If you like it heavy, loud and fast - Judas Priest are ready to deliver. And deliver they did, much to the delight of the rabid and sweaty crowd at Red Rocks in Morrison, CO. With a steady force and nothing to prove, the metal quintet churned through two hours of songs, including a full run through their classic album, "British Steel".
After decades of honing their skills in the metal trade, the Birmingham-bred group have no trouble demonstrating their technical expertise and ability to keep the genre alive and well. Guitarists K.K. Downing and Glen Tipton, covered from head to toe in leather and studs, held fast to their respective spots on stage as they effortlessly cranked out one riff after another. Further back, and nearly eclipsed by a copious fog, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis collectively drove the tempo and reverberation into the core of everyone 
present. These boys have played together for quite some time now. And if the rampant adoration of the crowd was any indication, they appear to have things down pat.
Rob Halford's voice is as strong as ever. The front man - sporting a combo of denim, leather and silver - paced the length of the stage, while periodically leaning over the monitors as his piercing vocals rang out through the amphitheatre. Of course, Halford's harley made an appearance too. From which he delivered one of the rarer selections of the night, "Freewheel Burning".
Straight out of the gate, Priest kept it hard and heavy. "Rapid Fire" and "Metal Gods" were first on deck. Quickly followed by the crowd-rouser and metal anthem "Breaking the Law". From there, the band cranked through the remainder of tracks from their 30th anniversary tour de force, "British Steel", and then headed into the final stretch with the likes of "Victims of Changes" and "Diamonds & Rust" (the Joan Baez cover). Not surprisingly, the a fist-pounding rendition of "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" closed out the show. Squarely placing an exclamation point on what was already a fierce and unyielding night of metal.
