Defenders Of The Faith, le forum Metal

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AL ATKINS is the former lead singer and founder of the multi-million selling British heavy metal band JUDAS PRIEST. Atkins will forever be associated with the self-proclaimed Metal Gods. But how did it all happen?

During the 1960s when the popular Brum Beat era produced band after band (such as THE MOVE and THE BAND OF JOY), Atkins played in various local outfits some of which laid the blue print for the heavier progressive sounds of early Judas Priest. And so it was in 1969 that a disillusioned Atkins decided to have a go at forming yet another band with his childhood friend Bruno Stapenhill. The band in question was Judas Priest.

Judas Priest quickly built up a reputation in the Midlands as a powerful live act and even secured a record deal with Immediate, which was owned by ex-Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Unfortunately Immediate folded and so did Priest. Undeterred, Atkins formed yet another line-up of Priest in 1970 with guitarist K.K. Downing and bassist Ian Hill. At Atkins’ behest Downing and Hill ditched the name Freight and resurrected the mighty Judas Priest. Through the early seventies Priest supported many bands including Slade, Status Quo, Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath. Line-up changes continued until May, 1973 when Atkins finally decided to call it a day.
Atkins is the co-writer of several Priest songs which are included on the band’s first two albums Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings Of Destiny both of which eventually went Gold. Atkins co-penned the heavy metal classic ‘Victim Of Changes’ which was a combination of Rob Halford’s song ‘Red Light Lady’ and Atkins’ own ‘Whisky Woman.’ He also co-wrote the fan classics ‘Winter,’ ‘Never Satisfied,’ ‘Dreamer Deceiver’ and ‘Caviar And Meths.’ His autobiography contains very rare archive photos and memorabilia from Judas Priest’s past circa 1969-1973. Also included are interviews with various members of Priest’s history and Atkins’ solo career.

Dawn Of The Metal Gods includes a foreword by Judas Priest bassist IAN HILL as well as contributions from:

Bruno Stapenhill (Judas Priest Mark I)
Ernie Chataway (Judas Priest Mark I)
John Ellis (Judas Priest Mark II)
Trevor Lunn (ex-Judas Priest roadie)
David Howells (Gull Records)
Dave Corke (ex-Judas Priest manager 1970-‘76)
Norman Hood (IMA Agency)

Atkins’ debut solo album Judgement Day was released to great acclaim in 1989. But it was Heavy Thoughts and Victim Of Changes (the latter being his collaborative album with ex-Judas Priest drummer Dave Holland) that brought him strong sales and critical acclaim around the world. Recently, Atkins has released his fifth solo opus Demon Deceiver and formed the Midlands heavy metal band The Holy Rage. They’ve shared the bill with ex-Rainbow singer Graham Bonnet, the NYC band Warrior Soul and legendary rockers Skid Row.
In Dawn Of The Metal Gods Atkins share’s his entertaining life story with the reader. This is not just a book for Priest fans but a bible for anybody wishing to form a band in the tumultuous world of heavy metal.

Written in a style that represents Al’s working class Birmingham roots, Dawn Of The Metal Gods will set the story straight on the roots of the world’s most revered and dedicated heavy metal band. Celebrating 40 years of (Judas Priest style) heavy metal!

Gaëtan a écrit :C'est quoi l'intérêt de ce truc ?

HOLY RAGE, the U.K.-based band led by original JUDAS PRIEST frontman Al Atkins, will release its self-titled debut album on October 25 via Z Records.

A track from the CD, "Kingdom Of Hell", is available for streaming on the Z Records MySpace page.

HOLY RAGE recently announced the addition of guitarist Vince O'Regan (ex-BOB CATLEY, EDEN) and bassist/vocalist Steve Mercy (ex-ABIGAIL'S MERCY) to the group's ranks.

Commented Chris Johnson: "At the begining of the year, Al began writing some new songs with the help and ideas of two other writers for the HOLY RAGE debut album and shocked us all by announcing that he wanted both of them to play a part in the band, too.

"After listening to the new songs that they had written (which, by the way, are awesome), and rehearsing together for the first time, it really did sound like a killer idea and only not are we sounding even heavier, but also it seems like we have played together forever.

