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)
Saints in Hell
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And fought him in vain
So he turned his back on them
And left them in pain
Now here come the saints
With their banners held high
Each one of them martyrs
Quite willing to die
Wake the dead, the saints are in hell
Wake the dead, they've come for the bell
Cover your fists
Razor your spears
It's been our possession
For eight thousand years
Fetch the scream eagles
Unleash the wild cats
Set loose the king cobras
And blood sucking bats
Wake the dead, the saints are in hell
Wake the dead, they've come for the bell
We are saints
In hell
We are saints
In hell
We're going down
Into the fire
We're going down
Into the fire
The streets run with blood from the mass mutilation
As carnage took toll for the bell
Abattoir, abattoir, mon dieu quelle horreur
For a time is was like second hell
Saints in hell
Saints in hell
The battle is over, the saints are alive
How can we all thank you, we felt so despised
(Saints in hell)
The song "Saints in Hell" by Judas Priest presents a dark and violent imagery of a battle between saints and the forces of evil in hell. The opening lines describe how the people laughed at their god and turned their back on him, causing him to desert them and leave them in pain. The saints emerge with their banners held high, each willing to die as martyrs. The chorus wakes up the dead, signalling that the saints have come for the bell. The next section calls for the audience to prepare for battle, razor their spears, and set loose all the beasts and birds that can cause chaos.
The second part of the song brings a descriptive image of the aftermath of the battle: the streets flowing with blood, mass mutilation, and carnage caused for the bell. The final verse marks the victory of the saints and expresses gratitude for being saved from the desolation. The song lyrics suggest an allegory for spiritual enlightenment and how it can lead to the downfall of oppressive forces. However, the dark imagery and gore elements may be disturbing for some listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
They laughed at their god
These people were disrespectful of their deity
And fought him in vain
They tried to rebel but failed
So he turned his back on them
Their god abandoned them
And left them in pain
They suffered the consequences of their actions
Now here come the saints
Persons who are loyal to the faith arrive
With their banners held high
They come with pride and courage
Each one of them martyrs
They are willing to die for their beliefs
Quite willing to die
They are not afraid of death
Wake the dead, the saints are in hell
Alert people that the faithful have come to hell
Wake the dead, they've come for the bell
The faithful are not defeated and have come for their goal
Cover your fists
Prepare for battle
Razor your spears
Sharpen your weapons
It's been our possession
The goal is something that they've claimed to own for a long time
For eight thousand years
They've kept it for a very long time
Fetch the scream eagles
Get the eagle that screeches loudly
Unleash the wild cats
Release the dangerous felines
Set loose the king cobras
Release the venomous snakes
And blood sucking bats
And the leech-like creatures that drain blood
We are saints in hell
We are the faithful in a very dangerous place
We're going down into the fire
We are advancing into what is believed to be the devil's domain
The streets run with blood from the mass mutilation
There was a lot of violence and gore as the battle turned deadly
As carnage took toll for the bell
The bell was associated with many casualties
Abattoir, abattoir, mon dieu quelle horreur
A slaughterhouse, a slaughterhouse, oh my god, what horror
For a time is was like second hell
The ongoing battle had a surreal, nightmarish quality
The battle is over, the saints are alive
The struggle was won by the faithful
How can we all thank you, we felt so despised
A message of gratitude sent to the faithful
Saints in hell
The faithful in a demonic place
Saints in hell
The faithful in a very dangerous place
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENNETH DOWNING, ROBERT HALFORD, GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind