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)
Firepower
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then seep out through every storm
Bring in the foe to be defeated
To pulverize from dusk to dawn
Firepower
Petrifies
Firepower
The die is cast, make no exceptions
We're forged by evil to compel
Come rally 'round this lack of freedom
Our unions rise so go to hell
Firepower
Taking lives
Firepower
Neutralize
Empty the chamber
Lock and reload
This world thrives on danger
It's bound to explode
Aim for the target
With laser and lights
Releasing the trigger
Puts victory in sight
No time to pray or ask forgiveness
Those blessed souls are now deceased
There is no sense in this contrition
With open arms we fight for peace
We fight this firepower
Petrifies
Firepower
Between the eyes
Firepower
Mortifies
Firepower
Man's demise
The lyrics of Judas Priest's Firepower describe a dystopian future where mankind has been forged by evil to claim the future with weapons drawn, seeping out through every storm. The chorus, "Firepower petrifies, firepower taking lives, firepower neutralize," reflects the idea that firepower has become a central aspect of the society and controls every aspect of life. The lack of freedom is the rallying cry, and unions rise to claim their right to fight for peace. The song goes on to describe the world thriving on danger, and the need to empty the chamber, lock and reload, aim for the target, and release the trigger for victory. There is no time to pray or ask for forgiveness as the blessed souls are already deceased. Despite this, with the open arms, the fight for peace continues, even as it leads to man's demise.
Line by Line Meaning
With weapons drawn we claim the future
We are ready to take on the challenges that the future holds.
And then seep out through every storm
We do not fear any obstacles and will fight through any challenges that come our way.
Bring in the foe to be defeated
We are not afraid to face our enemies and will defeat them with our strength.
To pulverize from dusk to dawn
We will not stop until our enemies are completely destroyed.
Firepower
Petrifies
Firepower
The sheer force of our power is enough to petrify our enemies and defeat them.
The die is cast, make no exceptions
Our fate is sealed, and we will not make any exceptions to our mission.
We're forged by evil to compel
We have been shaped by the evils we have faced and will use that strength to compel others to fight with us.
Come rally 'round this lack of freedom
We are fighting for freedom and will rally others to fight for the same cause.
Our unions rise so go to hell
Our strength in numbers will lead us to victory and those who oppose us will be defeated.
Firepower
Taking lives
Firepower
Neutralize
Our firepower is strong enough to take our enemies' lives and neutralize any threats they pose.
Empty the chamber
Lock and reload
This world thrives on danger
It's bound to explode
We are constantly preparing for battle and this world is filled with dangers that are bound to lead to conflict.
Aim for the target
With laser and lights
Releasing the trigger
Puts victory in sight
We are precise in our attacks and will be victorious once our trigger is released.
No time to pray or ask forgiveness
Those blessed souls are now deceased
We do not have time for mercy and those who oppose us will not be spared.
There is no sense in this contrition
With open arms we fight for peace
We will not apologize for our actions, but we are fighting for peace in the end.
We fight this firepower
Petrifies
Firepower
Between the eyes
Firepower
Mortifies
Firepower
Man's demise
Our firepower is strong enough to defeat anyone who comes in our way, leading to death and destruction.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON, RICHARD FAULKNER, ROBERT HALFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@griiseknoen
Painkiller was a great comeback in 1990.
Then they went down again.
Retribution was a comeback in 2005.
Then they went down AGAIN... (Nostradamus? Need I say more?)
To top it all off - Halford made a CHRISTMAS ALBUM (!) and K.K. Downing left the band.
I was SURE they had lost it forever. I didn't think they couldn't possibly rise once more.
I must admit, I had completely lost the faith ...
Then, in 2018, THIS !!!
@DemonuTV
Ladies and Gentlemen!!!! JUDAS PRIEST:THE ONLY BAND THAT CAN MAKE A 60 year old and a 16 year old listen to their Masterpiece!!!! MUCH LOVE AND RESPECT!!!! METAL GODS!!!
@nauticalnachos8158
I'm one of those 16 year olds, judas preist is my all time favorite band ever!!!
@badgermacleod2037
@@nauticalnachos8158: I'm over 50, much respect for all the younger fan's supporting Metal & keeping the battle machine running. Cheers from 🇨🇦
@johndiamond4088
@@nauticalnachos8158 Study Judas Priest as much as possible EVERYTHING you are an elite metal fan of this treasure of a band
@lamontwilder3511
Gave a presentation on this today, and I played this exact song. Gotta keep the tradition alive. Shouts out from Saint Louis.
@andreipobega3010
@@nauticalnachos8158 Power Heavy Metal This Free
@DharynSimmerX
Unreal, this band is aging like wine.
@mcprogamerro
A340/330 nice comparison
@Amadeus-ms9lt
Or cheese
@DannyGadish
or classic race cars