Crucible

07/12/2002 10:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Rob O'Connor

One some level it's gotta suck to be Rob Halford. The man led Judas Priest through the trying, difficult years, building up a loyal fan base and a reputation as one of the leaders in the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" movement. And while hardcore loyalists continue to celebrate the man and his music, most Judas Priest fans are content to watch a guy named Ripper Owens --plucked from a Judas Priest cover band--front Halford's old group. Halford rocked hard with Fight, stumbled a bit with his techno group Two and is back in the saddle with Halford. He still knows how to growl and wheeze with intensity, jumping the necessary octave at will. He's the consummate professional, giving the people what they want--provided of course that these are the same people who want what they wanted before. If all else fails, Halford could always join up with Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth, and, heck, Roger Waters and see how she flies.