Rob Halford has a superhuman voice.

when rob sings COMMENDED TO HELL in the end, its like 1986 priest.

In my honest opinion, as a true fan of his work, 2004 is the year in which Rob Halford's voice started to change for good. Where Father Time started to creep up on his ability to produce the same sounds consistently. Considering this concert, which contains an excellent Rob-sung Painkiller (by album standards let alone live standards) is exactly ten years ago, and three albums before this large change, it is an excellent way to compare. However I am definitely not going to dwell on comparing 80s Rob to the present day, he was beyond comparison, it is a redundant argument. Songs like Freewheel Burning, and especially the Sentinel which require strong CLEAN highs, often seem to be more taxing than a comparatively black and white song like Painkiller. However I am not negating anything he can do now... 2014 has seen a resurgence in his powers somewhat which is lovely to hear. So I'd like to talk more about Rob in general. It's always an interesting, if sobering topic talking about a singer's peaks and troughs, especially if they have graced our eyes and ears for so long, and if so many people love what they do and can't imagine the band lineup without him or her. Rob Halford holds a special place in my heart as a singer due to his wonderful legacy and how unique his freakishly exciting voice is. I say "is" due to how he seems to have come to grips with what his talents offer him again in the 2014 tour, and they seem to be a more energized and happy outfit once more. No Painkiller, no Sentinel, no Freewheel Burning, no Blood Red Skies to hamper him outside of the nostalgic (Montreal 2011 for the latter was spectacular however). I'm not surprised he seems more relaxed without those dark clouds on his laryngeal horizon. In my opinion, as a true fan of his work, the area of his voice that has tended to suffer the most at the end of tours or after major changes in musical direction was around his passagio roundabouts A4 (A above middle C) to D5 (D above tenor high C). In the 70s and 80s you could almost feel his voice changing shape in that unique way to accomodate the arrival around these notes, as he zoomed seamlessly right over his break. Even when you look to very different voices such as Maria Callas, who sang dramatic, heavy Wagnerian soprano roles as a supple voiced youngster, to then transition to lighter bel canto roles as she grew older, roles which demand height, precision and all sorts of coloratura jiggery pokery, for longevity's sake it should be the other way around, similar transitional and tonal problems arise. Therein lies the dichotomy between "can" and "should" and more importantly "when". Halford to me is the definitive example of a metal rock singer who's tenor effectively takes him into soprano territory, his registers mixed with a lot of cleverness, talent, and stretching to human extremes. Going back to major stylistic changes, it does sound to me like many things happened between Ram It Down and Painkiller, emotionally as well as physically. That court case must have made him question a hell of a lot of things perhaps including himself to a certain extent. As a singer myself I had a lover steal money from me, and I just couldn't sing like I wanted to, nothing was there. The stress Rob was under must have been exhausting. We saw a similar difference when Rob came back for Angel of Retribution, this time the contrast between him and what he was in the 78 to 88 epoch were hard to overlook (as glad as I was to see him back). Still capable of wonderful and emotional delivery, that acoustic version of Diamonds and Rust in Japan seemed to be the kind of material his voice could handle gorgeously, it goes up to the B under tenor C near the end I think. Yet that operatic, drawn out THING he used to do with seemingly no effort, - that sound you didn't quite know whether it was a reinforced falsetto, a man shouting at the top of his lungs, or the dancing lovechild of both, peppered with that clean consistent vibrato, was almost gone. I'm quite happy that the rest of the band seem to agree with him post-Redeemer that (in his words, as I red in an article a few years ago) there are just some songs that he "couldn't sing anymore". He had already been singing those monsters from DOTF, including The Sentinel, and Painkiller using a higher, screechier area but bringing that down to a key where that tone had less body. Freewheel Burning in 2009 is another good example - I wanted to applaud him for wanting to deliver such a fast, multi- textural beast of a song in the same key, but also wanted to remind him of his words that I read in the same article: they would have to "find another way" to do it, regarding as much as he would love to sing "Run of the Mill" again. I wouldn't have minded. It's a testament to how much the man cares about his fan-base. I'm happy to see Devil's Child making a great comeback using a lot of his screechier, slightly less connected high and he doesn't seem to mind that the falsetto carries through now and again. Better late than never, but the Metal God is really an example of singing smart as well as hard (providing he gives Painkiller a rest, or puts the creature to bed ;P ) and while he doesn't have the hubris of his younger years, and he generally sounds different, he is after all in his 60s. Naysayers can never say that he still doesn't have all the talent. Scream on RJAH x

