Judas Priest continues the Redeemer of Souls tour across the United States with Steel Panther, making a pit stop in the Big Apple.

As the audience prepared to have their dose of metal in the form of Judas Priest at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, there was apprehension in the air. Nobody knew what to expect from the Spinal Tap/Rock of Ages satirical band, Steel Panther. It’s widely known that Steel Panther is a very energetic band, straight out of the glory days of the 1980’s.

While the look of Steel Panther was totally 80s glam, complete with big hair and heavy eyeliner, the music was a good example of period hair metal. The audience couldn’t help but get into songs like, “Party Like Tomorrow” and “Community Property.”

The show brought back vivid memories of late 80s and early 90s Bon Jovi, Warrant, Motley Crüe, and White Lion, and the crowd definitely enjoyed the flashback. Steel Panther’s sound has the over-the-top, fairly misogynistic lyrics reminiscent of the time period. They successfully fulfilled the stereotype of a boy’s club rock and roll band, and the audience had to respect their dedication to their roles.

During their set, they had a public service announcement in which they brilliantly joked that no one really buys CDs these days, and their witty repertoire truly engaged the crowd. The band’s stage presence was captivating, to say the least, and it’s fairly clear that, as bands did in the 80’s, Steel Panther has the potential to evolve in both their look and sound as they move forward.

Judas Priest knows they are in the twilight of there career, but one could argue that with their newest album, Redeemer of Souls and their recent tour, Judas Priest is going through a kind of musical Renaissance period. The addition of Richard Faulkner has added a blues-like element in the guitar sound which has undoubtedly lifted the metal masters to new heights. They started their night with a Sabbath-like mash-up sample with the song, “Battle Cry.” As metal god, Rob Halford shouted, “The Priest is back,” the Brooklyn crowd responded in the typical New York fashion, loud and enthusiastic.

As the band ripped into “Dragonaught,” one could not help but notice a youthful element the band exuded which can only describe as infectious. Before the eyes and ears of the audience, the presence of Faulkner and Glenn Tipton had spawn a much more melodic tone, which explains how the new album charted at #6 the week it was released.

They continued their incredible show by performing the best version of, “Metal Gods,” before they ripped into the classics, including, “Devil’s Child” and “Victim of Changes.” The warm guitar tone of Faulkner on “Halls of Valhalla” was very reminiscent of classic Priest. The crowd was eating up the sound Judas Priest was cranking out, the similarities of tone and style were in the same vein of “March of the Damned” and “Redeemer of Souls.”

“Turbo Lover,” had the audience dancing in unison, and the crowd as a whole let loose. The energy the band began their show with only amplified as the night went on, and as they ripped through, “Jawbreaker,” “Breaking the Law,” “Hellbent for Leather.” Their endless talent was brilliantly apparent to all who were present.

After the show came to a close, Priest was called back to the stage for not one, but two encores with “You Got Another Thing Coming,” “Living After Midnight,” and “Defenders of Faith.” At the end of the multiple encores, the audience roared with approval. They had come for a dose of metal from Judas Priest, the definitive gods of metal delivered.

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Judas Priest
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About The Author

Anya was born and raised in Donestk, Ukraine, and emigrated to NYC when she was 8 years old. In her early teens she discovered Power Metal and many artists from the European metal scene. Her passion for photography grew from her concert experiences. There is nothing more exciting than capturing those small moments on stage that musicians have with their instruments. She enjoys taking photos from the crowd and is not afraid to step into mosh pit to take photos of the fans in action. Photography has influenced Anya in other ways. When she's not in the photo pit she can be found teaching preschool where photography is a big part of my daily curriculum. Photography is more than a hobby it is a passion, which allows her to combine all her interests into one.