If you’re looking for the scribe who fits the bill or “World’s Most Prolific Rock Writer,” you can likely look no further than Martin Popoff. The 62-year-old Canadian has penned (or typed) nearly 8,000 record reviews, published 125+ books, written band bios, documentary scripts and liner notes, and contributed to dozens of magazines and websites.
Credit: Book cover
Fortunately for fans of hard rock and heavy metal, those are the genres he’s chosen to focus on. And the level of detail both in words and visuals in his books are extremely valuable to fans, and especially those who count themselves as hardcore.
In fact, Popoff has written so much that he may be running out of new subjects. Hence, he has been revising/republishing/repackaging some previous works. As with his new Dio: The Unholy Scriptures—The Complete Unofficial Chronicle of Ronnie James Dio’s Solo Canon (400 pp., $45, Schiffer Publishing).
The handsome, glossy hardcover combines two earlier Dio tomes, to which Popoff has added even more text and visuals. And it’s a fabulous dissection of the 10 studio and seven live albums put out under the band name Dio from 1983’s powerhouse debut Holy Diver through 2014. Ronnie James Dio himself died in 2010 at the age of 67 from stomach cancer and even made several trips to Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Popoff relies on a trove of archival and recent interviews—many he conducted himself over the years—to tell the story of each album and tour cycle chronologically. In addition to reflections from Dio himself (always a loquacious and deep thinker in talks with the media), he has insight from bandmembers, associates, and Dio’s longtime wife and manager Wendy. She has kept the man the music alive since his passing with a flurry of record, book, and film projects.
And it’s no hagiography. Former members of Dio’s band—most notably original guitarist Vivian Campbell—have taken issue over the years with Dio over purported stinginess over songwriting credits and financial compensation. They have voice here on both musical and money matters.
After high-profile stints as the lead warbler in Rainbow and then Black Sabbath (replacing the fired Ozzy Osbourne), conflicts with Sabs Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler lead Dio to stake out on his own, taking drummer Vinny Appice with him, then adding Campbell, bassist Jimmy Bain, and then keyboardist Claude Schnell.
Though it must be noted that the last would have to set up his gear and perform behind the curtain during early concerts, for some ill-reasoned idea that keyboards and synths were “not metal.” Ironically, Dio’s biggest hit, “Rainbow in the Dark,” featured very prominent keyboards.
Popoff extensively quotes not just Dio himself, but seemingly every member of the often-rotating-and-returning lineup. And they’re not always complimentary of their leader or each other (Vivian Campbell and Tracy G’s comments are often blunt about the boss).
Especially during the years of albums like Strange Highways and Angry Machines when anything that smacked of heavy metal (or Dio’s favorite fantasy themes of swords, dragons, and wizards) was considered gauche in the Age of Grunge. And while a good chunk of his fanbase weathered these slower, doomy-albums, Dio (again with the revolving-door membership) had two latter solid albums with Killing the Dragon and Master of the Moon. He also reunited with his Sabbath lineup for tours and new music, but under the name Heaven and Hell (to avoid the wrath of Sharon Osbourne).
As with many of his other books, Popoff reproduced a generous amount of band ephemera (posters, tickets, backstage passes, print ads) along with concert photos. Much of it from his own envious archive.
Make no mistake, Dio: The Unholy Scriptures is not really for the listener who just has Holy Diver or The Last in Line and not listened to them in ages. It’s for deeper fans of the man born Ronald James Padavona. And the real popularizer of the now-ubiquitous “metal horns” gesture. Which is actually the storied finger-extending Italian maloik curse/defense he learned from his grandmother.
So, I know that everyone thinks that the heavy metal lifestyle revolves around sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, but really, that mentality is pretty cliché. Overstated…
Last year, when opening for Metallica on the 72 Seasons Tour, longtime metal band Pantera made a promise to return. That happened last night at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater during Phoenix’s monsoon season…
From the front barrier to the back of the lawn, the crowd at Pavillion at Toyota Music Factory belted out the lyrics to Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” A few moments later, the house lights went down and a banner dropped, revealing the leather-and-spike-clad British metal band, Judas Priest. Saturday’s date in Irving was the band’s 84th and last stop on their “Invincible Shield” tour, commemorating a new album of the same name…
Yngwie Malmsteen, known as much for volcanic six-string shredding as for his flair for pomp and circumstance, brings a tour marking 40 years of his solo(ing) career to the greater Orlando area.
Over four decades ago, the Swedish guitarist came to America to pursue his musical fortunes, recording with the likes of Steeler and Alcatrazz before deciding to strike out on his own.
