Judas Priest formed in Birmingham, England in 1969 and, alongside Black Sabbath, laid the foundations of heavy metal — twin guitars, leather and studs, and Rob Halford's operatic high tenor. British Steel (1980) and Screaming for Vengeance (1982) are the classic entry points. Explore Judas Priest vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Judas Priest formed in Birmingham, England in 1969. Rob Halford joined as vocalist in 1973, and K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton solidified the band's twin-guitar approach across the mid-1970s. They are widely cited alongside Black Sabbath as foundational figures in the broader heavy metal genre, with their leather-and-studs visual aesthetic (Halford in particular) becoming a defining template for heavy metal performance. Rob Halford came out publicly as gay in 1998 - one of the first major heavy metal vocalists to do so. He departed the band 1992-2003 (during which time Tim Owens served as vocalist) before returning permanently. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022 (a Musical Excellence Award) and have continued releasing material across multiple decades, with Invincible Shield (2024) marking their most recent album.
Judas Priest's sound combines heavy metal, NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal), traditional heavy metal, and speed metal with Halford's distinctive operatic high-tenor vocal delivery, the band's signature twin-lead-guitar arrangements (Downing and Tipton), and arrangements drawing on classic blues rock and proto-metal traditions. Their work has been a defining template for heavy metal across multiple decades.
Original Columbia and Epic pressings of the Judas Priest catalog are widely collected. Multiple anniversary editions, audiophile reissues, and the comprehensive Columbia Albums Collection have been released.
Listeners new to Judas Priest typically start with British Steel (1980) or Screaming for Vengeance (1982).
