Judas Priest is one of the most influential heavy metal bands in history. It is this group that is referred to as the pioneers of the genre, which determined its sound for a decade ahead. Along with bands such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple, Judas Priest played a pivotal role in rock music in the 1970s.
Unlike their colleagues, the group continued its successful path into the 1980s, gaining worldwide fame. Despite the 40-year history, the team continues its creative activity to this day, delighting with new hits. But success was not always with the musicians.
Earliest
The history of the Judas Priest group is connected with two musicians who stood at the origins of the group. Ian Hill and Kenneth Downing met during their school years, as a result of which music became their common passion. Both loved the work of Jimi Hendrix, who forever changed the image of the music industry.
This soon led to the creation of their own musical group, playing in the progressive blues genre. Soon drummer John Ellis and vocalist Alan Atkins, who had considerable concert experience, joined the school band. It was Atkins who gave the group the sonorous name Judas Priest, which everyone liked.
Over the following months, the group actively rehearsed, performing with concerts in local concert halls. However, the income that the musicians received from live performances was very modest. Money was sorely lacking, so in the early 1970s, the group suffered from the first major changes.
Everything changed only when a new vocalist Rob Hellford appeared in the group, who brought in drummer John Hinch. The new team quickly found mutual understanding, starting to create new musical material.
Creativity of the group Judas Priest of the 1970s
Over the next two years, the group toured the country, performing numerous concerts in clubs. I had to travel in my own minibus, personally loading and unloading all the musical equipment.
Despite the conditions, the work paid off. The group was noticed by the modest London studio Gull, who offered Judas Priest to record their first full-length album.
The only condition set by the studio was the presence of a second guitarist in the group. According to the company's employees, this would be a successful marketing ploy. After all, then all the rock bands were content with the classic composition of four people. Glenn Tipton, who played in other bands, joined the team.
The presence of a second guitarist played a role. The two-guitar playing style was adopted by many rock bands in later years. So the innovation became groundbreaking.
The album Rocka Rolla was released in 1974, becoming the band's debut. Despite the fact that the record is now considered a classic, at the time of its release it did not satisfy the needs of the public.
And the musicians were disappointed with the recording, which turned out to be very "quiet" and not "heavy" enough. Despite this, the group continued to tour the UK and Scandinavia, soon signing a new lucrative contract.
The "classic" period of Judas Priest
The second half of the 1970s was marked by the first world tour, which allowed the British group to gain unprecedented popularity. And even the constant change of drummers did not affect the success of the group.
Over the next few years, the band recorded several successful albums that took a leading position in the British and American charts. Stained Class, Killing Machine and Unleashed in the East have become some of the most influential in heavy metal, influencing dozens of cult bands.
Another important component was the image created by Rob Hellford. He appeared before the public in black clothes, decorated with metal accessories. Subsequently, millions of metalheads all over the planet began to dress like this.
The 1980s came, which became "golden" for heavy metal. The so-called "new school of British heavy metal" was created, which allowed the genre to oust all competitors.
Millions of listeners, who were looking forward to new hits from idols, drew the attention of Judas Priest's subsequent work. The British Steel album brought the British to a new level, becoming hits at home and abroad. However, the Point of Entry that followed was a commercial "failure".
The band has been working on the new release Screaming for Vengeance for a very long time. The painstaking work resulted in one of the best albums in history, which became a worldwide sensation.
The Painkiller album and the subsequent departure of Rob Hellford
The following years, the Judas Priest group stayed on the Olympus of fame, collecting stadiums around the world. The band's music could be heard in films, radio and television. However, in the 1990s, the group did not avoid problems. The first cause for alarm was a lawsuit involving the suicide of two teenagers.
The parents filed a lawsuit against the musicians, convincing the public of the negative impact of the work of the Judas Priets group, which served as a pretext for the tragedy. Having won the case, the group released the album Painkiller, after which Rob Hellford left the lineup.
He returned to the group only 10 years later, having managed to survive the recognition of his own homosexual orientation. Despite the scandals associated with the vocalist, he quickly returned the creative activity of the Judas Priest group to its former level. And the public has safely forgotten about the scandals.
Judas Priest now
The XNUMXst century has become fruitful for the musicians of the Judas Priest group. Veterans of the heavy metal scene have found a second youth, delighting with new releases. At the same time, some of the musicians managed to work with their own side projects, leading an active musical activity everywhere.
Judas Priest is a perfect example of a band that managed to overcome the crisis and return to its former level.
