The Show Still Goes On: Judas Priest Brings Firepower Tour to Singapore with Special Guests Babymetal

British heavy metal powerhouse Judas Priest will be making its highly anticipated return in Singapore as part of its Firepower tour, with special guests Babymetal, next month on 4 December 2018 at ZEPP@BIGBOX Singapore!

There are few heavy metal bands that have managed to scale the heights that Judas Priest has during their 40-year career. Originally formed during the early ’70s in Birmingham, England, Judas Priest currently consists of Rob Halford on vocals, guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, bassist Ian Hall and Scott Travis on drums.

Judas Priest is responsible for some of the heavy metal genre’s most influential landmark albums such as British Steel (1980), Screaming for Vengeance (1982) and Painkiller (1990). These titles spawned countless enduring metal anthems, including Breaking the Law, Living After Midnight, Heading Out to the Highway, and You’ve Got Another Thing Coming.

For decades, they have been one of the greatest live bands in the entire heavy metal genre, including an iconic performance at Live Aid in 1985. They were also one of the pioneer metal bands to exclusively wear leather and studs, which was eventually embraced by metal fans throughout the world.

Judas Priest was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and later in March 2018, the band released their new studio album Firepower. The eighteenth full-length album clinched No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart within its first week of release, making it the band’s highest-charting album in the US.

Joining them on stage are special guests Babymetal, a Japanese kawaii metal band formed in 2010. In March 2014, they took the stage at Nippon Budokan for a 2-day gig, making them the youngest female act to perform there. Later in 2015, they received various awards from prominent UK music magazines Kerrang! and Metal Hammer – yet another first for Japanese artists. They have since performed as special guests in various international locations for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, and Korn.

In April 2016, Babymetal released their second album Metal Resistance which has not only made the charts in Japan, but it also made them the highest-charting Japanese band ever on UK’s Official Albums Chart at the 15th position. The trio were also the first Japanese band to headline the prestigious Wembley Arena in the UK. The band last performed in Singapore at *SCAPE, The Ground Theatre in 2013.

Although one of the original members, Yui-metal, has announced her departure just last month, LAMC Productions confirmed that Babymetal will still be performing in Singapore with the remaining two members, lead singer Su-metal (Suzuka Nakamoto) and Moa-metal (Moa Kikuchi), and will be joined by their Kami band and dancers. The band has also released a surprise single last month, Starlight, following Yui-metal’s departure.