Judas Priest

Judas Priest is a popular and influential heavy metal band that was at the forefront of the new wave of British heavy metal music in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Initially formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969, Judas Priest was among the chief pioneers of the emergent metal genre in the 1970s, meshing the unique sounds of extant bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin and introducing an unmistakable two-lead guitar attack. However, despite their significant contributions, the band did not become commercially successful until the release of their smash 1980 album British Steel. Judas Priest’s lineup has varied considerably over the years, with some of the longest-tenured members including bass player Ian Hill, lead vocalist Rob Halford, and lead guitarist Glenn Tipton. Since its rise to fame, Judas Priest has been widely recognized as one of the greatest and most important bands in the history of heavy metal.

Background

Judas Priest was one of the earliest and most innovative heavy metal bands. Heavy metal is a distinct genre of rock music that is known for being melodic and featuring soaring, clean vocal performances. Guitar solos are also quite common. Heavy metal can also be classified as a form of pop music in that most songs in the genre include catchy choruses and hooks, as well as instrumental melodies that recur throughout.

The historical roots of heavy metal can be traced back to the emergence of hard rock in the latter half of the 1960s. After foundational bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones cemented the popularity of rock music earlier in the decade, next-generation acts such as Led Zeppelin and Cream pioneered a harder form of rock music that was louder and more lyrically blunt than anything that came before it. This shift in tone and volume essentially laid the groundwork for the subsequent evolution of heavy metal.

Heavy metal, as it came to be known, first appeared in Birmingham, England, in 1968. At the time, Birmingham was an industrial town in the depths of an economic depression that left many people struggling to make ends meet. The difficult circumstances of life in Birmingham in the late 1960s played a large part in the formation of Black Sabbath, the band that helped create heavy metal. Led by legendary metal frontman Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath pioneered a new rock sound that meshed elements of classic rock 'n' roll with hard-edged blues and a particularly unsettling three-step musical interval, commonly known as the Devil’s Interval. Eventually dubbed heavy metal, Black Sabbath’s brand of industrial rock evoked images of Birmingham’s raucous steel mills and featured lyrics that openly addressed a host of socially conscious topics. Although its performances were less complex than those of many traditional hard rock acts, Black Sabbath’s power and intensity was undeniable.

After Black Sabbath introduced heavy metal, a number of other British bands—most notably Deep Purple and Judas Priest—elevated the genre to new heights. These bands pushed heavy metal beyond its original limits. Judas Priest played a particularly important role in the development of heavy metal in the 1970s by combining Black Sabbath’s dark intensity with Deep Purple’s greater musical complexity. In doing so, Judas Priest redefined heavy metal for a whole new generation of artists.

Overview

When they first came together in 1970, Judas Priest’s founding members included bass player Ian Hill and guitarist K.K. Downing. The two were subsequently joined by vocalist Alan Atkins and drummer John Ellis. The band took the name of another rock group with which Atkins previously sang. With that, Judas Priest was officially born.

After playing a live show for the first time in 1971, Judas Priest embarked on an extensive tour. Before the year was out, the band also went through its first of many lineup changes, with drummer Alan Moore replacing the departing Ellis before being replaced himself by Chris Campbell. After another long United Kingdom (UK) tour in 1972, Atkins and Campbell both left the band and were replaced by drummer John Hinch and long-time Judas Priest vocalist and frontman Rob Halford. After two more tours that took Judas Priest across the UK and into Europe, the quickly rising band signed a recording contract with an independent label and prepared to enter the recording studio for the first time. That effort, which was complemented by the introduction of guitarist Glen Tipton, led to the production of Judas Priest’s debut album, Rocka Rolla (1974).

Although Rocka Rolla earned Judas Priest little in the way of critical or commercial attention, the band continued to perform through 1975. During the course of that year, Hinch left the band, and Moore returned. More importantly, Judas Priest also released a second studio album called Sad Wings of Destiny (1975), which was more warmly received. After subsequently securing an international recording contract with CBS Records, Judas Priest recorded Sin After Sin (1977). Around the same time, the band saw further lineup changes behind the drums, with Moore leaving the group again and being replaced first by Simon Phillips and later Les Blinks.

Judas Priest closed out the 1970s with Stained Class (1978) and Hell Bent for Leather (1979). By that point, the band had emerged as one of the leading forces in an emergent genre movement called the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). Judas Priest’s full ascendance came with the release of its breakthrough 1980 album, British Steel. Featuring hits like “Breaking the Law,” British Steel solidified Judas Priest’s standing as one of heavy metal’s premiere acts. By the time British Steel hit the charts, the band was also recognized as one of the world’s most popular stage acts. With its noted stage presence and unmistakable leather and studs look, Judas Priest redefined the look of heavy metal as well as its sound. Frontman Halford also earned recognition as a pioneer in his own right when he eventually came out as one of heavy metal’s first openly gay performers. After revolutionizing heavy metal and paving the way for many of the bands that further developed the genre, Judas Priest continued to tour and produce new albums well into the twenty-first century and solidified the band’s place in rock history.

Bibliography

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Earp, Joseph. “Homophobia, Hate, and New Heroes: The Difficult History of Queer Metal.” Junkee, 2 Mar. 2020, archive.junkee.com/history-queer-metal/244187. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.

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Mier, Tomás. “Judas Priest's Rob Halford Reveals He Battled Prostate Cancer Last Year, But Now 'Is In Remission'.” People, 15 Oct. 2021, people.com/music/judas-priest-rob-halford-battled-prostate-cancer-2020-now-in-remission. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.

Wilkinson, Roy. “How Judas Priest Invented Heavy Metal.” The Guardian, 20 May 2010, www.theguardian.com/music/2010/may/20/judas-priest-rob-halford-british-steel. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.