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JUDAS PRIEST, SABATON In Youngstown, OH With Photos!

By Geoff Ketler, Cleveland Contributor
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 @ 4:11 PM

Sold Out Covelli Centre Hosts The Invincible Shield Tour

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All Photos By Geoff Ketler/Aces High Photography

Heavy Metal - the enduring genre that has united millions of people for decades was conceived over a half-century ago. The exact date and responsible party are up for debate, but we know that among a select few groups, JUDAS PRIEST was there, since the very beginning. In an age when we are watching so many of our favorite artists bid farewell for the very last time, JUDAS PRIEST continues to release fresh, new material that is true to the bands roots and they are touring on it. My early front-runner for album of the year, Invincible Shield, provides the same tenacity, aggression, and groove as the group's notable early works. Glen Tipton's riffs and songwriting abilities are all in there. So with that being said, can one of the original forefathers of heavy metal still 'deliver the goods' in a live setting? The answer is an emphatic "yes".

"Who are these 'VILLAGE PEOPLE' in the camo pants?" - SABATON vocalist, Joakim Broden

I love a band that doesn't take themselves too seriously and knows how to have fun - that is precisely how SABATON came across. The Swedish power metal juggernaut brought a war zone to the stage, including a tank. In typical power metal fashion, there were plenty of sing-a-longs, hooks, soaring melodies and operatic vocal harmonies to round out a bombastic assault on the senses. History, war, freedom, and soldiers in battle were the common themes of the set. Think Swedish HELLOWEEN with IRON MAIDEN lyrical content. I might be reaching a bit, but it was enough to get everyone's blood pumping in the sold-out arena.

Setlist:

"Ghost Division"

"The Last Stand"

"Swedish Pagans"

"The Red Baron"

"Bismark"

"Stormtroopers"

"Carolus Rex" (in Swedish)

"Resist And Bite"

"The Attack Of The Dead Men"

"Primo Victoria"

"Soldier Of Heaven"

"To Hell And Back"

With a curtain pulled and "War Pigs" blaring, JUDAS PRIEST took to the stage with the entire band positioned on the drum riser. "Panic Attack", a new song, but a total ripper with a catchy chorus was the choice as the curtain dropped. What a way to kick off an epic night of leather, studs, nostalgia, and metal. Having had a night off between Boston and Youngstown, the veteran rockers looked refreshed, rested, and reinvigorated.

It would take a great deal of difficulty to encapsulate such a storied musical career, spanning half of a century into a condensed, 105-minute set, but JUDAS PRIEST managed to do just that; providing deep cuts, hits, fan-favorites, even the FLEETWOOD MAC cover "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)" made an appearance. All of this, while still offering up three new songs off of the new album, Invincible Shield. Including the encore - 18 songs, representing 11 albums was the final tally - a tall task for most 72-year-olds, but just another day in the office for "The Metal God" Rob Halford.

Speaking of Rob - yes, he still has those golden pipes. The sustained clean vocals and even the shrill, icepick-to-the-brain, falsettos are all still ever-present. The staples were all there; "Breaking The Law", "Painkiller", "Hell Bent For Leather", etc. But it was the deep cuts that had the hair on my neck standing on end. "Sinner", "Devil's Child", and "Rapid Fire" were all well-received and performed perfectly. Although his Parkinson's diagnosis has kept guitarist Glen Tipton sidelined, save for a few special appearances, the twin guitar attack of Andy Sneap and "The Falcon" Richie Faulkner did the material justice as they have now since 2018 and 2011, respectively.