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Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham. Formed in 1969, the group originally featured vocalist Al Atkins, guitarist K. K. Downing, bassist Ian Hill and drummer John Ellis. The band changed lineup a number of times before the release of their first album – Ellis was replaced by Alan Moore in 1971, who himself was replaced by Chris Campbell before the end of the year. John Hinch replaced Campbell in 1973, and with the addition of second guitarist Glenn Tipton in 1974 the band recorded their debut album Rocka Rolla.
Shortly after the release of Rocka Rolla, Hinch left the band and was replaced by the returning Moore for Sad Wings of Destiny. Moore departed after the album's release, with the drums on follow-up Sin After Sin performed by session drummer Simon Phillips. Les Binks performed on Stained Class and Killing Machine, before being replaced by Dave Holland in 1979. The band's lineup remained stable for around ten years, recording six albums until Scott Travis replaced Holland for the album Painkiller. Halford left the band in 1992 after the promotional tour for Painkiller.
After a short hiatus, Judas Priest returned in 1996 with Tim "Ripper" Owens in place of Halford. Owens recorded two albums with the band, 1997's Jugulator and 2001's Demolition, before he was replaced by the returning Halford in 2003. In April 2011, it was announced that founding member Downing had left the band, and that he had been replaced by Richie Faulkner. The guitarist's departure was reportedly due to differences with other band members and management. Faulkner's first album with the band was 2014's Redeemer of Souls.