Judas Priest: Formation
Judas Priest started with the friendship of two boys, K.K. Downing and Ian Hill, who shared a common taste for the music of Jimi Hendrix and The Who. Together, K.K. Downing and Ian Hill self-taught themselves various instruments and teamed up with singer Al Atkins in 1970 to form Judas Priest. Under the leadership of K.K. Downing, Judas Priest developed their signature heavy rock musical style, which paved the road for modern heavy metal. Judas Priest spent their first few years touring in Birmingham and nearby areas, but achieved little success. Financial problems soon arose and Alan Atkins and drummer Alan Moore left the band. Soon after, singer Bob Halford and drummer John Hinch joined K.K. Downing and Ian Hill. With a new line-up, Judas Priest began touring in the UK and attained mild success after headlining a handful of shows in Germany and Norway.
Judas Priest: Early Years
Before production of their first album began, Judas Priest added another guitarist, Glenn Tipton, to the band. After the addition of Glenn Tipton, Judas Priest proceeded with their first album, and in August 1974, Rocka Rolla was released. Songs such as “Tyrant,” “The Ripper,” and “Genocide” drew in a solid fan base for Judas Priest and prompted the 1976 release of Judas Priest’s second album Sad Wings of Change. Judas Priest’s second album included the notorious “Victim of Change” and Judas Priest’s spectacular live performances of their album’s songs garnered attention from music lovers across the nation. In 1977, Judas Priests’ Sin After Sin album was released and it was quickly followed by Stained Class and Killing Machine. Up until the Killing Machine was released in 1978, Judas Priest had attained only mild success. However, their luck was soon to change after David Holland replaced Les Blinks as Judas Priest’s drummer.
Judas Priest: Going Mainstream
The new line-up of Judas Priest released Unleashed in the East soon after the Killing Machine, and the album quickly went platinum. Judas Priest’s fame escalated after the success of Unleashed in the East and the band followed up their success with the more commercial British Steel album. Despite the shorter, more mainstream songs, British Steel kept true to Judas Priest’s heavy metal feel. Radios across the nation blared Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law,” “Untitled,” and “Living After Midnight.” In 1986, Judas Priest adopted a livelier look and prepped up their music with synthesizers to fit in with the “glam” metal era. With a new look and sound, Judas Priest released Turbo, which went platinum and was accompanied with a successful tour.
Judas Priest: Laying Low
Following the 1988 release of Ram it Down, Judas Priest encountered internal problems after veteran drummer Dave Holland left the band. Scott Travis eventually joined Judas Priest as a replacement drummer and seamlessly meshed with Judas Priest to deliver Painkiller, “the most complete speed metal album.” After Painkiller, however, Judas Priest remained quiet for the next five years and was unable to top Painkiller with any new releases.
Judas Priest: The ‘90s
The ‘90s started off rocky for Judas priest after the suicide attempts of two men, James Vance and Ray Belknap. The two men alleged Judas Priest’s lyrics prompted them to take their own lives and sued Judas Priest for the subliminal message in their songs. However, the suit was eventually dropped and Judas Priest’s name was cleared once again. Judas Priest faced more troubles when Halford left the band in 1991 after the end of Judas Priest’s Painkiller tour. Furthermore, tensions between the remaining band members began to arise in September 1991. Despite internal problems, Judas Priest came together to release their 20th anniversary compilation album Metal Works ’73-’93.
Halford went on to form a new metal group, Fight, and later found himself in the spotlight when he revealed his homosexuality to the public. In replacement of Halford, Judas Priest recruited Tim “Ripper” Owens as the band’s new singer. This new Judas Priest lineup produced the albums Demolition and Jugulator. While Jugulator was a success, Demolition sold poorly and reflected the common belief of many fans that Ripper could never measure up to Halford’s singing prowess.
Judas Priest: A New Millennium
After being separated for more than 12 years, Judas Priest and former singer Rob Halford finally reunited in July 2003 in response to popular demand. In 2004, Judas Priest embarked on a wildly successful live concert tour in Europe and co-headlined the Ozzfest concert. Fans welcomed back the rock band and the media named Judas Priest as the “premier act” of the event. In response to demand of fans, Judas Priest released their newest album Angel of Retribution in March 2005. The album was met with acclaim and became a national success along with Judas Priest’s accompanying tour. This year, Judas Priest is traveling world and putting on spectacular concerts for their legions of fans. Don’t miss out on Judas Priest, one of the most influential rock bands in music history, in Summer 2008.
Judas Priest: Hit List
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