Judas Priest

Judas Priest is a British group of Heavy traditional metal founded in 1970 by the Guitariste K.K. Downing and the Bassiste Ian Hill. The name of the group comes from the song “The ballad off Frankie Lee and Judas Priest” of Bob Dylan.

It acts, with Black Sabbath, of one of the very first groups of the kind, and still today one of most influential. The first album, Rocka Rolla , comprises bases hard rock and strong reminiscences of the progressive Rock with pieces long and planing. But as of Sad wings off destiny , the style hardens considerably, then defining the principal characteristics of the heavy metal. The success of Judas Priest will be consequently growing in the whole world.

The group will be one of most outstanding years 1980. It propelled to the foreground the kind Arena Metal , characterized by high performances in pyrotechny in the various arenas of hockey of the big cities of the world. Judas Priest will also put at the world the look heavy metal biker , with its leather clothing and its metal bracelets with nails. But above all, it is its musical style characterized by the use of two guitarists soloists (like Thin Lizzy or Iron Maiden), with the service of refined compositions, and the quality of the scenic performances (several albums live attest some, in particular Unleashed in the East) which do of Judas Priest one of the most important groups of heavy metal.

The album Turbo sees a passage on the side of more commercial metal with the use of guitar-synthetizers (a first for a group of heavy metal), whereas the album Painkiller mark a return towards a style much more aggressive, influenced by the Thrash metal. This turn coincides with the arrival of the beater Scott Travis, notorious follower of the double pedal and successor of the Lars Ulrich, Dave Lombardo and Co.

The singer Rob Halford (called “The God Metal” by the fans) leaves the group in 1991 to carry out a career solo, replaced by Tim " Ripper" Owens starting from the album Jugulator . Halford is since income within the group in July 2003. After a participation noticed in the Ozzfest in 2003 - 2004, Judas Priest traverses since the world with the round Angel Of Remuneration , according to the exit of the album of the same name.

At present, Judas Priest is in full writing of a concept album being based on the life and the predictions of Nostradamus.

History

Difficult beginnings of Judas Priest

It is the friendship flexible Kenneth Downing and Ian Hill which is at the origin of the group. The two men know each other almost since their birth, were in same the crib and school with West Bromwich. With adolescence, they expressed an shared interest for the music and in particular Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Cream and The Yardbirds. At this point in time they decided to learn the music: Downing chooses the Guitare, Hill, as for him chooses the low .

In 1970, a hardly known local group named Judas Priest (in reference to the song of Bob Dylan: The Balad off Frankie Lee and Judas Priest , drawn from the album John Wesley Harding) separates. Alan Atkins, the singer of this formation contacts Hill and Downing in the hope to join their group, the latter accept and adopt even the name of " Judas Priest".

Playing rather of the songs of inspiration blues at its beginnings, the group adopted under the influence of Downing a sound more typified rock'n'roll then finally started to play of the heavy metal. Until 1974, this formation (still without appointed beater), played Birmingham and in the surroundings, in first part of Budgie, Thin Lizzy or Trapeze. Financial problems and tensions with their management (IMA, the company of Tony Iommi) involved the departure of Alan Atkins and Alan Moore (ensuring the station of beater then).

At that time, Ian Hill attended an young girl of the close city (Walsall). This one suggested to them engaging his/her brother to replace Atkins with the song. At the time, it is yet only one person of obscure repute: Robert Halford. It was committed like John Hinch, the beater of its preceding group: Hiroshima. The group, from now on more stable started to give concerts at increasingly constant intervals through the United Kingdom, (often in first part of Budgie), and ensured even in the concerts as a head of poster in Germany and Norway.

The first successes

Before the group does not enter in studio to record their very first opus, their recording company suggested engaging another musician. Reticent to engage an organist or a trumpet player, Downing engaged a second guitarist named Glenn Tipton, of a group of Stafford: Flying Hat Band . According to the members of Judas Priest themselves, there were technical difficulties during the recording, and their first album Rocka Rolla suffers from a quality of its horrible. Management had also its importance; according to the group, the producer Rodger Bath, (a professional whose reputation was not any more to make having already produced albums for many groups such as Black Sabbath) had taken too much importance in the design of the album. He évincé the traditional ones such as " Tyrant" , " Genocide" , and " The Ripper" , and tiny room of the pieces like " Caviar And Meths" , making it pass from a 10 minutes song to 2 minutes an instrumental piece.

With their second album, groups it acquired experiment and self-confidence, They take part from now on in the production, and choose themselves their producers. The result was Sad Wings off Destiny in 1976. On this album, are reproduced especially of the old pieces, including the famous " Victim Off Changes" a song combining " Whiskey Woman" , one the their traditional ones of scene since the whole beginnings of Judas Priest (the first group of Al Atkins) and " Red Lady" Light; a piece composed by the first group of Halford, Hiroshima. These first successes and a concert of legend given to the festival of Reading into 1975 ensured their very first to them fans.

Three following albums, Sin After Sin in 1977, Stained Class and Killing Machine (so known under the title of " Hell Bent For Leather") in 1978, explored the kind heavy metal, utilizing talented musicians of session such as the beater Simon Philips or Them (James Leslie) Binks. Killing Machine marked a turning in the career of the group: the songs were from now on shorter and more accessible. Nevertheless the rates/rhythms relentless and powerful which were to be played on scene with the same power that on the album brought Binks (which had composed " Beyond The Realms Off Death"), a beater with the kind rather jazzy to leave the group to leave its place to Dave Holland (ex-Trapezoid). With this line-up, Judas Priest recorded 12 albums and 2 lives, with different successes On the whole, the group sold more than 30 million discs.

The Eighties: Judas Priest with the apogee of its glory

After the exit of Hell Bent for Leather , the round of this album was the subject of live: Unleashed in the East . It was their first album with being Disque of platinum, and he is regarded as one of the largest albums live of heavy metal of the years 1970. At this period, a great number of fans called the album " Unleashed in the Studio" , because the live one was regarded as being an album studio with samples crowd to make accept live. Nevertheless the many traditional ones of Judas Priest are present on this recording such as for example " Diamonds and Rusts" or " The Ripper".

At spring 1980, one attended the exit of one of the metal album most important: British Steel . Being given the capacities of the new beater, Dave Holland, the songs became shorter and were more popular. Songs such as " United, " " Breaking the Law, " and " Living room After Midnight" passed regularly to the radio, and were an immediate success.

The following album, Not off Entry in 1981, is made in the same way, but criticism it accueilla not as well as its predecessor. However, the round according to this album was a great success, in particular with new songs like: " Solar Angels" and " Heading Out to the Highway".

In 1982, one attends the exit of Screaming for Vengeance . One the their most popular songs: " You've Got Another Thing Comin'" was regularly diffused on the American radios, thus acquiring an enormous success with the the United States. Songs like " Electric Eye" and " Riding one the Wind" also appear on this album and are from now on great classics of scene. Moreover this album is double platinum disc.

Defenders off the Faith left in 1984. Even if it were more progressive than their precedents opus, the fans called it " Screaming for II" Revenge; (but in spite of that, the reception was overall favorable) because of the resemblances to the preceding album. The round was a success and in spite of the notorious absence of individual the album was nevertheless Disque of platinum.

Turbo left in 1986. it was the great time of the Glam metal, and in order to remain in the air of time, Priest changed look to adopt a more “coloured” look. Sonorities also changed, with in particular the use of synthetizers. The album was also disc of platinum and the following round was done with closed counters. This round was the subject of an album live: Priest… Live! .

In 1988, it is the exit of RAM it Down , with re-recorded songs dating from the time Turbo . But for some, this album especially showed their incapacity to remain far away from the Thrash metal. This album marks also the end of collaboration with their beater of long time: Dave Holland.

In 1990, all changed with the exit of Painkiller , where a new beater is with work: Scott Travis (previously in Racer X). Although not having had as much success than some their preceding albums, this one was very well accommodated by the fans and the critic, regarding it as the come-back of the group. The synthetizers were abandoned (except for the song " In Touch off Evil "). Once in a while does no harm, the round according to the exit of the album gained one big hit, with groups such as Pantera, Megadeth and Sepultura in first part, the point of organ of the round being their concert with Rock in Rio.

During a concert given to Toronto in 1991, Rob Halford was rather seriously wounded whereas it arrived on scene in the motor bike, it did not see anything because of the dry ice and ran up against a technician. The spectacle was delayed and he sang in spite of very all the songs which were envisaged (Hill will say " later; he was to be with the agonie"), and was brought to the hospital only afterwards. Thereafter, he declared that the accident was one of the deciding factors of its departure.

During almost 5 years, the group remained in the shade, not leaving any album since great success, Painkiller.

The departure of Halford

In 1991, after the triumphal round of the album Painkiller, Halford left the group. Rumors as for possible tensions within the group and with the Homosexualité of Halford started to circulate as of the end of the year 1991. Halford left Judas Priest, at the summer 1993 to form a group of Thrash metal of the name of Fight (in which Scott Travis was musician of session). It formed this group to be able to compose in musical genres which it had less the practice to explore, but because of its obligations towards its recording company, he could leave Judas Priest only in 1993.

In spite of all that, Halford collaborated with the group for the exit of compilation Metal Works: '73- '93 to celebrate the 20 years of the group. It also appears in the video of the same name, documentary on the history of the group.

