Editing Judas Priest (section)

== Artistry ==
=== Musical style and influences ===
Judas Priest's style has always been rooted in heavy metal, and many of their albums reflect diverse aspects of the genre; for example, their debut album, ''[[Rocka Rolla]]'' (1974), is primarily rooted in heavy [[blues rock]]. From ''[[Sad Wings of Destiny]]'' (1976) through ''[[Stained Class]]'' (1978), the band's style was somewhat progressive, with complex guitar passages and poetic lyrics. Songs would often shift in dynamics and tempo, and the music was some of the heaviest of its day. This would later have a major influence on [[progressive metal]] and [[stoner rock]] bands.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} ''[[Sin After Sin]]'' (1977) used a combination of [[double bass drum]] (or "double kick") and rapid 16th-note bass rhythms combined with rapid 16th-note guitar rhythms used by [[Black Sabbath]], [[Venom (band)|Venom]], and [[Motörhead]] that came to define the genre.<ref name=Cope>{{cite book|author=Andrew Laurence Cope|title=Black Sabbath and the Rise of Heavy Metal Music|date=28 January 2013|publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-4094-9398-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ft-hAgAAQBAJ&q=Dissident%20Aggressor&pg=PT139}}</ref> While the double-bass rhythms used by Judas Priest are generally measured and technical, the song "[[Dissident Aggressor]]" (from ''Sin After Sin'') pushed an increase in "tempo and aggression", which was later adopted by other bands with a much harder-edged approach.<ref name=Cope />

Starting with their fifth album, ''[[Killing Machine]]'' (1978), the band began to incorporate a more commercial, radio-friendly style to their music. ''[[British Steel (album)|British Steel]]'' has been referred to as the "record that, more than any other, codified what we mean by heavy metal".<ref>{{cite web|last=Wilkinson |first=Roy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/may/20/judas-priest-rob-halford-british-steel |title=How Judas Priest invented heavy metal |work=The Guardian |date=20 May 2010 |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> The lyrics and music were simplified, and this style prevailed up to their seventh album, ''[[Point of Entry]]'' (1981). With their eighth album, ''[[Screaming for Vengeance]]'' (1982), the band incorporated a balance of these two styles. This continued on ''[[Defenders of the Faith]]'' (1984). With the follow-up album, ''[[Turbo (Judas Priest album)|Turbo]]'' (1986), the band incorporated guitar synthesizers into its signature heavy metal sound. On 1988's ''[[Ram It Down]]'', the band retained some of the more commercial qualities of ''Turbo'' but also returned to some of the fast tempo heavy metal found on their earlier works. This fast-tempo style continued with 1990's ''[[Painkiller (Judas Priest album)|Painkiller]]''. ''[[Jugulator]]'' (1997) tried to incorporate some of the 1990s contemporary [[groove metal]] styles. ''[[Demolition (Judas Priest album)|Demolition]]'' (2001) has a more traditional heavy metal sound with [[nu metal]] elements. Following the return of Halford for ''[[Angel of Retribution]]'' and ''[[Nostradamus (album)|Nostradamus]]'', the band returned to the style of its early albums.<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|title=Judas Priest {{!}} Biography & History|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/judas-priest-mn0000246611/biography|publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

The band's popularity and status as one of the exemplary and influential heavy metal bands has earned them the nickname "Metal Gods" from their [[Metal Gods|song of the same name]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Berelian |first=Essi |title=The Rough Guide to Heavy Metal |year=2005 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn= 1-84353-415-0 |page=172}}</ref>

