Judas Priest Release “War Pigs” Cover Ahead of Black Sabbath’s Farewell Show
As I’m sure every metal fan’s aware of at this point, this Saturday marks a momentous moment in metal history, as Black Sabbath (and Ozzy Osbourne) officially call it quits for good this time in their hometown of Birmingham, U.K. at the ‘Back to the Beginning’ show. It’s an all day event where a who’s who of musicians in rock and metal pay homage to the iconic band’s career, but thanks to a scheduling conflict, one band that won’t make it is Judas Priest.
But that doesn’t mean Rob Halford and the boys aren’t going to celebrate Black Sabbath in their own way. Hence the release of their cover of the classic track “War Pigs” earlier today.
Featuring Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton, Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis, the performance is a studio version of the song. Priest fans will recognize that the band’s been using “War Pigs” as their walk-on music at live shows for a looong time now, so it only makes sense that this would be the track they’d cover.
“We are honored to show our love for Ozzy and Black Sabbath with our homage of ‘War Pigs’, a song we play at every show around the world that fans sing along to, reinforcing their love as well for the legendary Prince Of Darkness!”
In addition to the track’s release, the band put out a performance video of the track, which you can check out below. After listening to it, the thing that stands out to me is Ian Hill’s bass on this track. It’s great to finally hear the dude up front and center in the mix, because that bass line is fucking killer.
‘Back to the Beginning’ sold out within minutes, but you can still catch the show in the comfort of your own home, as it will be livestreamed this Saturday. Hosted by actor Jason Momoa, the show will feature performances by major luminaries in the metal world like Metallica, Tool, Slayer, Pantera, and more, before the original Black Sabbath lineup themselves take the stage for the first time in 20 years.
It will be an event to remember, so be sure to get your livestreaming ticket today.
