Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums[2] 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 struggled with indifferent record production and a lack of major commercial success until 1980, when their sixth studio album British Steel brought them notable mainstream attention.
Judas Priest
The band's membership has seen much turnover. During the 1970s, the core of bassist Ian Hill, lead singer Rob Halford and guitarists Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing saw a revolving cast of drummers, before Dave Holland joined them for ten years from 1979 to 1989. Since Holland's departure, Scott Travis has been the band's drummer. Halford left the band in 1992, and after a four year hiatus, Judas Priest regrouped in 1996 with Tim "Ripper" Owens, formerly of Winter's Bane, replacing Halford. After two albums with Owens, Halford returned to the band in 2003. Downing left the band in 2011, replaced by Richie Faulkner. The current line-up consists of Hill, Tipton, Travis, Halford and Faulkner; although Tipton remains as an official member of Judas Priest, he has limited his touring activities since 2018 due to Parkinson's disease, with Andy Sneap filling in for him. Hill and Tipton are the only two 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 was widely influential during the glam metal era of the 1980s. The Guardian 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 in 2006, receiving a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2010, and having their songs featured in video games such as Guitar Hero and the Rock Band series. In 2022, Judas Priest were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame via the Award for Musical Excellence.[3]
History[edit]
Origins (1969–1974)[edit]
Judas Priest was formed in 1969 in Birmingham,[1][4] England, by lead vocalist Al Atkins and bassist Brian "Bruno" Stapenhill, with John Perry on guitars and John "Fezza" Partridge on drums. Perry took his own life at age 18,[5] and amongst the replacements the band auditioned was future Judas Priest guitarist Kenneth "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 when they were still called Earth.[6] Stapenhill came up with the name Judas Priest from Bob Dylan's song "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" on the album John Wesley Harding.[7] Partridge was replaced in 1970 by drummer Fred Woolley, who later re-joined Chataway and Stapenhill in the band Bullion.[8] 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.[6]
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,[a] 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.[9] 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. Early shows included Hendrix and Quatermass covers, and in 1972, the set list included the originals "Never Satisfied", "Winter", and the show-closer "Caviar and Meths".[10] 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) and the band joined the management agency of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, Iommi Management Agency.[b] 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.[12] Campbell left soon afterwards, later to surface in the band Machine,[13] and the band enlisted two members of the band Hiroshima: drummer John Hinch and vocalist Rob Halford, the brother of Hill's girlfriend.[c] Halford and Hinch played their first show with Judas Priest in May 1973 at The Townhouse in Wellington. The show was recorded and part of it released in 2019 on the compilation Downer-Rock Asylum on the Audio Archives 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.[15] Gull suggested adding a fifth member to fill in the band's sound; they took on as a second lead guitarist Glenn Tipton,[15] whose group The Flying Hat Band were also managed by Iommi's agency.[11]
Rocka Rolla (1974–1975)[edit]
Judas Priest went into the studio in June–July 1974 with Black Sabbath producer Rodger Bain.[16] The band released their debut single "Rocka Rolla" that August and followed in September with an album of the same name.[16] The album features a variety of styles—straight-up rock, heavy riffing, and progressive.[17]
Technical problems during the recording contributed to the poor sound quality of the record. Producer Rodger Bain, whose resume included Black Sabbath'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.[18] 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[19] with dates in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark including one show at Hotel Klubben[20] in Tønsberg, one hour from Oslo, Norway, which scored them a somewhat negative review in the local press.[21] 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.[22]
Sad Wings of Destiny (1975–1977)[edit]
The band performed "Rocka Rolla" on BBC Two's The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1975, as well as the "Dreamer Deceiver"–"Deceiver" pair the year before the songs appeared on Sad Wings of Destiny.[23] Hinch left the band for reasons that are disputed and was replaced with Alan Moore,[24] who returned to the band in October 1975.[25] 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.[26] The group intended to make an album mixing straight-ahead rock with a progressive edge.[27]
The band recorded Sad Wings of Destiny over two weeks in November and December 1975 at Rockfield Studios in Wales.[28] The band stayed sober during the 12-hour recording sessions.[27] The cover depicts a struggling, grounded angel surrounded by flames and wearing a devil's three-pronged cross,[29] which became the band's symbol.[30] The album was released in March 1976,[31] with "The Ripper" as lead single.[32] The band supported the album with a headlining tour[25] of the UK from April to June 1976.[33] By this time Halford joked that fans should burn their copies of Rocka Rolla.[34]
The album had little commercial success at first[35][36] and had difficulty getting noticed due to critical competition from the rise of punk rock,[37] though it had a positive review in Rolling Stone.[25] 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.[30] It features heavy riffing and complex song arrangements that Tipton and Downing have said were inspired by the factories of The Black Country.[38] 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.[29]
The band grew dissatisfied with Gull;[39] the tight finances led Moore to leave the band a second time—this time permanently.[40] Sad Wings of Destiny caught the attention of CBS Records, 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.[39] Gull periodically repackaged and re-released the material from these albums.[41]
Major label debut (1977–1979)[edit]
Judas Priest recorded their major-label debut, Sin After Sin, in January 1977 at The Who's Ramport Studios, with Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover as producer.[42] Moore left again during the sessions and was replaced with session drummer Simon Phillips.[43] The album features significant developments in heavy metal technique, in particular its use of double-kick drumming on tracks such as "Dissident Aggressor",[44] and includes a pop-metal cover of "Diamonds & Rust" by folk singer Joan Baez.[45]
Sin After Sin appeared in April 1977.[6] It was the first Priest record under a major label, CBS, and the first of eleven consecutive albums to be certified Gold or Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[46] Phillips declined to become a permanent member of Judas Priest, so the band hired Les Binks on Glover's recommendation. Together, they recorded 1978's Stained Class, produced by Dennis MacKay, and Killing Machine (released in America as Hell Bent for Leather).[47] Binks, credited with co-writing "Beyond the Realms of Death", 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 (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.[48]
Musical style and influence[edit]
Musical style[edit]
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 debut album, Rocka Rolla (1974), is primarily rooted in heavy blues rock. From Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) through Stained Class (1978), the band's 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. Sin After Sin (1977) 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, Venom, and Motörhead that came to define the genre.[177] While the double-bass rhythms used by Judas Priest are generally measured and technical, the song "Dissident Aggressor" (1977) pushed an increase in "tempo and aggression", which was later adopted by other bands with a much harder-edged approach.[177]
Starting with their fifth album, Killing Machine (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".[178] 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 (1982), the band incorporated a balance of these two styles. This continued on Defenders of the Faith (1984). With the follow-up album, Turbo (1986), the band incorporated guitar synthesizers into its signature heavy metal sound. On 1988's Ram It Down, 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. Jugulator (1997) tried to incorporate some of the 1990s contemporary groove metal styles. Demolition (2001) has a more traditional heavy metal sound with nu metal elements. Following the return of Halford for Angel of Retribution and Nostradamus, the band returned to the style of its early albums.[179]
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 song of the same name.[180]
Vocal style and influences[edit]
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.[181] 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.[182]
Media recognition and legacy[edit]
Judas Priest have influenced a great deal of metal music since the late 1970s. They were ranked by MTV as the second "Greatest Metal Band" of all time (after Black Sabbath), and VH1 named them the 78th greatest artist of all time in 2010.[183] They were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, but were passed over despite placing among the top 5 fan-voted nominees.[184] 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.[3]
The band has sold over 50 million records so far, including 11 top 30 albums in the United Kingdom.[185] In the United States, the band had eleven consecutive albums to be certified gold, platinum or higher by the RIAA, starting with 1977's Sin After Sin.[186]
Several metal bands have named themselves after classic era Judas Priest songs and albums, including Sinner, Exciter, Running Wild, Steeler and Tyrant.
Judas Priest have been cited as both an influence and an inspiration to the thrash and speed metal genres, including bands such as Metallica,[187] Megadeth,[188] Slayer,[189] Exodus,[190] Pantera,[191] Anthrax,[192] Sepultura,[193][194] Testament,[195] Overkill,[196] Voivod,[197] Exciter,[198] Metal Church,[199] Kreator,[200] Destruction,[201] Sodom,[202] Annihilator,[203] Dark Angel,[204] Death Angel,[205] Onslaught,[206] Flotsam and Jetsam,[207] Possessed,[208] Nuclear Assault,[208] Heathen,[209] and Sacrifice.[210]
Fashion[edit]
In addition to the sound, Judas Priest are also known for being revolutionary in heavy metal fashion.[48] 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. 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.[211] 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'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."[212]
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."[213]
Though he adopted gay leather fetish wear for the band's look, Halford has stated that he "had no interest in S&M, domination or the whole queer subcult of leather and chains" because he is a vanilla gay man. He feels that fans of the era also did not suspect a homosexual or kink subtext in the leather-and-studs look.[214] However, following Halford's coming out as gay, modern listeners often identify Judas Priest as having queer themes in their lyrics and fashion.[215]
Current members
Touring member
Studio albums
In popular culture[edit]
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.[181]
The drama-comedy 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.
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". Their music was referred to as "death metal",[242] for which the producers subsequently apologised by having Bart Simpson write "Judas Priest is not 'Death Metal'" in the opening sequence chalkboard gag.[243]
