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Judas Priest is one of the UK's best-known heavy metal bands and has had a lasting influence on the genre since the 1970s. It's not just their patent leather and studded stage outfits that set the standard for heavy metal: their use of technically demanding double-lead guitar harmonies, combined with passionate vocals have also formed the foundation of all heavy metal bands that followed. Formed in 1969, they began as a blues rock band named after Bob Dylan's song "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest". Four years later, singer Rob Halford joined the band, followed in 1974 by guitarist Glenn Tipton, who, along with guitarist K. K. Downing and bassist Ian Hill, left their mark on the band's sound and image. Their first album, Rocka Rolla, was released later that same year. On 1976's Sad Wings of Destiny, which included songs like "The Ripper" and "Victim of Changes", you can already hear heavy metal overtones. Their first pure metal album was Sin After Sin (1977), which they also performed in the USA as the opening act on a Led Zeppelin tour. With British Steel (1980), which quickly became a cult album with songs like "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight", Judas Priest became the co-founders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). After further successful releases such as Screaming for Vengeance (1982), Defenders of the Faith (1984) and Turbo (1986), all of which went platinum, singer Rob Halford announced in 1991 that he was leaving the band. It wasn't until 2004 that the band reunited on stage, ushering in a new era with the album Angel of Retribution (2005). In 2008, Nostradamus was their first concept album, dedicated to the life of the astrologer of the same name. The Epitaph World Tour, announced in 2010, was billed as the band's final world tour. In 2014, they released the album Redeemer of Soul and followed it up with 2018’s Firepower. In 2024, Judas Priest returned with Invincible Shield, their 19th studio album.
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