Band: Judas Priest

It could almost be said that no band is more metal than Judas Priest. From their very early days until the present, the band has played nothing more and no less than pure heavy metal music. The band's career got a solid kickstart when Halford joined the band and for the next 20 years Judas Priest were arguably the unrivalled gods of metal, issuing a string of classic albums that began with 'Sad Wings of Destiny' and continued until Halford's departure in the mid-90s. 'Stained Class' and 'Painkiller' are still regarded as two of the best metal albums ever. The band's sound moved into a more commercial territory from 'British Steel' onwards, but with 'Ram it Down' the band seriously heavied up again. The albums with Owens aren't bad by any means but don't really stand up to earlier work. Speculation was always rife that Halford would return and despite continual denials from both parties it was hardly surprising that it was announced he had rejoined Judas Priest in July 2003.