In 1995, after only two albums ( War off Words in 1993 and has Small Deadly Space in 1995), the Fight group separated, because their recording company, Epic Records cancelled their contract because of their too low volume of sales. It is at this period that Halford joined the Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and John Lowery to create a new album solo under the name of 2wo (industrial Metal). It is also at that time, in an interview of 1998 diffused on MTV, that Halford acknowledged its Homosexualité. Because of the many rumors having circulated on this subject, it was only one half-surprise for the public, as for the members of Judas Priest, they were with the current for a long time.

Tim Owens, which had already sung in a homage group to Judas Priest, " British Steel" , was engaged in 1996 like new singer. Moreover Scott Travis could join the group, at its old station of beater, because of separation of " Fight". In this form, the group left two albums: Jugulator and live Demolition like two double-albums: Live Meltdown and Live in London (this last having even left in DVD). Jugulator was relatively well sold, but Demolition was as for him a failure. For much, indeed, Tim Owens would never arrive at the level of the vocal capacities of Halford.

The situation of Owens which passed from the statute of simple fan to that of frontman inspired film: Rock'n'roll Star , although it did not take part in making of this film. The film contained only simple resemblances to the situation of Owens in the group, but Judas Priest was nevertheless disunited of this film. The film (with Mark Wahlberg) was a total failure, as well from the commercial point of view as for criticism, although the group of fiction of which it is question in film, Steel Dragon, became worship for the fans of Heavy Metal in general and Judas Priest in particular. In December 2006, Steel Dragon belonged to signal 20 of the groups most looked in the database: Detector rock'n'roll.

Because of the desire of Halford to return to a heavy more traditional metal, and of its requests remained vain for rejoinder Judas Priest, there left 2wo (after only one album: Peeping Toms ) to start a third solo project for the first time on its behalf: Halford. It was a small revenge for Halford, its first album (Resurection) having shown to the fans that it could always compose of the heavy traditional metal of great quality. The round according to the album was it also a big hit, and Halford, like Queensrÿche, ensured the first parts for Iron Maiden, them also again joined together. In 2001, Live Insurrection left, and in 2002, the Halford group leaves its second album studio: Crucible .

The return of Halford: a revival of the group

After Almost 12 years of separation and an increasingly keen demand of the fans in favor of a return of Halford, this last and Judas Priest announced, in July 2003, that they were going again to collaborate (that coincided with the exit of Metalogy, a best-of gathering several discs). They started immediately a round in Europe in 2004 and were one of the heads of poster of the Ozzfest. These two rounds recontrèrent an immense success.

A new album, Angel off Remuneration, left on March 1st, 2005 at Sony Music/Epic Records, and was important success, commercial and for criticism. A round followed the exit of this album and was a success even larger than the preceding ones. Judas Priest and Tim Owens separated in good terms, Owens having joined Iced Earth for the recording of the album The Glorious Burden, left in 2004 at SPV Records. Ripper is also at the origin of a side-project named Beyond Fear, gift' T the first album éponyme left in May 2006, always at SPV Records.

As for the group Halford , the writing of the fourth album stopped. However, after the round Remuneration Tower , Halford announced the foundation of its own recording company: Metal God Entertainment, where it would leave inter alia its own albums. In November, it remasterisé its repertory and entirely distributed it by the means of the ITunes Store of Apple. Two new songs, were seems T it already written for the fourth album of Halford : " Forgotten Generation" and " Drop Out". They were distributed by iTunes.

The influence of Judas Priest On Heavy metal

Judas Priest was one of the first groups has to modernize the duet of lead guitar, with K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton. They combined it with the voice acute of Rob Halford, which pushes its cries of anger and melancholy, to create their own style of heavy-rock'n'roll. They are often quoted for their influence on the heavy metal and the work of the two guitarists, which inspired the groups of Speed metal and Trash metal.

Another famous feature of the group is the play complementary to the " rhythm guitar" , which has a crucial role in the kinds specialized in the heavy metal.

Although Wishbone Ash already used a style similar to the " duel of guitares" before Priest, the group used this technique like an integral part of their music. Since Judas Priest started has to incorporate this novel method since their first album Rocka Rolla , it became a standard feature of the heavy metal.
Many people, whose influential musicians of the Hard rock, believe that three early albums of Judas Priest, Sad Wings off Destiny (1976), Sin After Sin (1977) and Stained Class (1978) is the foundations of the " vrai" heavy metal.

