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Concert Review – Judas Priest (Dalhalla, Rättvik, Sweden, 07/10/2025)

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Thousands of metalmaniacs heeded the call of the Metal Gods to join them at the Gates of Dalhalla for a perfect night of pure Heavy Metal.

INTRO: At the Gates of Dalhalla

I think before starting the review of the actual concert, we should first talk a little about the venue. By the way, it’s my new favorite venue in the entire world, and I doubt any other place I see a concert in my life will be so beautiful and mesmerizing. Dalhalla or Draggängarna as it was previously called, is the name of a former limestone quarry where mining ceased in 1990, used nowadays as an open air theatre and music venue during the summer. It is located 7km north of Lake Siljan in the municipality of Rättvik in Dalarna, central Sweden. 360 million years ago, a meteor fell from space. It fell over Dalarna and the result was the Siljansringen and the surrounding Siljansbygden. The entire bedrock of the area was affected and formed an exciting composition of colorful vertical stripes that are different soil and rock layers, from which lime has become easy to access.

For about fifty years, they blasted and excavated what has now become the basis for Dalhalla, an acoustically designed arena with dimensions that form a kind of ideal golden ratio, albeit in three dimensions. A stroke of luck, which means that Dalhalla can be compared to famous stages in ancient Greece and Italy. In other words, it was the PERFECT venue for JUDAS PRIEST, with support from PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS, to stun us all with their undisputed Shield of Pain Tour 2025. And as soon as we got inside such a phenomenal venue, we were impressed with the entire structure, with not only the stage, the pit and the seats looking awesome, but the whole food and merch court was excellent, with plenty of options for all types of people, lots of spots to sit, and extra space for friends to chat about music and life. I obviously got myself a tour shirt and a set of patches, as I had to register that day not only in my memory, but also in my own fashion.

OPENING ACT: Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons

A Welsh rock band established in 2016 by longtime Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell, following the 2015 death of Motörhead iconic frontman Lemmy, PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS had the utmost pleasure of warming up the wild Dalhalla crowd on a perfect night, or maybe I should say day, as this time of the year it doesn’t really get dark in Sweden, with a lot of sun, blue skies, no clouds, rain or strong winds, and temperatures around +25oC. Seriously, the weather couldn’t have been better. I have mixed feelings about Phil Campbell and his crew, as sometimes they sound like a badass ensemble, sometimes like a college band with that “crazy drunk uncle” we all know on the guitar. Their setlist was fine, mixing songs form their 2023 album Kings of the Asylum with some Motörhead classics such as Going to Brazil and Born to Raise Hell, the two best songs of their entire show by the way, but there was something “missing” to give it that extra kick. I’m not going to say that extra ingredient would have been Lemmy because that would be daydreaming, but I think you know what I mean. In the end, it was a decent opening act for the Metal Gods, and they all seem to be very nice guys, so it was a good show for what it is.

Setlist
We’re the Bastards
Step Into the Fire
Going to Brazil (Motörhead cover)
Hammer and Dance
High Rule
Born to Raise Hell (Motörhead cover)
Straight Up (Phil Campbell song)
Dark Days
Ace of Spades (Motörhead cover)
Strike the Match

Band members
Joel Peters – lead vocals
Phil Campbell – guitar
Todd Campbell – guitar, harmonica
Tyla Campbell – bass
Dane Campbell – drums

JUDAS PRIEST

Faster than a bullet. Terrifying scream. Enraged and full of anger. They’re half man, half machine, and one hundred percent Metal Gods. Just like the meteor that fell from space hundreds of millions of years ago to form the stunning Dalhalla, the almighty Heavy Metal institution JUDAS PRIEST began ripping out hearts mercilessly with their flawless celebration of pure metal magic. The Hell Patrol showed no mercy for our metallic souls, blending some of their biggest classics like You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ and Breaking the Law with new songs from their 2024 beast Invincible Shield, and of course almost all songs from the most metal album in history, the unparalleled 1990 masterpiece Painkiller. I can’t remember a setlist by the Metal Gods that sounded so powerful, electrifying and heavy, an ode to all things metal that inspired everyone at Dalhalla to keep their horns high throughout their entire set, headbanging and screaming like crazy until the very last second.

Speaking of the crowd, I couldn’t have asked for a better one that night. The Swedish metalheads proved you don’t need to push anyone for a concert to be absolutely wild, showing nothing but utmost respect for each other, and leaving enough space for each and every person in the floor section to breathe and actually enjoy the concert to the fullest. Kudos to the Swedes! Furthermore, when the speakers started playing Black Sabbath’s all-time classic War Pigs, and pretty much the entire venue began singing it at the top of their lungs, I knew the whole concert was going to be phenomenal, and as soon as the band took the stage by storm with the hard-hitting anthem All Guns Blazing, followed by the metal hymn Hell Patrol, the whole area turned into the most metal place on earth.

I love the way Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner, Andy Sneap, Ian Hill and Scott Travis managed to bring so much stamina, passion and energy to their setlist, going from a total banger like Freewheel Burning to the dark venom of A Touch of Evil, keeping all fans engaged from start to finish. The new songs selected for this tour also brought endless joy to my metal heart, with Gates of Hell putting everyone to dance, the fast and furious The Serpent and the King (which is my favorite song from Invincible Shield) exhaling the essence of pure Heavy Metal, and Giants in the Sky being the most emotional moment of the entire show with its homage to our fallen heroes. The fact Halford added Jill Janus to such a stellar group of rock and metal icons almost made me cry, and if you know nothing about her I highly recommend you go after her music. Halford loved her, her voice and her creations, just to give you an idea of how metal she was.

