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)
Blood Red Skies (Extended Remi
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keeping to the shadows
Life hangs by a thread
And I've heard it said that I'll not see tomorrow
If that's my destiny, it'll have to be
So I'll face the future
Running out of time, I'm on the line
Felt the hand of justice
Telling wrong from right
Threw me out upon the street in the middle of the night
Cybernetic heartbeat
Digital precise
Pneumatic fingers nearly had me in their vice
Not begging you
I'm telling you
You won't break me
You won't make me
You won't take me
Under blood red skies
You won't break me
You won't take me
I'll fight you
Under blood red skies
Through a shattered city
Watched by laser eyes
Overhead the night squad glides the decaying paradise
Automatic sniper
With computer sights
Scans the bleak horizon for its victim of the night
They're closing in
They'll never win
You won't break me
You won't take me
You won't make me
Under blood red skies
You won't break me
You won't take me
I'll fight you
Under blood red skies
As the end is drawing near
Standing proud, I won't give in to fear
As I die, a legend will be born
I will stand, I will fight
You'll never take me alive
I'll stand my ground
I won't go down
You won't break me
You won't take me
'Cause I'll fight you
Under blood red skies
You won't break me
You won't take me
'Cause I'll face you
Under blood red skies
You'll never take me alive
I'm telling you
Hands of justice
I will stand, I will fight
Never surrender
As the sun goes down
The lyrics of Judas Priest's "Blood Red Skies" describe a dystopian world where the singer is fighting for survival against a system that seeks to control and destroy him. As the song begins, he moves around in the shadows, aware of the fragility of his life and the possibility that he might not make it to the next day. However, rather than succumb to fate, he chooses to face his future head-on, running out of time but determined to go down fighting. He has felt the "hand of justice" that tells right from wrong but has been thrown out on the street in the middle of the night. Now, he is being pursued by a machine-like police force that is closing in on him, scanning the horizon for its "victim of the night."
Despite the odds, the singer is defiant, refusing to be broken or taken down by his oppressors. He declares his determination to fight them "under blood red skies," offering a powerful image of resistance and defiance against the forces that seek to destroy him. As the song continues, the singer navigates through the shattered city, watched by laser eyes, and confronted by automatic snipers with computer sights. Nevertheless, he remains resolute, ready to stand his ground and fight until the bitter end. He knows that he will not be taken alive, but he is determined to make his death count, fighting until the last breath to create a legend that will inspire others to continue the struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
As the sun goes down, I move around
As the day ends, I move through the shadows
Keeping to the shadows
I hide from view
Life hangs by a thread
My life is on the line
And I've heard it said that I'll not see tomorrow
I've been told I won't survive past today
If that's my destiny, it'll have to be
If that's what fate has in store for me, then so be it
So I'll face the future
I'll confront whatever comes next
Running out of time, I'm on the line
I'm running out of time and in a precarious situation
But I'll go down fighting
I'll fight until the end
Felt the hand of justice
I've experienced the retribution of the law
Telling wrong from right
Distinguishing right from wrong
Threw me out upon the street in the middle of the night
Left me alone on the streets at night
Cybernetic heartbeat
Technology keeps ticking within me
Digital precise
A precise, digital existence
Pneumatic fingers nearly had me in their vice
I almost got caught by robotic fingers
Not begging you
I'm not asking for your mercy
I'm telling you
I'm informing you
You won't break me
You won't defeat me
You won't make me
You won't force me to do anything
You won't take me
You won't capture me
Under blood red skies
In the midst of a violent conflict
Through a shattered city
Amidst the ruins of a devastated city
Watched by laser eyes
Surveilled by robotic eyes
Overhead the night squad glides the decaying paradise
The nighttime squad patrols the ruined city
Automatic sniper
An automated sniper
With computer sights
A sniper with advanced computer targeting systems
Scans the bleak horizon for its victim of the night
Searches for its nighttime target
They're closing in
They're getting closer
They'll never win
They won't be victorious
As the end is drawing near
As the end of my life approaches
Standing proud, I won't give in to fear
I refuse to succumb to terror
As I die, a legend will be born
My legacy will live on after I'm gone
I will stand, I will fight
I won't falter or surrender
You'll never take me alive
I won't let you capture me alive
I'll stand my ground
I'll hold my position
I won't go down
I won't be defeated
You won't make me
You won't force me
'Cause I'll fight you
Because I'll resist you
Never surrender
I'll never give up
As the sun goes down
As night falls
Contributed by Isabelle L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jason Morman
Killer 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻
SCOTT SIGLIN HD
This is pretty neat
НИКОЛАС КОВАЛЬ
😎👍