Venue: Fort Gate @ Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Date: 20th February 2012
Promoter: LAMC Productions
Review by: Fadhil Roslee
Special Thanks: Andre and the LAMC Productions team
Photos by Cliff Y. – Judas Priest + Lamb Of God
Well, well, well! These living legends and undying veterans recently rewarded fans that flushed themselves in a moshpit and were grooving to their unbeatable tracks with a top-notch performance.
Lamb Of God, one of the greatest metal bands around to grace this world, came to Singapore for the second time to open for Judas Priest on their Epitaph World Tour! They are a bunch of crazy musicians and it’s beautiful to watch from a distance, unless you wanna get trampled in the ‘Wall Of Death’ which is usually a trademark of theirs during their live performances. Formerly known as Burn The Priest, the band was brutal on stage with their high-flying new tracks like “Desolation” and “Ghost Walking” to start with.
They’ve gone all out on this one, especially vocalist Randy Blythe, as he was strongly active and lively on stage, headbanging with his new dreads! Reminds me of P.O.D somehow. Insane riffs, both musically and lyrically brilliant, it’s no wonder Lamb Of God is one of today’s youth’s favourite metal bands. Despite a slight drizzle, the crowd was getting into the groove and by the time it reaches the climax of the setlist, everyone were already pumped up for Judas Priest. Well most of us were already running, twisting, twirling around the moshpit as ‘Redneck’ and ‘Black Label’ were being played. Thank god no one was hurt this time round, as much as I want to see some brawling and exchange of vulgarities everywhere.
In my opinion, Lamb Of God are well on their way to become pioneers of metal, especially with the release of their new album titled ‘Resolution’; one does not simply ignore this badass band. You’re not a metalhead until you get a taste of their stuff. Thus, dissing Lamb of God is essentially a blasphemy against good music.
Judas Priest on the other hand, largely responsible for the traditional heavy metal sound, had established the important genre of speed metal. Everyone in Fort Canning Park were totally stoked, as this was the band’s first appearance in Singapore! Two words; bloody wicked. As the lights dim, it all reaches fever pitch. The 4,000 strong chanting crowd were obviously anticipating an awesome night as more metalheads came pouring in. The band thunders out onto the stage like a charging train with raging riffs and the ‘Fort’ erupted into bedlam. For the record, Rob Halford, who is the lead singer can still belt out a tune better than anyone!
After the departure of K.K Downing right before Judas Priest was set to embark on their final Epitaph World Tour, 31 year old Richie Faulkner joined the band as his replacement. Faulker was cruising the stage from left to right like a fresh graduate eager to show what he was made of, to make an explosive introduction. They, without a doubt ruled the atmosphere with their powerful tunes such as “Victim Of Changes”, “Beyond The Realms Of Death”, “Breaking The Law”, “Painkiller”, and “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming.” The sublime harmonized brilliance of Glenn and Faulkner made them generals leading the charge by switching guitar solos. The appearance of Rob dressing up in a silver cloak holding a trident was one of the highlights, looking victorious, as if the mood couldn’t be elevated any higher. A full ten minutes of throat-ripping cheers for an encore was heard, and before kicking off ‘Living After Midnight’ to seal the night, Rob managed to ride out his big metallic bike onto the scene to electrify the mood! It’s simply the most metal thing I’ve ever seen.
Basically one of Judas Priest’s strengths has always been that they’ve adept at presenting a united front to the world. With numerous major figures leaving huge gaps that can never be filled, Judas Priest has clearly shown on that night that their music are influential and inspirational. That feeling is profound. Fans should feel like they’re a part of Judas Priest’s success. This is no gig; it’s a religious experience!