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)
Freewheel Bur..
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To carve a road for us that slices every curve in sight
We accelerate,no time to hesitate
This load will detonate whoever would antend its right
Born to lead at breakneck speed with high octane
We're spitting flames:
Freewheel burning
Freewheel burning
On we catapult, we're thrusting to the hilt
Unearthing every fault, go headlong into any dare
We don't accept defeat, we never will retreat
We blaze with scorching heat obliterations everywhere
Look before you leap has never been the way we keep
Our road is free
Charging to the top
And never give in never stops the way to be
Hold on to the lead with all your will and concede
You'll find there's life with victory on high
Judas Priest's song "Freewheel Burning" is an upbeat and energetic tune that seems to be about the thrill of speed and living life recklessly without fear of the consequences. The lyrics paint a picture of a band of misfits riding through the universe, carving a path for themselves and taking on any challenges that come their way. They are daring and unstoppable, pushing themselves to the limit and beyond.
The first verse speaks of how they ride the universe, carving a road for themselves by taking every curve in sight. They are not afraid to accelerate and take risks, knowing that this load will detonate whoever is not meant to join them on this journey. In the second verse, the band talks about how they catapult forward, thrusting themselves to the hilt, unearthing every fault, and going headlong into any dare. They do not accept defeat, and they never retreat. They blaze with scorching heat, obliterating everything and everyone in their path.
The final verse talks about how they hold onto the lead with all their will and never concede. They know that victory is the only way forward, and they will not stop until they have achieved it. The song is an anthem to living life on the edge, taking risks, and pushing oneself beyond their limits. It is an ode to those who choose to live life on their terms, without fear of the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Fast and furious we ride the universe
We live life at full speed, never slowing down or hesitating.
To carve a road for us that slices every curve in sight
We forge our own path, taking on any challenge that comes our way with ease.
We accelerate,no time to hesitate
We move forward with determination, never letting anything or anyone slow us down.
This load will detonate whoever would antend its right
Our intense and powerful drive is not for everyone, it can be destructive to those who can't handle it.
Born to lead at breakneck speed with high octane
We were made to be leaders who can handle and thrive in high-stress and high-speed situations.
We're spitting flames:
Our passion and energy are intense, like the fierce flames of a fire.
Freewheel burning
We are unstoppable in our pursuit of greatness, taking on every challenge with fiery determination.
On we catapult, we're thrusting to the hilt
We are pushing ourselves to the limit, doing everything we can to achieve our goals.
Unearthing every fault, go headlong into any dare
We fearlessly take on any challenge, even if it means we have to confront our own weaknesses and faults.
We don't accept defeat, we never will retreat
We never give up, even in the face of adversity or defeat, and we will never back down.
We blaze with scorching heat obliterations everywhere
Our intense drive and passion can have a destructive effect on those who can't handle it, leaving a path of destruction in our wake.
Look before you leap has never been the way we keep
We don't waste time analyzing and overthinking, we prefer to take action and face any consequences head-on.
Our road is free
We are not bound by anyone else's rules or expectations, and we pave our own path to success.
Charging to the top
We are always moving forward, striving to reach the highest level of success.
And never give in never stops the way to be
We refuse to give up, and we won't let anything stop us from achieving our goals.
Hold on to the lead with all your will and concede
We hold on tightly to our position as leaders, doing everything in our power to stay on top.
You'll find there's life with victory on high
We believe that achieving victory and success is the key to living a fulfilling and meaningful life.
Contributed by Brooklyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
xiaochicash
Hands down my absolute favorite Judas Priest album.
An exemplary heavy metal album and the cover art, while colorful, still somehow manages to be menacing and enigmatic much like the music contained therein. I'll never be able to adequately convey what this album means to me.
David Wagstaff
It's a perfect album, beginning to end full of belters, then Heavy Duty kicks in.... heaven
User
@Swiatek702 Their heaviest is Painkiller but it feels too repetitive compared to this one. After listening to it I can hardly remember which riff was from which song by the end. This one's a total hit and the only song I'm not too sure about is Turn on Your Light, but then I remember that's a bonus song that belongs on Turbo anyway and it clearly shows how out of place that tripe is among the heavy riffs of Defenders.
Марко Недељковић
Same here can't explain it but this is the best Priest album definitely
Kemper Leonard
First concert....insane
Cody Wallace
Antichrist2000 Just because you interpret a mandrill nose on this mechanized Japanese style tiger demon doesn't mean that's what the cover artist wanted you to see. Mandrills aren't nearly as metal as tigers, so I will try to erase your comment from memory.
Artemis Vega
Has anyone appreciated just how fast Halford sings this? It's fuckin hard
John Oberuch
We're thrusting to the hilt
Bob Schneider
Over 37 years for me now🤘🏻
AFTERBURNER
Artemis Vega I have been appreciating it for 30 years now!🤘🏻