I was already on cloud 9 at that point, but when Mr. Scott Travis began hammering his drums in the iconic intro to Painkiller (which would certainly be my chosen song to be added to a time capsule to show all future generations the meaning of Heavy Metal), it was a collective metallic orgasm as everyone started screaming its lyrics together with the Metal Gods. I don’t remember seeing such a demented reception to that song ever before, as if it was the musical climax in the life of everyone at Dalhalla. I don’t think there’s a song by Judas Priest that the Swedish fans love more than that, and when the band is onstage playing it to perfection, you know you’re in for a treat.

Once again, I had some hope in my heart that Mr. Glenn Tipton would join them onstage for the encore, in special after they skipped Metal Gods (which was a part of their setlist, and a song Mr. Tipton might still be able to play at a high level), but unfortunately one of the best guitarists in the history of metal wasn’t there to jam with his bandmates during the encore. Well, I can’t complain at all about the work done by Richie and Andy, as those guys were shredding their axes in great fashion nonstop, but Glenn will always have a very special place in our hearts and minds.

Speaking of heart, mind and soul, it’s very hard nowadays to say who’s Rob Halford, and who’s Judas Priest. He’s always been the Metal God, no doubt about it, but it feels like his passion for heavy music has grown even stronger in recent years, adding even more strength and feeling to the band’s undisputed live performances. Rob was on fire as usual, being worshipped by all concert goers and driving the fans in the pit absolutely mental with his high-pitched screams. And when he rode his Harley-Davidson to the stage during the encore for Hell Bent for Leather and Living After Midnight, well, that’s one of those moments when you perfectly understand why you love Heavy Metal so much.

After the show was over, it was time to unfortunately say goodbye to Dalhalla, or maybe I should say farewell as I’m sure I’ll be back to that phenomenal venue, and drive back in almost broad daylight to our cabin not too far from there. I must say it was hard to fall asleep due to the adrenaline flowing through my body before, during and after the show, and of course the next morning I had to listen to the entire setlist again to relive such an unforgettable event, in special songs like Hell Patrol, The Serpent and the King, Giants in the Sky, and Painkiller. The big screen behind the band at the end of the show showed in big letters “THE PRIEST WILL BE BACK”, and I guess I don’t need to say that whenever they announce a new show in Dalhalla, I will be there.

Setlist
War Pigs (Black Sabbath song)
All Guns Blazing
Hell Patrol
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Freewheel Burning
Breaking the Law
A Touch of Evil
Night Crawler
Solar Angels
Gates of Hell
The Serpent and the King
Battle Hymn
One Shot at Glory
Between the Hammer and the Anvil
Giants in the Sky
Painkiller

Encore:
The Hellion
Electric Eye
Hell Bent for Leather
Living After Midnight
We Are the Champions (Queen song)

Band members
Rob Halford – vocals
Richie Faulkner – guitar
Andy Sneap – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums

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Concert Review – Judas Priest (Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls, ON, 09/14/2024)

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The Metal Gods proudly raised the Invincible Shield in Niagara Falls on Saturday night in a celebration of the beauty and glory of our beloved Heavy Metal.

OPENING ACT: Sabaton

If you’ve never seen a concert at the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, go check their calendar and don’t miss the chance of visiting one of the best venues of the current Canadian landscape. It’s a beyond phenomenal venue with a great seating chart and excellent view from wherever you end up seating (or standing, if the concert you attend saves some space upfront for a small pit), therefore the perfect choice for the one and only Metal Gods JUDAS PRIEST, plus their more-than-special guests SABATON, to kick some serious ass during the second show of the new leg of the Invincible Shield Tour North America 2024. My friend Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi (who by the way had his photos shared by the Metal Gods themselves on their official Instagram) were obviously there to worship the Metal Gods in another night of the purest form of heavy music you can think of, and let me tell you that the show was beyond memorable, simply mind blowing from start to finish.

Once again, Swedish Power Metal brigade SABATON was the chosen band to warm up the avid Priest fans at a sold out OLG Stage, showing how strong the partnership seems to be between the two bands. Not only that, Sabaton are also becoming a fan-favorite worldwide, attracting countless fans to the show at the Falls this Saturday, and once they started playing it became crystal clear why they’ve already gathered such an immense fanbase. The band spearheaded by the charismatic Joakim Brodén was on fire during their entire show, delivering a solid hybrid of Heavy and Power Metal infused with warlike themes. Songs like Ghost Division, Stormtroopers, and in special the last three songs, Primo Victoria, Soldier of Heaven and To Hell and Back, inspired all fans at the venue to jump up and down nonstop, to raise their fists and horns, and to singalong all songs with Joakim and his henchmen, all of course boosted by a stage that transpired wars and battles. If you’re seeing any concerts of this tour, make sure you arrive in time for Sabaton even if you know nothing about them, because their live performances are as explosive as a hand grenade.

Setlist
The March to War
Ghost Division
The Last Stand
Swedish Pagans
The Red Baron
Bismarck
Stormtroopers
Carolus Rex
Resist and Bite
The Attack of the Dead Men
Primo Victoria
Soldier of Heaven
To Hell and Back

Band members
Joakim Brodén – lead vocals, keyboards
Thobbe Englund – guitars, backing vocals
Chris Rörland – guitars, backing vocals
Pär Sundström – bass, backing vocals
Hannes Van Dahl – drums, backing vocals 

JUDAS PRIEST

After a quick break, it was time for the Metal Gods JUDAS PRIEST to raise the Invincible Shield for the second time on this leg of the tour, one day after their also ass-kicking concert in Montreal, and let me tell you that what I had the pleasure of witnessing in Niagara Falls this Saturday was one of their best performances ever. After the flag dropped during the intro to Panic Attack, it was a wild and frantic feast of undisputed Heavy Metal by Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner, Andy Sneap, Ian Hill and Scott Travis, leaving every single person at the OLG Stage absolutely disoriented after all was said and done. As a result, the fans at the pit went completely mental from the very first second of the show, igniting some sick mosh pits until the very end, something not so common for a band like Judas Priest. Well, when you start the show with some fast-paced masterpieces like Panic Attack, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, Rapid Fire, Breaking the Law and Riding on the Wind, I think it’s fair to expect some action in the pit. To be fair, the pit during Rapid Fire was so intense it looked like a Death Metal pit, just to give you an idea of how rowdy the crowd was.

