WHAT IF... Judas Priest Edition
- jaybroderick
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
By: Michael Drukarsh - When your band’s lead singer holds the title “Metal God”, there is a lot of pressure to make sure you live up to the moniker. Judas Priest has been on top of the metal kingdom for 56 years, albeit in a few different versions. With a new tour coming to Toronto in September, LoudTO decided it was time to delve into the long history of Priest and wonder "What If"…
1) Judas Priest, another metal force out of Birmingham England, formed in 1969 and actually had former Black Sabbath (then called Earth) member Ernest Chataway in the fold. But it wasn't until May of 1973, that a young vocalist, Rob Halford, from the band Hiroshima would get on stage with Priest for the very first time. As it turned out, Halford’s sister was dating Priest member Ian Hill and when Ian mentioned needing a new singer, Sue Halford introduced the pair. "What if" Ian Hill was dating another girl at the time and that initial introduction never happened?
2) In 1974, under the tutelage of producer Roger Bain (who helmed the board for the first three Sabbath albums), Priest released their first album, Rocka Rolla. Unfortunately the album did not perform very well, selling only a few thousand copies. Coupled with a performance on the Old Grey Whistle Test dressed very hippie like, it's safe to say that Judas Priest were not the band the metal community would soon embrace. To add to the disarray, drummer John Hinch would be fired due to being “musically inadequate”. "What if" Rocka Rolla, with its poor reception and unfocused musical direction that left the band so broke they were starving most nights, was the early nail in the coffin for the band and they decided to break up rather than move forward?
3) With a little more trial and error, Priest hit their stride in the early ‘80s with shorter and more radio friendly heavy metal hits like “Breaking the Law” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin”. They toured frequently and took part in major festivals like the US Festival and Live Aid. Even the questionable addition of the synth guitar on their 1986 release Turbo Lover didn’t slow their momentum. Priest would safely exit the ‘80s as one of the top touring heavy metal bands. It all came to a screeching halt (literally) August 1991 at the CNE Grandstand in Toronto. As customary, Halford started his entrance to the stage for “Hell Bent for Leather” straddling his Harley Davidson. Unfortunately the drum rise malfunctioned and Halford smashed his head on the riser and was knocked off the bike. Roadies ran out to stop the bike from going into the audience while another dragged a limp Halford off the stage. A ten minute musical interlude ended when Halford returned to finish the song and the concert. It would be Halford’s final appearance with Judas Priest until 2004. "What if" the accident took a more serious turn, permanently injuring Rob Halford or the bike crashed into the front row leaving multiple fans with life changing injuries? (Author’s note… I was there, Operation Rock and Roll with Priest, Alice Cooper, Motorhead, Dangerous Toys and Metal Church)
4) In 1996, cover band singer Tim “Ripper” Owens joined Priest and released two albums with the band, Jugulator (1997) and Demolition (2001). Both albums were met with mixed reviews and many Priest fans felt betrayed by the new sound and, like Halford, chose to leave the band behind. Meanwhile Halford was experimenting with his solo work, performing first as Fight, then 2wo, and finally, Halford. While far more well received than Priest’s efforts, something wasn’t right and with pressure from the fans and record company, Priest reunited in July of 2003. "What if" Jugulator and Demolition kick started a new era of Judas Priest and Owens remained with the band while Halford’s solo efforts were poorly received?
5) In 1998, Rob Halford announced his sexual preferences live on MTV. Coming out as being part of the 2SLGBTQIA+, Halford broke out in tears and said, "It's a wonderful moment when you walk out of the closet.” While it was a very emotional and difficult moment for The Metal God, most of his fan base had already figured out this thinly veiled secret. The metal community may be a little leary, perhaps even a little aggressive, toward “posers” and “false metal”, but they embrace their own with 100% love and acceptance. While there may have been a few fans who turned their back on Halford and the band once he rejoined, it was obvious through ticket and album sales that Halford’s revelation made absolutely no impact on his or Priest's legacy. What many didn’t realize though was that Halford’s stage gear consisting of leather and chains were inspired by the gay S&M scene at the time. So, in essence, what would become the uniform, the battle gear if you will, worn by headbangers around the world was in fact the predominant look of the underground S&M culture. "What if" Rob Halford and the rest of Priest stuck with the more hippy style of stage gear that was on display during that appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test performance where Rob was definitely channeling his inner Robert Plant?
There have been many lineup changes in the Judas Priest camp over their 56 year career, with only two members, Ian Hill and Glen Tippton playing on every Priest studio release, but they have weathered the storms and came out the other side a juggernaut of heavy metal offering twin screaming guitars and of course the vocal prowess of The Metal God. Touring on their latest release and 19th album, Invincible Shield, Judas Priest continue to be hell bent for leather while they head out to the highway!
Judas Priest Online
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