The Metal gods Judas Priest themselves make their triumphant return to Hellfest for an explosive, hit-packed set.
Judas Priest – Hellfest 2022 – 19 June 2022.
Sunday 19 June 2022.
Words: Kahmel Farahani
Photography: Aggie Anthimidou
Judas Priest burst onto the stage, ripping through the classic One Shot At Glory.
If the last year has proven anything, it is that The Priest are icons that will not be beaten down or stopped by anything. With less than a year since his life-saving heart operation, guitar maestro Richie Faulkner is back and playing without even the slightest slowdown.
As the band kick into the sing-along of You’ve Got Another Thing Coming, it’s a solid reminder of how lucky all Metal fans are to still have Judas Priest flying the flag.
A ferocious Freewheel Burning is followed by Turbo Lover with the sea of headbangers loving every second. The one-two punch of Green Manalishi and Diamonds and Rust may just be the highlight of their set, and frontman Rob Halford’s vocals are truly ageless.
As the lights go dim and the sound of motorcycles revving engines fills the air, the crowd erupts to Halford’s classic entrance on his motorbike before the band kick into Hell Bent For Leather.
“We’ve got time for one more song,” announces drummer Scott Travis, “now which one will it be?”. The drums kick into Living After Midnight, and the crowd goes wild, with crowd surfers flying by.
As the band take a well-deserved bow, the screens light up with their traditional sign-off, “The Priest will be back”.
We can only hope that Judas Priest never leaves, as the Metal gods have shown yet again they are the ones to beat. The standard for every Heavy Metal band, new and old.
Judas Priest – Hellfest – Setlist
One Shot at Glory
Lightning Strike
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Freewheel Burning
Turbo Lover
Hell Patrol
The Sentinel
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)
Diamonds & Rust
Painkiller
Encore:
The Hellion
Electric Eye
Hell Bent for Leather
Breaking the Law
Living After Midnight
Hellfest 2022 will be held over two weekends in June, featuring 350 artists on six stages. For more information visit www.hellfest.fr/en/
You can read all the MetalTalk Hellfest coverage at metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2022
This year there is also a virtual edition, Hellfest From Home. For more details visit fromhome.hellfest.fr