I believe there are three reasons for the band to be so tight, so heavy and so precise at this point of their 50-year career. First and foremost, Mr. Rob Halford, the one and only Metal God, the heart of the band, is delivering stellar vocal performances night after night at the age of 73, something so unbelievable it makes me wonder if he’s an actual god. I mean, guys like Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson are definitely role models for anyone who wants to enjoy a healthy and fun life after you turn 60 or 70. In other words, if I get to Halford’s age with one fifth of his energy, I’ll be a very happy man. Second, Richie Faulkner is now the soul of Judas Priest, blasting our ears with his electrifying riffs and solos nonstop, which I’m sure makes Glenn Tipton very, very proud of how he’s helping carry the band’s legacy forward. And third, Scott Travis continues to hammer his drums majestically, becoming the band’s engine, and all that power and speed always translates into more action on and off stage.

Even the slower songs like Love Bites and Crown of Horns brought a lot of energy to the show, plus of course some heavy classics like Sinner and Turbo Lover; however, as expected, it was during the most hard hitting songs of the night, their new anthem Invincible Shield and the most metal song of all time, the unparalleled Painkiller, that the crowd had the biggest reactions of the entire show, with the pit during Painkiller going out of control to the point there were almost a few fights inside of it. It was a beautiful, memorable moment by a band that is not only celebrating 50 years of Heavy Metal, but that is the ultimate depiction of Heavy Metal. For instance, when a renowned guitarist like Rob Barrett of Cannibal Corpse is in attendance of the show as a fan, you can have a good idea of the importance of Judas Priest to the world of music. The encore with the timeless classics The Hellion/Electric Eye, Hell Bent for Leather and Living After Midnight simply proved that, and it didn’t matter if it was a 60, 70 or 80-year old veteran or a three-year old kid (who not only got the sunglasses of the vocalist for Sabaton, but also a pick, a setlist, and a special post on Instagram by Judas Priest), everyone at the OLG Casino was mesmerized by the Metal Gods in another celebration of the beauty and glory of Heavy Metal.

Setlist
War Pigs (Black Sabbath song)
Invincible Shield Tour Anthem
Panic Attack
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Rapid Fire
Breaking the Law
Riding on the Wind
Love Bites
Devil’s Child
Saints in Hell
Crown of Horns
Sinner
Turbo Lover
Invincible Shield
Victim of Changes
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Painkiller

Encore:
The Hellion
Electric Eye
Hell Bent for Leather
Living After Midnight
We Are the Champions (Queen song)

Band members
Rob Halford – vocals
Richie Faulkner – guitar
Andy Sneap – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums

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Concert Review – Judas Priest (Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, 04/19/2024)

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The one and only Metal Gods raised the invincible shield in Newark this Friday night in a celebration of pure Heavy Metal magic.

OPENING ACT: Sabaton

Exactly 546 days after seeing Iron Maiden at Prudential Centre, I had the utmost pleasure of visiting the city of Newark, New Jersey again this past Friday to see one of the other pillars of my personal “metal triumvirate”, the almighty Heavy Metal institution JUDAS PRIEST (by the way, the other pillars are the aforementioned Iron Maiden, and Slayer, in case you’re curious about that), supported by the good SABATON, during their undisputed, visceral and absolutely hypnotizing Invincible Shield Tour USA 2024. And just like what happened in 2022, I met with one of my good friends from the IMFC before the show at Bello’s Pub & Grill for some quality chat and drinks. Well, that’s becoming a tradition for me, so maybe next it will be Slayer there?

Anyway, after getting to the venue and grabbing some merch (and let me tell you, the Metal Gods are offering some amazing shirts this tour), we got to our seats to enjoy the warlike performance by Falun, Dalarna, Sweden’s own Power Metal brigade SABATON as the more-than-special openers of the night. Although I’m not a huge fan of their music, I must admit they sound amazing live, and Friday night in Newark was no exception to that. Spearheaded by the charismatic frontman Joakim Brodén, Sabaton killed it with a solid and very entertaining show, each song having its own special war-inspired background story, with their setlist encompassing songs from their 2022 album The Symphony to End All Wars, like Stormtroopers and Soldier of Heaven, plus some classic bangers such as Shiroyama (my favorite of their setlist) and To Hell and Back. Everyone who was already at the venue loved their show, and I bet Sabaton will return to Newark soon headlining their own tour based on the warm reaction from all concert goes this Friday night.

Setlist
The March to War
Ghost Division
The Last Stand
Swedish Pagans
The Red Baron
Bismarck
Stormtroopers
Carolus Rex (Swedish)
Shiroyama
The Attack of the Dead Men
Primo Victoria
Soldier of Heaven
To Hell and Back
Dead Soldier’s Waltz

Band members
Joakim Brodén – lead vocals, keyboards
Thobbe Englund – guitars, backing vocals
Chris Rörland – guitars, backing vocals
Pär Sundström – bass, backing vocals
Hannes Van Dahl – drums, backing vocals 

JUDAS PRIEST

It was only 9pm when the main attraction of the night, my beloved, unparalleled, undisputed Metal Gods JUDAS PRIEST took the city of Newark by storm with one of the most metallic, headbanging and intense concerts I’ve ever witnessed. I’m not kidding, it was one hour and forty five minutes of nonstop Heavy Metal magic, courtesy of Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner, Andy Sneap, Ian Hill and Scott Travis, who was by the way phenomenal on drums as usual, taking their heaviness and power to a whole new level Friday night. From the moment the giant banner with the Invincible Shield tour “poem” went up, plus the awesome Invincible Shield tour anthem, until the very last second of the show, it was pure heavy music for the delight of a jam packed Prudential Centre, proving the Metal Gods still got it and that “they’re gonna rock us all ’til our metal hunger’s fed” (if you know what I mean, of course).

