November 16th, 2011 – Thin Lizzy, Black Label Society, & metal icons JUDAS PRIEST overtook the Rochester area with the only non-arena stop on their current “EPITAPH WORLD TOUR”. I knew, immediately, that we were all in for a real treat! The East Main Street Armory has been used by various divisions of the “National Guard” (& other reserve forces) over the years, & was restored to accommodate an occupancy of 5,000 people. It was a full house for sure, & I arrived to lines running in both directions from the main entrance that curved around the sides of the venue…eager fans “itching” to get inside.
Thin Lizzy took the stage first & got the crowed warmed up. With just two remaining original members – guitarist Scott Gorham & drummer Brian Downey – their set was impressive…playing for about 40 minutes & covering all their old hits like Jailbreak, Killer on the Loose, & Cowboy Song. Vocalist Ricky Warwick did an incredible job filling Phil Lynott’s shoes. The crowd was into it, & they closed out with the classic rock song “The Boys Are Back in Town” – the crowd echoing the chorus in unison. By that performance, I would have to agree they are BACK indeed.
Black Label Society came on with that hard rock sound that gets your head moving & fists pumping. In my opinion, Zakk Wylde is one of the most lethal guitar players of our time. I remember seeing him in 1991 with Ozzy, & knew back then that he is definitely a master at his craft. With a wall of Marshall amps behind them – Zakk, Nick Cantanese, John DeServio, & new drummer Chad Szeliga played for over an hour…including hits like Overlord, Parade of the Dead, & Fire it Up. The 10 to 15 minute guitar solo (where Zakk started from mid-stage & worked out to both sides) was surely a highlight to all fans, & a glimpse of the speed & power that BLS is known for. They ended the night with Godspeed, Hell Bound, Concrete Jungle, & Stillborn.
Then…the moment we were all waiting for. The house lights go out, & in front of the stage is a black curtain with the word “EPITAPH” in an eerie orange glow. “War Pigs” is blasting through the PA, the crowd eagerly singing along…the curtain drops…& out from the mist emerge the METAL GODS playing a blistering cover of “Rapid Fire”. An incredible journey waited, ripping through the forty years of Judas Priest. Rob Halford sounded as solid as he did the first time I saw them, never losing an ounce of his heavy metal charisma. Glenn Tipton (with his insane whammy-bar moves), & new guitarist Ritchie Faulkner, continuously nailed every riff…every solo…laying down that thick sound that only Judas Priest has. Drummer, Scott Travis, provided a colorful rhythm with the vibrant back-drop behind him, as bass player Ian Hill maintained the right-hand side of the stage giving that “perfect balance”. Playing for over two hours, & packing in over 23 songs, they continued with Heading Out To The Highway & the powerful Judas Rising – that proved Halford is still on top of his game! During some of the song breaks, Rob Halford talked about the history of the band, sharing stories of some of their most thundering experiences. One of the highlights was when they started to play “Breaking the Law”, & Halford told the crowd to sing. The place erupted in a sea of voices – nailing it “note for note” throughout the entire track. It proves that Judas Priest has not lost the “it-factor” & steadily influences even a younger generation of listeners.
You could feel the electricity in the air grow stronger, as the night progressed…ending on a high with “Painkiller” & “Electric Eye”, before coming back with an over-the-top encore of Hell Bent For Leather (in which Halford drove out on a chrome Harley with the American & British flags draped across him). Followed by You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, they came out for a second encore that had the crowd rocking to Living After Midnight. If this is indeed Judas Priest’s final world tour, they are going out with a FULL METAL ASSAULT on the senses.
Jason Kotas – November, 2011
