JUDAS PRIEST
The Defenders Of The Faith take their rightful place as the kings of Bloodstock. Long live Priest!
Between Diamond Head, Napalm Death and Memoriam, Bloodstock 2021 has no shortage of bands from heavy metal’s birthplace in the Black Country. But when all is said and done, no band (except maybe Black Sabbath) can claim to have had such an impact on heavy metal as a genre as JUDAS PRIEST. Taking to the stage with a sense of almost regal authority, Priest know this crowd is entirely theirs, and as such settle in for a two-hour offering of rarities and deep cuts that serves as a headlong plunge into their 52-year career.
Beginning with One Shot At Glory, played for the first time ever, Rob’s opening vocal, ‘Let me hear the battle cry’, is actualised by 20,000 voices howling in pure delight. Even if they stuck to the hits, Priest would struggle to cover everything in a two-hour slot without omissions, so unsurprisingly most records only get a single cut before we move on to the next slab of heavy metal history. The twin guitar assault of Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap proves a winning combination for capturing the metal god essence, while Scott Travis and Ian Hill maintain a rhythm that may as well be the beating heart of heavy metal itself.
And then, there’s Rob Halford. Swinging between ear-piercing howls for Exciter and Painkiller or spitting on the more percussive rock’n’roll stomps of Rocka Rolla and Victim Of Changes, Rob is an unstoppable force, even diving headlong into death metal barks at one point just to illustrate his sheer range. By the time the band drop the killing blows of Breaking The Law and Living After Midnight, complete with long-time guitarist Glenn Tipton, there’s no denying just how special this set feels, Bloodstock not so much a homecoming as a reclamation of a throne nobody would dare dispute. Hail to the kings. Hail to Bloodstock.