Having recently released the majestic opus Invincible Shield, the Metal Gods delivered an ass-kicking mix of timeless classics the likes of Rapid Fire, Love Bites and Sinner, with the brand new songs (which by the way sound like classics too) Panic Attack, Crown of Horns, and my favorite song of the night, the title-track Invincible Shield. Moreover, let’s say that the 72-year old Metal God Rob Halford didn’t want to waste too much time talking, focusing on a stellar vocal performance that made me (and most concert goers) wonder if he’s actually 72, because he sounded decades younger when blasting his soaring, high-pitched vocal lines. Seriously, Halford was flawless, sensational, and so on, making it hard to describe his performance in just a few words. Hence, don’t miss the chance to see him kicking some serious ass on stage this tour, as it’s worth every penny.

One thing I gotta say about the fact that the floor section had seats instead of general admission is that, if you’re going to have seats, make sure people will respect their seats. The crowd was simply rowdy and wild during the entire concert, no one was respecting the seating map, people were standing anywhere they wanted, beer was flying all over people, security was absolutely useless, plus a few minor incidents. That’s why I hate seats. Why not giving everyone the pleasure of standing wherever they want, instead of charging high prices for upfront tickets if no one was going to obey that, right? It was the purest form of “breaking the law, breaking the law” you can think of, so maybe next time in places like Newark the band could avoid offering the seated floor section and just let the crowd go wild.

Anyway, back to the concert, after the band smashed our damned souls with the pulverizing Painkiller, where once again Scott Travis sounded monstrous, I was really hoping for Glenn Tipton to show up during the encore for a couple of songs, which unfortunately didn’t happen. Well, if Glenn was not feeling well enough to do so, that’s more than fine, as long as one of the most important guitarists in the history of heavy music stays strong and keeps fighting against his disease with all his power. No surrender, Glenn! Also, that doesn’t mean the encore wasn’t a real banger, as everyone had the time of their lives enjoying Electric Eye, Hell Bent for Leather, and Living After Midnight, three songs that transpire Heavy Metal, plus of course Richie and Andy made sure they brought Glenn’s energy and passion to the stage during the entire show.

As I mentioned before, there wasn’t a lot of talking during their performance, apart from Halford reminding everyone that the band was celebrating 50 years of Heavy Metal as they released the cult album Rocka Rolla back in 1974, and five decades later here they are still rockin’ hard with Invincible Shield. Damn, time flies, and so did I back to Toronto (pun intended) after an amazing visit to New York and Newark, with my only regret being not having bought tickets for more Judas Priest shows during this awesome tour. Hopefully they’ll announce a new leg soon including Toronto and other Canadian cities, then I’ll make sure I’ll attend multiple concerts to worship the one and only, headbanging, unstoppable Metal Gods. This metalmaniac loves you, guys! Thank you once again for an unforgettable show, and see you on the road!

Setlist
War Pigs (Black Sabbath song)
Invincible Shield Tour Anthem
Panic Attack
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Rapid Fire
Breaking the Law
Lightning Strike
Love Bites
Devil’s Child
Saints in Hell
Crown of Horns
Sinner
Turbo Lover
Invincible Shield
Victim of Changes
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Painkiller

Encore:
The Hellion
Electric Eye
Hell Bent for Leather
Living After Midnight
We Are the Champions (Queen song)

Band members
Rob Halford – vocals
Richie Faulkner – guitar
Andy Sneap – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums

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Concert Review – Judas Priest – 50 Heavy Metal Years (First Ontario Centre, Hamilton, ON, 04/13/2022)

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The Priest finally returned to Ontario, Canada to celebrate 50 years of their undisputed Heavy Metal.

OPENING ACTS: Queensrÿche

Finally, after exactly 880 excruciating days (as my last metal concert was Cannibal Corpse in Toronto on November 15, 2019), I was able to attend a metal concert, and the adrenaline rushing through my veins last night was worth every penny spent in the ticket. The place chosen for my “return” was the nice First Ontario Centre, and the first band I had the pleasure to see on stage after so long was the iconic American Heavy Metal band QUEENSRŸCHE, who led by the talented frontman Todd La Torre put on a great show to properly warm up the crowd for the almighty JUDAS PRIEST.

Blending songs from their most successful album to date, Operation: Mindcrime, those being the title-track Operation: Mindcrime, The Needle Lies and Eyes of a Stranger, with other hits such as their first-ever single Queen of the Reich and the excellent Walk in the Shadows, Todd and his henchmen received a standing ovation from the audience when their performance was over, showing why they’re one of the most respected bands from the 80’s. My only complaint has nothing to do with their setlist, even with “Silent Lucidity” being left out of it, but with the fact that the doors of the First Ontario Centre opened at 7:30pm and it wasn’t even 7:45pm when the band hit the stage, which means a lot of people missed their concert due to such limited time to get to their spots. They should have been given at least 30 minutes to start their show, but it is what it is.

