ION INDIE MAGAZINE December 2014, Volume 7 | Page 18

On November 8, 2014 here in El Paso, Texas, at the DON HASKINS CENTER, JUDAS PRIEST brought their
2014 “Redeemer of Souls Tour” into town, and make no mistake--left a lasting impression on all who
attended. Opening was STEEL PANTHER, which I found to be very entertaining. They are an excellent opening
act, talented and fun to watch, with their profane and humorous lyrics. Songs such as “Pussywhipped”,
“Asian Hooker”, “17 Girls in a Row” and “Death To All But Metal”, had the audience laughing and head
banging at the same time! My take on STEEL PANTHER is a parody of 80's hair bands--a spin-off of SPINAL
TAP…regardless, four talented guys, putting on a great show.
Then all hell broke loose when the pioneers of Metal, JUDAS PRIEST took the stage. Needless to say, it was
an impressive performance! These guys are still at the top of their game after 40 years in the music
business! The set list contained classic hits such as “Victim of Changes”, “Sad Wings of Destiny”, “Turbo
Lover”, “Breaking the Law” and of course, “Redeemer of Souls”. RICHIE FAULKNER (K.K. DOWNING’S
replacement) was stupendous, and brings a lot of energy to the stage. And of course, GLENN TIPTON--well,
he's just the master of Metal guitar-playing! ROB HALFORD no problem hitting those high notes and is still
one of the best front men ever. It was a powerhouse of a set by a rejuvenated and re- energized Priest! This
is a band that has stood the test of time and goes to show—that Metal is still alive and well.