The group often played more quickly than the other rock groups of their time, and brought a sound more " métallique" with their guitars. The songs vary simple air immediately memorable (" Better By You, Better Than Me" , " Starbreaker") with the more sophisticated parts, the tempo varied (" Victim Off Changes" , " Run Off The Mill" , " Beyond The Realms Off Death"). Some songs, like " Exciter" in 1978, leave the batch for their ferocity rough and their speed; others, like " Aggressor" dissident; , " Sinner" or " Tyrant" are regarded as the songs more heavy of their time, and still today like the traditional ones of the metal.

The album of 1978 Killing Machine , saw a light change of management on the level of the production, smoother, influenced by the American songs. The following exit, British steel (April 14th, 1980), accentuates this change is more clearly still, and is perhaps the first disc of heavy metal recorded for the radio, with very light pop influences, in a format more concit.

The next effort of the group, Not off Entry (February 26th, 1981), is harder to define. The sound was really believed, because sound handling was tiny, and the songs were somewhat gloomy. As admitted it later the guitarist Glenn Tipton, Point off Entry had the hard one stains to succeed standards of metal, and some share failed its spot. The following album, Screaming for Revenge (July 17th, 1982), which contains the radiophonic popular hit " You've Got Another Thing Comin'", and Defenders off the Faith (January 4th, 1984) offered famous standards once more, as well in their intensity, as in their perfect production, and sui continued to work the heavy metal. Turbo (April 15th, 1986) introduced the synthetizers into a metal traditionnel.

RAM it down (1988), which was in the beginning it second part of a box two discs with Turbo , generated a weak commercial attention on the level. The style is there more heavy that of Turbo , but always contains the synthetizers of the disc précédent.

For Painkiller (1990), Judas Priest turned over to a more direct style of heavy metal, with more techniques, and the appearance of the double-pedal of the battery of the novel member Scott Travis. This disc represents the heaviest and intense side of the group, with Rob Halford which there multiplit cries overshrill and tearing on certain pieces, with the limit of vocal the Death metal. Indeed, the group of Florida Death took again the Painkiller title on their album Sound off Perseverance .

The Best off Judas Priest: Living After Midnight (1997) is a compilation containing of the title-headlights, like " Electric Eye" , " Turbo Lover" , " Living room After Midnight" , " The Green Manalishi" and much of others still. It contains the hits of 1979 with 1990.

Judas Priest also left two albums with Tim " Ripper" Owens, after the departure of Rob Halford. Jugulator (1997), with criticisms mitigated, although it contains the piece epic " Cathedral Spires" , which became one of the songs most popular of Tim Owens. Demolition (2001), generated a new disillusion, even if it constituted another return to the basic albums, by containing some titles mémorables.

The last realization of Priest, Angel off Remuneration (2005), which is the first album of Rob Halford within Judas Priest since 1990, contributed to the current revival of the heavy traditional metal. It contains songs in the traditional style of the group, like " Judas Rising" and " Hellrider" , as well of the songs mid-time with a prevalent battery, and less dominating guitars (" Worth Fighting For" , " Wheels Off Fire"), a ballade, and 13 minutes epic, something that the group remade forever since its concerts in the years 1970. Judas Priest influenced many musicians of heavy metal on three generations, as well on the level of the sound as of the technique. Their influence is so important that MTV .com named Judas Priest like the second group of heavy the most influential metal, just behind Black Sabbath.

The influence of the group was not however only musical:

In addition to their music, Judas Priest is also known to have revolutionized the vestimentary fashion of the heavy metal. Rob Halford started to incorporate a mixture of the macho/biker/sado-masochist kinds in his look since 1978 (year of exit of Killing Machine ), and the remainder of the group followed it. It then became a current attitue in the heavy metal and soon, the singer of Iron Maiden, Paul Di' Anno started has to carry jackets of leather and bracelets with nail, Saxon got dressed with grinding clothing, several other groups, in particular those of NWOBHM and later of the movement Black metal, integrated in their look of the elements of the style of Halford. That led to a revival of metal to the beginning of the year 1980, and led them to the celebrity, with the eyes of the general public, as that of the scenes underground. Still today, it is not rare to find metal fans who have this look.

Members

Current members

Former members

Discography

Others

The Lawsuit of supposed the subliminal messages

During the summer 1990, the group was worried in the business of the Suicide of two young American of Reno (occurred in 1985): James Vance (20 years) and Raymond Belknap (19 years).

December 23rd, Vance and Belknap went in the court of a church of Reno. Belknap drew a rifle shot under the chin and died on the blow, Vance made in the same way but survived the shot with a terribly mutilated face. He died three years later, obviously because of the too strong amounts of analgesics which he took.

The parents of the two boys thus showed the group to have inserted subliminal messages reversed in the pieces Better by you, Better than Me being reproduced on the album Stained Class. He claimed that one could hear there the words C it (makes of it a resumption of Spooky Tooth), which ordered to them to commit suicide.

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