JUDAS PRIEST ANNOUNCE 50 HEAVY METAL YEARS TOUR 2020

One of heavy metal’s all-time greats, Judas Priest will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this year with a world tour coming to the US in the fall. The 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour will also feature Sabaton as openers and is being fueled by the highest charting album of Priest’s career ‘Firepower’ which peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200.

“Judas Priest are primed and ready to deliver the goods with our 50 Heavy Metal Years anniversary celebration stage show spectacular! Performing a blistering cross section of songs from our lives in metal - we can't wait to raise horns with you again at this once in a metal lifetime event!” - Judas Priest

Judas Priest originally formed in 1970 in Birmingham, England (an area that many feel birthed heavy metal). The original nucleus of musicians - Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, KK Downing & Ian Hill (along with several different drummers over the years) would go on to change the face of heavy metal. Throughout the 70's Priest were responsible for helping trail blaze metal with such classic offerings as ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ (1976) ‘Sin After Sin’ (1977) and ‘Hell Bent for Leather’ (1978) as well as one of the genre’s top live recordings ‘Unleashed in the East’ (1979) among others.

But it was during the 80's that Priest conquered the world, becoming a global arena headliner on the strength of such all-time classics as ‘British Steel’ (1980) and ‘Screaming for Vengeance’ (1982), as well as being one of the first metal bands to be embraced by the then-burgeoning MTV, plus performing at some of the decades biggest concerts (1980’s Monsters of Rock, 1983’s US Festival, and 1985’s Live Aid) and being the first to exclusively wear leather and studs – a look that began during this era and would eventually be embraced by metal heads throughout the world. Priest’s success continued throughout the 90's and beyond with the addition of drummer Scott Travis, as evidenced by such additional stellar offerings as ‘Painkiller’ (1990) ‘Angel of Retribution’ (2005) and ‘A Touch of Evil: Live’ (2009) the latter of which saw Priest win a Grammy Award for a killer rendition of the classic 'Dissident Aggressor'

In 2011 new guitarist Richie Faulkner came in to replace the previous guitarist who had left in 2010 - the move seemed to have reinvigorated the band, as evidenced by a show-stealing performance on the 'American Idol' TV program that also served as Faulkner's debut performance with the band (also in 2011 was the release of a new compilation 'The Chosen Few' which included Priest classics selected by some of metal's biggest names) and the 'Epitaph' concert DVD in 2013.

Priest’s next studio effort would arrive in 2014 ‘Redeemer of Souls’ which was supported by another strong tour.

In 2017 (and again in 2019) Judas Priest received a nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and got ready to unleash their latest studio album ‘Firepower’ (produced by Andy Sneap and Tom Allom) which received global success and critical acclaim.

Few rock or metal acts remain as much of a must-see live attraction as Judas Priest. And the forthcoming 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour will undoubtedly drive this point home.

CONFIRMED TOUR DATES:
   
9/9/2020 in Oxon Hill, MD at MGM National Harbor
9/11/2020 in Uniondale, NY at Nassau Coliseum
9/12/2020 in Ledyard, CT at Foxwoods Casino Arena
9/14/2020 in Philadelphia, PA at The Mann Center
9/15/2020 in Newark, NJ at Prudential Center
9/17/2020 in Charlotte, NC at PNC Music Pavilion
9/18/2020 in Orlando, FL at Central Florida Fair - Rebel Rock Fest
9/21/2020 in Grand Rapids, MI at Van Andel Arena
9/23/2020 in Detroit, MI at Fox Theatre
9/24/2020 in Youngstown, OH at Covelli Centre
9/26/2020 in Chicago, IL at Rosemont Theatre
9/27/2020 in Minneapolis, MN at The Armory
9/29/2020 in Milwaukee, WI at Miller High Life Theatre
9/30/2020 in St. Louis, MO at Saint Louis Music Park
10/2/2020 in Oklahoma City, OK at The Zoo Amphitheatre
10/3/2020 in Dallas, TX at Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
10/5/2020 in Austin, TX at HEB Center
10/6/2020 in San Antonio, TX at Freeman Coliseum
10/8/2020 in Albuquerque, NM at Sandia Resort and Casino
10/9/2020 in Denver, CO at The Mission Ballroom
10/11/2020 in Salt Lake City, UT at Vivint Smart Home Arena 
10/13/2020 in Phoenix, AZ at Arizona Federal Theatre
10/15/2020 in Los Angeles, CA at Microsoft Theater
10/17/2020 in Las Vegas, NV at Zappos Theatre at Planet Hollywood

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: judaspriest.com

Author John Tucker on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 44 - From Rocka Rolla to Painkiller

Author John Tucker joins us this week to discuss his latest book “Judas Priest, Every Album Every Song, from Rocka Rolla to Painkiller”. 

f you’re interested in John’s history and to see some more of his books or photography head over to JohnTuckerOnline.co.uk

Classic Priest

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always
Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

ROB HALFORD GETS IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT WITH ‘CELESTIAL’ ANNOUNCES ARIZONA APPEARANCE

Without question, Rob Halford is one of heavy metal’s all-time great vocalists - as heard through his highly influential and groundbreaking work with Judas Priest. But over his career, he has also proven able to master a variety of other styles vocally - including holiday-themed music. And in time for this holiday season, Halford will be releasing an all-new album, entitled Celestial (released October 18th via Legacy Recordings), and a day later, will be signing CD or LP purchases of the album at FYE Arizona Mills at 2:00 P.M (in Tempe, Arizona). Details to follow closer to the event.

The album will also be available for pre-order on Rob’s artist store - with exclusive merchandise and a limited, autographed metallic-gold color version of the vinyl. 

Please visit the Rob Halford store here: https://RobHalford.lnk.to/D2CPR

Credited to Rob Halford with Family and Friends, the album mixes holiday classics with all-new compositions, and will appeal to lovers of traditional holiday music and headbangers alike. “The great thing about heavy metal is it’s got these kinds of multiple dimensions,” explains the man also known as the Metal God. “I think when you look at it from an outside point of view - if you’re not really familiar with the metal scene - it can look pretty intimidating. And it is a very strong, powerful experience. But it comes at different levels. I think the music that we’ve made on Celestial, for example, gives a display of that. Metal maniacs - as we call ourselves - are just as ready for the holidays as everybody else. And what we’ve tried to do with this music is to reach out to as many of those metal dimensions as we possibly can.” 
 
And judging from the “Rob Halford with Family and Friends” banner, Celestial sees Halford joined by a supporting cast of those very close to him - his brother (Nigel) on drums, his nephew on bass (Alex, son of Priest bassist Ian Hill), has sister (Sue) on bells, and twin guitar tandem of Robert Jones and Jon Blakey. 
 
Once all the contributors were in place, Halford “went away and listened to a lot holiday music and Christmas carols. Traditional stuff. 12 tracks - including original tracks that I’m particularly excited about. And in that way, because of the dimensions of each song and the messages of each song, I think we cover a really broad platform. To me, more than anything, I wanted it to have its own characteristics and be a little bit more different than the regular rock n’ roll Christmas album.”
 
Halford has certainly accomplished this goal, as evidenced by such standout originals as the album-opening title track, “Donner and Blitzen,” and “Protected by the Light,” as well as reworkings of such holiday standards as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Joy to the World,” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” among other standouts. “‘Donner and Blitzen’ gets the snowball rolling for Celestial - a song full of excitement, love and hope,” says Rob. “You can hear and feel the power of Christmas time - energy roarin’ with rockin’ reindeers haulin’!” The video for ‘Donner and Blitzen’ can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkSYiKHhp0E
 
“I think the holidays for any family are a mixture of fun and excitement and apprehension of the whole event. The magic of it more than anything else. It’s just a beautiful time of year - which a lot of us wish would be for every day of the year. It’s a beautiful thing as far as bringing families together. So, what better way to celebrate it than with your family, friends...and music. You must have music at Christmas time.”
 
And with the arrival of Celestial, Rob Halford has certainly done his part.

To download and stream the new album please visit here: https://RobHalford.lnk.to/CelestialPR

‘Celestial’ tracklist:

Side A
1.       Celestial [new song]
2.       Donner and Blitzen [new song]
3.       God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
4.       Away In A Manger
5.       Morning Star [new song]
6.       Deck The Halls
 
Side B
1.       Joy To The World
2.       O Little Town Of Bethlehem
3.       Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4.       The First Noel
5.       Good King Wenceslas
6.       Protected By The Light [new song]
 
FYE in-store details:
 
Date/time: Saturday, October 19th at 2:00 P.M        
Location: FYE Arizona Mills (5000 Arizona Mills Circle #612 – Tempe, AZ 85282)
 
 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:

facebook.com/robhalfordlegacy
 

Camden Cruz of Seven Kingdoms on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 428 - Seven Kingdoms

This week lots of discussion since we’re just coming off a break but also this week we talk with guitarist Camden Cruz of Florida power metallers Seven Kingdoms. I’ve been waiting to talk with this band for a while and since hey have just kicked off their latest Kickstarter campaign for the upcoming EP “Empty Eyes” it gave me the perfect opportunity.

