On February 15, 1979: JUDAS PRIEST performed at Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo, Japan. This concert was recorded for their live album: Unleashed In The East. This live album was produced by Tom Allom. This was the last JUDAS PRIEST album that Les Binks performs on.
On February 15, 1981:JUDAS PRIEST performed at Forest National (aka) Vorst Nationaal in Brussels, Belgium, a stop on their 1981 World Wide Blitz Tour. The band were touring in support of their 7th studio album, released in 1981: Point Of Entry.
February 15, 1984: On Their Metal Conqueror Tour, JUDAS PRIEST performed in Kaunitz, West Germany at Ostwestfalenhalle, in support of their 9th studio album: Defenders Of The Faith.
On February 15, 1991: Ontheir Painkiller Tour, JUDAS PRIEST performed at Oberschwabenhalle in Ravensburg, Germany, supporting their 12th studio album Painkiller. This marked the first tour and studio album with drummer Scott Travis.
Thank you for visiting and looking back on some JUDAS PRIEST history! Metal be thy name – Stone.
“Great news! KK’S PRIEST is going to be returning to the US and Canada this September 2026! We will be teaming up together with metal legends W.A.S.P. and with over 40 shows, this is going to be an epic metal and steel tour featuring lots of Priest classics! We look forward to seeing you all again very soon so please get on board early, we do not want you to miss this one.” — K.K. Downing
Ferocity: the quality or state of being ferocious. That is what I hear each time I crank up Painkiller from Metal legends – Judas Priest. Painkiller was released on September 3, 1990, on Columbia Records. Yes, the 1990’s was ushered in with quite a Metal explosion with this album. Consider that it was 1990, twenty years ago when this amazing Metal album was first released. My Metal point is this: if Painkiller was to have been released today, there is more relevance in it’s Metal in 2010 than ever before, encapsulating everything that is fast, heavy and hard about Metal Music. Honestly, if Painkiller was released in 2010, it would be an enormous candidate for my #1 Heavy Metal album of the year. However, the reality is that Painkiller is an album from the Metal past, only it seems to still have more of an impact on me than I could ever imagine. This was the 12th studio album from Judas Priest, (if you are to consider the 1978 U.K. release of Killing Machine, basically the same album as Hell Bent For Leather, only it is minus The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown). I am not reluctant to state, that this Judas Priest album is arguably the heaviest and fastest album in their catalog. Despite my abhorring the Grammy’s, Judas Priest was nominated for best Metal Performance in 1991 due to Painkiller.
The two songs on Painkiller that standout for me, which are easily two songs I can listen to every day of my life, repeatedly, are: Painkiller and A Touch Of Evil. My inner Metal struggle as of late, is knowing that A Touch Of Evil is my single most favorite, Heavy Metal song of my entire Metalhead life. Why is that an inner Metal struggle for me, you ponder? Well, due to the fact that I simply cannot believe I actually know this is the song! Plus, it did not dawn on me until recently… maybe sometime before the holidays of 2009. I will tell you this though… it is a really cool Metal feeling when it hits you and the realization kicks in, that you finally know that this is THE song. Could A Touch Of Evil ever be replaced by another Metal song as my lifetime favorite? Maybe. I’ll know when it hits me. One thing is guaranteed though… it would NEVER be a Daughtry song.
The songPainkiller is for all Metal intents and purposes… Thrash Metal. I applaud the fact that Judas Priest showed the world that yes… Thrash Metal is in their forte. All ten songs on Painkiller are immense, there is no weak link to be found. The re-release of Painkiller has two bonus tracks: Living Bad Dreams and Leather Rebel (Live). Both of these songs are great for me, still, I don’t see how a “live” bonus track ever fits into a studio album to begin with.
