After over 30 years of making music, “Epitaph” is Priest’s swangsong for extensive touring but the band will still play the select dates, festivals, and continue to record new music. Shot in 2012 with multiple cameras the clarity is sharp as hell, no lighting color bleed, laser effects that cut through the air, and a video screen behind the drum kit showing graphic images and the occasional album artwork. Priest nicely picked a best of setlist including at least one song from every album (minus the two with Tim Owens singing). Amongst the obvious hits and staples ‘Victim of Changes’, ‘Electric Eye’, ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Coming’, ‘Metal Gods’, ‘Living After Midnight’, ‘Breaking The Law’, ‘Hell Bent For Leather’, it’s the gems that aren’t always in the set like ‘Starbreaker’ from “Sin After Sin’ (with some post production video effects), ‘’Blood Red Skies’ off “Ram It Down’, ‘Never Satisfied’ off their more bluesy debut “Rocka Rolla”. Also, great to see much needed return of ‘The Sentinel” from one of my fav albums “Defenders Of The Faith” and “Night Crawler’ (“Painkiller”), and ballad ‘Beyond The Realms Of Death’.

Rob Halford’s (now in his early 60s) voice still in fine shape and has aged well (obviously he’s not going to sing ‘Painkiller’ as high as it was recorded), with other original members bassist Ian Hill, guitarist Glen Tipton, are joined by long time drummer Scott Travis, and new addition Richie Faulkner replacing original axeman KK Downing. Ironically, Richie looks a lot like KK, plays his parts as recorded throwing in his own little nuances without changing the original feel of the arrangement, actually at times adding subtle nice touches not previously improvised by KK live. Richie fits well with Glenn in the twin guitar tandem and adds energy and youthfulness to the aging (like a fine wine) Priest metal machine.

Not to make fun or be a diss, but really, as the guys, aside from Richie, get into their 60s, the reality is this is probably the last of the great concerts to be recorded before they really look like grandparents and ridiculous in leather and studs playing heavy metal. The timing for the taping of “Epitaph” couldn’t be better. Metal Gods, legends, one of the Godfathers of Heavy Metal!