When Judas Priest formed in 1969, heavy metal didn’t exist. A little over a decade later, Priest had taken up the charge as one of the most iconic bands in the genre, helping shape not only the definitive sound of heavy metal, but its aesthetic, when singer Rob Halford debuted his now iconic studs-and-leather look for the band’s 1979 tour. Moving away from the more progressive elements that had featured in their early work, 1980’s British Steel carried Judas Priest into the Top 10 of the UK charts, peaking at No.4.
“British Steel was the first definitive heavy metal album,” asserts Judas Priest founder and bassist Ian Hill. “Or at least, it was the first that had imagery to back it up and it was definitely our first definitively heavy metal album.”
Before 1980 was through, Judas Priest were already booked to return to the studio. For the first time, they decided to record outside the UK, setting their sights on the Spanish island of Ibiza.
“We used to think that you could only make metal in a busy place like a city, but once you close the studio door we can be anywhere in the planet,” Rob Halford says. “It