Support the bands Kickstarter campaign at: kickstarter.com

Get all your Seven Kingdoms merch and past releases at: sevenkingdoms.bigcartel.com/

Hey did we mention that we got named to Feedspot.com's 

Top 20 Metal Music Audio Podcasts & Radio You Must Subscribe and Listen to in 2019

Check out the entire esteemed list of shows on that list as well as all the rest that Feedspot has to offer at: blog.feedspot.com/metal_music_podcasts/

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always

Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Chris Akin Guests on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 398 - The Classic Akin Show

Most of you know Chris Akin as one of the hosts of The Classic Metal Show but the dude is also an author. This week we talk with Chris about his latest book “Cause & Effect: Turbo”. If you want to grab your own copy head to ChrisAkinBooks.com and while your there check out his other titles and sign up to be on his mailing list.

Curious about that "Freewheel Burning" vid the Chris talks bout? Here it is...

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always

Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Former Judas Priest Guitarist K.K. Downing is Our Guest on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 389 - Heavy Duty

Most excellent show this week as we have former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing on board. K.K. (along with Mark Eglinton) just released “Heavy Duty: Days And Night in Judas Priest” a 288 page book about his life in and out of Judas Priest. With only 50 minutes Richie didn’t have time to delve deep but the takeaway is that this is a must read for metal fans. There's stuff in this book for every Priest fan out there.

Want to keep up with K.K. then head to KKDowning.net/SteelMill/

K.K. Downing solo from a 2010 British Steel Show


Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, EarPeeler.com or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always

Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

dUg Pinnick of KXM on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 327 - dUg Pinnick

Rat Pak Records just released the sophomore effort from KXM “Scatterbrain” This week we have bassist and vocalist dUg Pinnick as our guest to discuss the release as well as give some insight into future plans with King’s X.

Keep up with dUg at: dugnation.net/ 

Order up your own copy of “Scatterbrain” at ratpakrecordsamerica.com/kxm

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, EarPeeler.com or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Wednesday on these great stations:
Pure Rock Radio & Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always

Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

JUDAS PRIEST 10TH STUDIO ALBUM TURBO REMASTERED AS 3 CD REISSUE TO BE RELEASED FEBRUARY 3RD 2017

British metal legends Judas Priest announce the reissue of their 10th studio album, Turbo.  The album has been remastered and will be released via Sony Music on February 3rd, 2017 on 3 CD (the original album and 2 bonus discs) as well as 1LP 150g vinyl. Originally released in 1986, Turbo features all the hallmarks of classic Priest on tracks such as “Turbo Lover”, “Parental Guidance” and “Locked In”.  Included on disc 2 and 3 of the CD reissue is, previously unreleased,  ‘Live in Kansas City’, a live recording from the band’s 1986 Fuel For Life tour in support of Turbo. The band add “The 80’s is considered to have been the best decade for heavy metal – Judas Priest roared through it and at the half way point went into unchartered territory with ‘Turbo’.  Always believing that metal should have no boundaries, Priest challenged themselves taking on board new technical inventions to create fresh ideas and push their sound forward.  The combined songs show another side of Priest’s range of creativity that captures a theme and energy infused with the over the top sensibilities of that era.  The ‘Fuel For Life’ tour certainly encapsulated the decadence of the times! ‘Turbo’ remastered and accompanied by a pedal to the metal live recording from Kansas reveals Priest on high octane – Raising fists and devil horns to the next level.” Track listing: DISC ONE – TURBO: REMASTERED                     Turbo Lover Locked In Private Property Parental Guidance Rock You All Around The World  Out In The Cold Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days Hot For Love Reckless DISC TWO – LIVE AT THE KEMPER ARENA, KANSAS CITY  Out In the Cold      Locked In      Heading Out To The Highway      Metal Gods      Breaking The Law      Love Bites      Some Heads Are Gonna Roll      The Sentinel      Private Property      Desert Plains      Rock You All Around The World     DISC THREE- LIVE AT THE KEMPER ARENA, KANSAS CITY  The Hellion      Electric Eye      Turbo Lover      Freewheel Burning     Victim Of Changes      The Green Manalishi (With The Two -Pronged Crown)      Living After Midnight      You've Got Another Thing Coming      Hell Bent For Leather      Purchase: http://smarturl.it/JPD2C_Turbo30 http://judaspriest.com/ https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest https://twitter.com/judaspriest

Review - "Battle Cry" Judas Priest (Epic 2016)

This one was actually on my list of metal DVDs to purchase and it was even on my Amazon wish list so it was nice when the DVD version of this showed up in the post courtesy of a very cool PR guy.
Having seen this tour live when they passed through town I was very much looking forward to revisiting a great concert experience albeit on a much larger scale. I was not disappointed.

