Tag Archives: dave holland

Features, In Memoriam

Reflecting On The 2018 Deaths In Music

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As our Entertainment Year draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment and reflect upon the numerous artist losses that we found happening over the past year in 2018. While its true that there is often a longer “In Memoriam” post done for some of the artists here on the PiercingMetal website, it’s all too difficult to do such a piece for every single musician or entertainment personality that we lose. I think I’d need a dedicated writer for that alone. In similar fashion to the full listing that I began last year in this fashion, I culled the research sources and tried to cite all the names that our demographic might be most familiar with. Should a longer “In Memoriam” post exist on the site, I will highlight the name so you can examine that article at your leisure. Let’s say goodbye to these talented people once more before 2018 end.

January 1, 2018: Jon Paul Steuer (33), American punk singer and actor
January 2, 2018: Rick Hall (85), American record producer
January 3, 2018: Josiah Boyd (32), American heavy metal bassist (A Hill to Die Upon)
January 4, 2018: Ray Thomas (76), British progressive rock flautist (The Moody Blues)
January 5, 2018: Mikio Fujioka (36), Japanese heavy metal guitarist (Babymetal)
January 9, 2018: Paul Antingnani, American heavy metal drummer (Sworn Enemy)
January 10, 2018: “Fast” Eddie Clarke (67), British heavy metal guitarist (Motörhead, Fastway)
January 15, 2018: Dolores O’Riordan (46), Irish alternative rock singer-songwriter (The Cranberries)
January 16, 2018: Dave Holland (69), English heavy metal drummer (Judas Priest, Trapeze)
January 20, 2018: Jim Rodford (76), British rock bassist (Argent, The Kinks, The Zombies)

February 7, 2018: Pat Torpey (64), American hard rock drummer (Mr. Big)
February 9, 2018: Craig MacGregor (68), American rock bassist (Foghat)
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Features, PiercingMetal Says

The Judas Priest Name Generator Makes Your Name A Real “Painkiller”

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Before I begin this little bit of fun I have to tell you or remind you about if you are among those who might have forgotten this notion about me; I am a big fan of the legendary Judas Priest. So I always tell people that I have three favorite bands and they are KISS, Van Halen and Judas Priest and before you think the third spot is a slight it’s an even “2” for me as KISS always seems to be the top tier. Both Halen and Priest are the same level IMHO and that’s what makes this installment into the content library of PiercingMetal.com so much fun. Do you remember a couple of years ago when we posted about that Metallica Name Generator? Whichever your answer was doesn’t matter since I will link to that later on in the post. In honor of the bands brand-new album “Firepower” there is now a Name Generator to get your own letters or maybe even your bands name in the same font as Judas Priest. As expected I ran this for the PiercingMetal site and think that I like that one even more than I do the one for Metallica. Take a look down below.

piercingmetal judas priest logo
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Features, PiercingMetal Says

PiercingMetal Visits The Judas Priest Pop-Up Shop @ Sony Square NYC

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This past Friday, March 9th – The Legendary Judas Priest released their 18th album with “Firepower”. In honor of the Metal Magnus Opus, the fine folks at Sony Square NYC have set up a small gallery of photographs, memorabilia and stage attire. Since I had to be in the city for the Michael Schenker Fest performance at Irving Plaza, I paid a visit to the store to see the gallery and shoot some photos and video for those too far away to get here themselves. The photos video were shot with the Samsung point and shoot while the Facebook Live and Instagram stuff were done with my new Galaxy Note 8. Let’s take a look at the video first shall we?

Pretty cool right? Now let’s share the photos of the exhibit on their own to allow for better appreciation of the mighty band. That first thing we saw was an interactive screen and it would do what you did. I tried to make it give the METAL HORNS and you can see me trying to type notes down in the left hand corner.

judas priest, sony square nyc, judas priest pop-up shop
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Features, Milestones

Judas Priest’s “Turbo” @ Thirty Years

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Turn that guitar synthesizer up to “11” my friends because on this very day in music history, the great Judas Priest released their 10th studio album with “Turbo”. Now I know some of you younger fans might be wondering what the “synthesizer” reference is all about and well, the simple answer is when this album was first unveiled to the public many were surprised that there was a sleek synthesizer sound to the guitars. Some loved it and some hated it. Oh who am I kidding, when Priest followed up their monster “Defenders Of The Faith” with this one a lot of people were left scratching their heads. I am included in this number because it just felt so odd for them to have employed this after such a crushing release. When it was first released the fans were under the assumption that this was to be a double album but when the single LP release came out the larger discussion stopped about that. Remember these are the days before the means of Googling everything and unless you knew someone in the inner sanctum of the record industry you were not getting the full scoop about what was coming out or not. By 1986 I was very into The Priest and had been a diehard acolyte to their Metal ways since my full listening of “Unleashed In The East” a few years prior to “Turbo” coming out. Historically speaking I had actually only gotten into the band about seven years before. 1986 was a hot and heavy year for the MTV channel and many bands were focusing on their images and sound in order to better cater it to the network and Judas Priest would not be a band to let the chance to reach many more fans go by them. The black leather and chains had been replaced by more colorful stage garb and there might have been a little more hairspray in the dressing room than there had been in the past.
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Features, Milestones

Judas Priests “Defenders Of The Faith” Is 30 Years Old (1984-2014)

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Before I get into this one, let me first get out the information that this album’s true 30th Anniversary was on Saturday 1/4/2014; However, with the “New Year’s Music Resolution” series just beginning and a full plate to contend with I held off a few days before getting to raise a glass and a hearty pair of horns to Judas Priest’s fantastic “Defenders Of The Faith” which is celebrating being thirty years and four days old today. Happy Anniversary to a seriously heavy album; let me scroll back in time and give you some personal opinion on it.

judas priest logo

“Defenders Of The Faith” is Judas Priest’s 9th album and followed their incredible “Screaming For Vengeance” release of 1982. I was already a Priest fan and had been continually listening since “Hell Bent For Leather” and like many fans of the band around this time, I was happy to see them keeping it nice and heavy and on the fast side with the newest release. Yeah “British Steel” and “Point Of Entry” had some moments but I craved the intensity that they were capable of and with “Defenders” they did not disappoint. I recalled going to the neighborhood record store almost immediately after it was put on the shelves and got the group of fellow Priest fans to join me in a listen down in my parent’s basement. From the moment that the needle hit the grooves on that black disc and the first razor riffs of “Freewheel Burning” began we were all sold on the release. Sure it was only the first track but “Jawbreaker” followed it and that was intense and while “Rock Hard Ride Free” was more of a sing along type of track it only helped warm us up for “The Sentinel” (which became one of my very own personal favorites on the album in addition to the opener). The Metallian kept on riding proud and sinister with its power as “Love Bites” blasted through the speakers and of course since we were dealing with an LP we had to pause our enjoyment and turn the album over. Oh yea and should you not really know what “The Metallian” actually is, it’s that monstrous creature that is presented on the albums cover. It was conceptualized by the members of the band and during their worldwide tour would be on the stage with them. I had to say that was pretty damn cool. Doug Johnson designed it for their album cover. Nice work Doug.
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