Photo Credit: Travis Shin
Had Judas Priest called it quits in 1980, the group’s place in the heavy metal pantheon would still be assured. It’s all the more remarkable, then, that the band—poised to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a group this year—shows no sign of letting up anytime soon.
The Grammy Award-winning heavy metal legends return to Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater for a two-night stand on Wednesday, May 22, and Thursday, May 23, as part of the second leg of an extensive tour supporting their most recent album, last year’s Firepower. The album is the group’s most critically acclaimed since 1990’s triumphal Painkiller, and it’s Judas Priest’s highest charting U.S. release. In an era of music business turmoil and increasingly fickle mainstream tastes, the legacy act’s popularity has remained remarkably steady, a feat guitarist Richie Faulkner attributes to the band’s loyal and diehard fanbase.
“It just seems to be as strong as ever,” says Faulkner, who joined the band in 2011, replacing founding member K.K. Downing. “There’s just undying love for not only Priest, but for heavy metal in general.” The affection, Faulkner says, is mutual. “I don’t think [Judas Priest] has ever lost sight of how lucky they are and how grateful they are to be playing heavy metal music around the world for beautiful fans,” he says.
There is no paucity of such fans in the Milwaukee area: Last year’s concert at the Riverside Theater was a complete sellout, necessitating a two-night run on this return trip to accommodate the rabid hordes of Priest fanatics. Classic rockers Uriah Heep will open the show.
Firepower finds Judas Priest in fine form, expanding on the classic power metal melodicism and dynamic heaviness of the 2014 album Redeemer of Souls, but with a rawer, live feel and a stronger emphasis on group contributions. Faulkner, who humbly still insists on referring to himself as “the new guy,” enjoyed more creative input this time around.
“I had a lot more ideas than I did on the first one,” he says. “There were a few tracks on Redeemer of Souls that were already kind of almost there, and we just added a few bits and pieces; this one really was written more from the ground up.” The group writing sessions proved especially fertile, yielding over twenty songs for possible inclusion on the album. “We had loads and loads of ideas,” Faulkner says, “and that’s really indicative of how creative those sessions were.”
So does the self-described “new guy” still feel pressure to fill the shoes of the departed Downing, one of the band’s most beloved members? “Well,” Faulkner explains, “you don’t want to tread on anyone’s toes, but at the same time you know what the band represents, which is standing up for what you believe in and being your own entity. So, you play the game but stay true to yourself.”
Though a 2008 Parkinson’s diagnosis prevents founding member Glenn Tipton from full-time live duty—Firepower co-producer Andy Sneap will perform Tipton’s parts in concert—Faulkner assures fans that Tipton remains both an integral member of the band and a constant guiding presence.
“You can never write Glenn off,” says Faulkner. “He’s a fighter. And he’ll always show up at the least expected moment.” Such a setback might have proved an insurmountable obstacle for most bands half their age, but it is a testament to Judas Priest’s loyal fanbase that Tipton’s necessarily limited role has only made the heavy metal faithful root that much harder.
“The fans have been so compassionate and understanding about the situation,” Faulkner says. “When Glenn’s not there [on stage], they understand why, and when he shows up as a surprise, well… it just lifts the roof off, man.”
Given the success of the recent Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody and Netflix’s current Mötley Crüe tell-all The Dirt, one wonders: Does Judas Priest have any stories that might make for a similarly compelling biopic?
“There are definitely enough stories,” Faulkner admits, “but Priest has always been a ‘behind closed doors’ kind of band, so I don’t know if that would make a good biopic or a bad one.” But don’t rule it out, teases Faulker.
“Definitely, it would be interesting,” he says. “So, uh… watch this space!”
Judas Priest and Uriah Heep play on May 22-23, at 7:30 p.m. at The Riverside Theater, 116 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, visit pabsttheater.org.