"We would also want to wish Scott Dallow all the best for the future and wish to thank him for all his input and contribution while playing for us and by telling everyone that there is no ill feeling with him leaving the band and we will all be having a beer or two again with him very soon."

HOLY RAGE's current lineup:

* Al Atkins (vocals)
* Chris Johnson (guitar)
* Mick Hales (drums)
* Vince O'Regan (ex-BOB CATLEY, EDEN) (guitar)
* Steve Mercy (ex-ABIGAIL'S MERCY) (bass, vocals)

Atkins is the co-writer of several PRIEST songs which are included on the band's first two albums "Rocka Rolla" and "Sad Wings of Destiny", both of which eventually went gold. Atkins co-penned the heavy metal classic "Victim of Changes", which was a combination of Rob Halford's song "Red Light Lady" and Atkins' own "Whiskey Woman". He also co-wrote "Winter", "Never Satisfied", "Dreamer Deceiver" and "Caviar and Meths".

The rock world is buzzing with proof that good and evil can in fact work together in the form of original JUDAS PRIEST singer Al Atkins and Christian guitarist Paul May. Together these extreme opposites combine creating a powerful new CD called "Serpent's Kiss", now available on Gonzo Multimedia. The 10-track album is the product of two of the Midlands finest architects of rock and metal coming together to create something that is unique and totally exhilarating!

There are enough doses of melody and metal madness to entice all fans of the genre, and while it is solid, honest working class heavy metal, it also has its roots in contemporary metal with some fine axe-work and killer choruses. The cover art for "Serpent's Kiss" is also unique as it was created by world famous fantasy artist Rodney Matthews.

"Working with Paul May on the 'Serpent's Kiss' album was a fantastic journey," says Al. "From the opening song, 'The Shallowing', to the last song, 'Theatre of Fools', it was an honor to have been asked by the brilliant guitarist Paul May to put this project together... Without a doubt, this is one of the best albums I have appeared on since my early days with JUDAS PRIEST and that says something, having written and recorded several of my own works."

"This album was meant to be," explains Paul. "When Al agreed to do the vocals, it inspired me to write specific tracks tailored for his voice. Not only did Al deliver in abundance, he did so with world class! It's what I'd call a 'classic hard rock/metal' album; that covers a wealth of subject matters and life experiences. It's all rock 'n' roll! And a real triumph to me in so many ways. I just feel blessed! To, again, be involved with such a great vocalist and friend and end up with such a cracking album is a gift indeed — rock on!"

"Serpents Kiss" track listing:

01. The Shallowing
02. Traitors Hand
03. Dream Maker
04. Can You Hear Me?
05. Signz
06. Fight
07. Judge
08. Betta Than Twisted
09. Cold Gin (KISS cover)
10. Theatre of Fools

"Welcome To The Nightmare", the new video from ATKINS MAY PROJECT, the band featuring original JUDAS PRIEST singer Al Atkins and Christian guitarist and music artist Paul May, can be seen below. The song comes comes off the group's sophomore album, "Valley Of Shadows", which is available on Gonzo Multimedia. Here once again, the men from the "Black Country" industrial area in the Midlands of Great Britain have produced a CD of outstanding quality straight from the "home of metal." This excellent collection of songs sees Atkins deliver some standout vocal performances and May shred the axe like the old guitar masters.

"Valley Of Shadows" offers 10 "killer" tracks that burst with melody and metal mayhem. You'll take a journey through what seems to be an "evolution" of rock. With all the elements of "classic" hard rock and metal, yet retaining an underlying progressive core, "Valley Of Shadows" will not disappoint fans of the genre who decide to take the ride.

Says Al Atkins: "We have kept the same format for 'Valley Of Shadows' since it worked really well for our debut album, 'Serpent's Kiss', so we thought why change a winning formula." Paul May adds: "I think the new album definitely leans more towards that 'classic rock' feel, with some modern twists thrown in for good measure, retaining its metal edge."

Regarding the lyrical concepts covered on "Valley Of Shadows", May states: "The album is mainly about facing trials of life and the 'demons' you encounter on the way. It's about standing up and being counted when you understand who you are. The title 'Valley Of Shadows' relates to many things... that dark night of the soul that finds us all."

