Judas Priest is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year with a world tour coming to the US in the fall. The 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour will also feature Sabaton as openers and is being fueled by the highest-charting album of Priest’s career ‘Firepower’ which peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200. Judas Priest originally formed in 1970 in Birmingham, England (an area that many feel birthed heavy metal). The original nucleus of musicians – Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, KK Downing and Ian Hill (along with several different drummers over the years) would go on to change the face of heavy metal. The band has made some of the greatest albums in music history.  Judas Priest’s lineup also includes Scott Travis on drums, and Richie Faulkner on lead guitar. Andy Sneap has been touring with the band on rhythm and lead guitar since 2018. In 2017 (and again in 2019) Their latest studio album Firepower (produced by Sneap and Tom Allom) which received global success and critical acclaim and released via Epic Records in 2018. The band was nominated for the 2020 Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. Continue reading →