The result was solo debut Rising Force. From there, Malmsteen — dubbed the maestro of “Neo-Classical Hard Rock” — has been the darling of guitar mags and the shred-sector of the heavy metal world since.
The 37-date tour kicks off in Florida, and though Malmsteen doesn’t quite venture into Orlando, he’ll be rocking in nearby Mount Dora.
“I couldn’t have done it without all of you and your support throughout all these years. Looking forward to creating some magic with all of you! More is more!” said Malmsteen in a press statement.
Yngwie Malmsteen plays the Mount Dora Music Hall (make a day of it!) on Saturday, Sept. 28. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.
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Joey Belladonna pays live tribute to Ronnie James Dio
The iron-lunged Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna always stood out among his thrash peers both for his impressive range and the unerring commitment to melody in his power-metal inspired vocals. Belladonna is currently out on the road solo, playing tribute sets to legendary belter Ronnie James Dio.
The much-missed Dio was a singular force in metal, with seminal stints in Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and solo [“Holy diivaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”]. The evening will see Belladonna and wife Krista leading a crack tribute band through his best-known numbers on this four-date Florida run.
Promised are “Holy Diver” and “Rainbow in the Dark” and “Neon Knights” and “Man on the Silver Mountain” and “Long,” among other anthems that would frighten parents and clergy … get those devil-horns ready.
It’s been six years since Judas Priest released their last album, but on Friday the British Heavy Metal pioneers returned with their 19th studio effort, Invincible Shield.
Since 2018’s Firepower, the Breaking the Law hitmakers have had a rollercoaster journey. COVID-19 wasn’t the only obstacle that put a wrench in their touring plans. Lead singer Rob Halford battled prostate cancer throughout a portion of the global pandemic before getting the all-clear in early 2021.
Not long after they were back on the road, co-lead guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered a near-fatal acute aortic aneurysm onstage during a performance at Louisville’s Louder than Life festival in September 2021.
The 43-year-old was midway through the band’s last song of the night — Painkiller, ironically — when it happened. Faulkner powered through and finished the song and was rushed to a hospital where surgeons performed a life-saving surgery.
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Faulkner stayed on the mend until rejoining Priest on the road in March 2022, shortly before they were set to embark on their mammoth 50th anniversary tour.
Rob Halford (R) and Richie Faulkner (L) of heavy metal band Judas Priest perform at the Heaven and Hell Metal Fest, in Toluca, Mexico, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022.
AP Photo / Alejandro Godinez
During the trek, the leather-clad quintet stopped in Los Angeles for the band’s long-awaited induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — where Priest welcomed back estranged band members guitarist K.K. Downing and drummer Les Binks to make speeches, before a rocking medley performance.
Additionally, Halford performed Jolene with the Queen of Country herself, Dolly Parton — a personal favourite icon of his — before going on to record the song Bygones with her for her acclaimed 2023 Rockstar album.
Speaking with Global News, Halford expressed his gratefulness: “I can’t thank her enough, not only for giving me the opportunity, but for giving the metal community the opportunity, because I know who I am, I know what I represent. I’m a singer in this British heavy metal band.”
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Inductees Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, from left, Dolly Parton and Rob Halford of Judas Priest perform during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
AP Photo / Chris Pizzello
By the way, we’re not yet done with the challenges.
Throughout these successes and close health calls, co-lead guitarist Glenn Tipton had been fighting Parkinson’s disease since 2008 — a battle he made public only weeks before Firepower was unleashed to the world.
The culmination of emotions endured by Halford, Tipton and Faulkner — Priest’s core songwriters — in that time resulted in one of the band’s most ferocious and introspective records to date.
Between lead singles Panic Attack and Trial By Fire, power ballad Crown of Horns and the touching, tributary closing track Giants in the Sky — which pays homage to fallen metal legends Ronnie James Dio and Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister — fans are treated with some of Halford’s deepest lyrics to date. The vulnerable nature of these compositions, however, doesn’t take away from the “heavy” aspects that heavy metal fans should expect. Throughout this record, all five band members are firing on all cylinders and perform with conviction that hasn’t been heard since 1990’s Painkiller. Though we are met with sonic twists and turns that harken back to records of Priest’s “golden era,” the overall diversity contained within Invincible Shield’s progressively shines brighter as each track ends and the next begins — serving as a reminder that Priest never does exactly the same thing twice and is a force to be reckoned with, still, after all these years.
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The title, Invincible Shield not only represents the victories and hardships of the collective band, but those of their fans, too, according to Halford.
The 72-year-old “Metal God” emphasized the importance of writing music that will connect with Priest fans — or “heavy metal maniacs” — and being able to show them that they’re not alone in whatever troubles they face.
