Judas Priest announce colossal 42 CD '50 Heavy Metal Years of Music' box set

Featuring 13 discs of unreleased music

Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years of Music box set
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 15th Jul 2021
Last updated 15th Jul 2021

After teasing 'something amazing’ yesterday, Judas Priest have now announced they’re celebrating their 50th anniversary with a gargantuan limited-edition box set called ‘50 Heavy Metal Years of Music.’

Released on Friday 15th October 2021 via Sony Music, the expansive collection boasts all 18 of Judas Priest’s studio albums to date, all the band’s live albums and 13 discs of unreleased music.

The veritable smorgasbord of heavy metal music contained within ‘50 Heavy Metal Years of Music’ was restored and mixed by Tom Allom at La Cucina W8 and mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios.

Judas Priest singer Rob Halford said: “Judas Priest's curated box set representing 50 heavy metal years is the ultimate treasure trove defining the band's unwavering commitment to keeping and defending the heavy metal faith.”

Guitarist Glenn Tipton adds: “If there's one box set you should have in your Heavy Metal collection it should be this one - it's immortal - proclaiming and truly representing Metal for over 50 years - Flying the Flag and proudly leading the way inspiring many bands throughout the years----this 42 CD selection says it all------it's a big part of Metal history and as such will live forever.....”

Bassist and founding member Ian Hill succinctly comments: “AMAZING - 50 years of metal crammed into a small box.....!!”

Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years of Music

The ‘50 Heavy Metal Years of Music’ box set has been designed by longtime Judas Priest collaborator Mark Wilkinson (Marillion, Iron Maiden) and each CD will be housed in mini LP Japanese-style wallets.

The box set also boasts Ross Halfin photos signed by each band member - Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill, Richie Faulkner and Scott Travis – plus there are memorabilia posters from the British Steel 1980 German Tour and Defenders Of The Faith 1984 European Tour.

Completing the box set is a numbered British Steel metal razor blade (blunt), a replica British Steel tour programme, and a memorabilia book featuring rare photos, posters, adverts and passes.

Costing £345, the ‘50 Heavy Metal Years of Music’ box set is available to pre-order from Judas Priest’s official website now.

For those without deep pockets, a Reflections Edition of the box set will also be available to purchase in CD (£11) and 2LP formats (£25).

Judas Priest headline Bloodstock Festival on Sunday 15th August 2021. Tickets are on sale from Planet Rock Tickets now.

Judas Priest's '50 Heavy Metal Years of Music' track-listing:

CD1 – Rocka Rolla

CD2 – Sad Wings of Destiny

CD3 – Sin After Sin (1977)

CD4 – Stained Glass (1978)

CD5 – Killing Machine – (1978)

CD6 – Unleashed In the East (Live in Japan 1979)

CD7 – British Steel

CD8 – Point Of Entry

CD9 – Screaming for Vengeance

CD10 – Defenders of the Faith

CD11 – Turbo

CD12 & CD13 – Priest… Live!

CD14 – Ram It Down

CD15 – Painkiller

CD16 – Jugulator

CD17 & CD18 – ’98 Live Meltdown

CD19 – Demolition

CD20 & CD21 – Live in London

CD22 - Angel of Retribution

CD23 – Nostradamus (Act 1) & CD24 – Nostradamus (Act 2)

CD25 – A Touch Of Evil Live

CD26 & CD27 – Redeemer of Souls

CD29 – Firepower

5 previously unreleased live stereo recordings from the archives

Restored and edited by Tom Allom at La Cucina W8

Mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios, London

CD30 & CD31 – Live In Atlanta ’82 (Previously Unreleased)

CD30

The Hellion / Electric Eye

Riding on the Wind

Heading Out to the Highway

Metal Gods

Bloodstone

Breaking the Law

Sinner

Desert Plains

The Ripper

Diamonds and Rust

CD31

Devils Child

Screaming for Vengeance

You’ve Got Another Thing Coming

Victim of Changes

Living After Midnight

The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)

Hell Bent For Leather

CD32 - Live At The Mudd Club ’79

Hell Bent For Leather

Delivering The Goods

Running Wild

Beyond The Realms Of Death

The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)

Victim Of Changes

Rock Forever

Starbreaker

CD33 & CD34 - Live In Houston ’86

CD33

Out In The Cold

Locked In

Heading Out To The Highway

Metal Gods

Breaking The Law

Love Bites

Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

The Sentinel

Private Property

Desert Plains

Rock You All Around The World

CD34

The Hellion/ Electric Eye

Turbo Lover

Freewheel Burning

Victim Of Changes

The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)

Living After Midnight

You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’