First off the sound mixes on this are awesome. The 5:1 mix is truly ball rattling and the Dolby surround mix ups the ante even more. The one dig I'll give on the mix is that Rob's vocals are a bit buried. I mean you can hear them but damn it's the metal god those pipes should be front and center.
What was front and center was Richie Faulkner. This DVD really shows off how well this guy has fit in with the band and also the energy he brings live. This is exactly what we experienced when we saw them live as well. Richie is just having a blast and it's obvious that Glenn is more than happy to hang back a bit and let him shine.

The tracklist on this is flawless. The Priest always make sure to feature new stuff live and this tour didn't let up on that. The show recorded live at Wacken in August of 2015 features five tracks off of Redeemer of Souls. Add to that all the classics (ok not all of them this is Priest) and you have a killer ninety plus minutes of pure metal. They also throw in three bonus tracks from a show in Poland. So a total of twenty most excellent Priest performances.

There's a spot towards the end of the show where there's a teenage fan right at the rail and he's just bawling his eyes out. This kid is just overwhelmed with the emotions of seeing Priest live. That about sums up this DVD. We are really in a great time for metal DVDs and this is another great one. Just crank this up and be overwhelmed by the majesty that is Judas Priest. Considering that most of those guys are getting up there in years its amazing to watch BLAZE through Painkiller and still come back and finish with Living After Midnight.

Do yourself and your metal ear and eye holes a favor and get yourself a copy of "Battle Cry".

JUDAS PRIEST LIVE CD/DVD/BLU-RAY TITLED BATTLE CRY HAS BEEN RELEASED

Friday, March 25th, 2016 marked the release of the new live set from legendary Judas Priest, Battle Cry, via Epic Records. Recorded live on August 1st, 2015 at Germany's Wacken Festival in front of an audience of 85,000, Battle Cry is available on a 15-track CD, with the entire show on Blu-ray and DVD (running over 94 minutes), as well as digital audio and video formats. The DVD and Blu-ray also contains 3 bonus tracks shot in Poland on December 10th, 2015 at The Ergo Arena, Gdansk, Poland. Amazon links: http://smarturl.it/BattleCryAmzn   iTunes links:   http://smarturl.it/iTunes.BattleCry What makes the show's track listing so appealing is it balances new classics ("Dragonaut," "Halls of Valhalla," "Redeemer of Souls") along with headbanging classics ("Metal Gods," "Electric Eye," "You've Got Another Thing Coming"), as well as key album tracks from yesteryear ("Devil's Child," "Beyond the Realms of Death," "Jawbreaker").  Originally formed during the early '70s in Birmingham, England, Priest is responsible for offering metal fans worldwide some of the genre's most influential and landmark albums (1980's 'British Steel,' 1982's 'Screaming for Vengeance,' 1990's 'Painkiller,' etc.), while helping spread metal music to audiences not normally associated with the genre (Live Aid in 1985, and a surprise appearance on American Idol in 2011), and helping popularize the now instantly recognizable "denim and leather" look. For decades, Judas Priest has been one of the greatest live bands in the entire heavy metal genre. And as evidenced by Battle Cry, Priest rock harder and more ferociously than ever. Battle Cry CD sequence: 1.     (Intro) Battle Cry 2.     Dragonaut 3.     Metal Gods 4.     Devil’s Child 5.     Victim of Changes 6.     Halls of Valhalla 7.     Redeemer of Souls 8.     Beyond the Realms of Death 9.     Jawbreaker 10.   Breaking the Law 11.   Hell Bent For Leather 12.   The Hellion 13.   Electric Eye 14.   You’ve Got Another Thing Coming 15.   Painkiller Battle Cry DVD/Blu-ray sequence: 1. (Intro) Battle Cry  2. Dragonaut 3. Metal Gods 4. Devil’s Child 5. Victim of Changes 6. Halls of Valhalla 7. Turbo Lover 8. Redeemer of Souls 9. Beyond the Realms of Death 10. Jawbreaker 11. Breaking the Law 12. Hell Bent For Leather 13. The Hellion 14. Electric Eye 15. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming 16. Painkiller 17. Living After Midnight Recorded live on August 1st, 2015 at Wacken Festival, Germany. BONUS TRACKS 18. Screaming for Vengeance 19. The Rage 20. Desert Plains Recorded live on December 10th, 2015 at The Ergo Arena, Gdansk, Poland.