@BIOSHOCKFOXX

9 жыл бұрын

Even so, that's one of the best, if not the best, shouting I have heard from him, such power.

@KarlKeesel

9 жыл бұрын

halford is unique!!!! no one cant replace him.... for me his voice is perfect, without his actual voice Nostradamos will be not the same... his actual lower and darker voice make the album AWESOME!!! ROB HALFORD FOREVEEER!!! sorry my english is not very good jajsjsj lol

@dalestrom1

8 жыл бұрын

tl, dr. Just kidding ;) Great take.

@sabbathtribute

6 жыл бұрын

Michael Gadsby Very well said. You certainly have a full appreciation for Halford as I do. He has always been a smart singer and a class act. And whether he has all his chops or not, he will always be special. He is truly the METAL GOD.

@KarlKeesel

6 жыл бұрын

Now in 2018 his singing abilities are going better than the last 14 years

I WAS THERE !!!

I was there, just two meters from the stage!!! Judas Priest - METAL GODS

4:25 sounds just like the 85 fuel for life tour and there is a couple more after that that sound as good aswell

robs screaming can make a banshee screams look like a kitten puring!!!!!

The 0 "I dont like" prove this is a master piece, probably the best of Priest, and my personal favorite

Era a volta do mestre...voz ardida como sempre

Superb !!!!!!❤❤❤❤

the best song with the best singer!!!

i say he hits almost every note of 1986 on this video

This is hands down, the best live version of The Sentinel out there, Halford was great on the vocals and so was the band. Don't get those comments saying they were messing up the song, this version is great

@Antarath

6 жыл бұрын

The Sentinel live 86 (Fuel For Life tour) is perfection for me at least :)

@satyadasgumbyji8956

2 жыл бұрын

'84 Long Beach is the GOAT, with a buzzed, closeted, pre-Turbo purple pink nightmare Halford, the way we loved him! RIP Priest!!!🤘😔

@wickedfuctup

Жыл бұрын

No it isn't. Look at the 86 version. 10x better.

@IanM1984 Yeah, the Epitaph tour is mindblowing, and I think Halford's voice is better now than in their (Priest) 2005/2008 performances

I was there!!!

Halford's voice is somehow more angry, more biting in this performance than in his younger years.

Halford doesn't go for the ending anymore (2011) like on this one(2005). Of course nothing compares to the Turbo tour. He's like a professional athlete and we're blessed he's still doing it. It's like Jordan being in the NBA at 60.

i fucking love this song.

GREETINGS FROM BULGARIA!!!JUDAS PRIEST ROCK !!! BUT SADLY I MISSED THIS PLAY.YOU KNOW WHY?BECAUSE NOW I AM 14(after 5 days-15) AND WAS 2 LITTLE TO KNOW THE REAL MUSIC.WELL NOW I KNOW IT,AND UNLIKE MY FRIENDS-NOW LISTENING TECHNO AND POP I WILL KEEP THE REAL BAND IN MY HEARTH FOREVER!

Wow, I had no idea until now that they actually played this song during Halford's second (current) tenure in the band...AWESOME! Would be awesome if they busted this out again for their tour next year.

that's what I'd call HEAVY METAL!!!!!! :)

JUDAS PRIEST

awesome

Thanks for putting real music up

yeahhhh

@megapurify No. I saw him in Katowice a few weeks ago and was blown away by his singing.

@IanM1984 I'm happy to read your comment, and I really hope you're right, since I just order tickets to see them in Dec...

