Talks With Mark Weiss And James Christian on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 466 - The Weiss Guy

Longtime photographer Mark Weiss just published his first book “The Decade That Rocked: The Photography of Mark “Weissguy” Weiss”. Mark is on the show this week to gives us his insights into the music scene and to talk about what inspired him to finally release a book that celebrates the decade that rocked. 

Get your own personalized copy of Mark’s book at: TheDecadeThatRocked.com

Also this week we talk again with House of Lords vocalist James Christian as they release their latest “New World-New Eyes”.

Here's the title track off the new album

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.

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
 

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.

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

Review - Judas Priest "Redeemer Of Souls" (Epic Records)

So finally here it is. An album most fans thought would never arrive or for others it couldn't arrive quick enough after the poorly received Nostradamus. Expectations were high on this because the fans wanted a belter of an album with a back to basics approach. More six string then orchestral. So does it deliver? Well yes and no.

  The songs for the most part are fine and it is a heavy metal album with all the stereotypes. The title track chugs along and is great, opener Dragonaught will probably open the new live show and Beginning Of The End shows the softer side of the band to great effect. It suffers from too many tracks and Down In Flames is average at best. Metalizer is metal by numbers with dumb lyrics. The five bonus tracks are ok too.

   So here's my problem, the thing SOUNDS terrible. To my ears the production and mix are horrible. The whole thing sounds really dry and there's no pop to the stuff at all. I feel really sorry for Scott Travis because you have an incredible drummer who sounds like he is beating on wooden blocks and tin cans. Want proof then put on the introduction to Sword Of Damocles and then put on Painkiller and that was recorded over 20 years ago. Ian Hill's bass is in and out and Rob's vocals for the most part are in his lower register save for Halls Of Valhalla.

   To put out an album with these production values in the modern age baffles me. Say what you want about Priest's peers Maiden and Sabbath at least they had the foresight to hire the top guys Kevin Shirley and Rick Rubin respectively. I'm sure Mike Exeter is a capable studio hand and a nice guy but can you name another album he has had a hand in. Someone like Roy Z who has worked with the band in the past would have made this sound much better. I would love to hear a remixed version of this because then we would be talking. I knew Priest would have to come up with something special to top Primal Fear's Delivering The Black. They couldn't do it.

Richie.

JUDAS PRIEST OFFER ANOTHER SNEAK PEEK INTO REDEEMER OF SOULS ALBUM AND ANNOUNCE ROCKLINE AND TOWN HALL APPEARANCES

The tracks that Judas Priest has been offering the public as a prelude to the official July 8, 2014 release date of their 17th album overall, 'Redeemer of Souls,' are stirring up quite a buzz within the heavy metal community.  On June 17th, eager fans will be able to sample another winning metallic rocker from the legendary band, when "Dragonaut" is made available for purchase via iTunes and other digital retailers. In the mean time, you can listen to "Dragonaut" via the Rolling Stone site, which has premiered the track: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-judas-priests-thunderous-new-dragonaut-premiere-20140613#ixzz34XDw7xOd  And you can pre-order the deluxe album version via these links: http://smarturl.it/redeemerofsouls-albm - iTunes    http://smarturl.it/redeemerofsouls-amzn - Amazon Also, the band has confirmed that the night before the release of 'Redeemer of Souls,' Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford, and Richie Faulkner will appear on the Rockline radio program. Joining host Bob Coburn on Monday July 7, 2014 at 8:30 PT / 11:30 ET, fans are encouraged to speak with Judas Priest at 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). For a station near you and for information regarding how to log onto the Internet for the broadcast go to www.RocklineRadio.com The show will be streamed for free on the Rockline website beginning the evening after the day of broadcast.  And on the day of the album's release, Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner will appear on Sirius XM's 'Town Hall' program. Fans are being asked to submit questions that winners will be able to ask the band in person: https://www.siriusxm.com/judaspriest 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 songs ("Living After Midnight," "Breaking the Law," "You've Got Another Thing Coming," etc.) and albums ('British Steel,' 'Screaming for Vengeance,' 'Painkiller,' etc.  The countdown to the release of Priest's latest studio triumph has officially begun, and "Dragonaut" provides further proof that 'Redeemer of Souls' will be a prime slice of Judas Priest metal. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT: www.judaspriest.com www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest

JUDAS PRIEST SET "MARCH OF THE DAMNED" AS LEADOFF SINGLE FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM, 'REDEEMER OF SOULS'

