Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Some of the biggest names of the hard rock/heavy metal world picked their favorite Judas Priest songs for the band's forthcoming compilation album, The Chosen Few (out October 11th via Legacy/Sony) – and the result is one of the more interesting Priest tracklistings ever put together.
Artists who took part in the 17-track strong The Chosen Few included Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, Metallica's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, Alice Cooper and Slipknot's Corey Taylor, among others.
"This is a collection of songs chosen by our friends and respected peers," Priest frontman Rob Halford tells Rolling Stone. "So we hope all the metal maniacs out there will rock out to the tunes enjoyed by metal legends."
Also included in the set are explanations from each artist about their selection, including Taylor gushing that Priest's early MTV anthem, "You've Got Another Thing Coming," caused the group to become "the blueprint for the ultimate heavy metal band." Elsewhere, Osbourne finds himself bewildered by a high-pitched note sung by Halford at the beginning of "The Ripper" ("Fuckin hell! That note is probably just below what only dogs can hear").
Judas Priest will launch their farewell Epitaph tour in the U.S. on October 12th in San Antonio, with the latest confirmed set of dates running through December 3rd in Biloxi, Mississippi.
The Chosen Few tracklisting:
1) Diamonds And Rust (1977) - chosen by Joe Elliott (Def Leppard)
2) Dissident Aggressor (1977) - chosen by Steve Vai
3) Exciter (1978) - chosen by Accept
4) Beyond The Realms Of Death (1978) - chosen by Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
5) Delivering The Goods (1979) - chosen by Kerry King (Slayer)
6) The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Pronged Crown) (1979) - chosen by David Coverdale (Whitesnake) & Randy Blythe (Lamb of God)
7) The Ripper (1979) - chosen by Ozzy Osbourne
8) Victim Of Changes (1979) - chosen by James Hetfield (Metallica)
9) Breaking The Law (1980) - chosen by Lemmy (Motorhead)
10) Rapid Fire (1980) - chosen by Vinnie Paul (Pantera & Hell Yeah)
11) Grinder (1980) - chosen by Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society)
12) Living After Midnight (1980) - chosen by Alice Cooper & Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
13) Screaming For Vengeance (1982) - chosen by Slash (Guns n Roses)
14) You’ve Got Another Thing Coming (1982) - chosen by Klaus Meine (Scorpions) & Corey Taylor (Slipknot)
15) The Sentinel (1984) - chosen by Chris Jericho
16) Turbo Lover (1986) - chosen by Jonathan Davis (Korn)