MEN OF STEEL

Stolen tapes. Smashed milk bottles. Flying cutlery. Police cars. They all play a part in the story of how British Steel became one of the most significant UK metal albums of all time. As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release, it’s worth noting that it remains an elite album that set the tone and style for much that followed. The impact of British Steel was global, and continues to this day.

By the time Judas Priest recorded British Steel in early 1980, they had already released five studio albums and one live record, and were steadily building momentum. Previous studio LP Killing Machine, released in 1978, had peaked at No.32 in the UK and became the band’s highest-charting record in the US where (under the title Hell Bent For Leather) it reached No.128. The following year, live album Unleashed In The East ramped things up commercially, as it hit No.10 in Britain and No.70 in the States. Judas Priest were poised for a major breakthrough – and this is the story of how it happened, through the eyes of those who were there.

The band (vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, bassist Ian Hill and new