"Valley Of Shadows" track listing:

01. Welcome To The Nightmare
02. No Ordinary Man
03. Bitter Waters
04. Enslaved To Love
05. Stronger Is The Grace
06. Harder They Fall
07. Not Ready To Die
08. Messiah (Prelude)
09. Valley Of Shadows
10. The Shallowing (Return)

A five-minute YouTube clip containing audio samples of the tracks that will appear on the CD can be found below.

ATKINS MAY PROJECT's first CD, "Serpent's Kiss", was released last November via Gonzo Multimedia.

Atkins is the co-writer of several PRIEST songs which are included on the band's first two albums, "Rocka Rolla" and "Sad Wings of Destiny", both of which eventually went gold. Atkins co-penned the heavy metal classic "Victim of Changes", which was a combination of Rob Halford's song "Red Light Lady" and Atkins' own "Whiskey Woman". He also co-wrote "Winter", "Never Satisfied", "Dreamer Deceiver" and "Caviar and Meths".

In 1989 Atkins released his debut solo album, "Judgement Day", to great acclaim. But it was "Heavy Thoughts" and "Victim of Changes" (the latter being his collaborative album with ex-JUDAS PRIEST drummer Dave Holland) that brought him strong sales and critical acclaim around the world.

JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill penned the foreword to Al Atkins's autobiography, titled "Dawn of the Metal Gods: My Life in Judas Priest and Heavy Metal". The book, which was written with Neil Daniels — a freelance rock writer and heavy metal fan who befriended Atkins during the writing of Neil's book "The Story Of Judas Priest: Defenders Of The Faith" (Omnibus Press) — was released in 2009 via Iron Pages.

ATKINS MAY PROJECT, the band featuring original JUDAS PRIEST singer Al Atkins and Christian guitarist and music artist Paul May, will release its third album, "Empire Of Destruction", on September 29 via Gonzo Multimedia.

"Empire Of Destruction" track listing:

CD

01. Dog Eat Dog
02. Whisper To The Wind
03. A World At War
04. The Midas Touch
05. Here Comes The Rain
06. Darkness Within
07. Reckless Child
08. Paranoia

DVD

* Welcome To The Nightmare
* Fight
* The Shallowing (unplugged)
* The Darkness Within
* Enslaved To Love
* Interview with Paul May and Al Atkins

A seven-minute collection of audio samples of the tracks that will appear on "Empire Of Destruction" is available below.

ATKINS MAY PROJECT, the band featuring original JUDAS PRIEST singer Al Atkins and Christian guitarist and music artist Paul May, returns with a compilation, "Anthology", available now through Gonzo MultiMedia.

For the last four years, the rock world has been buzzing about Atkins and May's music. Together they have created three records available on Gonzo Multimedia. There are enough doses of melody and metal madness to entice all fans of the genre, and while it is solid, honest, working-class heavy metal, it also has its roots in contemporary metal with some fine axe-work and killer choruses.

This marriage of metal mayhem has earned them stunning reviews from the world's press and has seen them gain a steady momentum of fans globally since their initial release back in 2011. After the worldwide success of "Serpents Kiss", "Valley Of Shadows" and "Empire Of Destruction" once again coming straight from the "home of metal," out of the heart of the U.K.'s "Black Country," "Anthology" is yet another "collection of classic rock and British metal [that] is an essential addition to all who love this genre that's no afraid to merge metal moments with progressive thought," according to a press release.

"Anthology" also features a previously unreleased bonus track — a cover of PHIL COLLINS' "In The Air Tonight".

Paul says: "It was quite a task to choose which songs would make it onto this compilation as there's such a diversity in the styles of tracks, but I hope this reflects the wider view of the rock and metal we love doing."

Al adds: "The reviews from the first three albums were great and said it all, so it was difficult to select the songs for the album, but I think you'll agree that we made the right choices, and 'Anthology' for me ticks all the right boxes!"

