Episode 21
Our First Judas Priest Deep Dive
In this episode, we’re celebrating the thrill of guitarmony, sick riffs, and driving 8th-note rhythms by talking about Judas Priest. Before getting ready for this episode, neither of your esteemed hosts had ever delved into the Priest discography beyond the rock-radio hits and Beavis and Butthead—though we’d both spent our time with Heavy Metal Parking Lot. Since so many of the GOATs hold the band in the highest of regard, we knew that K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton belonged on this list, so we embarked on a journey to find out why.
After hours of listening and watching, we’re happy to report that we get it. From their debut, 1974’s Rocka Rolla, through 1980’s British Steel, deep into the ’80s-production era with 1986’s Turbo, and through the speed-metal bravado of 1990’s Painkiller, plus live videos and records—the super-loud Us Festival performance and the crushing Unleashed in the East record—we found a lot that we love.
If you’re new to Priest’s music or are trying to find your own starting point, we’ve got some great tips for guitar jammers. And if you’re a hardcore fan, maybe you’ve got some tips you can share for our next steps.
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Transcript
Hey, this is Nick Milovoy.
Jason Shadrick:And this is Jason Shadrick.
Nick Milovoy:And this is the 100 Guitarists podcast, where every week we're talking about one of the 100 guitar players we think you should know.
Nick Milovoy:This week we're talking actually about two guitar players and really kind of three.
Jason Shadrick:We're gonna talk about the whole band.
Jason Shadrick:Well, we gotta include Richie in there.
Jason Shadrick:We gotta include Richie.
Jason Shadrick:He's part of the band.
Nick Milovoy:I say podcast is already going off.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, no, no, we're talking about all.
Nick Milovoy:Here's what you're in for, guys, a little bit.
Jason Shadrick:Judas Priest, the entire reason you got that tattoo.
Nick Milovoy:That's right.
Nick Milovoy:But before we talk about Judas priests, we want to remind you, you can find us on YouTube, you can find us on Apple Podcasts, you can find us on Spotify, find us anywhere you find podcasts and wherever you are.
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Jason Shadrick:Worldwide.
Jason Shadrick:So today's episode is sponsored by EMG.
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Nick Milovoy:They've been used by artists such as Metallica, David Gilmore, Prince, Steve Lugether, Living Color, Zack Wild, Slayer, Les Claypool, and Judas Priest.
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Jason Shadrick:And thanks to EMG for the support.
Nick Milovoy:Okay, so let's talk about Judas Priest.
Nick Milovoy:Here's the thing.
Nick Milovoy:Today's episode is a little bit different than other episodes of the 100 guitarist podcast.
Nick Milovoy:In previous episodes, I would say.
Nick Milovoy:I think it's safe to say at this point.
Nick Milovoy:What is this?
Nick Milovoy:Episode 21.
Nick Milovoy:Right.
Nick Milovoy:So we're in the second 22nd 20% of this podcast.
Jason Shadrick:Right.
Nick Milovoy:So within the first 20% of this podcast for everybody we've covered, one of us brought some expertise to the artist, and then in some cases, we filled out our expertise with a guest.
Nick Milovoy:They were doing things a little bit differently because neither of us possess expertise on Judas priest.
Jason Shadrick:That's true.
Jason Shadrick:I talked to.
Jason Shadrick:I had some inside sources that we both consulted for this, who probably should rename remain nameless.
Jason Shadrick:I think two in particular were big fans.
Jason Shadrick:One in particular was a very big fan that we talked to and was our guiding light.
Jason Shadrick:But we don't want to.
Jason Shadrick:I don't want.
Jason Shadrick:I wouldn't want to mention his name, because I don't feel like our views should be colored by his impression.
Jason Shadrick:Okay, sure.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah.
Nick Milovoy:But they did our views.
Nick Milovoy:We're maintaining unbiased journalistic views here at the 100 guitarist podcast.
Nick Milovoy:We're just simply, you know, we looked for the information.
Nick Milovoy:Okay.
Nick Milovoy:What do people like about Judas Priest?
Nick Milovoy:What do we.
Nick Milovoy:We put Judas.
Nick Milovoy:Both of us agreed to this.
Nick Milovoy:We weren't, you know, there's, uh.
Nick Milovoy:There's no secret forces at play here.
Nick Milovoy:We said Judas priest should be on this, but neither of us are experts here.
Nick Milovoy:But we know.
Nick Milovoy:We both know how important they are.
Nick Milovoy:We both know how iconic they are.
Nick Milovoy:We both know what classic rock radio sounds like.
Nick Milovoy:So we've.
Nick Milovoy:We've heard those songs.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah.
Jason Shadrick:Here's an interesting thing I noticed about Judas Priest and consulting with the people in my life who are much bigger fans, I would say it's not uncommon for a band with this kind of legacy for fans to really, really like the early era of said band and view it above all the rest of the eras.
Jason Shadrick:For example, in general, Van Halen.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, right.
Jason Shadrick:A lot of people like the Dave Lee Roth records.
Jason Shadrick:Maybe they like Samuel, you know, Black Sabbath.
Jason Shadrick:Right.
Jason Shadrick:This was an interesting band because it seemed like the middle period was what everybody gravitated toward.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah.
Nick Milovoy:Interesting.
Nick Milovoy:I didn't.
Jason Shadrick:Their first album, Rock a Rolla, came out in 74 which I think just getting a 50th anniversary reissue.
Jason Shadrick:Right.
Jason Shadrick:They put out five records, rockarola, sad Wings of Destiny, sin after sin, stained class, killing machine.
Jason Shadrick:Then british steel comes along, which was really the first record that I knew of.
Jason Shadrick:Same of Judas Priest.
Jason Shadrick:Right.
Jason Shadrick:Because it had one of the all time, and I will say this without a doubt, one of the all time great album covers.
Nick Milovoy:Oh, yeah.
Jason Shadrick:The hand with the razor on it, you know, has the hits living after midnight, break in the law.
Jason Shadrick:That's where I feel like they really broke through commercially.
Jason Shadrick:Right.
Jason Shadrick:And then it seemed like so that eighties period, let's say, from british steel through turbo, ram it down.
Jason Shadrick:Probably turbo, though, that it seems to me like the real hardcore fans, that's the era that they really gravitate towards.
Nick Milovoy:Totally.
Jason Shadrick:Right.
Jason Shadrick:So what I did is I kind of looked at this in like three parts.
Jason Shadrick:One, I hit the.
Jason Shadrick:The eighties period, which I would also.
Jason Shadrick:I would also slide in unleashed in the east that came out in 79.
Jason Shadrick:I also slide that a little bit in there.
Jason Shadrick:I would say unleashed in the east out of my discovery was the one I was into the most.
Nick Milovoy:Oh, interesting.
Nick Milovoy:Okay.
Jason Shadrick:Because I just.
Jason Shadrick:The KK and Glenn's guitar tones on that were incredible, you know?
Jason Shadrick:And you gotta think late seventies recording technology was what it was.
Jason Shadrick:It was probably incredibly expensive to record a live record.
Jason Shadrick:And I think that after listening to it now, I think that might be one of the more underrated live records I've heard.
Nick Milovoy:It's really good.
Nick Milovoy:I really enjoyed it, I think.
Nick Milovoy:For me.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah.
Nick Milovoy:I don't know.
Nick Milovoy:I really liked it.
Nick Milovoy:I kind of liked.
Nick Milovoy: Okay, so listening now in: Nick Milovoy:You know, a lot of the records have, like, first disc is the album and then second disc is a bunch of live tracks, live stuff.
Nick Milovoy:So I listened to unleashed in the east and I was like.
Nick Milovoy:At first I was like, this is it.
Nick Milovoy:But then I listening to these albums, I also started hearing all those live tracks and I kind of couldn't separate.
Nick Milovoy:Like, they're just awesome live for me.
Nick Milovoy:Probably a big highlight for me where I listened and was like, yes, yes, I get it.
Nick Milovoy:I totally get this now.
Nick Milovoy: em playing the US festival in: Jason Shadrick:Yes.
Jason Shadrick:And you sent that over to me.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah.
Nick Milovoy:And like, okay, I'm all about.
Nick Milovoy:I want to buy into the story.
Nick Milovoy:So it's like, I see this wall of marshalls behind them.
Nick Milovoy:I see a wall of cabinets.
Nick Milovoy:I don't care what's happening, I don't care what's actually happening.
Nick Milovoy:I don't care what.
Nick Milovoy:What are dummy cabinets and what are real doesn't matter.
Nick Milovoy:Me.
Nick Milovoy:Every cabinet is on.
Nick Milovoy:That's the.
Nick Milovoy:I'm.
Nick Milovoy:Suspension of disbelief.
Nick Milovoy:I'm watching that like it's a movie.
Nick Milovoy:Like, I.
Nick Milovoy:Okay, there's cabinets there.
Nick Milovoy:They're all on.
Nick Milovoy:They're all, like, just blowing wind out of the speakers, you know?
Nick Milovoy:And so I see that, and it sound.
Nick Milovoy:That's what it sounds like to me.
Nick Milovoy:It's.
Nick Milovoy:That's easy to believe.
Nick Milovoy:Like, that specific video.
Nick Milovoy:It just looks loud.
Nick Milovoy:It feels loud.
Nick Milovoy:It feels so heavy.
Nick Milovoy:And I think that there's so much of Judas Priest's personality in the visual thing, like, so unleashed in the east.
Nick Milovoy:I listen to it and I love it, but watching the spectacle of it, to me, is, like, that was an important thing for me to, like, really take in.
Nick Milovoy:Just, like, the cabinets.
Nick Milovoy:I mean, just the drums.
Nick Milovoy:The whole time that they're playing, every time they do, like, a close up on the drums, every cymbal is just, like, moving the whole time.
Nick Milovoy:Like, everything is just vibrating.
Nick Milovoy:And I'm gonna say it wasn't windy.
Nick Milovoy:I'm gonna say it was just from.
Jason Shadrick:It could fall apart at any moment.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah, exactly.
Nick Milovoy:And then Halford, Rob Halford is just unbelievable.
Nick Milovoy:And KK downing and Glenn Tipton are, like.
Nick Milovoy:They're just, like, such showmen that sold it for me and then made every album that I listened to after that.
Nick Milovoy:Like, you know, it's special.
Nick Milovoy:More special than they were before.
Jason Shadrick:After seeing that, like, it kind of dawned on me that literally, this is, like, the prototypical metal band, when I think of it.
Nick Milovoy:Yes.
Jason Shadrick:Twin ripping guitar players, right?
Jason Shadrick:Cats dressed in leather.
Jason Shadrick:They're not playing ballads.
Jason Shadrick:They're full on the whole time.
Jason Shadrick:A screaming lead singer, an out of control drummer, you know, incredible riffs, you know, drum solos, ripping double harmony leads.
Jason Shadrick:Like, all.
Jason Shadrick:If you make a checklist of.
Jason Shadrick:Here's what you need to be an eighties metal band, check, check, check, check, check.
Jason Shadrick:They have all the elements, right?
Jason Shadrick:So other than the live record when you started digging.
Jason Shadrick:Because it seems like there's a reason why they seem to hit more in the early to mid eighties than in the seventies.
Jason Shadrick:Because it seemed like their style kind of took a bit harder turn.
Jason Shadrick:When it got around to british steel.
Nick Milovoy:It took a harder turn.
Nick Milovoy:And it also like their songwriting.
Nick Milovoy: Okay, so Rockarola,: Nick Milovoy:And if you watch videos, old gray whistle test, where they.
Nick Milovoy:They play some of that stuff, you know, they look like hippies, but it's, like, dark and bluesy vibe.
Nick Milovoy:It's kind of like, there's.
Nick Milovoy:There's some sort of, like, sabbathy heavy.
Nick Milovoy:They don't sound like Sabbath, but there's something there with, like, the darkest thing that's bluesy, but, like.
Nick Milovoy:Okay, the first track won for the road.
Nick Milovoy:That's like, a slow, dark blues song in five, four.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah, like, that's.
Nick Milovoy:It's just so.
Nick Milovoy:That couldn't be more different than, like, living after midnight.
Nick Milovoy:And I think that it's like, they get heavier, and that's the story.
Nick Milovoy:But they also just, like, master songwriting by british steel.
Nick Milovoy:Those songs are so good.
Nick Milovoy:Good.
Nick Milovoy:And it's not just, like.
Nick Milovoy:It's one thing to say, like, those songs are so good, but, you know, there's so much to the riffs.
Nick Milovoy:There's so much to the way that the band is streamlined.
Nick Milovoy:Like, rhythmically streamlined.
Nick Milovoy:They're just, like, tight and focused.
Nick Milovoy:Like, if one for the road is like, that's in five, four.
Nick Milovoy:And it's sort of this, like, loose, jammy thing.
Nick Milovoy:Living after midnight, breaking the law.
Nick Milovoy:Those are tighten tight songs.
Nick Milovoy:Right.
Nick Milovoy:Rhythmically tight songs.
Nick Milovoy:But there's also this thing.
Nick Milovoy:There's.
Nick Milovoy:I've always thought that Judas priest was funny, right?
Nick Milovoy:Like, there's, like.
Nick Milovoy:There's, like, a.
Nick Milovoy:This funny thing that they're dark.
Nick Milovoy:They're.
Nick Milovoy:You know, they're.
Nick Milovoy:They're dark and scary or something, but they're also, like.
Nick Milovoy:It's in a way that is funny.
Nick Milovoy:Like.
Nick Milovoy:Like, not quite as far as the misfits.
Nick Milovoy:I love, love, love the misfits.
Nick Milovoy:But, like, there's, you know, Halford's look and the.
Nick Milovoy:But hell bent for leather.
Nick Milovoy:I think it's, like, the first indication to me in their.
Nick Milovoy:In their discography, where it's like, all right, that's a funny title.
Jason Shadrick:Okay, well, and that's where.
Jason Shadrick:I guess that's where that kind of.
Jason Shadrick:Those stage clothes kind of came about.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah.
Jason Shadrick:You know, as part of that tour.
Nick Milovoy:It's so funny.
Nick Milovoy:And then british steel, like, living after midnight is a funny song.
Nick Milovoy:Like, because it's so catchy.
Nick Milovoy:And then breaking the law is, like, also, you know, for me, breaking the law is Beavis and butt head 100%.
Jason Shadrick:Probably the first time I really had some kind of music by jewish priest.
Jason Shadrick:Stuck with me is hearing Beavis and butthead sing a riff to breaking the law.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, I mean, that's how I learned how that riff goes.
Jason Shadrick:Was hearing them say, same on MTV along with the video.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah.
Nick Milovoy:I don't even know.
Nick Milovoy:It's like.
Nick Milovoy:I think that there's, like, stuff where Beavis is saying it, but they're not, like, listening to the video.
Nick Milovoy:And then, like, I think I knew that first before I even knew it was a song, and, like, heard this and was like, oh, my God, this is awesome.
Nick Milovoy:You know, I was probably twelve or 13 years old.
Nick Milovoy:I was, like, breaking the law, you know?
Jason Shadrick:And hearing the version of breaking the law on that US festival.
Jason Shadrick:That's a ripping version, man.
Nick Milovoy:Crushing.
Jason Shadrick:And I dig their Fleetwood Mac cover, the green Mona Lishi.
Jason Shadrick:They played that throughout their career.
Jason Shadrick:I think that's one of their.
Nick Milovoy:What?
Nick Milovoy:I didn't even catch that.
Jason Shadrick:It's really good.
Jason Shadrick:It's on hell bent for leather.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah.
Jason Shadrick:Killing machine, whatever you wanna call it.
Nick Milovoy:Killing machine, which was renamed for us audiences to hell bent for leather.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah.
Nick Milovoy:They're like, this title's too dark.
Nick Milovoy:Okay, here.
Nick Milovoy:Here's a title that's not dark.
Nick Milovoy:This is a pretty funny name.
Jason Shadrick:This is what it says about that.
Jason Shadrick:It was feared that the murderous implications of the original tile would be too much for the larger record retailers to want to put the lp on its tracks, on its racks.
Jason Shadrick:Sorry.
Jason Shadrick:So.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah, well, that wasn't a problem with hell bent for leather.
Jason Shadrick:No, wasn't a problem.
Jason Shadrick:Hell bent for leather.
Jason Shadrick:There we go.
Nick Milovoy:So what album?
Nick Milovoy:Okay, so british steel is awesome, but I wouldn't say that's my favorite Judas priest albumen.
Nick Milovoy:What album is your favorite?
Nick Milovoy:Did you.
Nick Milovoy:Did you gravitate towards any one album?
Jason Shadrick:I like hell bent for.
Jason Shadrick:I think between.
Jason Shadrick:It's probably, for me, the studio records, between hell bent for leather and screaming for vengeance.
Nick Milovoy:For me, it's screaming for vengeance.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah.
Jason Shadrick:Cause you have electric eye.
Jason Shadrick:You have another thing coming.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah.
Nick Milovoy:It's so good.
Nick Milovoy:Electric eye is amazing.
Nick Milovoy:You've got another thing coming.
Nick Milovoy:Is amazing.
Nick Milovoy:I really liked riding on the wind.
Nick Milovoy:When KK and Glenn are trading solo, there's, like, solo breaks.
Nick Milovoy:It's awesome.
Nick Milovoy:Their guitars are just, like, screaming.
Nick Milovoy:It's amazing.
Nick Milovoy:Taking change is kind of like the ballad thing, but it's like.
Nick Milovoy:It's not a ballad because it's so heavy, but melodically, I was thinking of it kind of as ballad.
Nick Milovoy:And then they have these cool guitar mini fills that, like, every time they play guitar mini lines.
Nick Milovoy:I think that's the coolest.
Jason Shadrick:I am not still well versed enough in their catalog to be able to tell the difference between Glenn and KK.
Nick Milovoy:Um, I'm not either.
Nick Milovoy:And I'm okay with that in this case.
Nick Milovoy:In so many cases, I want to, like, this player sounds like this.
Nick Milovoy:This player sounds like this.
Nick Milovoy:So, like, for Slayer, for example, the difference between Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman is, like, noticeable.
Nick Milovoy:They have different vocabularies and they.
Nick Milovoy:They serve different purposes.
Nick Milovoy:I don't think of KK and Glenn as serving different purposes there.
Nick Milovoy:They're serving together in the.
Nick Milovoy:In a guitar me, you know, they're.
Nick Milovoy:They're a two person guitar army.
Nick Milovoy:And I think that's like the.
Nick Milovoy:That.
Nick Milovoy:That was the.
Nick Milovoy:The thing for me, that was the hook for me, like, feeling like I really got.
Nick Milovoy:Their playing is like, they play so many riffs in unison that are like, 8th note riffs.
Nick Milovoy:Just like, together.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah.
Nick Milovoy:Then I.
Nick Milovoy:They'll, like, end a riff or they'll do a fill or a pre chorus with that harmony line, and it's like they're going down the road and then they split off and then they come back and like, that, I think, is like, they're just so locked into each other.
Nick Milovoy:And that's like a key to Judas Priest's guitar sound.
Nick Milovoy:Can we talk about.
Nick Milovoy:Did you spend much time with turbo?
Jason Shadrick:A little bit.
Jason Shadrick:I was pointed away from that by.
Nick Milovoy:Interesting.
Nick Milovoy:Okay.
Nick Milovoy:I could see why.
Nick Milovoy:Cause it is.
Nick Milovoy:It does deviate from the sound for me.
Nick Milovoy:I like the COVID of turbo, so.
Jason Shadrick:No, it's just not.
Nick Milovoy:Yo, it sounds like Zz.
Jason Shadrick:I mean, it's super eighties.
Jason Shadrick:I'm looking at.
Nick Milovoy:It sounds like eighties.
Nick Milovoy:Zz top.
Nick Milovoy:Right?
Nick Milovoy:Like turbo lover from the get go.
Nick Milovoy:First track.
Nick Milovoy:Turbo lover.
Nick Milovoy:That drum sound, I'm just like, all right, they're doing eliminator, private property.
Nick Milovoy:Sounds like sharp dress mandy.
Nick Milovoy:But then with, like, these huge other things going on, these huge other riffs.
Nick Milovoy:But it starts.
Nick Milovoy:The main riff that starts.
Nick Milovoy:It sounds like sharp dress man.
Nick Milovoy:But I really loved the production on turbo.
Jason Shadrick:That was.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, I did.
Jason Shadrick:See here it lists who, essentially, they put lead guitar credits on who plays the solo on turbo?
Nick Milovoy:I don't know that.
Nick Milovoy:I want to know that.
Jason Shadrick:Ooh.
Jason Shadrick:Some of these songs, only one of them solo.
Jason Shadrick:Okay, interesting.
Jason Shadrick:I wish more bands did that because.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah.
Jason Shadrick:Their styles are so similar.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah.
Jason Shadrick:You know that.
Jason Shadrick:And for.
Jason Shadrick:I think that's why it works.
Jason Shadrick:You know, if they were radically different, I don't think it meshes well.
Nick Milovoy:So speaking of guitar solos.
Nick Milovoy:Painkiller.
Nick Milovoy:We talk about painkiller.
Jason Shadrick:Yes.
Jason Shadrick:Now, this one.
Jason Shadrick:This to me, was an outlier.
Jason Shadrick:Like, I.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, I felt like I was falling in line with my sources, that that middle era was kind of where I would gravitate toward.
Jason Shadrick:But this painkiller record was kind of the outlier for me.
Jason Shadrick:This was the one, especially the title track, you know, oh, yeah.
Nick Milovoy:Title track rips.
Nick Milovoy:I had to go when I heard it, I was like, no way.
Nick Milovoy:It sounds like this live and watch some live videos.
Nick Milovoy:And it surprised me.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah.
Jason Shadrick:I mean, yeah.
Jason Shadrick:The solo on Painkiller, the guitar solo on pain.
Jason Shadrick:It might be the favorite.
Jason Shadrick:My favorite solo on it.
Jason Shadrick:Let me see if it list as it lists.
Jason Shadrick:And the.
Jason Shadrick:The drum intro.
Jason Shadrick:The drum intro.
Jason Shadrick:The drum intro alone.
Nick Milovoy:Oh, yeah.
Jason Shadrick:What kind of record starts with a drum solo like that?
Jason Shadrick:I mean, come on.
Jason Shadrick:Right?
Jason Shadrick:And that is Glenn Tipton playing the solo painkiller.
Jason Shadrick:So.
Jason Shadrick:Spoiler.
Nick Milovoy:Here's the thing about Painkiller, though, and I feel like the reason I gravitated away from, like, I loved it.
Nick Milovoy:I loved Painkiller for shock value.
Nick Milovoy:I didn't know that Judas Priest sounded like that ever, like, before this, you know, knowing the hits and stuff.
Nick Milovoy:I didn't know that Judas Priest got into that, like, speed metal kind of zone, and I loved listening to it.
Nick Milovoy:But then at the end, it's like, what did I remember?
Nick Milovoy:I remember the sound of the album and the vibe of the album, but I didn't remember the songs the way that I remember the other songs.
Nick Milovoy:Like, it's not.
Nick Milovoy:It doesn't have the pop songs that the other song.
Nick Milovoy:The other albums have.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah.
Jason Shadrick:And this was also, you know, right before, you know, it's kind of the end of their glory pick.
Jason Shadrick:Golden era, I guess you could say.
Jason Shadrick:Because then, you know, you think maybe it's just on my mind.
Jason Shadrick:So I just watched that documentary on the Sunset Strip, but so this came out in 90, right.
Jason Shadrick:Right after this was grunge.
Jason Shadrick:I don't know if that anything to do with the fact that it took him seven years to make another record after this.
Nick Milovoy:But also, they broke up for a.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, they broke up for a little bit.
Jason Shadrick:I guess that also probably contributed, but, yeah, this.
Jason Shadrick:This.
Jason Shadrick:I would lump this in as the end of their kind of golden, golden era.
Jason Shadrick:You know, they got a new drummer, Scott Travis, from Racer X.
Jason Shadrick:And I think that really kind of kicked him in the butt on this one.
Jason Shadrick:This.
Jason Shadrick:So I like that they're not afraid to have, like, six, seven, eight minute songs.
Nick Milovoy:No, yeah.
Jason Shadrick:That I really like, too.
Nick Milovoy:So I got a question for you.
Nick Milovoy:Here we are.
Nick Milovoy:We're in the.
Nick Milovoy:I feel like that is the end of, like, this prime period.
Nick Milovoy:We're talking at the top of the episode.
Nick Milovoy:I'm saying it's all about KK and Glenn.
Nick Milovoy: ie Faulkner joins the band in: Nick Milovoy:Tell me about that.
Nick Milovoy:I did not spend.
Nick Milovoy:I admittedly did not spend much time.
Jason Shadrick:In that period I dabbled.
Nick Milovoy:Okay.
Nick Milovoy:What's he bringing to the band?
Nick Milovoy:What's different?
Jason Shadrick:Well, this might not sound great.
Jason Shadrick:I think he does exactly what he needs to do.
Jason Shadrick:I don't think he is like Richie is.
Jason Shadrick:I mean, this is why they picked him.
Jason Shadrick:Like, he's a guy that can step in and can really, you know, hold down that chair, because, like, the whole reason KK worked so well was because him and Glenn Styles, I think, were so complimentary, similar, however you want to put it.
Jason Shadrick:I think Richie is kind of right in that fold.
Jason Shadrick:He's not too out of left field stylistically.
Jason Shadrick:Obviously, he's younger than the rest of the cats, but he's not too.
Jason Shadrick:So that way, his.
Jason Shadrick:When he plays these leads along with them, along with Glenn, it just works, you know, like, he doesn't stand out too much, I guess, is the way I'm kind of ham fistedly saying he doesn't stand out too much.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah, he.
Nick Milovoy:He knows the gig.
Nick Milovoy:He knows the gig.
Jason Shadrick:He knows the gig.
Jason Shadrick:Right?
Nick Milovoy:So.
Nick Milovoy:But here's the question.
Nick Milovoy: If he's not joining till: Nick Milovoy: r album that's happened since: Jason Shadrick:I think much like AC DC, Judas Priest has made the same album a number of times.
Nick Milovoy:Okay, I can get with that.
Jason Shadrick:You know, and I think these light, these latest three records that.
Jason Shadrick:That Richie's been on, redeemer of souls, firepower and invincible shield, all kind of fall in that line.
Jason Shadrick:They all sound like Judas priest, you know, and that's what now, they haven't had any kind of real commercial breakthrough hits, like, another thing coming or whatever, but neither has AC DC, you know, and they're still cranking out, straight ahead, heavy metal records.
Jason Shadrick:You know, they did put an instrumental on this, I believe, this latest record or no fire, one of these recent ones I caught, and they had a.
Jason Shadrick:Oh, yeah.
Jason Shadrick:It was on firepower of track called guardians.
Jason Shadrick:It's only a minute long.
Jason Shadrick:It's only a minute long, but an instrumental Judas priest track.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah, it was cool.
Jason Shadrick:That's longer than a minute would be, I would find of interest.
Nick Milovoy:No, I dug it.
Nick Milovoy:Okay, so our 100 guitarists, listen, it's yet to be determined how long it actually is.
Nick Milovoy:I'm gonna go.
Nick Milovoy:I'm gonna guess that our list is actually gonna be about 116 people long, because we're doing entries where we just pick a band as one of our 100.
Nick Milovoy:But that also has.
Nick Milovoy:That actually has multiple guitar players.
Nick Milovoy:So are we putting Judas Priest on the list with two entries, KK Downing and Glenn Tipton, or three.
Nick Milovoy:And including Richmond Faulkner.
Nick Milovoy:I have my own thought about this.
Nick Milovoy:I want to hear what your thought is.
Jason Shadrick:I would say two because I think Richie has been a wonderful steward of the stage.
Jason Shadrick:Right.
Jason Shadrick:Guitarist, I'm assuming, you know, but I don't feel like they have really done much groundbreaking material with.
Jason Shadrick:With Richie and the band.
Jason Shadrick:Now, if a year after we dropped this episode and they hit, you know, they have a massive tick tock hit with some metal riff that they wrote, which I think would be amazing.
Nick Milovoy:Which would rule.
Jason Shadrick:It would be great.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah.
Jason Shadrick:I don't know.
Jason Shadrick:You could see it, you know, but, I mean, I think when people think of Judas Priest, they think of Glenn and KK.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah.
Nick Milovoy:And that's what you picture.
Jason Shadrick:That's what you picture.
Jason Shadrick:And that's what I think.
Nick Milovoy:I mean, honestly, when people think of Judas Priest, I think they picture Rob Halford.
Jason Shadrick:Sure.
Jason Shadrick:But in guitar circles, yes, it's Glenn and KK.
Jason Shadrick:And, you know, it's funny, I think.
Jason Shadrick:And I think they have.
Jason Shadrick:You know, Judas Priest did not invent heavy metal, but dang, they codified it in such a way in the eighties.
Nick Milovoy:Oh, yeah, that new wave of british heavy metal stuff.
Nick Milovoy:It's like, that's them.
Nick Milovoy:It's important and it's them.
Jason Shadrick:I mean, it's them.
Jason Shadrick:You know?
Jason Shadrick:And I always thought there were interesting parallels between Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.
Nick Milovoy:Yes.
Jason Shadrick:You know, on paper.
Jason Shadrick:Oh, yeah.
Jason Shadrick:You know, rambunctious lead singer who has huge voice, two Shreddy guitar players, or sometimes three is Iron Maiden.
Jason Shadrick:Shredded guitar players that do some harmony stuff.
Jason Shadrick:Lots of amazing riffs.
Jason Shadrick:You know, very creative album artwork.
Jason Shadrick:And.
Jason Shadrick:And Iron Maiden is, you know, huge compared.
Nick Milovoy:Here's.
Nick Milovoy:I would say that for me, the thing that differentiates those two bands the most is when I think of Iron Maiden, I think of Dindelinda.
Nick Milovoy:Linda, Linda, Linda, Linda.
Nick Milovoy:I think of a galloping thing and this soaring vocal thing and soaring guitar things.
Nick Milovoy:And when I think of Judas Priest.
Nick Milovoy:And so it's like with Iron Maiden, there's like.
Nick Milovoy:I don't know.
Nick Milovoy:Yeah.
Nick Milovoy:Different imagery involved.
Nick Milovoy:I imagine.
Jason Shadrick:To me, Iron Maiden is like more of a gallop, whereas Judas Priest, more.
Nick Milovoy:Of a straight eight motorcycle music to me.
Nick Milovoy:Like, I don't ride a motorcycle, but it makes me want to ride a motorcycle.
Nick Milovoy:But, like, not even in real life, like in a video game or like in an eighties movie universe.
Nick Milovoy:That's like what Judas.
Nick Milovoy:That's what Judas Priest makes me feel like when I hear.
Nick Milovoy:Because it's like.
Nick Milovoy:It's more.
Nick Milovoy:Both bands are fun, but in really different ways.
Jason Shadrick:Yes, absolutely.
Jason Shadrick:So I want to point out two other things in the lore of Judas priests that people should go check out.
Jason Shadrick:One heavy metal parking lot.
Nick Milovoy:Oh, man.
Jason Shadrick:It's on YouTube.
Nick Milovoy:It's iconic.
Jason Shadrick:It's iconic.
Jason Shadrick:It's filmed at a Judas Priest Daken show in DC or somewhere, and just a bunch of knucklehead kids and getting ready to go see some Judas Priest.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, very entertaining.
Jason Shadrick:The other thing is the movie rockstar with Marky Mark Wahlberg, which is, they say, loosely, who knows?
Jason Shadrick:But basically based on.
Jason Shadrick:Halford was out of the band.
Jason Shadrick:The other guys in the band heard this kid sing.
Jason Shadrick:Tim Owens.
Jason Shadrick:Tim Ripper Owens, named after, nicknamed after the Judas Priest song, ends up bringing him into the band.
Jason Shadrick:He was in the band for a while until Halford came back.
Jason Shadrick:So they made kind of a fictionalized movie version of it.
Jason Shadrick:It's kind of like school of rock for adults, you know, it's pretty funny.
Jason Shadrick:You see Zack wild in it.
Jason Shadrick:You see Miles Kennedy in it.
Jason Shadrick:Jason Bonham's in it.
Jason Shadrick:Nick Cantonese plays guitar in it.
Jason Shadrick:It's pretty.
Jason Shadrick:Oh, Stephen Jenkins from Third Eye Blind is in it.
Jason Shadrick:Michael star from Steel Panther is in it.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, it's.
Jason Shadrick:It's a pretty entertaining.
Jason Shadrick:You know, even if it's probably not fully how everything went down, it's a pretty entertaining movie.
Jason Shadrick:So I would definitely check those out.
Nick Milovoy:I haven't seen that.
Nick Milovoy:I got to check that out.
Jason Shadrick:Got it.
Nick Milovoy:While we're speaking of movies, I have no idea what the actual answer is for this.
Nick Milovoy:Probably easily found, but just feeling wise going on.
Nick Milovoy:Feel.
Nick Milovoy:I'm not interested in the facts here.
Nick Milovoy:Uh.
Nick Milovoy:How much Judas Priest.
Nick Milovoy:How much of Judas Priest is in spinal tap, you think, aesthetically?
Jason Shadrick:Oh, I think a good amount.
Nick Milovoy:I think it's a lot.
Jason Shadrick:I think it's a good amount.
Nick Milovoy:There is a lot of spinal tap.
Jason Shadrick:Rob Reiner has said he went to see Judas Priest in concert to prepare.
Nick Milovoy:Oh, there you go.
Jason Shadrick:There's the fact to make that film.
Nick Milovoy:That would be the double lead guitar guys.
Nick Milovoy:That feels like the two bands.
Nick Milovoy:Like, I couldn't think.
Nick Milovoy:Couldn't help but think about that.
Nick Milovoy:And then it's like the.
Nick Milovoy:The metal imagery and the change in style.
Nick Milovoy:Like the.
Jason Shadrick:I mean, I feel like it was.
Nick Milovoy:You know, Judas Priest didn't ever write a song that sounded like give me some money.
Jason Shadrick:But I think it was more earlier.
Jason Shadrick:Priestley probably influenced the look in a way, you know?
Jason Shadrick:Cause the spinal tap guys weren't like, totally decked out in leather and studs the whole time.
Nick Milovoy:Derek Smalls was, though.
Jason Shadrick:Well, Derek Smalls was.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, I'm really interested in hearing.
Jason Shadrick:Seeing spinal tap, too.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, let's get that rolling.
Jason Shadrick:But, yeah, I could see that.
Jason Shadrick:I could definitely see that.
Jason Shadrick:I don't see as much with Halford, I guess, which visually could be the defining visual part of Judas Priest is Halford.
Jason Shadrick:I don't see as, you know, as much.
Jason Shadrick:Like you said, when people think of Judas Priest, they think of Halford, you know?
Nick Milovoy:Yeah, but the two guitar thing, and just, like, the.
Nick Milovoy:The trajectory of the band, changing styles and stuff.
Nick Milovoy:Not that they're the only band that does that, but there's.
Nick Milovoy:There's something there.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, right on.
Nick Milovoy:All right.
Jason Shadrick:Did we do it?
Jason Shadrick:We did it.
Nick Milovoy:We are new Judas Priest fans.
Nick Milovoy:I'm totally like, this isn't my Judas priest deep dive doesn't stop today now that we recorded this.
Nick Milovoy:Like, no, I gotta keep listening to screaming for vengeance.
Jason Shadrick:Like, one of the very fun things I do while we're doing this podcast is whatever band we happen to be, or guitarist we happen to be listening to at the time.
Jason Shadrick:I will play it for my daughter when I take her to school in the morning.
Jason Shadrick:And last week it's screaming for vengeance.
Jason Shadrick:Honeydeheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh here we go.
Jason Shadrick:She's twelve.
Jason Shadrick:Let's go.
Jason Shadrick:And she's like, ooh.
Jason Shadrick:And I just love to hear, like, you.
Jason Shadrick:What do you think?
Jason Shadrick:I asked her, I was like, what would you call this music?
Nick Milovoy:Uh huh.
Jason Shadrick:What did she say?
Jason Shadrick:She called it heavy rock.
Jason Shadrick:She called it.
Jason Shadrick:I was like, that's.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, that's what we'll call it.
Jason Shadrick:Heavy rock.
Nick Milovoy:You know, could she get into it?
Jason Shadrick:No, she's a real Broadway pop girl.
Jason Shadrick:Right.
Jason Shadrick:Although she has a little bit of.
Nick Milovoy:Broadway in here, though.
Jason Shadrick:But listen, visually.
Jason Shadrick:Yeah, maybe, but, yeah, but not listening.
Jason Shadrick:Not listening to it.
Jason Shadrick:No.
Jason Shadrick:So.
Jason Shadrick:But she's always my litmus test.
Jason Shadrick:Like, what do you think of this?
Nick Milovoy:And just what has she liked the most so far?
Nick Milovoy:Do you have yet?
Jason Shadrick:I mean, she likes.
Jason Shadrick:Her name's Layla, so she definitely likes Clapton.
Jason Shadrick:But we haven't covered him yet.
Jason Shadrick:But no, she likes Lake street dive.
Jason Shadrick:She likes Ben Rector.
Nick Milovoy:I mean, of artists we've covered a.
Nick Milovoy:Oh, none.
Jason Shadrick:None.
Jason Shadrick:I don't think there's a single one where she's like, yeah, dad, let's play more of that.
Nick Milovoy:We want Layla to report back.
Jason Shadrick:I mean, I would say she's heard quite a bit Oasis lately.
Jason Shadrick:I would say.
Jason Shadrick:Honestly, Oasis or stones would be the ones she doesn't.
Jason Shadrick:Let's be honest.
Jason Shadrick:Jerry Garcia, Oasis, Stones and Garcia are the ones she's been, you know, subject to lately.
Nick Milovoy:So do your children know how to play Wonderwall?
Jason Shadrick:The lady's gonna start taking guitar lessons real soon, so.
Jason Shadrick:Yes, she will.
Jason Shadrick:Absolutely.
Jason Shadrick:All right, well, thanks again to EMG.
Nick Milovoy:For don't forget that promo code.
Jason Shadrick:EMG 100 for 15% off at checkout.
Jason Shadrick:All the links and information will be below in the didgeridoo down there in the description.
Nick Milovoy:And don't forget to, like, subscribe rate, review, all of that stuff you can do anywhere you get podcasts.
Nick Milovoy: a holler by getting at us at: Nick Milovoy: -: Jason Shadrick:All right.
Jason Shadrick:We'll see you all next week.
Nick Milovoy:See you next time.
