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"