The "Metal Masters Tour"
featuring Judas Priest
Heaven and Hell • Testament
Susquehanna Bank Center
Camden, N.J. • August 6, 2008
The Metal Masters Tour rolled through the Susquehanna Bank
Center, a bill that boasted four titans of heavy metal: Testament,
Motorhead, Heaven and Hell, and Judas Priest. And since most of us
photographers were not permitted to shoot Motorhead, I have no photos
and so they get no review either.
Up first, Testament hit the stage to a fairly empty
Amphitheatre at the soooo un-metal hour of 5:30. Their short set had
some old favorites, but new material from the latest release, "The
Formation Of Damnation," really impressed the crowd. Also impressive
was lead guitarist Alex Skolnick (who I thought was amazing) running
through such hits as "Over The Wall", "Henchman Ride", "D.N.R., "Three
Days In Darkness", and closing with "Disciples Of The Watch". The whole
band looked like they were having a blast onstage and flipping the
horns at times.
Up next, Heaven and Hell with Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Tony
Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass and Vinnie Appice on drums, had
very cool stage props including two giant gnarled trees with huge
gargoyles perched in them spewing smoke through their mouths. Even
though Ronnie James Dio looks like the Crypt Keeper these days, he can
still sing his lil' ass off from the opening of "E5150", "Mob Rules"
and "Children Of The Sea". Then, just as "Ear In The Wall" ended,
Vinnie ripped into a drum solo without delay. "Time Machine" and
"Falling off the Edge of the World" led into a Tony Iommi guitar solo
and then into "Die Young." They ended with "Heaven and Hell." It was
an extended version that went on for a good 15 minutes which, I
suppose, served as their encore.
The headliners, Judas Priest, was up next, with Rob Halford on
vocals, Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing on guitars, Ian Hill on bass and
Scott Travis on drums. Priest's stage set was huge with the drum riser
easily ten feet high and catwalks leading from there to each side of
the stage to other platforms. The backdrop was a big, spooky, eyeless
banner of Nostradamus with glowing red eyes, the 16th century prophet
about whom the band just made a double concept album. The band started
off with "Prophecy" from the new album. Singer Rob Halford was on one
of the side risers wearing a gold cloak and singing through swirls of
colored smoke. After the opener, he entered the stage by walking out
from under the drum riser, ditching the cloak for his usual spikes and
black leather. Then he flexed that high octave vocal range through
"Metal Gods", "Eat Me Alive", "Between The Hammer And The Anvil" and
"Devil's Child". Then the familiar chant "Breaking the what" was
screamed out by Rob signaling the band’s best known song, "Breaking The
Law" which led into "Hell Patrol" and the awesome "Dissident
Aggressor". Through every number, Judas Priest sounded like polished
pros. K.K. Downing’s and Glenn Tipton's guitar work couldn't have been
better or more crisp, and Halford never missed a note. They slowed
things down with "Angel", which was okay since this led into "The
Hellion/Electric Eye", "Rock Hard, Ride Free" and "Painkiller."
The encore was typical Judas Priest. Rob rode out onstage on
the Harley, sat on top of it and sang "Hell Bent For Leather". The set
concluded with "The Green Manalishi" and "You’ve Got Another Thing
Coming;" and all five band members walked to the front of the stage to
take a well deserved bow with the full-house crowd standing, cheering
and, of course, pumping their fists in the air.
– Gary Crouthamel, concert photo journalist