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)
Rapid Fire
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forging the furnace for the final grand slam
Chopping away at the source soon the course will be done
Cleaving a trail of destruction that's second to none
Hammering anvils, straining muscle and might
Shattering blows, crashing browbeating fright
Fast devastating and desolating the curse
Wielding the axe comes the one culmination
That's always seemed certain to bring down the curtain on greed
Sifting the good from the bad it's the age for the rage
Of the dogs which must fall to the just and be free
Now grate for the vandals who trampled and sampled
Till this place conditioned brought forth demolition to war
The slipping and sliding, corrosive subsiding
That withered and waned
Till the world seemed all drained fills the bay
Pounding the world like a battering ram
Forging the furnace for the final grand slam
Chopping away at the source, soon the course will be gone
Cleaving a trail of destruction that's second to none
Second to none
The song "Rapid Fire" by Judas Priest is a powerful and intense ode to destruction, power, and the inevitability of change. The opening lyrics paint a picture of an unstoppable force, pounding the world with a battering ram, and creating the furnace for the final grand slam. The song continues to describe the force tearing through the source, cleaving a trail of destruction that is second to none, using powerful and aggressive language like hammering anvils, shattering blows, and blasting the cannons of truth.
As the song progresses, the tone shifts slightly to focus on the power of the one wielding the axe that will bring down the curtain on greed. The final lines of the song speak to the inevitability of change, with the dogs that must fall to the just and be free. The imagery in the lyrics is intense and visceral, with the use of metaphors and powerful language creating a sense of urgency and inevitability.
Overall, "Rapid Fire" is a song that celebrates the power of destruction and change, and speaks to the need to sometimes tear down what exists in order to build something new and just.
Line by Line Meaning
Pounding the world like a battering ram
Judas Priest is aggressively taking on the world by storm, like a battering ram.
Forging the furnace for the final grand slam
Preparing for the ultimate show of power and strength, like a blacksmith forging a furnace for the final masterpiece.
Chopping away at the source soon the course will be done
Removing the root cause of problems, till the task is accomplished and a new path is revealed.
Cleaving a trail of destruction that's second to none
Leaving a mark of devastation so significant that no one else can come close to mirroring it.
Hammering anvils, straining muscle and might
Putting in a lot of effort, showing great strength, like a blacksmith is beating metal on an anvil.
Shattering blows, crashing browbeating fright
Dealing blows so severe that they can shatter the opponent and cause them to retreat in fear.
Fast devastating and desolating the curse
Swiftly destroying the evil, leaving it barren and desolate, incapable of further harm.
Blasting the cannons of truth through each man of this earth
Speaking the absolute truth, loud and clear, so that everyone can hear it and be impacted by it.
Wielding the axe comes the one culmination
The final blow, the ultimate showdown, where the victory is all but assured.
That's always seemed certain to bring down the curtain on greed
The end of greed, which has always been predicted, but seems to be finally happening now.
Sifting the good from the bad it's the age for the rage
Separating the good from the bad, it's a time for righteous anger.
Of the dogs which must fall to the just and be free
Evil, like a wild dog, must be defeated, and the righteous must be freed from its grip.
Now grate for the vandals who trampled and sampled
Giving thanks to the vandals, who caused destruction and pain, ultimately leading to change.
Till this place conditioned brought forth demolition to war
Until the situation deteriorated to the point where destruction and war were inevitable.
The slipping and sliding, corrosive subsiding
The slow, steady decline, as something corrodes and eventually fades away.
That withered and waned till the world seemed all drained fills the bay
As something dies, it drains the world of its vitality, until it's gone, leaving behind only emptiness.
Second to none
Above and beyond all others, nothing compares to the level of destruction that has been wrought.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Glenn Raymond Tipton, Kenneth Downing, Robert Halford
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SGH-rt6ci
I dont remember how many times my mom used to scream through my door "turn this noise down now !!!!!" in the year of 1980 -)
@motherlovinsnuffstar
Sounds like you were doing it right
@listillo84
Jajaja a mi también me pasó
@sammythebowler8046
Noise????? Come on mom!
@francescof.9290
Mom, it's not a phase. It's my life.
@brickformersreport8494
Lol. X2
@ajourneyintoeternity2520
"Pounding the World like a battering ram......." that's the way you open the lyrics! 🤘🤘
@scottchilds5726
Right on man, rock on
@scottchilds5726
Right on my friend, rock on
@NickMaroudas1
I'm 31, and I'm really glad my parents and uncles all played Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath etc when I was a kid. I cant imagine a life without this music.