Fresh after their well-deserved win at the Golden God awards for Best British Band, Judas Priest is confirmed to play at the non-commercial Pol'and'Rock Festival.
A band unlike any other, Judas Priest have helped define heavy metal and have taken the genre to new exciting heights during their 40 years + career. The band was formed in Birmingham in early '70s and four years later, founding members K.K. Downing (guitarist) and Ian Hill (bassist) were joined by Rob Halford (vocalist) and Glenn Tipton (guitarist). Throughout the years, the musicians, who have formed the nucleus of the legendary band, have been joined by different drummers.
Perfecting their unique sound and style, the band has released five albums in the '70s. Their big break came with the release of classic "British Steel" album in 1980. Thanks to their 80s releases the band have shaped the sound of heavy metal - bringing together Rob Halford's impressive vocal scale, which allows the singer to go from piercing falsetto to screeching scream, aggressive guitar riffs and mighty beats. The music is paired with "stone & brimstone" imagery and distinct studs & leather style, favoured by the band from the early '80s.
The band's penchant to dress in studs and leather has defined heavy metal look ever since and was adopted by metal-heads across the world. This decade launched Judas Priest as an international superstar and festival headliner: British band played sold-out stadium shows, headlined first ever Donington Park festival, US Festival, and joined Live Aid line-up. Their trademark biker chic (Halford has a habit of arriving on stage riding a Harley Davidson) became synonymous with the heavy metal music scene and their album art influenced hard-rock aesthetics for years to come.
Perfecting their unique sound and style, the band has released five albums in the '70s. Their big break came with the release of classic "British Steel" album in 1980. Thanks to their 80s releases the band have shaped the sound of heavy metal - bringing together Rob Halford's impressive vocal scale, which allows the singer to go from piercing falsetto to screeching scream, aggressive guitar riffs and mighty beats. The music is paired with "stone & brimstone" imagery and distinct studs & leather style, favoured by the band from the early '80s.
The band's penchant to dress in studs and leather has defined heavy metal look ever since and was adopted by metal-heads across the world. This decade launched Judas Priest as an international superstar and festival headliner: British band played sold-out stadium shows, headlined first ever Donington Park festival, US Festival, and joined Live Aid line-up. Their trademark biker chic (Halford has a habit of arriving on stage riding a Harley Davidson) became synonymous with the heavy metal music scene and their album art influenced hard-rock aesthetics for years to come.
Judas Priest
The importance and influence of the band have not dwindled over the years. Judas Priest kicked off the last decade of 20th century with the heaviest release of their career - "Painkiller" also ushered in a new drummer Scott Travis. The band went from strength to strength, appearing alongside Black Sabbath at Ozzfest in 2004. New Millennium saw Judas Priest celebrated with VH1 Rock Honors concert and Grammy Award win for "Best Metal Performance" in 2010. There is no doubt that the band is able to dictate trends in the ever-changing music world, as it's proven by their two most recent releases: 2014's "Redeemer of Souls" and 2018's "Firepower" reached the highest chart positions in the US.
This is the longest surviving working heavy-metal band in the world, and yet we're making a record that is able to have its place and have its respect from the metal world in general in 2018. And that's not a pompous thing to say. If we didn't believe in this, if we didn't have the self-belief and determination of the value and importance of this album, we wouldn't release it. It's not a record we're throwing out there because of a contractual obligation. It's very important.
Rob Halford in a Rolling Stones interview
The band is currently on tour, promoting "Firepower" and will take the Main Stage at Pol'and'Rock Festival, which is one of the biggest non-commercial events in Europe.
