The band's membership has seen much turnover, including a revolving cast of drummers in the 1970s and the departure of singer Rob Halford in 1992. Tim "Ripper" Owens, formerly of Winter's Bane, replaced Halford in 1996 and recorded two albums with Judas Priest, before Halford returned to the band in 2003. The current line-up consists of Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis. The band's best-selling album is 1982's Screaming for Vengeance, with their most commercially successful line-up featuring Ian Hill, Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, guitarist K. K. Downing, and drummer Dave Holland. Tipton and Hill are the only two members of the band to appear on every album.
Halford's operatic vocal style and the twin guitar sound of Downing and Tipton have been a major influence on heavy metal bands. Judas Priest's image of leather, spikes, and other taboo articles of clothing were widely influential during the glam metal era of the 1980s. The Guardian referred to British Steel as the record that defines heavy metal. Despite a decline in exposure during the mid-1990s, the band has once again seen a resurgence, including worldwide tours, being inaugural inductees into the VH1 Rock Honors in 2006, receiving a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2010, and having their songs featured in video games such as Guitar Hero and the Rock Band series. In 2022, Judas Priest were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_Priest
Studio albums
Rocka Rolla (1974)
Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)
Sin After Sin (1977)
Stained Class (1978)
Killing Machine (1978)
British Steel (1980)
Point of Entry (1981)
Screaming for Vengeance (1982)
Defenders of the Faith (1984)
Turbo (1986)
Ram It Down (1988)
Painkiller (1990)
Jugulator (1997)
Demolition (2001)
Angel of Retribution (2005)
Nostradamus (2008)
Redeemer of Souls (2014)
Firepower (2018)
Invincible Shield (2024)
10 Dissident Aggressor
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mind is subjected to all
Stab! Bawl! Punch! Crawl!
Hooks to my brain are well in
Stab! Bawl! Punch! Crawl!
I know what I am, I'm Berlin
I face the impregnable wall
Stab! Bawl! Punch! Crawl!
Hooks to my brain are well in
Stab! Bawl! Punch! Crawl!
I know what I am, I'm Berlin
Exploding, reloading, this quest never ending
Until I give out my last breath
I'm stabbing and bawling, I'm punching and crawling
Hooks to my brain are well in
I'm stabbing and bawling, I'm punching and crawling
I know what I am, I'm Berlin
The opening lyrics of Judas Priest's "Dissident Aggressor" describe a sense of vastness and introspection. The singer's mind is open to the infinite possibilities of the universe and yet, the second line suggests he feels somehow trapped or subjugated by this awareness. The repetition of the phrases "Stab! Bawl! Punch! Crawl!" followed by "Hooks to my brain are well in" creates a sense of violence, possibly self-inflicted, that relates to the title of the song. A dissident is someone who opposes established beliefs or policies, and an aggressor is someone who attacks aggressively. It suggests a sense of internal contradiction, a conflict between opposing forces within oneself.
The second verse describes memories of unit dispersal, but the exact meaning is unclear. It could refer to a personal or metaphorical fragmentation, a psychological or emotional break from a group or community. This is symbolized by the impregnable wall, which could represent a physical or mental barrier that prevents the singer from moving forward.
The final verse is both an admission of exhaustion and a determination to keep going until the very end. The repetition of the "Stab! Bawl! Punch! Crawl!" refrain reinforces the sense of struggle, as the singer fights against the same forces that threaten to overwhelm and consume him. The final line, "I'm Berlin," is an enigmatic, ambiguous statement that could be interpreted in various ways. It could refer to the city of Berlin as a symbol of division or unification, or as a metaphor for the singer's own duality, as a place where east meets west or light meets dark.
Line by Line Meaning
Grand canyons of space and time universal
The vastness of the universe has me pondering my existence
My mind is subjected to all
My thoughts are overwhelmed by the magnitude of the universe
Stab! Bawl! Punch! Crawl!
I am fighting for my life with every fiber of my being
Hooks to my brain are well in
I am consumed by this fight and cannot escape it
I know what I am, I'm Berlin
I am strong and will not be defeated easily
Through cracked, blackened memories of unit dispersal
I recall a past battle, scarred and painful
I face the impregnable wall
I am met with a seemingly impenetrable obstacle
Exploding, reloading, this quest never ending
My journey is full of danger and never truly ends
Until I give out my last breath
I will fight until my dying breath
I'm stabbing and bawling, I'm punching and crawling
I am willing to do whatever it takes to survive
I know what I am, I'm Berlin
I am more powerful than my adversaries and will prevail
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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