Setlist
Queen of the Reich
Warning
En Force
NM 156
Empire
Walk in the Shadows
The Whisper
Operation: Mindcrime
The Needle Lies
Take Hold of the Flame
Screaming in Digital
Eyes of a Stranger

Band members
Todd La Torre – vocals
Michael Wilton – guitars
Mike Stone – guitars
Eddie Jackson – bass
Casey Grillo – drums

JUDAS PRIEST

After a not-so-long break, it was time for my metal heart to pump frantically once again after over two years thanks to one of the most important and electrifying institutions in the history of rock and metal music, my beloved JUDAS PRIEST. Celebrating 50 years alive and kicking on their tour simply called “Judas Priest – 50 Heavy Metal Years”, which unfortunately had to be postponed a few times due to several reasons, the band comprised of the one and only Metal God Rob Halford on vocals, Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap on the guitars, Ian Hill on bass, and Scott Travis on drums took the crowd on a magical journey through 50 years of the purest and most crystalline Heavy Metal you can think of, from their 1974 classic Rocka Rolla to one of their most recent hits Lightning Strike. It was a fusion of nostalgia, perfection, adrenaline, happiness and so many other great feelings it’s hard to describe everything in just a few words, proving why Judas Priest have always been one of the pillars of traditional Heavy Metal alongside Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath.

The setlist chosen by Mr. Robert John Arthur Halford and his bandmates, as aforementioned, was a thing of beauty, inspiring all fans at the first Ontario Centre to keep screaming, banging their heads and raising their horns high in the air while the band delivered some precious gems of heavy music the likes of Freewheel Burning, Turbo Lover, Blood Red Skies, Electric Eye, Hell Bent for Leather and Breaking the Law. However, as a huge fan of the album Painkiller, which is by the way one of my top metal albums of all time, it was a true pleasure witnessing Judas Priest playing not one, not two, not three, but FOUR songs from that masterpiece, the majestic One Shot at Glory, the metallic hymn Hell Patrol, the stunning A Touch of Evil, and of course the all-time classic, fan-favorite, hard-hitting aria Painkiller, with Scott doing a fun intro where he not only talked about how much the band loves Canada, but also throwing some last minute jokes about how the band would have to play until Sunday if they played every song requested by the audience (and he even forgot it was a Wednesday, not a Thursday). Halford was on fire in all of those songs delivering his trademark high-pitched screams and interacting with the fans in great fashion, supported of course by the amazing guitar by Richie, and by the way it was great seeing Richie is fully recovered from last year’s scary incident.

Of course, everyone who attended the concert in Hamilton yesterday wanted to see Glenn Tipton joining the band for the encore just like what he’s done several times since he opened up about his fight against Parkinson’s disease, especially due to the fact it was the very last concert of their 2022 North American tour, but I’m sure Glenn had his reasons for not playing with the band last night. Moreover, after the last notes of the closing song Living After Midnight were played by the band, the background screen showed in capital letters the message “THE PRIEST WILL BE BACK”, so I guess there will be more opportunities in the future for Glenn to kick some serious ass on stage with a band that not just represents Heavy Metal to perfection, but a band that is Heavy Metal, period. And may Judas Priest keep coming back to Canada for more of their unparalleled performances for another 50 years.

Setlist
Battle Hymn
One Shot at Glory
Lightning Strike
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Freewheel Burning
Turbo Lover
Hell Patrol
The Sentinel
A Touch of Evil
Rocka Rolla
Victim of Changes
Desert Plains
Blood Red Skies
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)
Diamonds & Rust
Painkiller

Encore:
The Hellion
Electric Eye
Hell Bent for Leather
Breaking the Law

Encore 2:
Living After Midnight

Band members
Rob Halford – vocals
Richie Faulkner – guitar
Andy Sneap – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums

Concert Review – Judas Priest (Tribute Communities Centre, Oshawa, ON, 03/28/2018)

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A night of celebration of the purest form of British Heavy Metal in the Ontarian city of Oshawa, spearheaded by the unparalleled Judas Priest.

OPENING ACTS: Black Star Riders and Saxon

Getting from Oakville to Oshawa for a concert is always a nightmare due to the humongous distance (almost 100km) and the fact I have to drive there exactly during the peak of rush hour. However, for my total delight, it was fairly quick to get to the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa yesterday where the mighty Judas Priest was going to play their unparalleled classics, supported by the ass-kicking Black Star Riders and Saxon as the opening acts. After a Tuesday of rain and fog, the day yesterday was beyond perfect, being totally clean and dry, and with the temperatures reaching almost the positive double digit mark. I guess the weather knew it shouldn’t mess with the Metal Gods, right?

One thing I highly recommend if you ever attend a concert or a sports event at the Tribute Communities Centre is to grab a bite before (or maybe even during) the event at the Prospects Bar & Grill, the pub that’s right inside the venue. Good food, cold and crisp beer, and all for a very decent price, helping you to properly get ready for the event. Actually, because I arrived there right when BLACK STAR RIDERS, a band formed by members and ex-members of renowned acts like Thin Lizzy and Alice Cooper, started their concert, I couldn’t really watch them perform, but I was listening to their music from the pub with attention and they sounded solid and entertaining with their old school Rock N’ Roll, with their cover song for Thin Lizzy’s Jailbreak and their own song Bound for Glory being the highlights of their performance.

Setlist
All Hell Breaks Loose
Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy cover)
Before the War
Heavy Fire
Who Rides the Tiger
Kingdom of the Lost
When the Night Comes In
Bound for Glory

Band members
Ricky Warwick – vocals, guitar
Scott Gorham – guitars
Damon Johnson – guitars
Robert Crane – bass
Chad Szeliga – drums

After a short break (and now already sitting in my proper place in the floor section), it was time for Biff Byford and his Heavy Metal institution SAXON to begin their sonic attack on stage, delivering pure metal from the NWOBHM, with songs like Power and the Glory, Motorcycle Man, Denim and Leather and Heavy Metal Thunder inciting all fans at the venue to start banging their heads nonstop to their classic Heavy Metal. The band was on fire from start to finish promoting their brand new album Thunderbolt, not giving any time for the crowd to breathe or take a bathroom break, with Mr. Byford being a true beast on vocals. My favorite tune played from their new album was by far They Played Rock and Roll, introduced by the band as their personal and honest tribute to the greatest Rock N’ Roll band of all time, the glorious Motörhead. And let’s face it, any tribute to the one and only Lemmy Kilmister is never enough, right? He always deserves more and more, and when that comes from such an amazing band like Saxon, the homage paid is even more powerful.

