Judas Priest 2018 Style

Hi GMC!

Welcome to my new lesson in the style of the legends of metal: Judas Priest, an English heavy metal band formed in West Bromwich in 1969. They are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. This lesson is an update based on their modern style, check out my previous lesson to get into their classic 80's sound: LINK HERE.

Music Style:
Judas Priest are one of the pioneers of Heavy Metal. Their music has evolved a lot since their early years (70’s). They could adapt their style to the different decades and the 2010’s is not an exception. They’ve just released a new album that captures the spirit of their successful “Painkiller” but with a more modern sound. In this lesson I’ve tried to capture the feel of their new LP as an excuse to provide a new Judas Priest lesson covering their faster and more powerful side.

Tonality, Chord Progression & Scales:
Their music is mostly based on minor keys, being Aeolian and Phrygian their favorite modes ever. They have some major key tunes, mostly during the 80’s but the most known Judas Style is minor. This composition is in E minor key, and you’ll find a combination of Aeolian and Blues Scale in the riffs and chord progressions tonality.

Techniques:
This is mostly a rhythm metal lesson so you’ll train your right hand using techniques as palm muting and downpicking. You’ll have to be able to combine power chords, with single note riffs. There is also a short neoclassical style melodic idea that requires tight alternate picking technique.

Sound:
I used Fractal Ax8's 5153 Lead preset which emulates EVH 5150 amp. I used Cubase 9.5 to record audio and midi, Addictive Drumms II for drums and Trillian for bass.