JUDAS PRIEST UNLEASH NEW LIVE CD/DVD/BLU-RAY TITLED BATTLE CRY IN LATE MARCH

Judas Priest's tour in support of their 17th studio album overall, Redeemer of Souls, was one of the most extensive of the group's entire career - consisting of 130 shows in 33 countries, and offering a setlist that touched upon selections from nearly all of their classic albums. And now, fans can relive the live Priest experience once more, with the release of the new CD/DVD/Blu-ray, Battle Cry, on March 25th, 2016, via Epic Records (preview available for viewing here http://smarturl.it/JudasPriestDVD

Recorded live on August 1st, 2015 at Germany's Wacken Festival in front of an audience of 85,000, Battle Cry is available on a 15-track CD, with the entire show on Blu-ray and DVD (running over 94 minutes), as well as digital audio and video formats. The DVD and Blu-ray also contains 3 bonus tracks shot in Poland on December 10th, 2015 at The Ergo Arena, Gdansk, Poland. 

What makes the show's track listing so appealing is it balances new classics ("Dragonaut," "Halls of Valhalla," "Redeemer of Souls") along with headbanging classics ("Metal Gods," "Electric Eye," "You've Got Another Thing Coming"), as well as key album tracks from yesteryear ("Devil's Child," "Beyond the Realms of Death," "Jawbreaker"). 

Originally formed during the early '70s in Birmingham, England, Priest is responsible for offering metal fans worldwide some of the genre's most influential and landmark albums (1980's 'British Steel,' 1982's 'Screaming for Vengeance,' 1990's 'Painkiller,' etc.), while helping spread metal music to audiences not normally associated with the genre (Live Aid in 1985, and a surprise appearance on American Idol in 2011), and helping popularize the now instantly recognizable "denim and leather" look.

For decades, Judas Priest has been one of the greatest live bands in the entire heavy metal genre. And as evidenced by Battle Cry, Priest rock harder and more ferociously than ever.

Battle Cry CD sequence:

1.     (Intro) Battle Cry

2.     Dragonaut

3.     Metal Gods

4.     Devil’s Child

5.     Victim of Changes

6.     Halls of Valhalla

7.     Redeemer of Souls

8.     Beyond the Realms of Death

9.     Jawbreaker

10.  Breaking the Law

11.  Hell Bent For Leather

12.  The Hellion

13.  Electric Eye

14.  You’ve Got Another Thing Coming

15.   Painkiller

Battle Cry DVD/Blu-ray sequence:

1. (Intro) Battle Cry 

2. Dragonaut

3. Metal Gods

4. Devil’s Child

5. Victim of Changes

6. Halls of Valhalla

7. Turbo Lover

8. Redeemer of Souls

9. Beyond the Realms of Death

10. Jawbreaker

11. Breaking the Law

12. Hell Bent For Leather

13. The Hellion

14. Electric Eye

15. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming

16. Painkiller

17. Living After Midnight

Recorded live on August 1st, 2015 at Wacken Festival, Germany.

BONUS TRACKS

18. Screaming for Vengeance

19. The Rage

20. Desert Plains

Recorded live on December 10th, 2015 at The Ergo Arena, Gdansk, Poland.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:

