British Steel

6th album by Judas Priest

Released in April 1980 (CBS Records)

Released in May 1980 (Columbia Records)

Genre considered - Heavy metal

Track List -

Side One -

1.  Breaking the Law

2.  Rapid Fire

3.  Metal Gods

4.  Grinder

5.  United

Side Two -

6.  Living After Midnight

7.  You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise

8.  The Rage

9.  Steeler

Personnel -

Rob Halford - Vocals

K. K. Downing - Guitars

Glenn Tipton - Guitars

Ian Hill - Bass

Dave Holland - Drums

Charts (1980)

No. 34 on Billboard 200

No. 4 on UK Albums

No. 20 in Sweden

No. 69 in Japan

No. 45 in Canada

Charts (2010)

No. 5 on UK Rock & Metal Albums

No. 78 on UK Albums

No. 92 in Switzerland

No. 55 in Spain

No. 74 in Scotland

No. 4 in Greece

No. 59 in Germany

No. 46 in Finland

Certifications -

Gold in Sweden

Silver in the UK

Platinum in Canada & the U.S.

(Wikipedia)

Judas Priest

Meet Judas Priest

"Metal Gods"

Ian Hill (Bass)

Richie Faulkner

Replaced K. K. Downing

Rob Halford (Vocals)

Glenn Tipton (Guitar)

Scott Travis (Drums)

Replaced Dave Holland & Les Binks

Formed in Birmingham, England in 1969

Genre considered - Heavy Metal

Over 50 million albums sold

11 Top 30 albums in the UK

11 consecutive albums certified by the RIAA - Gold, Platinum, or higher

One of the greatest metal bands of all time

Considered a pioneer of the new wave of British heavy metal

Considered an influence on metal sub-genres, hard rock, and glam metal

Inaugural inductee into VH1 Rock Honors, 2006

5 Grammy Award Nominations

1 Grammy Award Win (Best Metal Performance, "Dissident Aggressor," 2010)

Kerrang! Awards 

Hall of Fame (2007)

Inspiration (2015)

7 Loudwire Music Award Nominations

1 Loudwire Music Award Win (Lemmy Lifetime Achievement Award, Rob Halford, 2017)

2 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Award Nominations

4 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Award Wins 

(Best Album/2005, Icons/2011, Best British Band/2018, Best Album/2024)

Sweden GAFFA Award Nomination 

(Best Foreign Band, 2019)

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2022

via Award for Musical Excellence - not Performer category

Nominated in the Performer category in 2018, 2020, 2022

Greatest Metal Band of all time (by MTV, second to Black Sabbath)

Discography

Spanning 1974 to 2024

Tours

Spanning 1974 to a plan for 2026

Point of intrigue - Judas Priest has a large commercial base but has failed to achieve critical acclaim.  The Rolling Stone Album Guide passed on the band's albums early on.  Village Voice critic Robert Christgau refused critique altogether.  Christgau's Meltdown list consisted of artists he did not consider having any material worth listening to.  Judas Priest was on this list.

The history of Judas Priest, the revolving member door, album history, and overall background is extensive and exhaustive to write here.  Follow the link below.

(Wikipedia)

I am not familiar with Judas Priest beyond their name only.  I tend as far as Nirvana but forever stay close to jazz and rock genres.  If you are a fan, tell me why I should be.  A Set List task for the new year 2026.

Happy Birthday, Richie Faulkner

New Year 

Birthday Boy

Richard Ian Faulkner

b. January 1, 1980

London, England

Lead guitarist for Judas Priest - 2011 to present

Grew up in Stockholm, Sweden

Band inspirations - Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Metallica, and others.

Guitarist inspirations - Jimi Hendrix, Brian May, David Gilmour, Eddie Van Halen, and others.

First song Faulkner learned to play - "Wild Thing" by The Troggs

Richie Faulkner's first performance with Judas Priest was on May 25, 2011 on American Idol - "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking the Law."

Richie Faulkner's first album with Judas Priest was Redeemer of Souls (2014).

Honor -

- Dimebag Darrell Shredder Award (Metal Hammer, 2015)

Metal Hammer is a British magazine.

- Loudwire Music Award Nomination (Guitarist of the Year, 2015)

Richie's preferred guitar brands are Gibson and the Epiphone Flying V.

Discography

As member of - 

Deeds (2002)

Voodoo Six (2006)

Lauren Harris (2008)

Ace Mafia (2009)

Judas Priest (2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2024)

Elegant Weapons (2023)

(Wikipedia)