Judas Priest has been on an incredible streak in recent years, delivering outstanding studio albums, touring tirelessly, and earning even more widespread recognition from fans and critics alike as one of the originators of heavy metal. As 2025 approaches, it's clear that their unstoppable momentum shows no signs of slowing down, with the band gearing up to commemorate the 35th anniversary of their iconic album Painkiller with the "Shield of Pain" tour.
According to the band's social media announcement, the tour will feature a "rare" and "unique set," including "beloved classics" that will "defend the metal faith in a truly memorable experience throughout Europe" next summer.
In a recent interview with Heavy Consequence, Rob Halford shared details about what fans can expect from the celebration. He said: "It's still in the works, but we're gonna go and show Painkiller off. Not in its entirety. I haven't figured out yet whether we're just gonna do a clump of Painkiller songs — this is the Painkiller section — or we're gonna go, a Painkiller song, a couple of others, a Painkiller song, a couple of others. It's all in theory in my mind at the moment, but, however, I think it's gonna be a real thrill and a treat. And, again, a once-in-a-lifetime thing for the band. You'll only see the show once. You'll only see the ‘Shield Of Pain' show once. So, we hope our fans will be on the rail and banging their heads to it."
Halford also reflected on the band's mindset during the making of Painkiller. "The importance was we had to really go into a huddle and say, ‘We really need to show off what this band's true heart and soul and spirit is about.' And I'm using that in reference to some of the previous albums and some of the previous songs. Our attitude was, ‘We're gonna make the hardest, heaviest, strongest, most energized metal album we've ever done,' and we did that — we achieved it. It's full-on. It only pulls back a little bit for ‘A Touch Of Evil.' The rest of it is just non-stop, non-stop, non-stop."
"We did it in Miraval Studios in the south of France. It was very isolated, so, unlike Ibiza [where Screaming For Vengeance and Defenders Of The Faith, among others, were recorded], where we were going into the clubs every night, it was very, very isolated, so we really got into the work in a very, very strong way with no interference. And so the exercise of achieving all of the components to make that album as strong as we wanted it to be was a success. And, again, a band will tell you we've done everything we can. Let's see what happens. The world embraced that album," Halford added.
Calling Painkiller a benchmark for metal, Halford said: "It's a beloved, revered metal album. A lot of our friends in different bands will say, ‘If you wanna hear what a metal album is all about, put on Painkiller. And that's pretty cool. But our fans, as well, recognize that of all of the 19 albums that this band has ever made, Painkiller's still very heavily under the spotlight. And here we are, 35 years next year."
Originally released in 1990, Painkiller was the band's 12th studio album and marked the debut of drummer Scott Travis. Recorded at Miraval Studios in France and mixed at Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands, the album encapsulated the raw energy and fierce determination of Judas Priest at the height of their powers and remains a cornerstone of heavy metal history.
Judas Priest has expanded their European tour celebrating 35 years of Painkiller to include a handful of new dates, including their biggest-ever London show at The O2 Arena. The tour is dubbed the Shield Of Pain tour and features Alice Cooper as the opener. Tickets are available here.
6/14 Oslo Tjuvholmen Arena, Norway
6/17 Stuttgart Schleyerhalle, Germany
6/18 Hessentag Festival, Frankfurt, Germany
6/25 Viveiro Resurrection Fest, Spain
6/27 Lisbon Evil Live Fest, Portugal
6/29 Barcelona Rock Fest, Spain
7/1 Ferrara Summer Festival, Italy
7/3 Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
7/5 Hannover Niedersachsenstadion, Germany (supporting Scorpions)
7/7 Lodz Atlas Arena, Poland
7/10 Rattvik Dalhalla, Sweden
7/13 Munich Olympiahalle, Germany
7/15 Carcassonne Festival De Carcassone, France
7/17 Sion Sous Les Etoiles, Switzerland
7/19 Luxembourg Rockhal, Luxembourg
7/20 Oberhausen Rudolf-Weber-Arena, Germany
7/23 Scarborough Open Air Theatre, UK
7/25 London O2 Arena, UK