www.judaspriest.com

JUDAS PRIEST SET TO ROCK U.S. AND CANADA THIS FALL

Due to the overwhelming success of Judas Priest's 17th studio effort overall, 'Redeemer of Souls' (which became the highest-charting album of their career, when it debuted on the Billboard 200 charts at #6), the band has announced a fall tour, which will hit the U.S. and Canada, from October 16th through November 12th. Supporting Priest on the U.S. dates and the Halifax engagement will be one of modern metal's top bands, Mastodon. 'Redeemer of Souls' also went on to become one of the most critically acclaimed releases of the band's career, with Rolling Stone stating, "Above all, 'Redeemer' is proof that Priest can still call themselves metal's defenders of the faith," while Revolver Magazine offered further praise, "Thus rejuvenated and recharged, the Metal Gods have delivered their strongest record in over a decade." Comprised of Rob Halford (vocals), Glenn Tipton (guitar), Richie Faulkner (guitar), Ian Hill (bass), and Scott Travis (drums), Judas Priest is responsible for some of heavy metal's all-time classic anthems ("Living After Midnight," "Breaking the Law," "You've Got Another Thing Coming," etc.) and albums ('British Steel,' 'Screaming for Vengeance,' 'Painkiller,' etc.).  Ever since the release of 'Redeemer of Souls,' Judas Priest has been taking their music all over the world. And they are not finished yet, with the announcement of these new dates! JUDAS PRIEST TOUR DATES: October 16th, 2015      Paso Robles, CA    Vina Robles Amp October 17th, 2015      Las Vegas, NV        The Pearl                      October 20th, 2015      San Francisco, CA  The Warfield Theatre October 21st, 2015      San Jose, CA           City National Civic                  October 23rd, 2015      Fresno, CA              William Saroyan Theater             October 24th, 2015      San Bernardino, CA  Knotfest                      October 27th, 2015      Vancouver, BC         Hard Rock Casino                 October 28th, 2015      Vancouver, BC         Hard Rock Casino                 October 31st, 2015       Regina, SK              Brandt Center                      November 1st, 2015     Winnipeg, MN          MTS Center                      November 3rd, 2015     Peoria, IL                 Civic Center                      November 6th, 2015     Huntington, NY      Paramount Theater                 November 7th, 2015     Newark, NJ              Prudential Center                 November 10th, 2015    Halifax, NS             Scotiabank Center              November 12th, 2015    Toronto, ON           Air Canada Center FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT: www.judaspriest.com www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest

ROB HALFORD SIGNS WORLD WIDE RIGHTS DEAL FOR CATALOG RELEASES WITH SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT AND LEGACY RECORDINGS

March 25, 2015 - New York, NY - SONY Music Entertainment and Legacy Recordings, SME's catalog division, have signed a worldwide rights deal to with the Metal God, Rob Halford. Frontman of the legendary heavy metal band Judas Priest, Rob Halford brought his iconic charisma and influential vocal style to a variety of side projects since 1992, notably his bands Fight, 2wo and Halford. The new SONY/Legacy agreement with Rob Halford will include individual album catalog titles and audio-visual releases. Upcoming Rob Halford anthology titles will include an Essential and Playlist collection with plans for a definitive Complete Albums Box. 

Born Robert John Arthur Halford on August 25, 1951, Rob Halford rocketed to fame as the lead singer for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Judas Priest.  One of the genre's most powerful, distinctive and influential vocalists, Halford set the standard for generations of metal singers. After leaving Judas Priest in 1992, Halford formed the band Fight and, between 1993 and 1995, recorded two albums, War of Words and A Small Deadly Space, and an EP, Mutations, with the band. Following Fight, Halford moved into the realm of industrial metal with his Two project.  In 2000, he launched the straight-ahead no-nonsense pure metal ensemble Halford. The SONY/Legacy release agreement includes virtually all of Rob Halford's work with Fight, Two and Halford from 1992 onward. Coming on March 31, Columbia/Legacy Recordings will release The Essential Rob Halford (2 CD-30 tracks). 

Rob Halford Catalog includes: 

Fight

Albums

War of Words

Mutations

A Small Deadly Space

K5 – The “War of Words” Demos

Audio/Visual

War of Words: The Film

Live in Phoenix 

Two

Voyeurs 

Halford

Metal God Essentials: Volume 1

Resurrection

Live Insurrection

Crucible

Live at Rock in Rio 3 (album and audio/visual)

Live in Anaheim (album and audio/visual)

Winter Songs

Made of Metal

Live at Saitama Super Arena (album and audio/visual)

Live in London

Live 2010 North & South America Tour (album and audio/visual)

Metal God Essentials: Volume 2

Review - Judas Priest "Defenders of The Faith 30th Anniversary Edition" (Columbia/Legacy)

It's hard to believe that Judas Priest's classic "Defenders of The Faith" is thirty years old. It's amazing, thirty years since the Metallian became a part of the metal landscape. Not only that but a lot of the tracks from that album continue to be favorites of the faithful and fixtures of Priest's live set. With "Screaming for Vengeance" being such an insanely strong album these guys had a huge mountain to climb in regards to the followup for that album and Defenders delivered. To celebrate this thirty year milestone on March 10th Columbia/Legacy will be releasing a three CD expanded version including the original disc completely remastered by Tom Allom.

