“Defending the heavy metal faith for 50 years, the Priest is back,” says Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford. The band have rescheduled their Heavy Metal Years 50th Anniversary Tour in North America, running throughout the fall of 2021.
The golden anniversary tour, featuring Sabaton in the supporting slot, will kick off on the Sept. 8 in Reading, Pennsylvania and conclude on Nov. 5 in Hamilton, Ontario.
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“After the horrific year of restrictions we’ve all had to endure,” says bassist Ian Hill, “what better place to break free, than the land of the free—the USA.”
Originally formed in 1970 in Birmingham, England—the Midlands region that also birthed bands like Black Sabbath, Godflesh and Wizzard—Judas Priest forged through the 1970s and into the ’80s, leaving memorable metal moments on MTV and playing the Monsters of Rock and Live Aid in 1985. In the 2000s, the band picked up a Grammy Award for their rendition of ‘Dissident Aggressor” (off A Touch of Evil: Live in 2009), a song they originally released on their third album Sin After Sin in 1977.
In 2017 and 2019, Judas Priest received nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and released their most recent, 18th studio album Firepower, produced by Andy Sneap and Tom Allom, in 2018. A photo book, Judas Priest: 50 Heavy Metal Years, was also released in 2020.
“Time to don the leather and studs and roll out the ‘Priest Machine,’” says Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton, “celebrating our 50 Heavy Metal Years.”
Ready to be immersed in metal magic? Judas Priest Tour 2024 is about to hit the stage. Secure your tickets now!
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