Judas Priest: Heavy Metal Painkillers
by Martin Popoff

Metal gods dissected in full colour

Judas Priest have been going longer than any metal band, apart from Black Sabbath, having first formed in 1914, or something. Why they haven’t written an official autobiography is beyond us, but they’d better get cracking before the market is swamped. Neil Daniels’ Defenders Of The Faith recently took a well-aimed shot at Priest’s career, and RC contributor Popoff does an equally good job of trawling through the archives, bringing us a shorter, but more collectorfriendly, biog.

The bare bones of Priest’s story are well known, but there’s much more here. Popoff has gathered a host of interviewees (including the band and almost every associate) and got the truth from the horses’ mouths. Tim “Ripper” Owens’ recollection of his recruitment following Halford’s departure is a high point, as is the author’s evident conflict over Living After Midnight, the campest song ever written (“Who can blame the band for wanting to make people happy?” he says, apparently through gritted teeth).

The key point is the swathe of LPs, EPs, singles, laminates, mag covers, tour posters and other rare stuff, as well as pics of the band in all their gurning glory. The result is a book that Priest themselves will have trouble surpassing when the inevitable authorised biog comes out.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

ISBN 155022784X

Reviewed by Joel McIver
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