its earlier floriated hippie Nostradamus, Priest’s only dress. Priest’s musical style concept album to date, was Judas Priest is a band that also shifted towards a more released in 2008 and hit the will always be listened to; straightforward metallic US Billboard 200 chart in 11th approach, abandoning many simply because of the quality position – the band’s highest charting ever in the States. of its progressive, ethereal of the band’s songs and the tendencies. The band’s first In 2010, Judas Priest world tour followed the release reverence others have for announced that their Epitaph and a live album, which also these Midlands rockers. World Tour, which started in contained studio overdubs, June 2011 and ended in May was recorded in Japan and 2012, would be the band’s final released as Unleashed in the world tour. Before the start of the tour, founding member East, the first Platinum Judas Priest recording. K.K. Downing retired from the band and Priest replaced him with 31-year-old Richie Falkner. Although the band Priest’s seminal metal album was released in 1980. has significantly reduced its activity, a new, and perhaps British Steel encapsulated the band’s more strippedfinal, album is in the works. down approach yet the songs were catchy and rather radio friendly leading to a significant increase in exposure Judas Priest has had an indelible effect on the genres of through radio play. Songs like ‘Breaking the Law’ and hard rock and particularly heavy metal. Halford and the ‘Living After Midnight’ are familiar to even the youngest of band’s adoption of the ‘studs and leather’ look influenced rock fans today and the album was the band’s first studio most metal bands that were to come, not knowing that its album to be certified platinum by the RIAA. Point of Entry origins lay in homosexual followed in 1981 but could not reach the firmamental macho S&M fashion. heights of British Steel and proved to be a dip in the The blazing twin-guitar band’s form. In 1982, however, Priest was riding high approach and Halford’s once again with the release of Screaming for Vengeance, shrieking vocals which rocketed up the charts and went twice Platinum. created an entirely fresh sound in the Defenders of the Faith, released in 1984, was the last world of rock Priest album of the 80s to follow the band’s typical darker which resonated formula, also achieving double Platinum status in the with young US. Two somewhat more colourful albums followed in fans looking for 1986’s Turbo, which also went Platinum, and 1988’s Ram something with It Down, achieving Gold status, leaving fans wondering more power and what was to come for the band in the future. In 1989, attitude. drummer Scott Travis, who still drums for the band, joined the fray and Priest released its 12th studio album, Painkiller, in 1990. The album was an aural kick in the gut and blow upside the head, being Priest’s heaviest and most technically impressive album to date. The album hit Gold status in the US and has become the band’s most popular cult album, resonating particularly deeply with metalheads across the globe. Soon after the release and supporting tour of Painkiller, Rob Halford left the band owing to tensions within the band going on to start his own band, Fight, and recording material for his solo project Halford. Priest took a break following Halford’s departure but hired vocalist Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens in 1996. Jugulator was released in 1997 and Demolition in 2001. Both albums were poorly received by fans and critics alike because of Owens’ vocals and ill-conceived song writing – Judas Priest was clearly a band in crisis. The cure was right around the corner: the return of metal god Rob Halford. Owens departed on good terms, joining American band Iced Earth, and the classic line-up was together again. In 2005 Priest released Angel of Retribution which debuted in 13th position on the US Billboard 200 chart, a truly remarkable achievement for a band that had fallen to pieces several years earlier. The band’s latest album,
Rob Halford popularised the heavy metal ‘studs and leather’ look. PAGE9