Setlist
Olympus Rising
Thunderbolt
Power and the Glory
The Secret of Flight
Motorcycle Man
Nosferatu (The Vampires Waltz)
Dallas 1 PM
They Played Rock and Roll
Denim and Leather
Princess of the Night
Wheels of Steel
Never Surrender
Heavy Metal Thunder

Band members
Biff Byford – vocals
Paul Quinn – guitars
Doug Scarratt – guitars
Nibbs Carter – bass
Nigel Glockler – drums

JUDAS PRIEST

The intensity of the metal played by Saxon was exactly what everyone needed to get really warmed up for the main attraction of the night, the iconic metal behemoths JUDAS PRIEST. It was already past 9pm when Black Sabbath’s War Pigs started playing on the speakers, followed by the intro Guardians, before the band spearheaded by the Metal God Rob Halford hit the stage to the sound of their newborn classic Firepower, the opening track of their majestic new opus Firepower, putting a smile on everyone’s faces and showing everyone at the venue that the Metal Gods still got it no matter what happens to them. Of course I missed seeing the guitar hero Glenn Tipton (who’s not touring with the band due to the complications of his recently diagnosed case of Parkinson’s disease) slashing our senses with his riffs and solos on stage, but Andy Sneap did a pretty good job replacing him. And what to say about Richie Faulkner? The guy is undoubtedly a core piece of Judas Priest now, showcasing all his skills as a great guitarist that he is and also having an excellent performance on stage.

Nothing I can say about the setlist will represent its true beauty, as the Priest played a mix of some of the best songs of the new album, such as Lightning Strike and Evil Never Dies, with amazing classics from almost all of their albums, including really old school material such as Running Wild, The Ripper, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll and especially Saints in Hell, from Stained Class, and album that turned 40 years old this past February 10. After watching them playing that stunning song live, I once again must say their music is definitely like wine, getting better and better as time goes by. Furthermore, the video they played on their background screen during Saints in Hell was superb, with all the dark and red imagery of Christ, demons and wild beats being mesmerizing, and I wonder if one day they’ll upload it somewhere like YouTube as an alternative video for this beyond classic metal hymn.

My only complaint about their setlist was replacing one of the most touching metal ballads of all time, the absolutely beautiful Angel (which they were playing until their concert at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. on March 18), with the good-but-not-fantastic The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown). This song feels like when Iron Maiden play “Wrathchild” on their live concerts, as we all certainly enjoy it but we also know deep down inside there are far better options to be part of their setlist. Anyway, the last part of their setlist, including the encore, was a true feast of pure Heavy Metal, working like a tribute to the Rock N’ Roll lifestyle, with metallic hymns like Breaking the Law, Hell Bent for Leather and Living After Midnight being some sort of “motto” or “guide” to anyone who lives and breathes rock music 24/7. I was honestly hoping that Glenn would hit the stage out of nowhere to play the last batch of songs with the band last night, just like what he did at The Prudential in Newark, New Jersey on March 20, but unfortunately that did not happen in Oshawa. Well, I can’t complain at all, as seeing Judas Priest live once again was truly amazing and memorable, making even my 90km drive back a lot easier and smoother than I thought, and I can’t wait to see them again in a not-so-distant future, hopefully with Glenn back in action.

Setlist
War Pigs (Black Sabbath song)
Guardians
Firepower
Running Wild
Grinder
Sinner
The Ripper
Lightning Strike
Bloodstone
Saints in Hell
Turbo Lover
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Evil Never Dies
Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
Breaking the Law
Hell Bent for Leather
Painkiller

Encore:
The Hellion
Electric Eye
Metal Gods
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Living After Midnight
We Are the Champions (Queen song)

Band members
Rob Halford – vocals
Richie Faulkner – guitar
Andy Sneap – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums

Concert Review – Judas Priest (Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON, 11/12/2015)

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Thousands of Heavy Metal maniacs screamed for vengeance together with the Metal Gods on a memorable night in Toronto.

OPENING ACT: Mastodon

Judas-Priest-Redeemer-of-Souls-Tour-2015Fortunately, after the excruciating hassle of having to drive for hours to get to Casino Rama to see Judas Priest last year, an enlightened soul realized there was an urge emanating from all metalheads in Toronto to have the Metal Gods in town for a proper concert, and therefore we were all granted with a memorable Heavy Metal celebration at the Air Canada Centre last night. I know some people loved the fact they could stay in Orillia for some gambling and beer, taking a day or two off for that, but they must understand this is all about praising the almighty Judas Priest, not about wasting your money in tedious slot machines. I just wish the floor section didn’t have those stupid seats. Why not just having a floor section, period?

IMG_0770The opening band this time were American metallers MASTODON, with all their craziness, psychedelia, heaviness and unquestionable talent. However, the biggest problem for me (and I’m sure it was the same with lots of other Priest fans at the concert) was their lack of charisma. I mean, they have all the ingredients to be one of the best metal acts in activity, but unless you’re high on something it’s pretty hard to enjoy their full setlist. Songs like High Road and Megalodon stand out among the others, but the overall result is not as exciting as watching a less skilled band on stage playing simpler but a lot catchier songs. All band members masterfully handle their instruments, and if you’re a guitar player you probably go insane with their intricate riffs and compositions, but I think it’s a lot better to listen to their music at home or in your car than at a venue like the Air Canada Centre. I’m not saying it was a bad concert, quite the contrary, Mastodon were pretty good. It just wasn’t what I had in mind as the perfect warm-up for the Metal Gods.