Hell Bent For Leather

CD35 & CD36 - Live In New Haven ’88

CD35

The Hellion/ Electric Eye

Metal Gods

Sinner

Breaking The Law

Come And Get It

I’m a Rocker

The Sentinel

The Ripper

Beyond The Realms Of Death

Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

CD36

Turbo Lover

Ram It Down

Heavy Metal

Victim Of Changes

The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)

Living After Midnight

You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’

Hell Bent For Leather

CD37 - Los Angeles '90 (Previously Unreleased)

Riding on the Wind

Grinder

Heading Out to the Highway

Between the Hammer & the Anvil

Bloodstone

Better by You, Better Than Me

Leather Rebel

The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)

Hell Bent for Leather

You’ve Got Another Thing Coming

CD38 - London '81(Previously Unreleased)

Solar Angels Intro / Heading Out to the Highway

Metal Gods

Hell Bent for Leather

Breaking the Law

Sinner

Beyond the Realms of Death

Grinder

Desert Plains

You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise

Victim of Changes

The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)

CD39 - Denver '80 (Previously Unreleased)

Hell Bent for Leather

The Ripper

Running Wild

Living After Midnight

Sinner

Beyond the Realms of Death

You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise

Grinder

Victim of Changes

Steeler

Genocide

Tyrant

The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)

CD40 - Irvine '91 (Previously Unreleased)

Hell Bent for Leather

Heading Out to the Highway

The Hellion / Electric Eye

Diamonds and Rust

All Guns Blazing

Metal Gods

Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

The Ripper

Night Crawler

Turbo Lover

A Touch of Evil

Painkiller

The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)

Breaking the Law

Living After Midnight

You’ve Got Another Thing Coming

CD41 & CD42 - Beyond Live & Rare

Previously unreleased stereo recordings from the archives

CD41

Epitaph (Studio Demo) Demo from 1976’s Sad Wings Of Destiny

Solar Angels (Live) July 22, 1981 - New York, NY - The Palladium

Sinner (Live) July 22, 1981 - New York, NY - The Palladium

Desert Plains (Live) July 22, 1981 - New York, NY - The Palladium

You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise (Live) July 22, 1981 - New York, NY - The Palladium

Genocide (Live) May 09, 1978 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre

Victim Of Changes (Live) May 09, 1978 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre

Ripper (Live) May 09, 1978 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre

Screaming For Vengeance (Live) November 24, 1982 - Tucson, AZ - Tucson Convention Center

The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown) (Live) June 07, 1981 - Odessa, TX - Ector County Coliseum

Victim of Changes (Live) June 07, 1981 - Odessa, TX - Ector County Coliseum

CD42

Tyrant (Live) June 07, 1981 - Odessa, TX - Ector County Coliseum

Diamonds and Rust (Live) February 14, 1981 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Jaap Edenhal

White Heat Red Hot (Live) July 29, 1978 - Tokyo, Japan - Yuubin Chokin Hall

Better By You Better Than Me (Live) July 29, 1978 - Tokyo, Japan - Yuubin Chokin Hall

Starbreaker (Live) July 29, 1978 - Tokyo, Japan - Yuubin Chokin Hall

Rock Forever (Live) Killing Machine Tour - February 09, 1979 - Tokyo, Japan - Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan

Evil Fantasies (Live) Killing Machine Tour - February 09, 1979 - Tokyo, Japan - Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan

Troubleshooter (Live) World Wide Blitz Tour - February 29, 1981 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Rhein-Main-Halle

Grinder (Live) World Wide Blitz Tour - February 29, 1981 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Rhein-Main-Halle

The Sentinel (Live) May 02, 1984 - Albuquerque, NM - Tingley Coliseum

Freewheel Burning (Live) May 02, 1984 - Albuquerque, NM - Tingley Coliseum

All Guns Blazing (Live) August 17, 1991 - Montreal, QC, Canada - Forum de Montreal

Painkiller (Live) March 26, 1991 - Sheffield, England - Sheffield City Hall

Mother Sun (Live) October 11, 1975 - Slough, England - Slough College

Rock and metal bands named after songs by other bands, including Judas Priest:

Judas Priest

British heavy metal legends Judas Priest took inspiration for their brilliant name from the Bob Dylan song 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' from his 1967 album 'John Wesley Harding.' The moniker was the idea of early Judas Priest bassist Brian 'Bruno' Stapenhill who exited the band in 1970 before they had laid down any recordings.

Deep Purple

Initially called Roundabout, the rock legends initially toyed with band names including Orpheus, Concrete God and Sugarlump but eventually settled on Deep Purple; taken from the 1933 Peter DeRose piano composition. The song was a huge favourite of Ritchie Blackmore's grandmother and she would often perform it on piano throughout Ritchie's childhood.