Halford listened to and was influenced by [[Little Richard]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Janis Joplin]], and [[Robert Plant]] as a vocalist. He learned to push to the limits of his vocal abilities by their vocal demonstrations on record.<ref name="mastropolo">{{cite web|url=http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/08/05/judas-priest-interview-redeemer-of-souls-rob-halford-tipton-faulkner-spinal-tap/#sthash.l0w4o4nf.YhqbnrCM.dpbs|title=Four Decades of Hellfire with Judas Priest (Interview) – Rock Cellar Magazine|date=5 August 2014|website=Rockcellarmagazine.com|first=Frank|last=Mastropolo|access-date=22 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221154255/http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/08/05/judas-priest-interview-redeemer-of-souls-rob-halford-tipton-faulkner-spinal-tap/#sthash.l0w4o4nf.YhqbnrCM.dpbs|archive-date=21 February 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> He developed a powerful, operatic vocal style with an impressive range from lower throaty growls to ear-piercing high screams with strong [[vibrato]]. He was also a fan of [[Freddie Mercury]], referring to him as his ultimate hero.<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/may/20/judas-priest-rob-halford-british-steel|title=How Judas Priest invented heavy metal|first=Roy|last=Wilkinson|date=20 May 2010|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=22 January 2018}}</ref>

=== Fashion ===
In addition to the sound, Judas Priest are also known for being revolutionary in [[heavy metal fashion]].<ref name="Bukszpan" /> In the band's early years, they dressed in hippie-style 1970s outfits, but as the decade drew to a close, the rise of punk rock made this look outdated, so the band began wearing simplified wardrobes on their 1978 tour. For the 1979 tour, Halford adopted his now-trademark leather-and-studs look, inspired by punk fashion and [[leather culture]]. The rest of the band adopted a similar style which became prominent at the time of their 1978 release, ''[[Killing Machine]]''. This style would go on to be adopted by many heavy metal bands in the early 1980s, especially those of the [[new wave of British heavy metal]] and early [[black metal]] movements.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hell Bent for Leather/Killing Machine Info Page| publisher=Judas Priest Info Pages |url=http://members.firstinter.net/markster/KILLINGMACHINE.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702171452/http://members.firstinter.net/markster/KILLINGMACHINE.html |archive-date=2 July 2007}}</ref> To this day, it is not uncommon to find metal artists and fans sporting such a look at concerts.

In a published quote on the back cover of [[K. K. Downing]]'s autobiography ''Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest'', Downing said that Judas Priest "had a bit of an identity crisis from the beginning. There was always a bit of a question mark about the band's look. To me, it never seemed to say anything—and in the earliest days of our career, I suppose I actually saw that as a good thing."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/k-k-downing-i-think-judas-priest-had-a-bit-of-an-identity-crisis-from-the-beginning/|title=K.K. DOWNING: 'I Think JUDAS PRIEST Had A Bit Of An Identity Crisis From The Beginning'|work=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref>

Downing claims that he was the one who came up with the band's black-leather look back when he first started in the music business. He explains, "I had this Heavy Metal attitude inside of me. I had it all of my life. When I got into Judas Priest I knew I had a band that had a great name. I knew we were a great band ... but something was not quite complete. The leather and studs image came along and it all started to complete itself. We had the album cover with the razor blade ... and Heavy Metal was born, mate. I was a youngster and it came to me. Around 1976 is when it happened. The band took to it and got on with it, really."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://classicrockrevisited.com/show_interview.php?id=1284|author=Wright, Jeb|title=K.K. Downing – Wild Nights & Lots of Words!|publisher=classicrockrevisited.com}}</ref>

Although Halford adopted the gay leather fetish wear for the band's look, he stated that he "had no interest in [[S&M]], [[Dominance and submission|domination]] or the whole [[queer]] subcult of leather and chains" because he is a [[Conventional sex|vanilla]] gay man. He feels that fans of the era also did not suspect a homosexual or [[Kink (sexuality)|kink]] subtext in the leather-and-studs look.<ref>{{cite web |website=Rock and Roll Garage |title=Rob Halford recalls why Judas Priest started using leather |first=Rafael |last=Polcaro |date=December 10, 2020 |url=https://rockandrollgarage.com/rob-halford-recalls-why-judas-priest-started-using-leather/ }}</ref> However, following Halford's coming out as gay, modern listeners often identify Judas Priest as having queer themes in their lyrics and fashion.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 6, 2019 |website=Kerrang |first=Sam |last=Moore |title=We Need To Talk About The Queerness Of Judas Priest|url=https://www.kerrang.com/we-need-to-talk-about-the-queerness-of-judas-priest }}</ref>