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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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Album Review – Häxan / White Noise (2020)

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Three Welsh girls are ready to bring the noise armed with their first full-length album, always in the name of our good old Rock N’ Roll.

With an impressive array of live shows and festivals under their belt, including Download Festival, Monsters Of Rock Cruise, Rock The Boat Cruise and Hard Rock Hell, Cardiff, Wales-based all-female Hard Rock trio Häxan is ready to take the world of rock and metal by storm with their brand new album White Noise, a lecture in classic rock tailored for fans of the music by Led Zeppelin, Suzi Quatro, AC/DC and Black Sabbath. Recorded at Stompbox Studios in Wales, the album was produced, mixed and mastered by Todd Campbell (Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons), who’s helped lead singer and guitarist Sam Bolderson, bassist Harriet Wadeson and drummer Jess Hartley reach a higher level with their music, all embraced by a straightforward and strong artwork by Matt Riste Illustration, and if you think the COVID-19 pandemic would stop the girls from embellishing the airwaves with their music you’re absolutely wrong. “We debated postponing the album launch until there was more certainty in our (and your) lives. We ultimately decided that so many of our fans and friends had been asking for this album for so long, that it was only right to continue with its launch and hopefully help to give everyone a little something to look forward to. We want White Noise to be able to mask the sounds of the uncertain outside world that’s around all of us currently, to allow people to escape it. It’s an opportunity to shut everything else out and enjoy the incredible potency of music.”

Let’s cut to the chase as it’s time to rock together with the girls from Häxan in the opening tune Damned If You Do, presenting elements from classic rock with the electrifying punk-ish sound blasted by bands like Volbeat, with Jess sounding fantastic on drums while Sam delivers sheer adrenaline with her spot-on riffs, followed by Killing Time, a mid-tempo headbanging tune led by the pounding drums by Jess accompanied by the crushing bass punches by Harriet, bringing a Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” vibe and, therefore, resulting in a lesson in 80’s Rock N’ Roll for admirers of the genre. After such great start the band offers us all Nine Lives, a Volbeat/Misfits-inspired composition by the trio where Sam and Harriet slash their strings beautifully while Sam blasts her delicate but potent vocals for our total delight. Needless to say, this is an amazing option for their live performances, which is also the case with Grave Digger, where the band ventures through more Blues-ish, Southern Rock lands. Furthermore, Sam poetically declaims the song’s lyrics while Jess keeps the song’s pace smooth and vibrant at the same time, not to mention the thrilling guitar solo blasted by Sam. And they keep smashing their instruments powerfully in the Hard Rock extravaganza Louder Than Words, with Harriet and Jess making the earth tremble with their thunderous bass and drums, also bringing to our avid ears soulful guitar riffs and solos and endless stamina.

In Black Sheep the trio gets back to a darker and groovier sonority, with Harriet hammering our heads with her fiery bass while Sam brings forward more of her charming vocals, sounding almost like a grim, badass rock ballad, whereas uniting the groove of Southern Rock with the old school Hard Rock by AC/DC Häxan offer us all the dancing Crash and Burn, with Sam’s vocals being nicely complemented by some crisp backing vocals, rockin’ guitar riffs and incendiary solos. In the flammable Skeletons, we’re treated to a high-speed, dirty pounding Rock N’ Roll party by the girls where Jess is unstoppable on drums, providing Sam all she needs to scream the song’s catchy chorus flawlessly (“Your skeletons are out to play, you thought you’d take them to your grave / You’ll always be the second best to demons that you’d laid to rest / Your skeletons are running wild, haunting you til the day you die / You believe what’s done is done, but you won’t ever run / From all your skeletons, skeletons”), before Living Dead closes the album in great fashion, albeit not as inspiring as the rest of the album, but still showcasing all the dexterity of the girls with Jess once again kicking ass with her beats together with Harriet’s rumbling bass jabs.

The talented and hardworking girls from Häxan are waiting for you on Facebook, on Instagram and on Spotify to rock your world like there’s no tomorrow, bu of course in order to show them your true support and to prove you deserve a place in the Rock N’ Roll heaven, go grab your copy of White Noise from their own BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon. In a nutshell, White Noise might not be a revolution in rock music, but that has never been the band’s intention anyway. Sam, Harriet and Jess just want to play pure, unfiltered rock music and give us all a very good reason for smiling, banging our heads and dancing the night away. After two astounding releases, those being their 2017 debut EP Breaking Down the Walls and now the top-of-the-line White Noise, what’s next for the girls from Häxan? Well, only time will tell, but we can all rest assured they will never sell out and will keep bringing the noise to our avid ears for many years to come, always in the name of our good old Rock N’ Roll.

Best moments of the album: Damned If You Do, Nine Lives and Skeletons.

Worst moments of the album: Living Dead.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Damned If You Do 4:50
2. Killing Time 4:07
3. Nine Lives 4:45
4. Grave Digger 5:03
5. Louder Than Words 4:07
6. Black Sheep 5:35
7. Crash and Burn 4:07
8. Skeletons 5:34
9. Living Dead 4:27

Band members
Sam Bolderson – vocals, guitar
Harriet Wadeson – bass
Jess Hartley – drums