Judas Priest review – thrash, hellfire, dazzling guitar … Ozzy would have loved it
For years, the band have used Black Sabbath's War Pigs as a walk-on song and the moment the tape kicks in, an impassioned and cathartic mass singalong sweeps across the amphitheatre. Any sense that this might be a sombre do is squashed in seconds. 'Hello, metal maniacs!' says singer Rob Halford, wearing a bedazzled leather trenchcoat and aviator sunglasses.
Priest are a one-off who helped define metal's image as well as its sound, going all in on the most exaggerated parts – the denim, leather, studs and no shortage of demonic motifs – while retaining street cred for more than 50 years. With the anthemic recent song Gates of Hell, eternal damnation has never sounded so inviting. The Serpent and the King – another from last year's Invincible Shield album – is also exhilarating: a full-on burst of thrash driven by Scott Travis's impeccable double-bass drum style. On the likes of Hell Patrol, the septuagenarian Halford can still nail the inexplicable, guttural shrieks.
Guitarist Richie Faulkner came close to death in 2021 after a severe aortic rupture on stage: he survived 10 hours of emergency open-heart surgery where parts of his chest were replaced with mechanical components. With gurns aplenty, Halford admires one of Faulkner's dazzling lead breaks on One Shot at Glory, hovering his tattooed head around the fretboard.
'It's been tough, the last 24-hours, but he would want us to be together doing this, having a good time. We love you, Ozzy,' Halford says to huge cheers, introducing Giants in the Sky. This is their ode to rock's fallen greats, as the faces of Lemmy, Chris Cornell, Christine McVie, and now Ozzy – among others – are flashed on screen to a soundtrack of hefty riffs. That Judas Priest are not only performing at an admirable level but still making stellar new music in their sixth decade, further cements their place alongside Sabbath on the Mount Rushmore of metal gods.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Ozzy Osbourne's death certificate reveals incredible job title listed
Black Sabbath icon Ozzy Osbourne died aged 76 on July 22, surrounded by his wife Sharon and his children, and the rock legend's cause of his death was recently revealed Ozzy Osbourne's cause of death was recently revealed after he died aged 76 last month. The Black Sabbath icon passed away on July 22, surrounded by his wife, Sharon, and children. The musician had been battling ill-health in recent years, with him and his wife openly speaking about their health woes. The star was determined to make it to Villa Park for his final performance just days before he died. On Tuesday, it was revealed the Prince of Darkness died following an out-of- hospital cardiac arrest, acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease with autonomic dysfunction (joint causes). Amazingly, under his occupation, he was listed as "Songwriter, Performer and Rock Legend." It comes after Sharon Osbourne broke down in tears at Ozzy's funeral in heartbreaking scenes. An acute myocardial infarction occurs when the blood flow to the heart is blocked, often by a blood clot, causing damage to the muscles of the heart. Symptoms include pain in the chest, including pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing, pain in other parts of the body, including the arm, jaw, neck, back and stomach, lightheadedness, sweating, shortness of breath and feeling sick. On Monday evening, his daughter Kelly, who recently got engaged at his final-ever concert, paid tribute to her late father in a sweet post shared on Instagram. The star, who featured in The Osbourne's with her parents, wrote: "I've sat down to write this a hundred times and still don't know if the words will ever feel like enough... but from the bottom of my heart, thank you. "The love, support, and beautiful messages I've received from so many of you have truly helped carry me through the hardest moment of my life. Every kind word, every shared memory, every bit of compassion has meant more than I can ever explain." She continued: "Grief is a strange thing—it sneaks up on you in waves-I will not be ok for a while-but knowing my family are not alone in our pain makes a difference. "I'm holding on tight to the love, the light, and the legacy left behind. Thank you for being there. I love you all so much." Before Ozzy's private funeral at the family's Buckinghamshire estate, the family, including Sharon, Aimee, Kelly, Jack and Ozzy's son from a previous marriage, Louis, joined fans in Birmingham to pay their respects. Broad Street, where there is a Black Sabbath bridge and bench, was adorned by flowers, with fans sobbing as Ozzy's coffin drove down the street.
