Named after the Bob Dylan song The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest and led by Tim Brooke-Taylor look-alike and openly gay biker dress-alike Rob Halford, Judas Priest were never taken as seriously as other heavy metal bands, partly because Halford was a weedy (and later, balding) vocalist, and possibly because they were no Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin.
Sin After Sin from 1977 offered thinnish production and a vague sense of Stonehenge, as demonstrated on Sinner and Last Rose Of Summer.
The oddly weedy Stained Class (1978) wasn’t a patch on the same years Killing Machine, which saw the biker formula kick in (witnessHell Bent For Leather and Running Wild) along with better production, stronger riffs and louder vocals. The album became a touchstone for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
This was quickly followed by 1979s Unleashed In The East, the obligatory Japanese live album, which is loudest of all.
The group’s sixth studio set, British Steel (1980), was iconic. The razor blade cover found its way onto T-shirts, one of which was sported by Pantera‘s Dimebag Darrell on television in 1991. Impressed, Rob Halford jammed with Pantera on a cover of Metal Gods.
British Steel was recorded at John Lennon‘s former country residence outside London. “It was an enormous rush of excitement being there,” Halford told Blender, “Because I was a huge Beatles fan”.
In August 1990, Judas Priest and CBS Records were unsuccessfully sued by the grieving family of Reno, Nevada, teenagers Ray Belknap (20) and James Vance (19) who shot themselves on 23 December 1985, claiming their sons had been driven to it after spending six months listening to the album Stained Class (1978).
Rob Halford suggested such exhortation from a band would be counterproductive at the very least. Which band would want its fans dead? A judge dismissed the suit.
2001’s Demolition could have been much worse, though times have certainly moved faster than a band led by 50-year olds could keep pace with.
While Tim “Ripper” Owens did a passable Rob Halford facsimile, their nods to grunge (One on One and Cyberface) sounded forced and much of their all-out metal would not have made it onto Screaming For Vengeance.
Still, Close To You was a terrific ballad, Metal Messiah lived up to its title, and Glenn Tipton and KK Downing’s twin guitar assault on the fiery Bloodsucker was as raucous as ever.
Drummer Dave Holland passed away on 16 January 2018.
Rob Halford Vocals KK (Kenneth) Downing Guitar Glenn Tipton Guitar, vocals Ian Hill Bass John Hinch Drums John Ellis Drums Alan Moore Drums Simon Phillips Drums Les Binks Drums Dave Holland Drums Scott Travis Drums Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens Vocals
Related Posts
Firm, The Former Free vocalist Paul Rodgers sang with Jimmy Page - making his first public appearance since the demise of Led…
Metallica Metallica's debut album, Kill 'Em All, was released in 1983 when Iron Maiden were still the biggest, newest noise in Heavy Metal. Metallica combined…
Money On paper, Money should have been incredibly successful. Not only were they charismatic youngsters capable of writing ambitious yet never…
Flaming Lips, The From their obscure acid punk beginnings in Oklahoma City in 1983, through to critical acclaim in the 90s and mainstream…
Power Station Feeling Duran Duran was becoming "a machine" the group agreed to take a year's break in 1985. Members John (bass) and Andy…
Warhorse Warhorse was formed in 1969 by original Deep Purple bassist Nick Simper who had been dismissed from the band prior…
Joe South Joe South was born Joseph Souter on 28 February 1940 and given a guitar by his father at the age…
Quiet Riot Back in the mid-70s the primo heavy metal band in Los Angeles was Quiet Riot. Van Halen were pretty popular too,…
n August 1990, Judas Priest and CBS Records were unsuccessfully sued by the grieving family of Reno, Nevada, teenagers Ray Belknap (20) and James Vance (19) who shot themselves on 23 December 1985, claiming their sons had been driven to it after spending six months listening to the album Stained Class (1978).
