Scarborough Open Air Theatre
Continuing to produce excellent new music in their sixth decade, the Brummie band honors the late Black Sabbath frontman while securing their position among the heavy metal legends.
The day prior to this performance was the most tragic in heavy metal history. With Ozzy Osbourne’s passing, the genre lost its unstoppable everyman Prince of Darkness, along with the warmth, charm, and folly that endeared him to countless fans. However, with the 35th anniversary tour for their Painkiller album, Judas Priest offers some healing.
For years, the group has utilized Black Sabbath’s War Pigs as their entrance tune, and when the track starts, an enthusiastic and emotional communal singalong resonates throughout the amphitheatre. Any feeling that this could be a serious gathering is crushed in moments. “Greetings, metal enthusiasts!” exclaims vocalist Rob Halford, donning a sparkling leather trench coat and aviator shades.
Priest are a unique band that helped shape metal’s identity and sound, fully embracing the most extreme elements – the denim, leather, studs, and plenty of demonic themes – while maintaining street credibility for over 50 years. With the anthemic recent track Gates of Hell, everlasting torment has never felt so alluring. The Serpent and the King – yet another track from last year’s Invincible Shield album – is equally thrilling: a complete explosion of thrash propelled by Scott Travis’s flawless double-bass drumming technique. On tracks like Hell Patrol, the seventy-year-old Halford can still hit those indescribable, deep shrieks.
Guitarist Richie Faulkner nearly died in 2021 due to a serious aortic rupture during a performance: he endured 10 hours of urgent open-heart surgery in which sections of his chest were substituted with mechanical parts. With numerous gurns, Halford appreciates one of Faulkner’s brilliant lead solos on One Shot at Glory, moving his tattooed head across the fretboard.
The band’s stage presence is nothing short of electric. Glenn Tipton, though no longer a full-time touring member due to Parkinson’s, remains a spiritual force within the group, and Faulkner and Andy Sneap together create a ferocious guitar wall, shredding through fan favourites and newer tracks with equal passion. Flames shoot skyward, lights pulse with the double-kick rhythms, and the crowd—many in vintage tour shirts—responds with horns held high.
“The past 24 hours have been challenging, but he would want us to unite for this, enjoying ourselves.” “We adore you, Ozzy,” Halford tells the roaring crowd as he introduces Giants in the Sky. This is their tribute to rock’s lost legends, as the images of Lemmy, Chris Cornell, Christine McVie, and now Ozzy – among others – appear on screen accompanied by powerful riffs. It’s a moment of reflection and reverence, woven seamlessly into the sonic onslaught.
Judas Priest not only showcases an impressive performance level but continues to create exceptional new music in their sixth decade, solidifying their status alongside Sabbath on the Mount Rushmore of metal legends. As the final chords rang out under the night sky, it was clear that heavy metal remains not only alive but thriving—and that Ozzy, somewhere, would’ve been banging his head in approval.