Although the release isn't out until March 10th Columbia/Legacy kindly allowed Focus on Metal to have a preview of the upcoming release and here's the lowdown. Thankfully Tom didn't do anything in the remaster that bows down at the altar of modern recording. There's no massive increase in Ian's bass and the drums have not been kicked up to Slayer levels. The focus remains exactly where the focus on the original mix was set. Tom was the original producer of Defenders and he clearly knows he got it right the first time. I do hear small tweaks though. Rob's vocals now have a bit more reverb/chorusing on them. I'm not sure the average person would realize it and that's the beauty of what Tom has done here. Of course when you are reviewing a release you tend to really listen to everything so you do pick up the small stuff. There's also a lot more mid presence on the remaster. Priest has always been a metal band that not afraid to embrace the middle of the EQ curve and what Tom has done here in that regard makes it all sound fresh and powerful. As far as the remaster is concerned I'll give it a solid 10 out of 10. Definitely feels like putting on a comfortable guitar and discovering it still has some great riffs in it.

1.   Freewheel Burning

2.   Jawbreaker

3.   Rock Hard Ride Free

4.   The Sentinel

5.   Love Bites

6.   Eat Me Alive

7.   Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

8.   Night Comes Down

9.   Heavy Duty

10. Defenders of the Faith

Discs two and three are a live recording from the Long Beach Arena, May 5th 1984. This date was very far into the tour for Defenders which kicked off in Demnmark on January 20th (following a mini tour of the UK in December). Priest played two nights in Long Beach and this show is from the second night. For metal heads that have come up in the last ten years the most amazing thing tho point out about this live set is that Priest played eight of the ten tracks from the new disc. With the exception of Maiden that's almost unheard of  from a veteran band. In fact the only track they didn't play on the tour at all was Eat Me Alive. These guys could go out and play this set as is today and I'm sure most Priest fans would come away extremely happy. I've long had a bootleg version of this show and i have to say that the quality on this release is far above what I've heard previously. This may become THE Priest live album. I think they could easily just release this on its own andPriest fans would buy it.

CD2 Live at Long Beach Arena, California 5^th May 1984 

1.   Love Bites

2.   Jawbreaker

3.   Grinder

4.   Metal Gods

5.   Breaking the Law

6.   Sinner

7.   Desert Plains

8.   Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

9.   The Sentinel 

10. Rock Hard Ride Free

CD3 Live at Long Beach Arena, California 5^th May 1984 

1.   Night Comes Down

2.  The Hellion

3.   Electric Eye

4.   Heavy Duty

5.   Defenders of the Faith

6.   Freewheel Burning 

7.   Victim of Changes

8.   The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)

9.   Living After Midnight

10. Hell Bent For Leather

11. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming

So audio wise this thing is a steal for the price they are charging. Having recently spent thirty dollars for a remaster/special edition of an album who's first word is Love and second word is Gun I feel pretty good about saying that this is far and above the real value for your metal dollar. Twenty bucks for three incredible discs of classic Priest audio. I should also mention that I have only been able to listen to the digital version of this so far.I'm quite sure that when my pre-ordered physical copy rolls in I'm going to be an even happier camper.

Since I've only had access to the digital copy I haven't been able to see all the packaging but I will say that the cover treatment looks great as you can see above. I expect the rest of the package will also be damn cool.

So clearly what are you waiting for? Order up your own copy of the deluxe expanded version of Defenders of The Faith and bask in the audio glory that is classic Priest.

Who can forget the immortal words inscribed on the back of the original release, "Rising from darkness where Hell hath no mercy and the screams for vengeance echo on forever. Only those who keep the faith shall escape the wrath of the Metallian... Master of all metal."

This package easily gets two horns up and a total 10 out of 10. Priest remain as always, Master of all metal.

http://judaspriest.com/

https://twitter.com/judaspriest

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest

REMASTERED/EXPANDED VERSION OF JUDAS PRIEST'S CLASSIC 'DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH' ALBUM ANNOUNCED