Daily Mail
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Mark Labbett feared he would 'die a bachelor' before finding fame on The Chase and then marrying his second cousin Katie
Mark Labbett feared he would 'die a bachelor' because women were not interested in him before he found fame on The Chase. The 59-year-old TV personality was a single man 'for over 20 years' before he joined the ITV quiz show as The Beast in 2009, and then he went on to be in a several serious relationships. This included his second cousin Katie Labbett, 32, who he met on Facebook in 2010, began to date in 2012 and then married in 2014. They welcomed their seven-year-old son Lawrence in 2018, but Katie and Mark split in 2020. Following The Beast's separation from Katie, Mark dated TV presenter Hayley Palmer, 44, in 2023. However, in May 2024, he dumped Hayley days after their first dating anniversary in a 'three-minute' phone call. Now, Mark is taking part in the E4 dating show Celebs Go Dating. He hopes to find his perfect match, with the help of the programme's dating agents, Paul Carrick Brunson, 50, Anna Williamson, 44, and Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, 36. Mark exclusively told BANG Showbiz at the Celebs Go Dating launch party event at The Broadcaster gastropub in White City, West London, on July 24: 'It's getting to the point now with the joy of social media, a photo of me with a woman suddenly it's a new date. 'With this girl, I said, 'Sorry about this, I did warn you if you put up that photo.' 'And I tend to think, 'Where was all this speculation 20, 25 years ago?' 'I was a single man for over 20 years. I genuinely thought at one point before The Chase came along, 'Am I going to die a bachelor?' 'Suddenly, I'm in a relationship, which is why this has been good because you listen to experts, so finding out advice from them.' In 2020, Katie - who had been dating senior design engineer Scott Bate for 18 months at the time - and Mark split because their attempts at an open marriage failed. The Beast also blamed other factors, including their 27-year age gap, the Covid-19 lockdown and his own mental health, for their eventual split. In 2024, Hayley and Mark separated - with Hayley claiming at the time he dumped her because he 'didn't want to divorce his ex-wife', but Mark later told The Sun newspaper their separation was because he 'got old'. However, Mark - who had a 15-year age gap with Hayley - insisted to BANG Showbiz he does not have a 'bad word' to say about Katie or Hayley. Asked if he thinks it is now better to share a similar age with someone, as opposed to having a big age gap like he did with Katie and Hayley, Mark said: 'What I would say is age is really important to some people and completely unimportant to others. 'And, ultimately, I think it's down to the individual relationship. 'I've dated women who are older than me, and I've got no problems with it.' Celebs Go Dating 2025 starts on Monday, August 11, at 9pm on E4.
The Sun
2 minutes ago
- The Sun
Jessie Wallace reveals crunch meeting with EastEnders bosses before Michelle Ryan returned as ‘daughter' Zoe Slater
ZO GOOD TO BE BACK Jessie reveals how she didn't want the audience to 'feel completely conned' EASTENDERS stars Jessie Wallace and Michelle Ryan are reuniting — two decades after they were last on the soap. Jessie, who plays Kat Slater, and Michelle, who is her on-screen daughter Zoe, are returning to the soap together. 2 In 2001, 19million viewers watched as it was revealed Zoe was Kat's daughter, having always known her as her sister. Jessie, 53, said she told the soap's boss Ben Wadey she would return to the BBC One drama if Michelle, 41, did. She said: 'I said to Ben, 'It has to be Michelle. "It won't feel right if Zoe is recast.' "I wouldn't be able to give my best performance. "The audience would feel completely conned.' Jessica described their reunion before filming, telling Radio Times, above: 'I burst out crying. "We met for a secret dinner date with Ben Wadey and the Slaters. "When I saw Michelle, I cried. "It was nostalgic.'
