JUDAS PRIEST Guitarist Says Classic Heavy Metal Is All About The Music

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton recently spoke to the El Paso Times about the bands that are considered "heavy metal" by today's standards. According to Tipton, all music, even heavy metal, goes through fads.

"Like it or not, it is a healthy process because out of bad comes some good and out of good comes some bad," Tipton said. "I will never put it down. I pay serious attention to it. There is always something to be learned from it and there is always a demand for it, so these kids must be doing something right."

Pressed to name some of the new metal bands, Tipton said, "My son is 18, and I know he listens to some weird stuff. Every week, it's a different band. Some of it is definitely very extreme, but I don't turn a deaf ear to it. I just don't endure it, I try to like it."

With regards to the difference between classic metal and current metal, Tipton said, "Classic metal has got a little bit more character in its songs and songs that are likely to be around a lot longer. It is a genuine music that everybody loves.

"There is a sincerity about heavy metal as opposed to the visual image you had with glam," Tipton continued. "Classic heavy metal is about the music. And yes, OK, we don leather and studs, but we never sat down and contrived it. We probably touched some of the glam-rock thing, but we never overdid that side of it.

"But when you rely on the music, which we have always done — and we are tongue in cheek, we don't take ourselves totally seriously, but our music is serious," Tipton said. "When you put the emphasis on music, it is going to have longevity."