One of heavy metal’s all-time greats, Judas Priest, are currently in the middle of their North American tour celebrating their 50th anniversary. The 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour also features Sabaton as openers and is being fueled by the highest charting album of Priest’s career, ‘Firepower,’ which peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200. We caught the show in Minneapolis.
First up on the bill was the Swedish metal band Sabaton. For those of you that are not familiar with these guys, they all dress in camouflage gear with a very war-oriented stage presentation. Everything from the drums on top of a huge tank to a military backdrop and other stage prop items.
Most of their songs are written about patriotism in heroic actions in war. They were a great band to see live. They were very tight musically although I did not know any of their songs. What struck me the most was how happy they were to be there last night. There are a lot of Swedes in the Minneapolis Saint Paul metro area, and I got the feeling like they really felt like they were at home. There was quite a large crowd at the show and a respectable number of the concert goers were also there to see Sabaton. They had a big following for an opening band.
They played a 12-song set to an elated crowd of fans. Some of the songs they played last night were Swedish Pagans, The Red Baron, Fields of Verdun, and Steel Commanders. I cannot give you any kind of comparison with another band because they are that unique onto their own. If you like metal, you are going to want to check this band out. Judging by the fan reaction I have a feeling we are going to see a lot more of them in the future.
Judas Priest are currently on their 50th anniversary tour. I have seen them several times over the years. The very first time was with Kiss on the dynasty tour. I have had Rob Halford on my podcast in the past and he is a complete and total gentleman. I have always liked Judas Priest, but I never followed them like many of their fans do. I must admit there were quite a few songs they played last night that I did not know. But the presentation was so incredibly good, it did not really matter.
Their current stage production looks very much like an old factory that you would see in Birmingham England where they are from. I always appreciate the effort by these bands to put together something more than just a stack of amps and a drum kit. They had a huge video screen so the people that were standing further in the back could see everything. The light show is exceptional. The thing that surprised me the most is how great rob still sounds after all these years period he still has the goods and delivered him last night.
They played songs you would expect them to play like Hell Bent for Leather, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, Living After Midnight and Electric Eye. Some of the deep tracks were Turbo Lover, Hell Patrol, Desert Plains and Rocka Rolla which they have not played in 40 years. I would like to believe that any Judas Priest fan would appreciate the depth of the setlist. This was a great night of rock and roll with two perfectly paired bands. They still have several shows left on this tour, if they are coming to your town, I highly recommend you check it out.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Tommy Sommers Photography
Judas Priest
Sabaton
