Judas Priest's Rob Halford is known as the Metal God for good reason. Throughout his 50-year career, what he has done with his voice ranks among the most demanding performances from any metal singer and now you can hear the isolated vocal tracks from some of the band's most fierce and popular songs. Yes, that means the hallowed "Painkiller" too!

Arguably the most devastating onslaught of molten heavy metal ever released, "Painkiller" is a tour de force in pyrotechnic guitar work, concussive drumming and Halford's piercing, relentless high shrieks. How he did it back then is mystery enough, nevermind how the frontman is still able to pull it off as he's now within one year of his 70th birthday.

Alongside the isolated vocals to "Painkiller" in the videos toward the bottom of the page are the vocal tracks for the Screaming for Vengeance favorites, "Riding on the Wind" and the title track, both of which again bear Halford's top-end range.

Not everything is sky-high singing though. In a range that's considerably more comfortable, there's "Electric Eye," another Screaming for Vengeance hit, which stands out in the Priest catalog as one of their more unique vocal bits. Layers of robotic effects are laced over Halford's voice, imbuing just the right vibe for a song about electronic surveillance of the public.

Listen to the isolated vocal tracks below.

Judas Priest's 50th anniversary tour was set for this year, but was ultimately postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic that has shuttered the live events industry. The U.S. leg in particular has been pushed to September and October of next year and all dates can be seen here.

It's not a completely down year, at least not for Rob Halford, who will released his long-awaited 272-page autobiography, Confess, on Sept. 29. "Confess is a unique once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to expose every facet of myself," said the singer at the time the book was officially announced. "Digging deep with nothing to hide and nothing to fear was in many ways exciting, fun, disturbing, terrifying and cathartic," he continued, adding, "I’ve held nothing back. It’s time for me to confess…"

Judas Priest, "Painkiller" - Isolated Vocals

Judas Priest, "Screaming for Vengeance" Isolated Vocals

Judas Priest, "Riding on the Wind" Isolated Vocals

Judas Priest, "Electric Eye" Isolated Vocals

See Judas Priest in the Most Streamed Spotify Songs for 66 Rock + Metal Acts

 

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