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)
Exciter
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Straight into the dawn
Looking like a comet
Slicing through the morn
Scorching the horizon
Blazing to the land
Now he's here amongst us
The age of fire's at hand
Stand by for exciter
Salvation is his task
Stand by for exciter
Salvation bids to ask
Everything he touches fries into a crisp,
Let him get close to you so you're in his trip,
First you'll smoke and smolder
Blister up and singe
When ignition hits you the very soul of your being will cringe
Stand by for exciter
Salvation is his task
Stand by for exciter
Here he comes now
Fall to your knees and repent if you please
Who is this man?
Where is he from?
Exciter comes
For everyone
You'll never see him
But you will taste the fire upon your tongue
He's come to make you snap out Of the state that you are in
Looks around and make you See the light again
So much self-indulgence Results in shattered eyes
Predominant complacency Leads to beguiling lies
Stand by for exciter
Salvation is his task
Stand by for exciter
Salvation bids to ask
When he leaps amidst us
With combustive dance
All shall bear the branding Of his thermal lance,
Cauterizing masses Melting into one
Only when there's order Will his job be done.
Stand by for exciter
Salvation is his task
Stand by for exciter
Here he comes now
Fall to your knees and repent if you please
Who is this man?
Where is he from?
Exciter comes
For everyone
You'll never see him
But you will taste the fire upon your tongue
Racing past the heavens
Straight into the dawn
Looking like a comet
Slicing through the morn
Scorching the horizon
Blazing to the land
Now he's here amongst us
The age of fire's at hand
(Stand by for exciter)
The lyrics to Judas Priest's "Exciter" depicts a mythical figure who is on a mission to bring salvation to those who indulge in self-destructive behavior. The song begins with a description of the figure as a comet, racing through the heavens and scorching the horizon as he makes his way to Earth. He is a bringer of the Age of Fire, and his presence heralds a new era of enlightenment.
As the song progresses, the figure is revealed to be the Exciter, a savior-like character whose task it is to help people snap out of their complacency and see the light again. His methods are brutal and intense, as everything he touches fries into a crisp. Those who come into contact with him will blister up and singe, and their very souls will cringe with the force of his power.
Despite his ferocity, the Exciter is a force for good, and the song urges listeners to "stand by for exciter" and "fall to [their] knees and repent" if they wish to taste the fire upon their tongue. The figure is presented as an enigmatic, almost supernatural character who is impossible to pin down, but whose influence is felt by all who encounter him.
Overall, "Exciter" is a powerful, mythic song that presents a vision of salvation and redemption through fire and intensity.
Line by Line Meaning
Racing' cross the heavens
The Exciter is moving swiftly across the sky, leaving the heavens and plunging into the dawn.
Straight into the dawn
The Exciter is heading directly towards the rising sun.
Looking like a comet
The Exciter resembles a shooting star, speeding through the atmosphere.
Slicing through the morn
The Exciter is cutting through the morning like a sharp instrument.
Scorching the horizon
Where the Exciter travels, the horizon is burning with intense heat and energy.
Blazing to the land
As the Exciter approaches the earth, it burns with bright flames, like a forest fire.
Now he's here amongst us
The Exciter has reached humanity and is present among us fires setting the world alight.
Stand by for exciter
Get ready to witness the power and force of the Exciter.
Salvation is his task
The Exciter is on a mission to save and transform individuals through fire and burning.
Salvation bids to ask
The Exciter's fiery salvation demands us to take notice and heed.
Everything he touches fries into a crisp,
The Exciter's touch is destructive and incendiary, destroying everything it touches with flames and heat until it becomes nothing but ash.
Let him get close to you so you're in his trip,
Allow the Exciter to come closer to you and let him take you on a journey of burning and scorching.
First you'll smoke and smolder
The first thing that happens when the Exciter's flame touches you is smoke, and you will feel a sensation of burning and heat inside your body.
Blister up and singe
The Exciter's flame will cause blisters to form on your skin and a burning pain that will make you sink.
When ignition hits you the very soul of your being will cringe
When the Exciter's flames ignite upon you, the essence of your soul will twist and turn, unable to bear the intense heat and pain.
Here he comes now
The Exciter is arriving soon to burn all in his path.
Fall to your knees and repent if you please
When the Exciter arrives, the destruction and power of its flames will force everyone to drop to their knees in submission and seek forgiveness for their past ills.
Who is this man?
People are questioning who or what the Exciter truly is.
Where is he from?
People are curious about the origins of the Exciter, questioning where it came from.
Exciter comes
The Exciter is on its way and will soon bring intense heat and blazing destruction.
For everyone
The Exciter's flames are not selective, and everyone will face the heat and destruction it brings.
You'll never see him
The Exciter is not a person or a being that can be seen, but rather the destruction and fire it brings is what you will witness.
But you will taste the fire upon your tongue
The intense heat of the Exciter's flames will be so powerful that you will taste them on your tongue.
He's come to make you snap out Of the state that you are in
The Exciter has come to force people out of their complacent state and call them to action to transform their lives drastically.
Looks around and make you See the light again
The Exciter is here to help people see the world and their lives differently with a brighter light like after a dark night.
So much self-indulgence Results in shattered eyes
As people become self-absorbed and indulgent, they lose sight and vision of what truly matters, and this prevents them from recognizing important truths to move forward.
Predominant complacency
When people become apathetic or complacent in life, they become stagnant in their progress and unwilling to change.
Leads to beguiling lies
Complacency creates illusions and deceit, misleading people with false truths that prevent them from achieving what they want.
When he leaps amidst us
The Exciter arrives, making dramatic jumps and commanding a burning presence among us.
With combustive dance
The Exciter moves boldly, making aggressive and flamboyant moves that cause more destruction in its wake.
All shall bear the branding Of his thermal lance,
Everyone will suffer the Exiter's badge of fire-branding on their bodies from their contact with its flames.
Cauterizing masses Melting into one
The Exciter's presence is a melting-pot of fusing bodies, cauterizing individuals into one form.
Only when there's order Will his job be done.
The Exciter's purpose will be fulfilled when there is order, peace, and completeness, and everyone accepts their fate with the calmness of the fire, unable to do anything to save themselves or others.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON, KENNETH DOWNING, ROBERT HALFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind