Judas Priest

Logan wrote: ^ That was an interesting discussion. While I didn't add much to it, it did get me to explore more Judas Priest. It's interesting to compare that discussion with this one -- there generally was more "fire" and hard debate in the forums back then. It was subsequently suggested for inclusion several times, this is another of the longer threads: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=82433 (this time from 2011). Blacksword wrote: You're alone. They're a heavy metal band... They can be a Heavy Metal band and have a Prog Relation, and the evidence of the many threads suggesting Judas Priest for PA inclusion suggests to me that the OP is not alone, but perhaps I'm misunderstanding your position and/ or you were just being sarcastic (I've been told that I don't get irony, ironically, when I was responding to someone ironically in a self-deprecating manner). It's hard to read people online in a sufficiently nuanced and charitable manner sometimes, and I try to be liberal-minded when it comes to such discussions (i.e. keep an open mind).

No sarcasm. I regard them as a heavy metal band. Their prog influence is evident here and there throughout their catalogue, but they wouldn't be suitable for inclusion here under, say Prog Related. The emphasis is too much on metal. I feel the same about Maiden, although IIRC, they are listed here for some reason.

Vompatti wrote: About as prog related as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep etc.

About as prog related as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep etc.

I don't think the OP wanted to suggest the addition of Judas Priest to the database - somethingum that has been suggested (and shot down) multiple times - but the presence of prog elements in their music. If you listen to the band's first four albums, these elements are undeniable. With the release of Killing Machine/Hell Bent for Leather in late 1978, JP took a definite heavy metal direction, cemented by British Steel two years later. Anyway, while they were influential for the development of progressive metal, I believe Black Sabbath's influence to be much greater in regard to progressive rock. At least half of the modern bands in the Psych/Space category would not exist without Black Sabbath.

Possibly the quintessential (if not best) heavy metal band. They practically define that genre. Prog related is pushing it, though they did have lots of songs with dramatic pacing and multiple sections beyond verse/chorus/bridge.

micky wrote: well in all honestly Jose.. you've been around long enough to know this.. this forum isn't what it used to be and is rehashes (like this thread) of topics done many many times over the years.  pluse there is my theory on the state of prog today and the disintegration of what we once had as far as a prog community.. it really has fragmented and this site is not the meeting place or ground zero of prog it once was.

micky wrote: rushfan4 wrote: If you want the blow by blow discussion I have the thread for you.  http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=47114&KW=judas+priest&PID=2793608#2793608 damn.. a literal greatest hits thread of many of our dearly departed forum greats..

Like the pic of them above....they must have had a sale on leather jackets one size too small.

^ That was an interesting discussion. While I didn't add much to it, it did get me to explore more Judas Priest. It's interesting to compare that discussion with this one -- there generally was more "fire" and hard debate in the forums back then. It was subsequently suggested for inclusion several times, this is another of the longer threads: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=82433 (this time from 2011).

Blacksword wrote: You're alone. They're a heavy metal band...

They can be a Heavy Metal band and have a Prog Relation, and the evidence of the many threads suggesting Judas Priest for PA inclusion suggests to me that the OP is not alone, but perhaps I'm misunderstanding your position and/ or you were just being sarcastic (I've been told that I don't get irony, ironically, when I was responding to someone ironically in a self-deprecating manner). It's hard to read people online in a sufficiently nuanced and charitable manner sometimes, and I try to be liberal-minded when it comes to such discussions (i.e. keep an open mind).

I'm voting yes on how I understand the question as illustrated and interpret the phrasing of the question. While I would not endorse the inclusion of Judas Priest in Prog Archives and would not describe Judas Priest as a Prog Related band, I hear a Heavy Prog Relation in music off the early Judas Priest albums albums such as Sad Wings of Destiny and Rocka Rolla and a Prog Metal Relation in Nostradamus. So when voting "yes" I'm rephrasing the question from "Isn't Priest a Prog Related Band?" to "Is Priest a Prog Related Band?" (to avoid possible confusion as it's been phrased in the negative form), then to "Does Judas Priest have music with a Prog relation?"

I think that JP has music that is comparable to music we have in PA such as Black Sabbath and other music on the Heavy Metal/ Hard Bluesy Rock side that we have in PA (that said, I do think that BS had the stronger case for inclusion).

Indeed there is a huge amount of music from the 70s that had Prog elements or a Prog influence without necessarily being considered Prog or Prog Related.   Last night I was listening again to Parliament's first album Osmium, and like early Funkadelic, there is a "Progginess" to it (sorry if that P word annoys). I'm reminded of an old discussion where Funkadelic was suggested (not by me) for inclusion, and there seemed to be claims that Funkadelic/ Parliament has nothing to do with Prog or was a completely ludicrous suggestion, which I found rather baffling as P-Funk has music that clearly has a Prog Relation to my ears, which is not to say that it/they should be included in the Archives. There are a great many such cases.