Judas Priest

Ripper said that he'd like to re-record the whole Rocka Rolla album, but it's up to KK. I'm not sure if that's what I really need tho. Technically speaking, Tim is an incredible vocalist. But he lacks the versatility that Rob has. Owens is great when it comes to singing aggressive songs, that's why his performances of stuff like Night Crawler or Hell Patrol are great - but the 70s Priest tunes (even lots of their 80s songs) don't need brutality nor powerful screams. They're based on softer vocals that create a certain atmosphere. That being said, I think he did a great job with Before the Dawn (although I still prefer the OG version).

I guess that soon we'll hear their interpretation of some Sad Wings track. The album turns 50 years old in 2026, so it'd make sense for them to do that.
 
Apparently, the intro to the Judas Priest show failed miserably at their show in Barcelona last week, highlighting the use of the studio vocals at the start of All Guns Blazing. Pure Spinal Tap!

This has led to different people arguing that Rob Halford is also using pre-recorded vocals on Painkiller. Is there any truth in that?
 
GhostofCain said:
Apparently, the intro to the Judas Priest show failed miserably at their show in Barcelona last week, highlighting the use of the studio vocals at the start of All Guns Blazing. Pure Spinal Tap!

This has led to different people arguing that Rob Halford is also using pre-recorded vocals on Painkiller. Is there any truth in that?
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Rob uses supplementary tracks in spots to make stuff fatter, while he is singing along live, and to add more precise delay effects like in the Painkiller chorus. It's not uncommon these days.
 
Yax said:
Rob uses supplementary tracks in spots to make stuff fatter, while he is singing along live, and to add more precise delay effects. It's not uncommon these days.
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Thanks for your reply. Sad to hear that is the case. The fact that others are doing it does not make it any better though. :(
 
GhostofCain said:
Thanks for your reply. Sad to hear that is the case. The fact that others are doing it does not make it any better though. :(
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I don't take issue with it. It's similar to how vocals often are double or triple tracked in the studio, for the effect of making the performance sound fatter when multiple takes are stacked on top of another (and sometimes spread a bit in the stereo image). To many listeners, those kind of studo tricks sound like a single vocal take.

He is still singing live. It just sounds nicer. But I do acknowledge that it doesn't look good for some, and especially for those who think it means he isn't singing live.
 
Biggest issue with that is when sound is mixed badly live. But in general I think that it is either that, flat sound or bringing 'Arry to help them out since he is nailing it in Maiden.
 
malfeitor said:
Ripper said that he'd like to re-record the whole Rocka Rolla album, but it's up to KK. I'm not sure if that's what I really need tho. Technically speaking, Tim is an incredible vocalist. But he lacks the versatility that Rob has. Owens is great when it comes to singing aggressive songs, that's why his performances of stuff like Night Crawler or Hell Patrol are great - but the 70s Priest tunes (even lots of their 80s songs) don't need brutality nor powerful screams. They're based on softer vocals that create a certain atmosphere. That being said, I think he did a great job with Before the Dawn (although I still prefer the OG version).
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I don't think re-recording the debut album is necessary. With Rob, dunno. But I like to hear some 70's Priest songs with modern production.
Yax said:
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Rob's voice fits ''War Pigs'' perfectly. Richie's rockin' as usual the solo with the new cool LP. Their tours intro. Good cover. Shared by BS!
 
Yax said:
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A pro-shot from this unique tour for the band (the 2 albums go together just perfect)! Yes, especially since the band isn't releasing anything, except the new songs and the two old classics from last year, which was awesome. 3-4 songs are missing, but the band sounds great. Big kudos Rob, he's still doing a very good job. Is this like an official release, because the sound sounds improved? Maiden are probably the only band that hasn't released their festival performance, haha.
The missing songs are - Electric Eye/Metal Gods, Freewheel Burning and unfortunately Solar Angels, Firepower and Judas Rising.
 
Kalata said:
A pro-shot from this unique tour for the band (the 2 albums go together just perfect)! Yes, especially since the band isn't releasing anything, except the new songs and the two old classics from last year, which was great. 3-4 songs are missing, but the band sounds very good. Big kudos Rob, he's still doing a great job. Is this like an official release, because the sound sounds improved? Maiden are probably the only band that hasn't released their festival performance, haha.
The missing songs are - Electric Eye/Metal Gods, Freewheel Burning and unfortunately Solar Angels, Firepower and Judas Rising.
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This is almost certainly mixed by Sneap. It sounds like him.

There's some gentle melodyne going on, like on about any other release these days. There are a few bum chords, which means they didn't patch stuff by rerecording off bits.
 
Tonight I listened to two versions of 'All guns blazing' (Hellfest 2025 & Hamar, Norway 2025), superimpose them in Ableton and the similarity is striking. I cannot imagine, for the life of me, that a soon-to-be 74-year-old man is capable of singing the same song twice in almost identical.

Other songs also sound strikingly similar, but then individual words or screams are distinctly different.

I'm skeptical, though. I imagine that much of what the audience hears is backing tracks.
 
damage_case said:
Tonight I listened to two versions of 'All guns blazing' (Hellfest 2025 & Hamar, Norway 2025), superimpose them in Ableton and the similarity is striking. I cannot imagine, for the life of me, that a soon-to-be 74-year-old man is capable of singing the same song twice in almost identical.

Other songs also sound strikingly similar, but then individual words or screams are distinctly different.

I'm skeptical, though. I imagine that much of what the audience hears is backing tracks.
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Audience vids of those two shows. No, the singing isn't identical, which is obvious already by the second verse line. He is trying his best to sound the same though, but if you play them back line by line, even on youtube rather than a DAW, you can tell they aren't the same. So I say, good on Rob for being consistent. I imagine it helps staying in pitch and tone of his voice for the higher stuff if he has a vocal guide track in his in-ears that he mimics, though don't know if it's the case.
 
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Yax said:


Audience vids of those two shows. No, the singing isn't identical, which is obvious already by the second verse line. He is trying his best to sound the same though, but if you play them back line by line, even on youtube rather than a DAW, you can tell they aren't the same. So I say, good on Rob for being consistent. I imagine it helps staying in pitch and tone of his voice for the higher stuff if he has a vocal guide track in his in-ears that he mimics, though don't know if it's the case.
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Thanks for your assessment. I've listened to a third version and find the similarity astonishing, although now, after listening more closely, I also notice differences in the emphasis on a few individual syllables. Additionally, the sound quality is sometimes very poor. Unfortunately, I can't shake my skepticism for now, but I want to overcome the optimist in me and believe that Rob really does have such a good voice and sings the songs so brilliantly.
 
damage_case said:
Tonight I listened to two versions of 'All guns blazing' (Hellfest 2025 & Hamar, Norway 2025), superimpose them in Ableton and the similarity is striking. I cannot imagine, for the life of me, that a soon-to-be 74-year-old man is capable of singing the same song twice in almost identical.

Other songs also sound strikingly similar, but then individual words or screams are distinctly different.

I'm skeptical, though. I imagine that much of what the audience hears is backing tracks.
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He cant sing painkiller with 74. But he could all this years. Amazing singer.
 
Watching Judas Priest’s Hellfest performance—man, do these guys age like fine wine! I’m honestly surprised by how good Rob sounds. It’s like he’s on some top-notch supplements—not the shady kind, just solid antioxidants or whatever keeps legends going. :D Sure, you can hear his age; the voice is thinner, but still sharp as ever.

I’m pretty sure he’s got an excellent sound engineer or mixer on board. There are a lot of effects—spacey, echoey touches—that really enhance his presence. I actually like how his vocals are handled here. And even if there’s a bit of subtle adjustment, I genuinely don’t mind (not that there’s any proof of it).

The guitarists and drummer are also delivering at a very high level—tight, powerful, and totally locked in. Everyone seems on point, like a well-oiled machine. Overall? A very solid performance from one of my all-time favorite bands. :edmetal:
 
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