“British Steel”, the sixth album by JUDAS PRIEST, was released on April 14 1980. The LP was remastered in 2001 and reissued with two bonus tracks. The 2001 reissue bonus track “Red, White, and Blue” was written sometime during the earlier years of PRIEST’s career. It was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau in July of 1985. The second bonus track, a live performance of “Grinder”, was recorded on May 5, 1984, in Los Angeles during the “Defenders of the Faith” tour.

A new audio interview with JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing can be streamed on Italian news blog Musica Metal at this location. During the chat, which was conducted over the phone in early March, Downing discusses the plan to perform the “Nostradamus” album live in its entirety; the fact that the band’s current “Priest Feast” tour features the same lineup (PRIEST, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT) as the “Painkiller” North American tour in 1991, and he explains his enthusiastic relationship with new technologies like YouTube.

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST have announced the following North American dates:

Jul. 01 - The Family Arena - St. Charles, MO
Jul. 02 - Summerfest, Harley Davidson Stage - Milwaukee, WI
Jul. 03 - Taste Of Minnesota at Harriet Island - St. Paul, MN
Jul. 07 - Comcast Center - Mansfield, MA
Jul. 08 - CMAC - Canandaigua, NY
Jul. 09 - Molson Amphitheatre - Toronto, ON
Jul. 11 - PNC Banks Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ
Jul. 12 - Nikon At Jones Beach Theater - Wantagh, NY
Jul. 14 - Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre - Cleveland, OH
Jul. 15 - DTE Eneryg Music Theater - Clarkston, MI
Jul. 17 - Moondance Jam 18 - Walker, MN
Jul. 18 - Rockfest/Chippewa Valley Music - Cadott, WI
Jul. 21 - PNC Pavilion (Riverbend Music) - Cincinnati, OH
Jul. 29 - California Mid-State Fair - Paso Robles, CA
Jul. 31 - Sleep Train Pavilion - Concord, CA
Aug. 01 - Sleep Train Amphitheatre - Marysville, CA
Aug. 02 - Gibson Amphitheatre - Universal City, CA
Aug. 04 - SDSU OPen Air Theatre - San Diego, CA
Aug. 07 - Dodge Theater - Phoenix, AZ
Aug. 08 - Thomas & Mack Center - Las Vegas, NV
Aug. 10 - Sandia casino - Albuquerque, NM
Aug. 11 - Red Rock Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO

Most of the above-listed shows will also include WHITESNAKE.

Judas Priest are strongly rumoured to be arranging a special 30th anniversary British Steel tour for 2010, when they will play their 1980 album in sequence, in its entirety.

To refresh your memory, the British Steel album - arguably the highlight of Priest’s recording career - includes the tracks Rapid Fire, Metal Gods, Breaking The Law, Grinder, United, You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise, Living After Midnight, The Rage and Steeler.

British Steel got to No.4 in the UK and No.34 in the US, and spawned two Top 20 UK singles: Living After Midnight and Breaking The Law.

If the British Steel plans are true, it would mean that Priest’s ambitions to stage an elaborate show around their recent Nostradamus twin-CD concept album have been abandoned.

Meanwhile, following their Priest Feast tour alongside Megadeth and Testament, the British heavy metal legends have announced a summer tour of the US with Whitesnake.

Dates are as follows:

Jul. 01 - The Family Arena - St. Charles, MO

Jul. 02 - Summerfest, Harley Davidson Stage - Milwaukee, WI

Jul. 03 - Taste Of Minnesota at Harriet Island - St. Paul, MN

Jul. 09 - Molson Amphitheatre - Toronto, ON

Jul. 11 - PNC Banks Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ

Jul. 12 - Nikon At Jones Beach Theater - Wantagh, NY

Jul. 17 - Moondance Jam 18 - Walker, MN

Jul. 18 - Rockfest/Chippewa Valley Music - Cadott, WI

Aug. 02 - Gibson Amphitheatre - Universal City, CA

More dates will be announced soon.

In related news, former Judas Priest and Iced Earth frontman Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens has announced that his upcoming solo album will be titled Play My Game. The album is set for release in May.

via Classic Rock Magazine