For decades, Halford has been an advocate for acceptance and empowerment of those within not just the heavy metal community, but for folks from all walks of life.
The Living After Midnight singer recounted the loneliness he felt for the first 25 years of being a part of Judas Priest and feeling like he had to hide his sexuality as a prominent figure in the music community at a time where it was not as well-received.
It wasn’t until he publicly came out during an MTV broadcast in 1998 that he felt truly like himself.
“Tolerance and inclusivity is something that that I won’t stop talking about. This whole business of being embraced and feeling not alone and feeling (like) part of a group of people that are all feeling the same way is really special and unique to the metal world.”
Metal fans celebrate the performance of the British heavy metal band “Judas Priest” at WOA – Wacken Open Air in wacken, Germany, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022.
Frank Molter / dpa via AP
And though Halford has faced prejudice along the way, Halford has paved the way for multiple generations of metalheads and LGBTQ2 members and says that the collective idea of embracing each other’s differences has improved significantly since his career began.
Prior to unleashing the pummelling Invincible Shield, Priest shared four of the 11 tracks as singles, offering a mere taste to their loyal followers.
He made clear that while Tipton’s battle with Parkinson’s has slowly deteriorated his stamina, his compositions are still very much present. And where Tipton was not able to record a phrase or solo to his best ability, Faulkner stepped in and replicated it as accurately to his bandmate’s style as possible.
Glowing at the incredible reception they have received, Halford couldn’t contain his excitement for fans to hear the rest of it, adding an eagerness to get back out on the road.
Taking Tipton’s place on the road once again will be touring guitarist Andy Sneap, who also produced Invincible Shield — his second time producing for Priest. Fortunately for some fans, Tipton has previously made a handful of appearances on the road for the band’s encore.
Though Priest have yet to announce Canadian tour dates, Halford has shared fond memories of travelling the country via tour bus from coast-to-coast, and is promising the band will return in the near future.
“I’ve driven the entire breadth of Canada, and it’s the most glorious thing. I feel very, very lucky that I’ve been able to. It’s just a beautiful country,” Halford said, adding, “We will be coming back.”
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Judas Priest will begin the first leg of the Invincible Shield world tour in Glasgow, Scotland on March 11, making their way through the U.K., U.S. and several European countries until July.
As well as select tracks from the 53-minute spanning mammoth that is Invincible Shield, Halford promises diehard fans a healthy dose of the classics, as well as “two or three” deep cuts.
You can watch a condensed version of our interview with Rob Halford above.
Judas Priest, the band, with an image if their 19th studio album ‘Invincible Shield’ (2024).
March 11 – Glasgow, Scotland March 13 – Leeds, England March 15 – Dublin, Ireland March 17 – Bournemouth, England March 19 – Birmingham, England March 21 – London, England March 24 – Frankfurt, Germany March 25 – Munich, Germany March 27 – Dortmund, Germany March 29 – Prague, Czech Republic March 30 – Krakow, Poland April 1 – Vienna, Austria April 3 – Basel, Switzerland April 5 – Lyon, France April 6 – Assago, Italy April 8 – Paris, France April 18 – Wallingford, Conn. April 19 – Newark, N.J. April 21 – Reading, Penn. April 24 – Bangor, Maine April 25 – Boston, Mass. April 27 – Youngstown, Ohio April 28 – Indianapolis, Ind. May 1 – Rosemont, Ill. May 2 – Minneapolis, Minn. May 4 – Kalamazoo, Mich. May 05 – Maryland Heights, Mo. May 07 – Huntsville, Ala. May 09 – Daytona, Fla. May 11 – Alpharetta, Ga. May 12 – Mobile, Ala. May 14 – Charlotte, N.C. May 17 – Evansville, Ind. May 19 – Washington, D.C. May 21 – Albany, N.Y. May 22 – Syracuse, N.Y.
Get ready to rock out this summer with Lamb of God and Mastodon as they bring their Ashes of Leviathan Tour to Orlando.
The heavy twosome tour is a co-headlining trek named after and marking the 20th anniversary of their albums Ashes of the Wake and Leviathan. Both bands promise to play full-album sets.
The tour kicks off in mid-July in Texas, before heading to Florida for two shows — Jacksonville on July 23 and Orlando on July 24.
Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Lamb of God applies an extreme metal makeover to their heavenly name with songs like “Walk With Me in Hell” and “Laid to Rest.”
Tourmates Mastodon, from Atlanta, are far from extinct, with a discography of 14 albums stacked with heavy anthems like “Blood and Thunder” and “Oblivion.”
The two bands bring their co-headlining tour to the Orlando Amphitheater, accompanied by special guests Kerry King and Malevolence on Wednesday, July 24.
