Judas Priest are unleashed in the East as part of their farewell Epitaph World Tour, and the 70 quid ticket for the lush green area high on a hill overlooking the city was worth every penny. The amphitheatre provides a clear view, and American bruise metallers Lamb Of God did a full 90 minutes, opening with Desolation and Ghost Walking, a brace from new album, Resolution. Singer Randy Blythe got his wish with a manic circle-pit during a three-song encore.
Priest are a class above, all metal theatrics. Glenn Tipton allowed new guitarist Richie Faulkner to go out front, taking many lead parts on at least one track from every Halford-era album. Hence, there were a few rarities, including Never Satisfied and Starbreaker, but it was the classics that got the crowd screaming. Metal Gods, Night Crawler, Turbo Lover and a brutal Painkiller produced much headbanging fun. Halford let the locals sing Breaking The Law, and Priest balanced the set perfectly with the slow epics, Victim Of Changes and Beyond The Realms Of Death, where Halford’s high-pitched vocals pierced the eardrums. He rode a Harley motorbike on stage in S&M gear with a leather whip in his mouth on Hell Bent For Leather and, later, returned with a Singaporean flag for a singalong You Got Another Comin’. A rousing Living After Midnight ended a superb evening of metal at its best.