Setlist
Tread Lightly
Blasteroid
The Motherload
Chimes at Midnight
High Road
Aqua Dementia
Mother Puncher
Halloween
Bladecatcher
Black Tongue
Ember City
Megalodon
Blood and Thunder

Band members
Brent Hinds – guitar, vocals
Bill Kelliher – guitar
Troy Sanders – bass, vocals
Brann Dailor – drums, vocals

JUDAS PRIEST

IMG_0773Finally back to the CITY of Toronto after four long years, Heavy Metal titans JUDAS PRIEST seem to be getting better and better as years go by. Perhaps it’s the fresh energy brought to the band by the awesome guitarist Richie Faulkner, or the fact that Redeemer Of Souls put the band back on track in their career, but the truth is that they’ve been delivering flawless concerts for years in a row now, putting smiles on everyone’s faces and reminding us all why they’re called “Metal Gods”.

When the backdrop curtain carrying the Priest classic logo dropped, right after the venue sound system played an excerpt of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath and the intro to one of their own new songs, the excellent “Battle Cry”, an avalanche of Heavy Metal classic mixed with some of their new tunes began, driving all diehard fans crazy with their intensity and passion in this successful Redeemer of Souls Tour 2015. And from the very beginning we could see how impressive the performance by the one and only Rob Halford is nowadays. The Metal God is already 64 years old, but he can still deliver it like if he was just 20 something. It’s sometimes unbelievable how powerful his voice still is at this stage of his career, don’t you agree?

IMG_0780I personally found part of the fans at the venue a little too slow for the electricity imposed by the band, but anyway most Heavy Metal maniacs had an unforgettable time singing and screaming together with Halford & Co. during the entire setlist. From the first part of the concert, I must say it was beautiful witnessing Halford singing the classic Desert Plains while Richie and the iconic Glenn Tipton were ripping our hearts off with their razing riffs, as simple and effective as that. And what to say about Halford’s monumental performances in the unparalleled Victim of Changes and the newer Halls of Valhalla, already a classic song for many? Holy shit, that gave me metallic goosebumps so awesome it was.

Then after playing a few more incredible tunes, such as The Rage and Turbo Lover, it looked like the Metal Gods wanted to mark our hearts, bodies and souls with their burning metal as the sequence of Heavy Metal anthems was beyond superb. They didn’t just play my favorite Priest song of all time, the fiery Screaming for Vengeance, they executed it to perfection. Add to that the back video where you could follow its lyrics (and see a meme of Halford SCREEEEAAAAAAMING! on the video by the end of the song), and you have the most astonishing moment of the night. Not only that, as soon as this masterpiece was over, Halford intoned his famous “Woo-woo-woo-yeah!” before the whole band kicked some serious ass with Breaking the Law and Hell Bent for Leather, the latter featuring Halford’s shining Harley-Davidson for the delight of everyone at the venue.

IMG_0793But before Judas Preist let Toronto be that quiet and cozy city again, they fired two final rounds of all-time classics, including Electric Eye, Painkiller and Living After Midnight. Let me tell you something about Painkiller, as it was a really bold move by the band to put it at the end of the setlist knowing how demanding it is, especially for Halford. When the unstoppable drummer Scott Travis provoked Toronto to go wild with his unique drumming intro, I wasn’t sure if Halford would be capable of delivering his high-pitched screams during the whole song. Well, guess what? That was by far the best performance by the Metal God singing Painkiller I’ve ever seen in my life, a billion times better than their 2005 DVD Rising in the East, and that was over 10 years ago.

At around 11pm the concert was over, people started heading back to their homes by car, subway or, like I did, by Go Train. Everyone was displaying a mix of happiness and complete exhaustion on the way back, but one thing is beyond certain after you witness such a beautiful ode to Heavy Metal. It doesn’t matter how long it takes for Judas Priest to return to Toronto again, we’ll all be there one more time to enjoy our metallic deities celebrating heavy music and, of course, SCREEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAMING FOR VENGEANCE!

Setlist
War Pigs (Black Sabbath song)
Battle Cry
Dragonaut
Metal Gods
Desert Plains
Victim of Changes
Halls of Valhalla
The Rage
Turbo Lover
Redeemer of Souls
Beyond the Realms of Death
Screaming for Vengeance
Breaking the Law
Hell Bent for Leather

Encore:
The Hellion/Electric Eye
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’

Encore 2:
Painkiller
Living After Midnight
Beginning of the End

Band members
Rob Halford – vocals
Glenn Tipton – guitar
Richie Faulkner – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums

Concert Review – Judas Priest (Casino Rama, Rama, ON, 10/07/2014)

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The Metal Gods descended from the sky to assault all of us with their magnificent Heavy Metal in a land far, far away.

INTRODUCTION: The Lost Civilization of Casino Rama

Judas-Priest-Redeemer-of-Souls-Tour-2014If you want to stay away from any type of civilization in this world, I suggest you go to a place called Casino Rama, located around two and a half ENDLESS hours from Toronto. In theory it should be a lot faster than that, but if you take into account the 5pm traffic to leave the city on a Tuesday (right in the middle of the week, by the way) and an annoying dose of heavy rain, the hassle of getting there is horribly extended and becomes a real torture. Who the hell decided Casino Rama on a tuesday night were the best venue and date for Judas Priest to perform in Ontario? I swear to God, Odin, Buddha and any other deity that I’ll NEVER return to that place again if not for Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. No other band can make me go there again, not even Slayer or Megadeth.

