Judas Rising Rise Above at The Rockpile
- jaybroderick
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
By: Michael Drukarsh
Toronto, Ontario - The temperature inside The Rockpile wasn’t too far off the outside temperature of minus a million degrees last night as the crowd slowly made their way into the venue.
But that all changed as soon as the lights went down and the first of three bands hit the stage to deliver a set of classic heavy metal to fans ready to warm their hearts and souls from the fire of Satan’s music!
6661
A Tribute to Classic Metal, 6661 started off the night tackling one of the best metal singers ever, Dio, with a pretty wicked version of "Neon Nights". From there, the small but loud crowd were treated to Alice In Chains’ "Man in the Box" before the band dove back into the Dio catalog with "The Mob Rules" and "Holy Diver". Next up we got an interesting take on "Hell’s Bells" with both the guitarist and singer seeming to have a little trouble hitting the right notes. Both recovered well though to deliver a Maiden heavy end to the set including "Number of the Beast", a fantastic cover of "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and a pulse pushing version of "Run to the Hills". The band was great and according to the lead singer came together thanks to the Rockpile’s heavy metal jam nights!
Crazy Babies
Next up (and I have to disclose, the reason I wanted to go) was Crazy Babies! Since 1989, Rod Clarke has been performing as Ozzy and delivers the madness of the 'Prince of Darkness' to near perfection! Backed by an incredible group of musicians, Rod brings Ozzy’s music and stage presence to life (something we need now more than ever) covering the vast range of Ozzy's solo career as well as a few gems from Black Sabbath. Opening (as he should) with "I Don’t Know", Rod instantly transforms into Ozzy, complete with trademark stagger, fan interaction and the constant removal and replacement of the mic. "Sucide Solution" showcased guitarist Mad Brad “Zakk” Malatte’s skills as he took one of the greatest guitar solos ever by Randy Rhoads and made it his own. The now immortalized "Mamma I’m Coming Home" brought the crowd to tears, and the finisher, "Paranoid" had them all pumping their fists in the air.
Judas Rising
I had the opportunity to talk briefly with lead singer Dave Barret of Judas Rising The Best of Rob Halford before their set where he shared with me the secret to the band's success as a Priest Tribute band. By focusing on Halford and hitting the harder and heavier songs within his catalog, Priest Rising is not only able to separate but are able to rise (see what I did there?) above the other tribute bands out there. And WOW did they deliver! With songs like "Resurrection" and "Made in Hell" off Halford's solo album of the same name and "Into the Pit" from Fight’s debut album War of the Words along with classic hits such as "You Got Another Thing Coming" and "Breaking the Law", Barret showed off a set of pipes that would make Halford proud. Complete with twin guitars paired with a solid, heavy bass and drums, Judas Rising definitely made the Metal Gods proud!
Concert Photo Gallery (all photos by: Michael Drukarsh)
Show Date: January 30, 2026