Judas Priest

The Ripper is just so uniquely creepy. I agree that it’s a tad over-produced, but it’s still got that horror show flavour and great deal and packs a lot into not even three minutes. Can’t think of a single song that sounds like it, but the flavour is certainly present in songs like Prowler and Phantom. A real metal moment.
 
I struggle with the lack of reverance Tyrant gets.
I dont mean love, because most metal fans like the song.

But I consider it a template song and it never gets recognized as such - catchy riff, verse, chorus, repeat, melodic instrumental break reprise.
Of course this is textbook songwriting, but how often had it been applied to a four-minute song built around metal guitars and played at that speed in the mid-seventies? The prog bands were too self-indulgent, the punk bands too unsophisticated, the hard rock bands too singalong. I really think it set a pattern for the NWOBHM and alternatively to thrash.

Love the melody of the vocal bridge and of the solo.
 
Victim of Changes ranks among their very best: light and shadow, immense riffing, memorable melodies, progressive song structure, Halford’s voice and so much power.

The band’s first 10 in my books.
 
Since we seem to be keeping score:
10) Victim of Changes
9) Tyrant
8) Dreamer Deceiver/ Deceiver, Ripper
7) Rocka Rolla, Never Satisfied,
6) Island of Domination, Genocide, One For the Road, Run of the Mill
5) Cheater, Winter Suite, Dying to Meet You, Cavier and Meths
4) Epitaph,
 
GhostofCain said:
That does not make him a member of the classic Judas Priest line-up...
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My point was that this is not that important. No one talks about the classic drummer of Judas Priest, or the classic line-up.

Hell (Patrol!), there is not even one classic line-up. No one talks about wanting to see Dave Holland. The older drummers cannot be seen as being part of a classic line-up. They were too short in the band.
 
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mckindog said:
The Ripper is just so uniquely creepy. I agree that it’s a tad over-produced, but it’s still got that horror show flavour and great deal and packs a lot into not even three minutes. Can’t think of a single song that sounds like it, but the flavour is certainly present in songs like Prowler and Phantom. A real metal moment.
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I used to think it was a faint choir or perhaps just Halford alone, but now I think it's the guitars that makes the sounds, but anyways... at roughly the 2 min mark, right after the big gong (or whatever that is), there's a very horror/ghost like -choir sound that lowers in pitch in the background. It sounds like something that features quite often in Horror films. Not sure you guys know what the f... I'm talking about but I always liked that little detail :)
 
I wonder what the plan is though. According to the blabbermouth article it seems that he still wants to come up on stage occasionally. I wonder if he will only do it at a few select shows where it's convenient for him to do so (close to home, close to other appointments etc) Perhaps he plans on hitting as many shows as possible and thus basically following the tour around. Making a "surprise" appearance during some of the "easy" songs. We will see...
 
Forostar said:
My point was that this is not that important. No one talks about the classic drummer of Judas Priest, or the classic line-up.
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True. The band did never give a shit about who was the drummer or even the bass player. The selling point was the trio of Glenn, K.K., and Rob.

Wait a minute: what is going to be the selling point now?
 
Wouldn't be surprised if a line up of Travis, Faulkner, Sneap and the Ripper plus some bassist stnding in the shadows, are touring in a few years when Halford and Hill retire.
 
This lineup is more odd than the Ripper fronted one. Still looking forward to see them in Norway!
 
I've actually been thinking about this for a long while. Could a band replace all of it's classic members (not just original members) and still be considered the same band, if they were working with the blessing of the original crew? If so, does it need to be done sequentially rather than completely? Judas Priest seems interested in going this route to a certain extent, but let's extrapolate for a band we know better.

In 2019, Nicko McBrain retires due to age and arthritis. Although Steve Harris has said that they'd stop if Nicko retires, he instead decides to hire another drummer. In 2020, the band releases a new album, On The Edge of Forever, with new drummer Rufus Taylor (formerly of The Darkness). This begins a quick pattern of retirements, with Adrian Smith retiring after the 2020 leg and Dave Murray having a stroke from smiling too much in 2021 during the second leg of the On The Tour of Forever, which suddenly has new meaning. Adrian is temporarily replaced by Vivian Campbell for the rest of the first leg, but George Harris joins as his full-time replacement in the winter break. Replacing Dave becomes much more difficult, however, when during the auditions Rod Smallwood passes away peacefully in his sleep (Bruce Dickinson quips, "It's the only time he did anything without grumbling."). Fans are already complaining, but Steve decides to go forward and announces a huge double-first - Voyager's Simone Dow will be Dave's replacement. "Australia's basically like England, but with more criminals," said retired member Nicko McBrain. "And they have proper football there sometimes."

But the worst is yet to come. In 2024 Steve Harris is forced to announce his retirement due to longstanding back issues; Bruce Dickinson has a second, and far more serious, bout with cancer shortly thereafter, leaving Janick Gers as the only long-standing band member. Surprisingly, Steve moves into Rod's place as manager and decides that he can continue to run Iron Maiden as manager (possibly the only actual role he might consider taking) and announces a search for a new bassist and singer. Now people are screaming, but some are actually quite happy.

Is this still Iron Maiden, if the original members are behind it?
 
LooseCannon said:
I've actually been thinking about this for a long while. Could a band replace all of it's classic members (not just original members) and still be considered the same band, if they were working with the blessing of the original crew?
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Kiss have talked about this. Thin Lizzy kind of did this for a while, although Scott Gorham and occasionally Brian Downey were still involved.

I'd go and see such a band (I did see "thin lizzy" a few times), if it's a strictly nostalgia thing with reasonably priced tickets. It's the material that counts not the players.

I'd definitely go to the line up of Priest that I suggested above.

However, new material is a no-no.
 
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