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)
12 Metal Meltdown
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Electric madness roars in sight
Heat is rising blazing fast
Hot and evil feel the blast
Out of control about to explode
It's coming at ya
Here comes the metal meltdown
Run for your lives
Can't stop the metal meltdown
No-one survives
Raging fury
Wired for sound
Nitro bombshell
Shakes the ground
High and mighty
Rips the air
Piercing lazer
Burning glaze
Out of control
About to explode
It's coming at ya
Here comes the metal meltdown
Run for your lives
Can't stop the metal meltdown
No-one survives
Temperature is boiling
Magnifying might
Feeding like a virus
Flashing light
Imminent collision
Shockwaves all around
Generating energy
Screams so loud
It's comin' meltdown
Start runnin' countdown
The lyrics to Judas Priest's song 12 Metal Meltdown describe a scene of chaos and destruction caused by the power of heavy metal music. The opening lines create a sense of foreboding, as something ominous is calling out in the night. The next lines talk about the electrifying nature of metal music and how it can drive people to madness.
The chorus then hits with a warning for listeners to run for their lives, as the metal meltdown is coming and no one will survive its destructive power. The lyrics describe the meltdown as raging fury, wired for sound, and a nitro bombshell that shakes the ground. It is a force so powerful that it can generate energy, shockwaves and screams so loud that no one can escape its wrath.
Overall, the song is a celebration of metal music's power and intensity, but also a warning to respect its force and not to underestimate its potential for destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Something's calling in the night
The intense and powerful sound of heavy metal music is calling out to the listener
Electric madness roars in sight
The electrifying and insane energy of heavy metal music is clearly visible
Heat is rising blazing fast
The temperature and intensity of the music is rapidly increasing
Hot and evil feel the blast
The music is filled with a sinister and malevolent energy
Out of control about to explode
The frenzied and chaotic music is on the verge of reaching a breaking point
It's coming at ya
The full force of the heavy metal music is approaching the listener
Here comes the metal meltdown
The intense and unstoppable power of the metal music is about to be unleashed
Run for your lives
The listener should prepare themselves for the overwhelming energy of the music
Can't stop the metal meltdown
The music is too powerful to resist or control
No-one survives
The sheer power and intensity of the music is unstoppable and all-consuming
Raging fury
The music is filled with a fierce and passionate energy
Wired for sound
The music is perfectly set up and ready to deliver its intense power and energy
Nitro bombshell
The music is like a powerful and explosive bomb waiting to go off
Shakes the ground
The impact of the music is so intense it feels like an earthquake
High and mighty
The music is elevated and powerful, like a force of nature
Rips the air
The music tears through the atmosphere like a hurricane
Piercing lazer
The music is sharp and intense, like a laser beam
Burning glaze
The music is filled with a scorching and fiery energy
Temperature is boiling
The energy and intensity of the music is rapidly increasing, like boiling water
Magnifying might
The music is growing in intensity and strength, like a magnifying glass focusing sunlight
Feeding like a virus
The music is spreading and infecting the listener with its powerful energy
Flashing light
The music is filled with an intense and blinding light, adding to its overwhelming power
Imminent collision
The music is heading towards a inevitable and explosive climax
Shockwaves all around
The music is creating powerful shockwaves that can be felt all around
Generating energy
The music is building up an intense amount of energy that is about to be unleashed
Screams so loud
The music is so intense and powerful, it's like a scream that can be heard for miles
It's comin' meltdown
The listener should be prepared for the intense and explosive power of the music
Start runnin' countdown
The music is about to reach its peak and the listener should be ready for the onslaught
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Round Hill Music Big Loud Songs, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON, KENNETH DOWNING, ROBERT HALFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tonipolkki4728
I love this album. All killer, no filler.
@easybakec0ven
While I personally think it lacks some of the songwriting chops they showed off on Firepower, I absolutely agree that it’s genuinely vindicating to see a band of JP’s magnitude still be able to back up their legacy performance-wise.
Look its really strange. In my honest opinion this is their best songwriting since Sad Wings of Destiny. I can't deny Firepower's strenght - Rising from Ruins is a fukkin epic piece of work along with Traitors Gate (probably the best lyrics in history of JP), but somehow I found few cheesy lyrics in Necromancer or Flamethrower. Some childish phantasy, but very enjoyable musically.
@user-vv2kj9db8j
Either Rob Halford has really good genetics or takes good care of himself. Because he sounds really good on this record.
@AndDeathForAll82
I know he quit smoking either after AoR or RoS.
@YtuserSumone-rl6sw
Well actually PC software takes care of him really well.
PC stands for pitch correction by the way.
@Flugmorph
album absolutely slaps, love this band so much
@NicolasAristizabal-rb3ju
Some might say it’s due to nostalgia, but this is genuinely one of the best albums of the year. Really deserves the praise
Totally agree. Its even stronger than Firepower. Fukk me its amazing lyrically and especially vocally.
@NicolasAristizabal-rb3ju
True. I don’t know if it happens to anyone else, but I fucking love the vocal hook in The Lodger