Coming off an era which saw several Judas Priest albums that have gone down as some of the greatest in the entire history of heavy metal (namely, 1980's 'British Steel' and 1982's 'Screaming for Vengeance'), the band from Birmingham knew that their next release had to 'deliver the goods,' to cement their standing as the leaders of metal. And deliver they did, with their platinum-certified 1984 release, 'Defenders of the Faith,' which spawned such headbanging classics as 'Freewheel Burning,' 'Jawbreaker,' 'The Sentinel,' 'Some Heads Are Gonna Roll,' and 'Love Bites.'  And on March 10, 2015, a newly expanded three-CD version of the album will be unleashed via Columbia/Legacy, which includes the original ten-track album remastered by producer Tom Allom, and a complete live recording from the 'Defenders' tour, recorded at the Long Beach Arena in California, on May 5, 1984.  The 21-track concert (split up over two discs) perfectly balances the then-new material from the group's ninth studio offering overall, including such classics as 'Metal Gods,' 'Breaking the Law,' 'Sinner,' 'Electric Eye,' 'The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown),' 'Victim of Changes,' and 'You’ve Got Another Thing Coming,' among many others. As the band states in the liner notes to the reissue, "It's 30 years since we released 'Defenders of the Faith' - we're very proud to say it has become a classic that's beloved by Priest fans throughout the world" Judas Priest continues to 'defend the faith' to this day, as the group recently issued their seventeenth studio album, 'Redeemer of Souls,' which sees the band's popularity amongst metalheads remain as strong as ever, as it debuted higher than any other previous Priest release (at #6 on the Billboard 200). And on the group's current tour, quite a few classics from 'Defenders' are being performed for the first time in years. And soon, fans will get a chance to re-experience vintage Judas Priest, with the 'Defenders of the Faith' reissue. CD1 'Defenders of the Faith' Re-Mastered  1.   Freewheel Burning 2.   Jawbreaker 3.   Rock Hard Ride Free 4.   The Sentinel 5.   Love Bites 6.   Eat Me Alive 7.   Some Heads Are Gonna Roll 8.   Night Comes Down 9.   Heavy Duty 10. Defenders of the Faith CD2 Live at Long Beach Arena, California 5th May 1984  1.   Love Bites 2.   Jawbreaker 3.   Grinder 4.   Metal Gods 5.   Breaking the Law 6.   Sinner 7.   Desert Plains 8.   Some Heads Are Gonna Roll 9.   The Sentinel  10. Rock Hard Ride Free CD3 Live at Long Beach Arena, California 5th May 1984  1.   Night Comes Down 2.  The Hellion 3.   Electric Eye 4.   Heavy Duty 5.   Defenders of the Faith 6.   Freewheel Burning  7.   Victim of Changes 8.   The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) 9.   Living After Midnight 10. Hell Bent For Leather 11. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming www.judaspriest.com

Just posted FoM episode 209 featuring Chris Tsangarides

Episode 209 - Tsangarides Pt 1

This week is part one of a two parter featuring longtime hard rock and metal producer Chris Tsangarides. The guy has been involved in the industry since 1975 and has had a huge part in forging the sound of modern metal and classic metal.

That being said you know that this guy has some great stories to share, and share he does right here on Focus on Metal.

Track of the week "The Irish Brigade" is from Pure Legends artist Wolfen from their latest release "Evilution". Get more info at: http://www.wolfen-metal.de/

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

Grab it now from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Big Dad Ritch and Michael Hannon are the Guests on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 205 - Metal Enlargement

Freshly back from worshipping at the altar of the Priest we stop praising the Redeemer tour long enough to take a look at a few bands that should be bigger but aren't. There's lots of bands out there like this but we thought that American Dog and Texas Hippie Coalition were two great examples of hardworking road dogs that just aren't getting their due. Our guests this week are Michael Hannon from American Dog and Big Dad Ritch from Texas Hippie Coalition.

Grab your copy of "Ride On" and get all your THC info at: http://thcofficial.com/

Snag a copy of "Neanderthal" and keep up with American Dog at: http://americandog.us/

Our track of the week is from our friends in Versa Mynor from their "Bloodlines" EP. Get your copy at https://versamynor.bandcamp.com/

Help bring Thrash Metal history to the world at" https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/thrash-metal-the-global-metal-movement

Help bring LA Metal history to the world at: http://metalrockfilms.com/

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

Grab it now from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

NEW JUDAS PRIEST RELEASE DEBUTS IN BILLBOARD TOP TEN

Judas Priest's 17th studio effort overall, 'Redeemer of Souls,' is set to debut in the Billboard 200 charts at #6, which is the highest US album chart debut of the legendary British band's career. Also, with a #5 chart debut in Canada, it is the highest chart-peaking album and first top five debut in the Canada Soundscan era. And the album reviews have been some of the best of Priest's entire career as well, including Rolling Stone declaring "'Redeemer' is proof that Priest can still call themselves metal's defenders of the faith," while All Music Guide stated "'Redeemer of Souls' is also the loosest (attitude-wise), leanest (arrangement-wise), and most confident-sounding collection of new material the band has released in ages." It was also recently announced that Priest (singer Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis) will be hitting the road this fall, along with special guests Steel Panther. To purchase 'Redeemer of Souls' (which is available as both a 13-track standard version and a 18-track deluxe version), follow these links: http://smarturl.it/redeemerofsouls-albm - iTunes  http://smarturl.it/redeemerofsouls-amzn - Amazon The metal gods have returned with the triumphant 'Redeemer of Souls'…and their strongest stateside and Canadian chart positioning ever!   FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT: www.judaspriest.com www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest