' (2001)
*''
Angel of Retribution
''Angel of Retribution'' is the fifteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in 2005. It is the band's first album since 1990's ''Painkiller'' to feature Rob Halford. The album debuted at on the US Billboard 200 ...
'' (2005)
*''Nostradamus (album), Nostradamus'' (2008)
*''Redeemer of Souls'' (2014)
*''Firepower (album), Firepower'' (2018)
Awards and nominations and critical reception
Despite their huge, loyal fanbase, Judas Priest have never been well received by much of the music press, partially because their late 1970s rise coincided with the punk rock and new wave movements, which occupied much of the music press's attention at the time. The first edition of ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'' gave their first three albums one star each and described the band as "for lovers of stolen Led Zeppelin riffs only". The second edition of the guide a few years later also panned their entire discography. ''Village Voice'' critic Robert Christgau was notably disdainful of the band, refusing to outright review any of their albums and relegating them to his "Meltdown" list (referring to artists he did not consider to have any material worth listening to). In 2018, they were nominated for entrance into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
, but failed to get in, a move the band was critical of. They were however inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History at the Wacken Open Air, Wacken festival in August 2018. Founder/CEO Pat Gesualdo thanked them "for the decades of hard work and dedication to heavy metal, an art form they helped establish." The band then stated that their induction "also sends a great message of inclusion for the metal community around the world, and keeps us defending the metal faith together." In May 2022, it was announced that the band were to be among the 2022 inductee class for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the recipients of the committee selected "Award for Musical Excellence". Despite finally being inducted, many outlets, including Metal Sucks and ''Loudwire'',
were critical of the band being inducted via "Award for Musical Excellence" rather than in the "Performer" category. Halford, after originally expressing excitement about the honor, shared this sentiment.
Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards
, -
, 2005 , , Judas Priest , , The Metal Guru , ,
Grammy Awards
, -
, 1991 , , ''Painkiller'' , , Best Metal Performance , ,
, -
, 1999 , , "Bullet Train" , , Best Metal Performance , ,
, -
, rowspan= "2" , 2009 , , "Visions" , , Best Hard Rock Performance , ,
, -
, "Nostradamus" , , Best Metal Performance , ,
, -
, 2010 , , "Dissident Aggressor" , , Best Metal Performance , ,
Kerrang! Awards
, -
, 2007 , , Judas Priest , , Hall of Fame , ,
, -
, 2015 , , Judas Priest , , Inspiration , ,
Loudwire Music Awards
, -
, rowspan="7", 2015 , , ''Redeemer of Souls'' , , Metal Album of the Year , ,
, -
, rowspan="2", Judas Priest , , Metal Band of the Year , ,
, -
, Live Act of the Year , ,
, -
, "Halls of Valhalla" , , Metal Song of the Year , ,
, -
, rowspan="2", Rob Halford , , Rock Titan of the Year , ,
, -
, Vocalist of the Year , ,
, -
, Richie Faulkner , , Guitarist of the Year , ,
, -
, 2017 , , Rob Halford , , Lemmy Lifetime Achievement Award , ,
Metal Hammer Awards (Germany)
, -
, 2018 , , Judas Priest , , Maximum Metal , ,
Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards
, -
, 2005 , , ''
Angel of Retribution
''Angel of Retribution'' is the fifteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in 2005. It is the band's first album since 1990's ''Painkiller'' to feature Rob Halford. The album debuted at on the US Billboard 200 ...
'' , , Best Album , ,
, -
, 2011 , , rowspan="2", Judas Priest , , Icons , ,
, -
, 2018 , , Best British Band , ,
Metal Storm Awards
, -
, 2005 , , ''Angel of Retribution'' , , Best Heavy Metal Album , ,
, -
, 2008 , , ''Nostradamus , , Best Heavy Metal Album , ,
, -
, 2018 , , ''Firepower'' , , Biggest Surprise , ,
Planet Rock Awards
, -
, 2019 , , ''Firepower'' , , Best British Album , ,
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
, -
, 2018 , , Judas Priest , , Performers , ,
, -
, 2020 , , Judas Priest , , Performers , ,
, -
, 2022 , , Judas Priest , , Performers
, ,
, -
, 2022 , , Judas Priest , , Award for Musical Excellence
, ,
Sweden GAFFA Awards
, -
, 2019 , , Judas Priest , , Best Foreign Band
, ,
Notes
References
Citations
Works cited
* pbk.
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
Judas Priest frontman sends message to West Midlands Police
{{DEFAULTSORT:Judas Priest Band Members, List Of
Judas Priest,
1969 establishments in England
CBS Records artists
English heavy metal musical groups
Grammy Award winners
Kerrang! Awards winners
Musical groups established in 1969
Musical groups from Birmingham, West Midlands
Musical quintets
RCA Victor artists