"Anthology" track listing:

01. Here Comes The Rain
02. Bitter Waters
03. A World At War
04. Dream Maker
05. Whisper To The Wind
06. Harder They Fall
07. The Shallowing
08. Enslaved To Love
09. Theatre Of Fools
10. Valley Of Shadows
11. In the Air Tonight (PHIL COLLINS cover; previously unreleased bonus track)

Original JUDAS PRIEST vocalist Al Atkins has released a new version of the PRIEST classic "Victim Of Changes", featuring a duet with PRIMAL FEAR singer Ralf Scheepers. The track is taken from Atkins's latest solo album, "Reloaded", which was released in January via Gonzo Multimedia. The album is a collection tracks from the last four decades that Al has either written or performed from his days in JUDAS PRIEST to his last band HOLY RAGE. It features additional special guest appearances by Ian Hill of JUDAS PRIEST (who performed on the original recordings of some of these classics, like "Victim Of Changes" from the "Sad Wings Of Destiny" album), John McCoy (ex-GILLAN), a solo from Roy "Z" Ramirez of HALFORD and BRUCE DICKINSON, Japanese guitarist Tsuyoshi Ikedo from UNVEIL RAZE, Australia's Stu "Hammer" Marshall of DEATH DEALER, Chris Johnson from HOLY RAGE, Rob Allen on drums and longtime friend and collaborator, guitarist and producer of many of Al's albums, Paul May. These tracks have appeared in various forms on many albums over the past forty years. "Reloaded" also features a bonus track that is an excerpt of a guitar solo from the very JUDAS PRIEST demo featuring Hill on bass and K.K. Downing on guitar a never-heard treat for all JUDAS PRIEST fanatics.

"Reloaded" was once again recorded at Rock Solid Studios in the U.K.

"Reloaded" track listing:

01. Mind Conception
02. Winter
03. Coming Thick & Fast
04. A Void To Avoid
05. Heavy Thoughts
06. Cradle To The Grave
07. Money Talks
08. Never Satisfied
09. Love At War
10. Victim Of Changes
11. Mind Conception (early JUDAS PRIEST demo extract)

Asked how the idea for the album came about, Atkins told PowerOfMetal.dk: "After Paul May and myself [were] asked to record a 'best-of' album by our record company, we recorded the ATKINS MAY PROJECT 'Anthology'. It then got me thinking about recording my own solo 'best-of] album, but set about re-recording all of my fave songs from the last four decades and using guest players."

Regarding how he decided on the guest players for "Reloaded", Atkins told Musciguy247: "With a couple of early JUDAS PRIEST songs like 'Winter' and 'Never Satisfied', I asked bass player Ian Hill if he would help out, which I am very grateful. Ian and myself have remained good friends over all these years and he has always said if I want him for anything just ask, so this time I did and this was a very historic fit. Also German vocalist Ralf Scheepers had said prior to the album that we should do a duet sometime and he was a perfect fit too on 'Victim Of Changes' — awesome vocals! Another friend of mine is bass player John McCoy, and I wanted him on the track 'Coming Thick And Fast', which features a dirty big bass riff and he fitted perfect, so yes, very stylistic and historic too."

Atkins also talked about his approach to revisiting tracks from his past. He said: "I wanted them to be kept pretty much to the original songs but make them heavier so we dropped down the key, bought up the bass and drums in the mix and shredded the fuck out of them."

Atkins is the co-writer of several PRIEST songs which are included on the band's first two albums, "Rocka Rolla" and "Sad Wings of Destiny", both of which eventually went gold. Atkins co-penned the heavy metal classic "Victim of Changes", which was a combination of Rob Halford's song "Red Light Lady" and Atkins' own "Whiskey Woman". He also co-wrote "Winter", "Never Satisfied", "Dreamer Deceiver" and "Caviar and Meths".

JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill penned the foreword to Al Atkins's autobiography, titled "Dawn of the Metal Gods: My Life in Judas Priest and Heavy Metal". The book, which was written with Neil Daniels — a freelance rock writer and heavy metal fan who befriended Atkins during the writing of Neil's book "The Story Of Judas Priest: Defenders Of The Faith" (Omnibus Press) — was released in 2009 via Iron Pages.

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