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 Judas Priest |
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Story and photos by Andy Argyrakis Few bands have been as integral to the early stages of the entire heavy metal/hard rock movements as Deep Purple and Judas Priest, so it was only a matter of time before a co-headlining tour came to fruition. The two stormed into the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, treating about 50 years' worth of followers to numerous classics and even a few current cuts that all sounded as dynamic as the days they were initially delivered.Judas Priest took the earlier slot in support of its latest long player "Firepower," which was a perfect description for the brand of aggression, sizable production and considerable portion of the crowd it brought. Currently comprised of front man Rob Halford, bassist Ian Hill, guitarist Glenn Tipton (who didn't make the trip due to Parkinson's disease), drummer Scott Travis, guitarist Richie Faulkner and recently recruited six string sub Andy Sneap, the guys attacked their 75 minutes with pure ferociousness. New tracks such as "Firepower," "Lightning Strike" and "Rising From Ruins" fit snuggly alongside vintage favorites "Grinder," "Turbo Lover," "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" and "Hell Bent For Leather" (sung customarily atop a motorcycle). Though the momentum never lulled, the band's backend stacking of "Painkiller," "Metal Gods," "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight" were a few more examples of why Judas Priest means practically as much to metal and balls to the wall British rock as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin or this summer's bill mates. In about as much time, Deep Purple was equally explosive (though far from flashy) when singer Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, guitarist Steve Morse and keyboard player Don Airey continued their extensive "The Long Goodbye" trek. Though not as comprehensive as a headlining evening would've offered, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers nonetheless addressed many of the main attractions, alongside a somewhat recent slice. The older "Highway Star," "Strange Kind Of Woman," "Perfect Strangers" and "Space Truckin'" were amongst the heaviest hitters, though "Uncommon Man" from 2013's "Now What?!" (dedicated to the late Jon Lord) could soon join them with more time to marinate. In terms of sheer guitar heroics, "Smoke On The Water" obviously took the cake, but "Hush" came fairly close, further capturing the lofty essence of this indispensable act. |
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