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)
Defenders of the Faith
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We are defenders of the faith
We are defenders of the faith
We are defenders of the faith
We are defenders of the faith
We are defenders of the faith
The song "Defenders of the Faith" by Judas Priest exudes a strong sense of pride and belonging to a loyal group of individuals. The repetition of the line "We are defenders of the faith" reinforces the message of unity and camaraderie among those who share a common belief or cause, which is presumably a reference to heavy metal music or the metalhead community. The song can also be interpreted as a celebration of the resistance and perseverance of a minority group, who are willing to stand their ground and defend their beliefs against opposing forces.
Line by Line Meaning
We are defenders of the faith
We proudly stand as protectors and advocates of our religious beliefs
We are defenders of the faith
We are committed to upholding the tenets of our faith against any opposition
We are defenders of the faith
We will defend our faith against those who seek to undermine or discredit it
We are defenders of the faith
We will not falter or waver in our dedication to our faith and its principles
We are defenders of the faith
We will fight for our faith and its values, both as individuals and as a community
We are defenders of the faith
We take pride in our role as defenders of our faith and will continue to do so with honor and integrity
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON, KENNETH DOWNING, ROB HALFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Master's Apprentice
00:00 Freewheel burning
04:24 Jawbreaker
07:51 Rock hard ride free
13:24 The sentinel
18:12 Love bites
23:05 Eat me alive
26:41 Some heads are gonna roll
30:49 Night comes down
34:49 Heavy duty/Defenders of the faith
38:41 Turn on your light
44:06 Heavy duty/Defenders of the faith live
Mattia Pramotton
The Sentinel deserves to be in a top 10 heavy metal songs of all time, what a banger.
Ernesto Torres
hell yeah 🤘🤘
Aron Kaspar
The X-Men play this when they fight sentinels
Master's Apprentice
00:00 Freewheel burning
04:24 Jawbreaker
07:51 Rock hard ride free
13:24 The sentinel
18:12 Love bites
23:05 Eat me alive
26:41 Some heads are gonna roll
30:49 Night comes down
34:49 Heavy duty/Defenders of the faith
38:41 Turn on your light
44:06 Heavy duty/Defenders of the faith live
Florin Postolache
The sentinel is an icon.
Василь Бедек
💣💣💣💣💣
Alberto González
Nostalgia runs through my veins when I hear this amazing album.
Martha Fokker
Agreed 100%
kevin u
Me too!!
Sackson
While Painkiller is revered among metal fans, this and Screaming for Vengeance were easily Priest's best works. The guitar tone on both are unparalleled.