With Painkiller being the last studio album with Rob Halford at the vocal helm, (until the 2005 Judas Priest release – Angel Of Retribution), it showed us die-hard Metalhead followers of Judas Priest that we shall never take anything for Metal granted. Tim “Ripper” Owens is a fine lead vocalist, (taking over lead vocals on 1997’s Jugulator and Demolition from 2001), still there is only one Metal God, one original lead vocalist for Judas Priest… Rob Halford. During Rob Halford’s departure from Judas Priest, Fight became his very own Metal creation… a band that I uphold highly and find extremely thrilling. I did blab and brag about Fight one time… you can check it out by clicking the header below:
Recently, the 2009 release – The End Of Tomorrow from Ravage, paid tribute to this Painkiller album and Judas Priest by having in it’s track listing… the cover of Night Crawler. Ravage did a fabulous Metal job at covering Night Crawler too. In 1990’s retrospect, yes, I would without hesitation, point right at Painkiller as being a top ten Heavy Metal album of that decade. Those of you who do own Painkiller hopefully understand my excitement over it… those of you who do not own Painkiller just yet, well, you are missing out on one damn incredible Judas Priest album for sure, in myMetal opinion.
Judas Priest:
Rob Halford – vocals
Glenn Tipton – guitar
K.K. Downing – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums
Painkiller was produced by Judas Priest and Chris Tsangarides.
Judas Priest is one Metal Band that I cannot ignore, especially when they release a new album. These Metal Gods can release a studio, greatest hits and as in this case, a live album and I will eagerly buy it. A Touch OfEvil Live is live with all the glorification of Judas Priest’s heavy history… and why shouldn’t this legendary Metal Band be glorified? The guitar duo of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing is dominant on each and every song, with the Metal God himself, (Rob Halford), showcasing his vocal exuberance. Ian Hill on bass guitar and Scott Travis on drums are in Metal sync together, they add all the more Metal fuel to these live Judas Priests songs. As I listen to A Touch Of Evil Live, understanding that this is live recordings from 2005 and 2008 fills me with total Metal wonderment, that this band has not grown old, only grown better. In my Metal opinion, Judas Priest sounds as heavy, fast, hard and vicious as they did in the early 1980’s. I would lay it on the Metal table and be truthful, if A Touch Of Evil Live sounded like a bunch of half enthused, Metal musicians, going through the motions. Judas Priest IS Metal, captured live with all the power and mystique that I have appreciated from them, these past three decades.
The song list on A Touch Of EvilLive is a very strong representation of vintage Metal, showing just how many great songs are in the Judas Priest catalog, dating back to 1977. This live album may not have the household hits from Judas Priest, instead, it encapsulates the deep album cuts that made Judas Priest legend. Dissident Aggressor, from the 1977 album Sin After Sin, is brought forth to live sensation three decades after it’s initial release. Beyond The Realms Of Death is re-energized live, giving a nod to the unreal great 1978 album – Stained Class. Eat Me Alive comes across live, with the same Metal nastiness that The Priest originally set out to convey, from their 1984 album Defenders Of The Faith. Painkiller, A Touch Of Evil and Between The Hammer& The Anvil are three potent Metal songs from the now classic Judas Priest album from 1990 – Painkiller.
Judas Rising and Hellrider are the first two songs on A Touch Of Evil Live, both songs cementing the Metal foundation to follow that is patented and hell bent Judas Priest. These two opening songs, have me appreciating the reunion album Angel Of Retribution from 2005… all the more. Riding On The Wind is a great choice to represent the Screaming For Vengeance album from 1982. Riding On The Wind deserves all the Metal acknowledgment it can derive, being a deeper track from such a monumental Judas Priest album. Prophecy and Death are the two songs taken from the newest Judas Priest studio album released in June 2008, the concept album – Nostradamus.
* My favorite song on A Touch Of Evil Live is… A Touch Of Evil. The thunderous Metal charge, that this song pounds away with, gets me 100%, certified psyched out. Trudging with flares of being an anthem, A Touch Of Evil IS as bona fide a Judas Priest song you can ever ask for.
I have always been a fan of live albums, especially when they are not tweaked apart to death, this live album from Judas Priest is not tweaked over, in my Metal opinion. A Touch Of Evil Live has all the hard and heavy that I have come to expect from Judas Priest, they give these songs that extra Metal power – live. Hey, this is not the greatest Judas Priest album ever, nor is it the greatest live Metal album ever made either. What A Touch Of Evil Live does demonstrate, is that Judas Priest has kicked some Metal butt the past five years, reestablishing themselves as one of the Metal elder statesmen that do and should command Metal respect. Since 2005, one thing has been Metal certain… The Priest Is Back!A Touch Of Evil Live is a very good, live Metal album from an ultra great and Metal historic band… Judas Priest.
A Touch Of Evil Live Was Released On July 14, 2009
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