Not only that, I truly hate Heavy Metal concerts with pre-assigned seats. Why not leaving the floor section without those fuckin’ chairs? Just create a general floor area, and whoever wants to sit down while Judas Priest are playing Hell Bent For Leather (if that’s humanly possible), simply take one of the seats at the back. As simple as that, but it seems the very “knowledgeable” organizers were expecting Judas Priest to be as smooth as Kenny G or any other shit like that. Anyway, let’s try to always look on the bright side of life: at least the venue was nice and clean, parking was free, and the sound quality was beyond perfect. And of course, if you’re addicted to gambling, that’s also a good place to be.

OPENING ACT: Steel Panther

IMG_2955When the opening act are Hard Rock/Glam Metal jesters STEEL PANTHER, you know it’s going to be a memorable night. Although they’re truly funny even with 99.9% of their sexist jokes being really stupid, I believe their superb skills as musicians are what make them so awesome to watch, especially vocalist Michael Starr. In my opinion, he’s a much better singer than all hard rockers from the 80’s. Well, maybe only singer Ralph Saenz (ex-L.A. Guns) can be compared to him. Got it?

Their setlist might have been a little shorter than usual, but still full of classics such as Asian Hooker, Gold-Digging Whore, and Death To All But Metal, plus some songs from their new album All You Can Eat like the good Gloryhole, all perfectly complemented by their jokes about the age of the attendees (especially those screaming ladies in their 40’s and 50’s), their debate about Michael Starr being a fat version of Bret Michaels or a skinny version of Vince Neil, among many other “pearls of wisdom”. There couldn’t have been a better warm-up than that for the Metal Gods.

Before I talk about the Priest, I just wanted to say that it might be really cool and a huge honour for Russ Parrish to be on the road with the Metal God Rob Halford once again, even if they’re in different bands now. If you don’t get it, click HERE and you’ll understand why I mentioned that.

Steel Panther Setlist Casino Rama, Orillia, ON, Canada 2014, All You Can Eat (AYCE) Tour

Band members
Michael Starr – lead vocals
Satchel – lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars
Lexxi Foxxx – bass guitar
Stix Zadinia – drums, percussion, piano

JUDAS PRIEST

IMG_2973It was around 9:30pm when Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton & Co. hit the Casino Rama stage for another flawless performance. Right after Black Sabbath’s War Pigs and the intro for Priest’s own new song Battle Cry, thunders roared, the curtain was dropped and there they were with the excellent new song Dragonaut assaulting our bodies and souls with the purest Heavy Metal in the whole universe. What can I say about those guys that hasn’t been said yet? Rob Halford is not human: he is and will always be the METAL GOD, with his unique voice being absolutely perfect for both heavy stuff and smoother ballads; Scott and Glenn were as precise and heavy as usual; Richie injected some new oxygen to the band and proves with each concert why he was an amazing choice to replace K. K. Downing; and for the first time in my life, due to the sound quality of the venue, I could listen to Ian Hill’s bass lines.

Perhaps the most curious detail of their performance at Casino Rama (and during this whole tour so far) is the total absence of any songs from the masterpiece Painkiller, including its title-track, as well as other classics like “Electric Eye” and “Rapid Fire”, from the setlist. Instead, they opted for other types of classics, a little bit more underground but just as great as any of those songs, such as Devil’s Child, Jawbreaker, Love Bites, and Defenders of the Faith (which could have been complemented with “Heavy Duty” right before it like in the studio album, but that was awesome anyway), kind of celebrating 30 years of their classic album Defenders of the Faith.

And as we’re talking about the mighty Judas Priest, there’s a lot more to enjoy than “just” their unparalleled Heavy Metal: each and every song had a different background, with highlights to the fun and exciting images of the cult movie Nosferatu (1922) during Love Bites; Halford’s famous “robot walk” during Metal Gods; their badass Harley-Davidson in Hell Bent For Leather; and Halford letting the crowd sing Breaking the Law on their own, just like he did with his solo band during his Rock In Rio III concert in 1999.

IMG_2967One thing I truly loved during this concert was the fact that all new songs from Redeemer Of Souls sounded awesome live and were perfectly blended with their old classics, especially the magnificent Halls Of Valhalla. What an outstanding performance by the whole band during this powerful song, especially, of course, Mr. Rob Halford. Just as I mentioned in my review of the new album in regards to this song, “… which I’m sure will become a fan-favourite especially due to its lyrics and chorus and will also sound superb when played live”, and I was totally right!

The encore, with anthems like You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ and Living After Midnight, was a sonic orgasm to all Heavy Metal lovers that attended the show, but in my opinion the most memorable moment of their entire performance happened a little before that, when they played the all-time classic Beyond The Realms Of Death. Honestly, Rob Halford almost made me cry so beautiful and emotive his performance was. It was one of those moments you know why you love heavy music so much, and fully understand why he is entitled the Metal God.

I must admit the long and boring journey back from Casino Rama to Toronto on the same night (I got home at around 2am) was a lot easier thanks to the adrenaline running through my veins after such a stunning concert by the Priest. Although the band members are visibly aging (Rob, Glenn and Ian are all in their mid-60’s already), does that mean it’s the “beginning of the end” for the band? I don’t think so. As far as I could see, they’re better than ever, very excited to craft new powerful music, and playing their old classics with so much passion they look like they’re just starting their careers. And, of course, I cannot wait to see the Metal Gods kicking some serious ass live again with their unique jaw-dropping Heavy Metal. JUDAS FUCKIN’ PRIEST!

Judas Priest Setlist Casino Rama, Orillia, ON, Canada 2014, Redeemer of Souls Tour

Band members
Rob Halford – vocals
Glenn Tipton – guitar
Richie Faulkner – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums

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