LIVE PHOTOS: Judas Priest, Sabaton
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By Greg Maki
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A casino strikes me as such an odd place for a concert. Here you have the massive, bustling casino floor with patrons calmly—or not so calmly in extreme cases—playing the slots, sitting around blackjack tables, betting on sports, having drinks, grabbing a bite to eat. It’s a day or night out but a relatively laid back experience. Meanwhile, in another room under the same roof, Judas Priest—and prior to that, Sabaton—is melting the faces off a few thousand fans with its heavy metal thunder. It’s a mashup of surreal atmospheres that could not be more different from each other.
Not that it mattered at all to the mighty Priest, which continues to fly the flag of heavy metal as proudly and strongly as anyone after more than half a century in the game. Supporting its superb 19th studio album, “Invincible Shield,” released in March 2024, Judas Priest came out guns blazing with that record’s lead track “Panic Attack,” showing that while the band has a rich catalog of hits and fan favorites over the decades, it refuses to settle in as a nostalgia or “legacy” act. Three songs from the new album found their way into the set list and were as well received as any other.
Vocalist Rob Halford, at 72, gave a performance worthy of the title “Metal God,” hitting high notes that most singers half his age can only dream of reaching. And he wasn’t merely hitting the notes—there was a power behind them that is unparalleled. He also spoke more than usual, giving a heartfelt recap of the band’s history and thanking the fans before introducing the “Invincible Shield” title track. What a treasure he is.
Though it’s not the same Priest we’ve seen through the years, the band was in top form, as well. Guitarist Richie Faulkner, onboard since K.K. Downing departed in 2011, has emerged as the star, with even more of the lead work going his way since Glenn Tipton’s forced step down from touring due to Parkinson’s disease. Producer Andy Sneap continues to serve as the band’s second live guitarist—with his hair grown out, he now looks more the part than he did when he got the gig six years back—and if you close your eyes, you might not even pick up on the lineup changes. Bassist Ian Hill kept to his customary station at the rear of stage left, but his presence certainly was felt as he teamed with longtime drummer Scott Travis to create the band’s thunderous backbone.
The set list included all the staples but with a few curveballs, such as “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” played second and “Breaking the Law” fourth. The middle portion of the show featured a few deeper cuts—“Devil’s Child,” “Saints in Hell,” “Sinner”—before classics “Victim of Changes,” “The Green Manalishi” and “Painkiller.” The encore included Halford riding a motorcycle onstage for “Hell Bent Leather” and concluded with the customary singalong to “Living After Midnight.”
JUDAS PRIEST SET LIST: “Panic Attack,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Rapid Fire,” “Breaking the Law,” “Lightning Strike,” “Love Bites,” “Devil’s Child,” “Saints in Hell,” “Crown of Horns,” “Sinner,” “Turbo Lover,” “Invincible Shield,” “Victim of Changes,” “The Green Manalishi (with the Two Prong Crown),” “Painkiller,” (encore) (“The Hellion”) “Electric Eye,” “Hell Bent for Leather,” “Living After Midnight”
Sabaton, from Sweden or, as frontman Joakim Brodén called it, “Ikea country,” kicked off the evening, leading the sold-out crowd into battle with its mostly war-themed power metal. A drum riser styled as a tank set the mood before the band even took the stage, and the upbeat, energetic performance surely won over many who weren’t fans already. This wasn’t Sabaton’s first tour with Priest, and it’s a pairing that makes a lot of sense. If you like one, odds are you’ll be into the other, too.
SABATON SET LIST: “Ghost Division,” “The Last Stand,” “Swedish Pagans,” “The Red Baron,” “Bismarck,” “Stormtroopers,” “Carolus Rex,” “Resist and Bite,” “The Attack of the Dead Men,” “Primo Victoria,” “Soldier of Heaven,” “To Hell and Back”
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