JUDAS PRIEST have covered War Pigs in tribute to fellow Birmingham heavy metal legends BLACK SABBATH.
The self-anointed Metal Gods put out their take on the opening song from SABBATH’s seminal second album Paranoid, the original version of which they’ve played from the tape before their concerts for many years.
The band comment: “We are honoured to show our love for Ozzy [Osbourne] and Black Sabbath with our homage to 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!”
SABBATH’s founding lineup – vocalist Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward – will reunite onstage for the first time in almost 20 years at their Back To The Beginning all-dayer this Saturday (July 5).
PRIEST are one of the few vaunted metal bands to not be on the lineup for Saturday, but they’re missing out for good reason. As frontman Rob Halford recently explained to Metal Hammer, the band are playing the 60th-anniversary celebrations for hard rockers SCORPIONS in Germany the same day and wouldn’t be able to make both shows happen.
He said he was “gutted” over the clash but added that founding guitarist K.K. Downing, who left PRIEST in 2011, would represent “the spirit of the band” at Back To The Beginning.
Get your ticket from the live stream of the show at this location.