Mr Big

In 1988, Eric Martin, Billy Sheehan, Paul Gilbert and the late-great Pat Torpey named their new band after the Free song 'Mr. Big', which appeared on their breakthrough 1970 album 'Fire and Water'. Mr. Big later covered 'Mr. Big' on their third studio album 'Bump Ahead' in 1993.

Motörhead

After being dismissed from Hawkwind in 1975 following an arrest for drug possession in Canada, Lemmy started his own self-professed "fast and vicious" band and took the name Motörhead from the final song he had penned for Hawkwind just a few months earlier, 'Motorhead'. Two years later, Motörhead re-recorded 'Motorhead' as the opening track on their eponymous debut album.

Poison

Originally called Paris upon their formation in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1983, singer Bret Michaels, guitarist Matt Smith, bassist Bobby Dall and drummer Rikki Rockett wisely ditched their tame sounding band name in favour of 'Poison'; a nod to the 1981 track 'Poison' by glam metallers 'Sinner'.

Nazareth

The Scottish hard rock veterans were called the Shadettes upon their formation in the late 1960s but were unhappy with what they perceived to be a 'lightweight' name. They decided to hit a boozer to discuss a new name when 'The Weight' by The Band started playing through the bar's soundsystem. Upon hearing the opening line "I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead", bassist Pete Agnew suggested 'Nazareth' and the band agreed. The rest, they say, is history.

Volbeat

Danish rockers Volbeat took their name from the 1997 studio album 'Vol.Beat' by singer Michael Poulsen's previous band, the death metal act Dominus.

The Rolling Stones

Founder and original band leader Brian Jones gave The Rolling Stones their moniker after the 1950 Muddy Waters track 'Rollin' Stone'. The fledgling group played their first show as The Rolling Stones on 12th July 1962, at the famous Marquee Club in London.

Sepultura

The idea of former guitarist, singer and co-founding band member Max Cavalera, the Brazilian metallers called themselves Sepultura, which is the Portuguese word for "grave". Max took inspiration from one of his favourite songs, Motörhead's 'Dancing On Your Grave.'

Radiohead

Founded in Oxford in mid-1980s, Radiohead were originally called On A Friday in reference to their music rehearsal day at Abingdon School. When they signed a six-album deal with EMI in 1991, the imprint implored them to change their name and they ultimately took their band name from the song 'Radio Head' from Talking Heads' 1986 album 'True Stories'.

Bad Brains

Washington DC punks Bad Brains named themselves after the Ramones track 'Bad Brain', which appears on their 1978 album 'Road To Ruin'.

Lady Gaga

Stefani Germanotta's stage name is derived from the Queen classic 'Radio Ga Ga'. Producer Rob Fusari claims to have been the person who coined 'Lady Gaga' in the mid-noughties when they worked together.

At The Drive-In

Influential post-hardcore noisemakers At The Drive-In got their moniker from a line in Poison's 1987 single 'Talk Dirty To Me' – "Cause baby we'll be / At the drive-in / In the old man's ford / Behind the bushes / Till I'm screamin' for more." The name was guitartist Jim Ward's suggestion shortly after the band former in 1993.

Seether

Formed in South Africa in 1999 as Saron Gas, the band ditched the name as their US label Wind-up Records noted its similarity to the toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound, sarin gas. Ultimately they settled on Seether after the 1994 Veruca Salt single 'Seether'.

The Sisters of Mercy

When they formed 40 years ago in Leeds, the gothic rockers took their name from the Leonard Cohen track 'Sisters of Mercy' from his seminal 1967 album 'Songs of Leonard Cohen.' The Sisters of Mercy took inspiration from Robert Altman's 1971 movie McCabe & Mrs Miller thats' soundtracked by three Leonard Cohen songs.

Stiff Little Fingers

Previously called Highway Star and The Fast, the Belfast punks eventually decided to call themselves Stiff Little Fingers after the 1977 Vibrators song of the same name.

Overkill

Wisely abandoning the prospective band name Virgin Killer (a nod to the Scorpions), New Jersey thrash metallers Overkill ultimately honoured their other musical heroes Motörhead by naming themselves after the trio's 1979 album 'Overkill' and the single of the same name.

Panic! at the Disco

Although many people erroneously think that Panic! at the Disco are named after The Smiths' song 'Panic' and its chorus of "burn down the disco", former band leader Brendon Urie has said in multiple interviews that they take their name from a track also called 'Panic' by Californian emo band Name Taken. The song's lyrics read: "Panic at the disco/Sat back and took it so slow/Are you nervous?/Are you shaking?".

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