Judas Priest

These guys rule the world of metal!!!!!!! They're my #1 fave metal band!

Judas Priest

This is the picture they use on the front of their Essential Judas Priest album. I know that 'cuz I got it :D. Only it's in black and white

Origin: Birmingham, England
Genres: Heavy metal, speed metal
Years Active: 1969-present
Website: http://www.judaspriest.com/

-Formed in Birmingham in 1969
-They are very well known for twin lead guitars, high vocal ranges from Rob Halford, their lead singer, and introducing the leather and studs S&M look into heavy metal
-In 1989, they were pulled into court, being told that their song "Better By You, Better Than Me" off their Stained Class album had subliminal messages urging two guys to kill themselves
-Current lineup consists of Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Richie Faulkner, Ian Hill, Scott Travis
-Their most successful lineup was in 1982, the year their most successful album, Screaming for Vengeance, came out. Then it was Rob Halford (vocals) Glenn Tipton (guitar), K.K. Downing (guitar), Ian Hill (bass), Dave Holland (drums)
-The band has inspired in many ways sub genres of metal, including power metal and thrash metal

Members
Rob Halford

Ian Hill

Glenn Tipton

Scott Travis

Richie Faulkner

Former Members
Al Atkins
K.K. Downing
Dave Holland
Tim "Ripper" Owens
Les Binks
John Hinch
Alan Moore
John Ellis

History
-K.K. Downing, John Ellis and Ian Hill all knew each other growing up in England. They shared similar musical tastes (Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Who, The Yardbirds). They officially started in Oct. 1970, and got the name from a Bob Dylan song called "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest"
-Al Atkins came and joined the trio, who were playing as the power trio Freight. Atkins asked to be the lead singer. He the suggested changing the name to Judas Priest. The original group formed in 1969, and like most British bands, they started out playing blues. With Downing acting as the unofficial leader, he made a decision they should start playing hard rock
-They started opening for bands like Thin Lizzy, Budgie, Trapeze. Due to financial difficulties and problems with their management, Tony Iommi's company, IMA, this led to Alan Atkins and drummer Alan Moore to quitting
-At the time, bass player Ian Hill was dating a woman named Susan Halford, who suggested her brother Rob as a singer replacement. He joined, bringing John Hinch from his previous band Hiroshima

Rocka Rolla (1974-1975)
-Before the band was due to record their first album, it was suggested they bring in another musician. Glenn Tipton was suggested to play horn or keyboard, but instead went to guitar. In August 1974, they wrote their first album, RockaRolla

Sad Wings of Destiny (1975-1977)
-During Nov. and Dec. 1975, they worked on their next album. They played the songs on this album at the 1975 Reading Festival to help raise interest in the band. This album includes a lot of fan favorites, including "Victim of Changes"

Les Binks (1977-1979)
-During this period, the band took on their now famous leather and studs look, inspired by Rob Halford going into a London S&M shop
-In 1978, they recorded Stained Class and Killing Machine, which was released as Hell Bent for Leather in the US
-This is when Les Binks entered the band and with his skills, he added a better edge to the band's already strong heavy metal sound

Main Success (1979-1991)
-Les Binks quit because of the direction the band was going in and was replaced by Dave Holland
-In 1980, they released British Steel, where the songs were shorter, but had the general heavy metal feel. This album included awesome tracks like "Breaking the Law" "Living After Midnight"
-Their 1982 Screaming for Vengeance album ended up being the most successful

-On July 13, 1985, Judas Priest played Live Aid, along with Black Sabbath

-In 1990, they released their Painkiller album. This is also when they started using a new drummer, Scott Travis. And this is when the Judas Priest shows became what they are known for today. Rob Halford started riding out onto the stage on a Harley Davidson motorcycle, dressed in motorcycle leathers and sunglasses. At a show in Toronto in August 1991, he was severely injured when he collided with a drum riser hidden behind clouds of dry ice. The show was delayed, but being the strong man he is, he finished the show then went to the hospital

 



-During the summer of 1990, the band was involved in a legal suit, alleging they were responsible for the self-inflicted deaths of 20 year old James Vance and 18 year old Raymond Belknap in Spark, Nevada. The two had shot themselves, after hours of drinking beer, smoking marijuana and listening to Judas Priest. They went to a church playground, bringing a 12 gauge shotgun along, and shot their lives away. Belknap died instantly after placing the shotgun under his chin. Vance shot himself, but survived. He died three years later. The parents of the men sued the band, saying there were subliminal messages of "do it" in their song "Better By You, Better Than Me" from the Stained Class album

-After the 1991 Painkiller album, Halford left the band
-In 1998, in an interview on MTV, Halford revealed he was homosexual. But, it was next to nothing of a shocker to the fans or his band mates, who were openly supportive of him, but were reluctant to let him come out about it to protect the image of him and the band

-In 1996, Tim "Ripper" Owens, who was in a Judas Priest tribute band called British Steel, was brought in as singer. They released two albums with Owens as singer, Jugulator and Demolition. Jugulator contains the awesome track "Cathedral Spires"

Reunion (2003-2006)
-After increasing demands to reunite, Rob Halford and Judas Priest reunited in July 2003

VH1 Rock Honors
-Along with Queen, Kiss, Def Leppard, Judas Priest were inducted at the VH1 Rock Honors. It took place on May 25, 2006, in Las Vegas. They performed "Breaking the Law" "You Got Another Thing Coming" while before them heavy metal band Godsmack played a medley of their songs, such as "Hell Bent for Leather" "Electric Eye" and "Victim of Changes"

Nostradamus (2006-2010)
-In June 2008, they released their concept album Nostradamus
-In February 2009, they spoke out against ticket scalpers. They urged their fans to buy tickets from official sources so that they can actually see the show for what it's worth, not above face value that the scalpers want

Epitaph World and Downing's Retirement (2010-present)
-On Dec. 7, 2010, the band announced they were working on new material.

In Video Games
-In the 2000s, their music has made an appearance in virtually every game that has come out.  In the 2001 game Grand Turismo 3: A-Spec, "Turbo Lover" was featured. In the 2006 Xbox game Prey, 2005 PS2 games Guitar Hero and RoadKill, "You Got Another Thing Coming" was featured
-Guitar Hero Rocks the 80s features "Electric Eye", Scarface: The World is Yours features "Breaking the Law", Rock Band 2 features "Painkiller", which is the hardest song across all the instruments in the game, Guitar Hero: Metallica features "Hell Bent for Leather"

Influence
-Judas Priest has been the main inspiration for virtually every metal band out there since the late 70s. According to VH1,  they were voted the 2nd Greatest Metal Band after fellow Birmingham-based band Black Sabbath
-These guys are revolutionaries in fashion as well. Rob Halford introduced the masculine image of what is today known as the hardcore metal/biker/S&M look. Specifically bands of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) started adopting this look. And they even inspired early black metal, which is extremely hardcore metal with fast tempos.