Judas Priest

One of Europe's best rock and metal festivals returned to its home at Donnington Park last weekend and it's safe to say, once again, that Download smashed it. With a range of bands from Kiss, Motley Crue, Billy Idol, Rise Against, Parkway Drive, We Are Harlot and more all booked to play, there was something for everyone at the festival, and that was one of the most noticeable highlights. 

Despite the torrential rain pouring down during Slipknot's set, they pulled off one of the best shows to date on Friday and set an extremely high standard for the rest of the headliners. Playing hits like 'Psychosocial', 'Devil In I', 'Spit It Out' and 'Custer', and attempting to break the Download record for the most amount of people all jumping up at the same time they certainly went all out. 

Muse were considered to be a controversial band to have booked, but all concerns were quickly dashed as soon as they hit the stage on Saturday. Matt Bellamy's vocal abilities were on top form as the band belted out tracks from their newly released album 'Drones' as well as well-known hits like 'Supermassive Black Hole' and 'Plug In Baby'. Even those who were indifferent or somewhat disliked Muse couldn't deny that they put on the show of a lifetime complete with dancing lights, pyrotechnics, confetti and inflatable balls. 

Continue reading: Download Festival - 2015 Live Review

Few bands can have been mocked more than Judas Priest (Bill Hicks did a particularly fine job on Relentless). Hindsight though has proven to be on the side of Rob Halford and friends who, in conjunction with Iron Maiden and the lesser known Venom, have emerged over time as unquestionably one of the most influential British metal bands of the '80s.

Screaming for Vengeance isn't quite the band at their peak - British Steel is still widely regarded as their best work - but it regularly features in metal aficionados Best of. charts and was the release by which the group broke America, going on to sell a staggering five million copies across the continent. In attitude, more of a horns brandishing lifestyle choice than just a record; during the process of its creation, the band established a template that would apply to mainstream heavy metal for years.   

Listened to with an open mind and an affectionate heart rather than critical perspective, Screaming For Vengeance proves that in Priest terms what you hear is very much what you get. Compared to the smorgasbord of different noise that spins out of today's assortment of tiny micro niches, it's remarkably unsophisticated, big on the kind of standing back to back riffing and the lead/rhythm guitar interplay between Glenn Tipton and KK Downing and dominated by singer Halford's superbly OTT vocal delivery. I'd forgotten that at times they were prepared to borrow as well - Devil's Eye sounding not unlike post Bon Scott AC/DC - but in reality this is the stuff of a band here for a good time with their tongues stuck permanently in cheek. This probably explains the slightly dubious subject matter of Pain And Pleasure, and also you imagine Electric Eye's laughable satellite paranoia, but the latter still has enough chugging oomph to make dandruff fly right across the planet. Perhaps most surprisingly, however, for a band who dressed on stage like co-workers at an S&M thrift store is their ability to come up with a good power ballad, and you imagine when Halford was squawking his way through (Take These) Chains that David Coverdale was busy taking notes. We shouldn't forget either the signature moment that was You've Got Another Thing Coming, or the proto thrash ubiquity of the title track, underlined since by covers since from the likes of Sepultra, Helloween and As I Lay Dying.

Continue reading: Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance Album Review