@vwmaniacs don't agree i think it was incredible in here, absolutly amazing and his best Tour was Resurrection world tour, just listen to resurrection in rock in rio or live insurrection here on youtube

@andmarish Rob just rejoined, what'd you expect. They're steamrolling now! Check out British Steel anniversary.

Halford deserved his Throne back, But honestly i was sad to see Ripper go, Demolition was a masterpiece and Tim's voice cuda went 20 more years!

this is the great stage no a their new in epitaph tour:( but rob' s voice is awsome today too

@MrChannel5news Hell Yea!

F****** Mad

@slutypet Halford is The Metal God. His voice is ∞ worth. 85% of ∞ is still ∞.

@edgar867 Turbo Tour (Fuel for life, Priest... Live!) performance

I love this song, indeed he sang it better on the 80s, but I like better Rippers version.

Which one?

You came to hear this: 4:25

Ainda tinha voz aguda pra cantar o refrão

is this tha last time they played this song

Halford has almost never used falsetto.

Hell yeah - they are awesome - unfortunately I doubt Halford is able to hit those high notes... check out the live version of Dreamer from The Old Grey Whistle Test (or something like that) from 1975 - it's fucking awesome! I would also like to hear Blood Red Skies live - does a version exist? /Cheers

@MrChannel5news I suppose you feel confident with your music, so let us entertain ours. :)

He can't sing anymore.Halford due to many tours made with Priest and "bad" life lost his voice.The last good performance is in Ram It Down tour.Nothing after is compared to the old good days.Sad but true....

Compare this whit watch?v=NIK1HR5f3rM and...how i miss that voice :(

Un peu kich, mais absolutely excellent !!!

@charliefreak21 I wished he atleast tried on the high notes in the chorus

i think halford sang it good!

REALLY?!?!? How bout no? Hail Halford the Metal God \m/

Oh boy. Halford is getting old. Its still pretty good considering his age but its not like it was. Age hasnt done him quite as well as it has bruce dickinson.

@mikiszezas5983

7 жыл бұрын

ericgarretson1 Thats life bro!But in his prime he was unbeatable..

@CatboxDesign hey. i didn't say the guy sucked. just saying he sounds like he did the 80's is going a little too far. he can't do half of what he used to. did i say he had no talent, or didn't deserve to still be doing it? no. so stop getting all butthurt just because I said something you don't agree with. i'm a huge Priest fan and love Halford's voice, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna make a false statement like that.

Bruce was in a bad shape during that show in 85. Check out Bruce singing aces high 2008, 2009, 2010.... Better studio version, even,,,,

Halford sings quite well but he must concentrate much..

bring ripper back please

@neil17z You'll enjoy them, my friend. If you're interested, I wrote a review of their concert. Look it up with the search words 'Judas Priest Wroclaw workshops' and you'll find it :)

eeeeeee they do a blody good job of it, eh?

@StaSioN666 nice joke dude

Halford almost always used falsetto. Read a book

@KarlKeesel

5 жыл бұрын

He use mixed voice not pure falsetto read a book

That is a pretty dumb comment. Bruce Dickinson sings for one of the best metal bands. I like Halford but he doesn't sing two octaves higher than dickinson. Probably can't even sing as high as him now. Plus Halford used falsetto for most of his career. Next time you comment know what you are talking about

@beautifulsarah100 Not even close. Iron Maiden fans would beat you to a pulp if you talked even the slightest bad about them. Priest are my favorite band, trust me. But Iron Maiden far beats Priest for which has the most devoted (and most elitist) diehard fans.

Hahahaha no.

Machine Head's version is better...

@bakalaudia5620

5 жыл бұрын

Hell no.Machine head's version sucks.

i don't remember bruce singing aces high as he did in studio in any concert. he was terrible at live after death which was recorded in 1985. bruce is only good at studio.

@mikiszezas5983

7 жыл бұрын

OverLord987 Are you crazy my boy?

2 old men wearing teenager outfits that do not fit them with a hair style resembling that of a woman that play wierd looking guitars. How entertaining.