Judas Priest

Judas Priest's current lineup performing at the Sauna Open Air Metal Festival in Tampere, Finland, June 2011.

Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1969. Known for twin lead guitars, a wide operatic vocal style, and for introducing the S&M leather-and-studs look into heavy metal, they have sold over 50 million albums worldwide.

After an early career as a secondary act dogged by unsympathetic producers and lineup changes, the band found considerable commercial success in the 1980s. In 1989, they were named as defendants in an unsuccessful lawsuit alleging that subliminal messages on their albums had caused the suicide attempts of two young men.

The band's membership has seen much turnover, including a revolving cast of drummers in the 1970s, and the temporary resignation of singer Rob Halford in the early 1990s. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. In 2010, the band announced a farewell world tour, and a new album is expected to be released sometime in 2012.