Judas Priest
September 14, 2018
Alpharetta, GA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
As a long time fan of Judas Priest, I can honestly say that ever since Richie Faulkner joined the band, there seems to have been a dose of youthful energy injected into the band. It seemed like just a few years ago that Rob Halford was struggling up there on stage but in comes Faulkner, the band tunes down a full step, and the God of Metal is back. The power, the intensity, the voice was back but would they be able to deliver the goods again on this tour?
Touring behind what I feel is their best album in decades, Firepower, a Friday night couldn’t get any better than having Judas Priest in town. The vibe in the venue was electrifying and even though it was an outside shed, there somehow managed to be a vibe that felt contained which just fueled the excitement. I decided not to peak at the setlist beforehand as I wanted to be surprised so this also added to the vibe. As “War Pigs” blasted over the PA, the crowd went absolutely apeshit chanting “Priest! Priest! Priest!” and then the curtain dropped revealing guitarist Richie Faulkner ripping into “Firepower.” Right out of the fucking gates the band sounded amazing.
Without even taking a breath, Faulkner went into “Delivering the Goods” which Priest hasn’t played on a tour since, I believe, 1980 (correct me if I’m wrong). Once again, the place went nuts and Halford was in top form as he worked the crowd decked in head to toe metal god regalia. Halford then took the time to address the audience with his now legendary “It’s Friday night in Atlanta and the Priest is Back!” banter. “You ready for some more Judas Priest style heavy metal?” The crowd lost it as they slide right in to “Sinner” which had Faulkner and new guitarist Andy Sneap on fucking fire.
Faulkner plays like he’s been in Judas Priest for decades and you can tell just what an important role he has taken on. I totally missed seeing Glenn Tipton up there but since his Parkinson’s diagnosis, producer/guitarist Andy Sneap has stepped in handpicked by Glenn. Andy has a very similar stage presence to Glenn except for the fact that a lot of the times he looked like he was scared to death. I don’t know if that’s his normal “look” but he looked horrified half the time. That being said, Sneap’s playing wasn’t just spot on but it seemed to inject a bit more energy and youthfulness into the sound much like Faulkner. As a whole the band sounded better than I have heard them since the Painkiller tour so I can do nothing but tip my hats to these guys for carrying the torches.
“Desert Plains” was another surprise and it was so awesome to get to hear this one played live. There was a really touching tribute to Glenn on the screens as Priest went into “No Surrender” from the new album. “Turbo Lover” sounded so fucking good and heavy and the crowd sang along with the chorus proving that this song has become every bit as classic and iconic as any other Priest song. “Rising From the Ruins” was outstanding and I can totally see this song becoming a Judas Priest classic.
From there, the rest of the show felt like one big fucking encore as it was one facemelt after another. “Freewheel Burning”, “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming”, “Hell Bent for Leather” and “Painkiller” just came at us like a fucking freight train that wouldn’t stop. The band was absolutely killing it, the fans were losing it, and Halford was securing his seat upon one of three thrones reserved for the Metal Gods (one already occupied by Dio, of course). The encore of “Electric Eye”, “Breaking The Law”, and “Living After Midnight” while somewhat predictable, when you’re with a group of friends and this trifecta is being played at deafening volume by the masters themselves, it’s every bit as exciting as the first time I heard them.
Seeing Judas Priest playing so high at the top of their game is something that any long time fan of a band wants to see. Same goes for a band like Iron Maiden. There is no better feeling than knowing that one of the all time greats are still able to pull it off and pull it off with all of the passion, fire, and energy of a band more than half their age. After the band took their final bow to the roaring crowd, the screens all read “The Priest Will Be Back.” Hopefully it’ll be sooner than later.
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