Judas Priest

Ripper Owens: vocals * Glenn Tipton: guitar * KK Downing: guitar Ian Hill: bass * Scott Travis: drums

Judas Priest are back… and they’ve never sounded better. With the arrival of DEMOLITION – the legendary British band’s Atlantic Records debut – these heavy metal heroes have roared onto the 21st Century rock scene, exuding all the fire-breathing intensity that has been their calling card for more than 25 years. The infamous twin guitar attack of Glenn Tipton and KK Downing is full effect, supported by the propulsive rhythm section of drummer Scott Travis and bassist Ian Hill, and topped off by the raw power of vocalist Ripper Owens. Their first new album in four years, following 1997’s Grammy Award®-nominated JUGULATOR comeback, Judas Priest’s 14th studio effort is a stunning return to form, with jet-powered tracks like the incendiary Machine Man and Feed On Me evincing the band’s continuing mastery of brain-busting, pulse-pounding rock n’ roll. The trademark galeforce riffs come fast and furious, while Owens’s razor-throated shout stuns on hard-edged cuts such as the inventive In Between and the emotional Lost and Found. With more than 20 million records sold worldwide, Judas Priest are more than just pioneers of classic metal – as the pyrotechnic new DEMOLITION amply proves, this ever-energized combo are still taking the genre to explosive extremes.

“We’re very proud of this album on any number of levels,” Tipton says. “We believe it has all the traditional Priest elements – it is powerful, yet there’s also a sense of humor. DEMOLITION compares favorably to any past album we’ve done, yet it’s taken us in a somewhat more modern direction. We’re always faced with the dilemma of walking the line between holding on to our roots, and trying some bold experimentation. On this one I believe we’ve hit the ideal balance.”

By combining the trademark Priest guitar overdrive with a modern cutting-edge attitude, DEMOLITION proves that the band are more than prepared to make their mark on the current music scene. Some might be surprised by the album’s two “ballads,” but Tipton wants to assure his audience that both Close To You and Lost and Found are “no less between-the-eyes” than the rest of the band’s new songs. With Owens’ impassioned, confident vocals leading the way, DEMOLITION is an album that will satisfy both those brought up on such classic Priest efforts as SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE and BRITISH STEEL, as well as those whose focus is firmly entrenched on the latest Nu-Metal happenings.

“One of the most satisfying things about DEMOLITION was seeing the growth Ripper has undergone,” says Tipton, who also served as the disc’s producer. “He revitalized the band when he first joined us with his energy and enthusiasm. But this time it was more about his unbelievable talent. I still don’t know if we’ve taken full advantage of that voice.”

“I think I felt more pressure on this album than the last one,” Owens adds. “I may have proved that I belonged last time, but this time I was determined to take things a big step further. There’s more melody on this album, so I had more chance to step forward and show what I could do.”

DEMOLITION represents the latest chapter in Judas Priest’s incredible history. During their 26 year reign as the ultimate purveyors of bone-crunching rock n’ roll, the band has played a pivotal role in establishing the tone, attitude and direction of the entire heavy metal universe. From the moment they first hit the scene in the mid-’70s, these rockers from Birmingham, England have continually proven themselves to be the ultimate metal machine.

In guitarists Downing and Tipton, Judas Priest has continually managed to unleash a double lead guitar attack that has become the standard against which all other metal bands are now measured. Exchanging fleet-fingered riffs as well as centerstage solos, the axe aces provide both musical flair as well as a structural foundation.

“I believe that even when we’re soloing, it has always been done within the context of the song,” Tipton says. “It was never designed to be a personal showcase. With Priest, the song always comes first.”

The breakout success of 1982’s SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE (the first RIAA platinum-certified Priest album) and 1984’s DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH represented the culmination of a long, often uphill battle for recognition and credibility. While the band had come to represent the streamlining and simplification of the trad heavy metal sound, riff-rock anthems like Breaking The Law and You’ve Got Another Thing Coming also contained a high degree of artistic dexterity and more than a touch of tongue-in-cheek humor. While their imaginative song structures would often venture into previously uncharted hard rock terrain, at heart Priest has always remained true to the basic metal elements — hammering guitars, screaming vocals and a live-for-today lyrical attitude.

”Judas Priest’s goal has always been to deliver our own particular style of heavy metal music,” Tipton says. “We’ve always been aware of the music going on around us, but we’ve tried to keep outside influences to a minimum. Our goal was to create the purest form of metal music, and I believe at times we’ve definitely succeeded.”

From the day their 1974 debut disc, ROCKA ROLLA, was released, it was evident that this was a band willing to take musical chances. Mixing operatic drama with traditional guitar overload, Priest set themselves up as the true defenders of the metal faith, one of the few bands willing to state their no-holds-barred allegiance to the cause, and one quite capable of backing up that allegiance through the sheer power of their music.

With such legendary albums as HELL BENT FOR LEATER (1979), BRITISH STEEL (1980), and TURBO (1986), the band were unquestionably the unmatched champions of the metal realm. Unfortunately, by the time the Eighties rolled to a close — and with it the so-called Golden Age of Heavy Metal — some major changes were beginning to occur within the group’s fold.

Despite these changes, Tipton and Downing steadfastly held Priest on course, and the unpredictable winds of fate seemed once again to be blowing in their direction. By chance, luck or destiny, just as they were searching for a new front man, the group became aware of Ripper Owens, an Ohio-based vocalist who had been such a Priest fan that he actually had the band’s distinctive logo tattooed on his arm back in 1991. By 1995, Owens had fulfilled a childhood dream, making the amazing transition from his Midwestern Priest cover band to front the mighty Judas Priest itself. Almost immediately, the group set off to create a new metal legacy, one that they hoped would match their previous glories in volume, attitude and chart recognition. And now, with the arrival of DEMOLITION, it seems beyond doubt that Judas Priest remain the unparalleled masters of the metal realm.

“This album explores some new directions, but it’s also a true Judas Priest album,” Owens says. “The length of the album gave me a lot of room to express myself fully. Recording it — especially with Glenn serving as producer — was a very exhilarating experience.”

“It is a very exciting time for all of us,” Tipton echoes. “We’ve proven what we can do with Ripper, and on this album we’ve made a definitive statement for 2001. There is definitely something special going on. I believe our fans will be very pleased with the results.”