For the past few weeks, metalheads worldwide have undoubtedly been enjoying the "sneak peak" title track from Judas Priest's forthcoming 'Redeemer of Souls' album. And on Monday, May 19th, the official leadoff single from the album, "March of the Damned," will be released to rock and metal radio, and will be available for purchase via all digital sales providers. Additionally, on the same day, preorders for the full album will be made available through iTunes: http://smarturl.it/redeemerofsouls-albm As the band themselves said about "March of the Damned," "Our passion for heavy metal has never diminished, and this track sounds off with real conviction!" Listen to the new song here: http://youtu.be/HJhm2vZFj2k. 'Redeemer of Souls' will be made available from Epic Records on Tuesday, July 15th, 2014, as both a standard version and a deluxe edition with five bonus tracks. When asked what fans can expect from Priest's 17th album overall, guitarist Glenn Tipton replied, "Sometimes in the past we may have come under fire for being too adventurous musically - so we have listened!! From start to finish 'Redeemer of Souls' is 13 songs of pure classic Priest metal!!" 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 songs ("Living After Midnight," "Breaking the Law," "You've Got Another Thing Coming," etc.) and albums ('British Steel,' 'Screaming for Vengeance,' 'Painkiller,' etc. And soon, fans will discover that Priest has assembled another metal classic, with the "March of the Damned" single and 'Redeemer of Souls' full-length. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT: www.judaspriest.com www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest

CLASSIC JUDAS PRIEST METAL ON THE WAY WITH NEW ALBUM REDEEMER OF SOULS

There are only a select number of bands that have accomplished what Judas Priest has throughout their career (as well as having served as a stylistic influence on such a wide variety of bands). Soon the group - singer Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis - will be offering up more classic Judas Priest metal with the release of 'Redeemer of Souls' To be released in the US on July 15th, 2014 via Epic Records (as a standard version and a deluxe edition with five bonus tracks), 'Redeemer of Souls' is Judas Priest's latest collection of epic metal - "raising the bar is consistent for us and 'Redeemer' hits the ground running" - it matches up perfectly to earlier Priest classics as evidenced by the album's leadoff single 'March of the Damned'  ("we are forging ahead, slamming the pedal to the metal!") - the band mean business once again. "We feel 'Redeemer of Souls' reinforces our passion for what we believe in from the Judas Priest style heavy metal." The album also marks Richie Faulkner's studio debut with Priest and is the co-writer of the material along with Glenn Tipton and Rob Halford. First bursting onto the scene with 1974's 'Rocka Rolla' Judas Priest is responsible for some of heavy metal's all-time great albums - 1980's 'British Steel', 1982's 'Screaming for Vengeance', 1990's 'Painkiller' etc - and anthems 'Breaking the Law', 'Living After Midnight', 'You've Got Another Thing Coming' etc - as well as trailblazing metal's now instantly identifiable look - leather and studs - 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the band. And while fans are undoubtedly starved for more Priest (their last studio album 'Nostradamus' was released in 2008) the band themselves are eager for the world to hear their latest studio triumph. "Classic combination of all the statements we love to create with raging guitar riffs and solos, thundering drums, thick grooves of bass and vocals tearing it all up!" REDEEMER OF SOULS - tracklisting as follows: DRAGONAUT REDEEMER OF SOULS HALLS OF VALHALLA SWORD OF DAMOCLES MARCH OF THE DAMNED DOWN IN FLAMES HELL & BACK COLD BLOODED METALIZER CROSSFIRE SECRETS OF THE DEAD BATTLE CRY BEGINNING OF THE END Bonus tracks: SNAKEBITE TEARS OF BLOOD CREATURES BRING IT ON NEVER FORGET FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT: www.judaspriest.com www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest

JUDAS PRIEST UNLEASH TASTER FROM THEIR 17TH ALBUM, 'REDEEMER OF SOULS'

***IMAGE IS SINGLE (NOT ALBUM) ARTWORK*** For U.S. fans of Judas Priest that simply cannot wait for the July 15th release date of their latest classic metal album, 'Redeemer of Souls,' there is some relief on the way. On Tuesday, April 29th, the title track from the album will be available for purchase via iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/redeemer-of-souls-single/id863086125) and other digital service providers. And a clip of the song (plus the single's artwork) is now available to sample at the band's website, www.judaspriest.com. If you are wondering what to expect from the mighty Priest on their forthcoming album, guitarist Glenn Tipton has set the record straight. "Sometimes in the past we may have come under fire for being too adventurous musically - so we have listened!! From start to finish 'Redeemer of Souls' is 13 songs of pure classic Priest metal!!" There are only a select number of bands that have accomplished what Judas Priest has throughout their career (as well as having served as a stylistic influence on such a wide variety of bands). Soon the group - singer Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis - will be offering up more classic Judas Priest metal with the release of 'Redeemer of Souls' FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT: www.judaspriest.com www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest