I can almost die happy.
Last night, I was able to make my “bands I want to see before I die” list one shorter, and Judas Priest did not dissapoint. I was a bit worried that Rob Halford would have lost his incredible vocal range (he’s 56 years old now), bu
t he performed admirably. Sure, he doesn’t move around quite as fast, but he still managed to change between a wide array of studded leather trenchcoats will relative ease. K.K. Downing and Glen Tipton still have the chops as well. Their dual-lead guitar stylings never fail to impress me on albums, and they were just as sharp live.
You have to love a show where the singer starts off by rising out of the stage wearing a shiny robe, carrying a trident, and singing about Nostradamus. A bit much for some, perhaps, but the crowd ate it up. Judas Priest didn’t dwell in new territory for long, though. They quickly launched into fan-favorites Metal Gods and Between the Hammer and the Anvil (a personal favorite), and from that, the crowd knew that they were in for an amazing show. Things kind of dragged in the middle with one of the slower songs from their new album, Nostradamus, and the forgettable ballad Angel from 2005’s Angel of Retribution (I would have preferred Judas Rising, by far the best track on that album). However, my faith was restored with the rousing finale of Sinner (the highlight of the night) and Painkiller, followed by an encore of Hellbent for Leather, The Green Manalishi, and, of course, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.
Opening act Testament made me an instant fan. I now regret not checking these guys out earlier, as they put on an intense, incredibly heavy opening set. The sound in the Shaw isn’t made for thrash metal, but Testament persevered with an onslaught of pounding drums and Chuck Billy’s crushing vocals. It’s the first time that my ears were ringing after the opening act, and I loved every second of it.
The only disappointing thing was the long line to get in followed by a relatively small crowd of 3500 in the venue. I know Monsters of Rock was yesterday and Priest played there, but c’mon Edmonton! This may have been your last chance to see the Metal Gods themselves (though I sincerely hope not), and if you weren’t there, you missed out on a hell of a show.
Rating: four out of five.
July 28, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Thanks again for the free ticket.
I might actually be able to repay you sooner than you’d think.
I, also, really enjoyed the show. I went into it knowing only a handful of their songs and came out a huge fan. That said I can still only give the show 3 out of 5. Rob Halford could barely walk. It was kind of sad seeing him leaning against a cane or hobbling around. As for the dual guitars, I thought they were decent. I’m sure fans were happy though, because they played a fairly long set, an hour and a half at least.