BW&BK; Editor In Chief Martin Popoff has issued a press release on his massive new JUDAS PRIEST book.

A year and a half in the works, he’s finally been able to pick up his first shipment and has them ready for signing and shipping. An email written for past purchasers of his books reads as follows:

“Dudes, I can’t believe it but my long-awaited Judas Priest book is finally out! It’s called Judas Priest: Heavy Metal Painkillers and I have copies at my office ready for shipping. It looks like my BLACK SABBATH book only bigger and better. I’m in shock. Here’s the scoop: - Big 8” x 10” format
- 541 photos and memorabilia shots!!!
- Full colour throughout.
- My usual chapter by album, track by track format
- Fight, Halford and Tipton also covered in detail
- 380 pages and over one kilogram in weight
- Embossed cover

Here’s the hype from the back cover:

“Fall to your knees and repent if you please!”

When the world thinks of heavy metal in its pure, potent, undiluted form, it is none other than the Metal Gods, Judas Priest, that instantly come to mind. Chrome and black leather, studs and whips and chains, a chopper on stage to announce the coming… these are the tools of the trade for Rob Halford and his legendary band of Birmingham bashers.

Indeed, the Priest are the bringers of metal’s biggest anthems. 'Breaking The Law', 'Living After Midnight', 'Electric Eye', 'Turbo Lover', 'Victim Of Changes', and especially 'You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’'… these are songs woven into the fabric of metal’s wild ride, Priest having been there since its origins, revving up crowds as superstars certainly for 30 years of that run.

Lifelong fan and preeminent metal historian Martin Popoff examines the Priest’s rich legacy album by album, anthem by anthem, along the way recounting the band’s shocking split with Halford in the mid’90s and his triumphant return in 2003. Having interviewed all the principals in the band repeatedly over the years, Popoff gives a firsthand account of Priest’s rocky, often comical ride through the ‘70s, and through the gold and platinum records of the ‘80s, expertly detailing the long road back to the arena headline status the band now enjoys as heavy metal’s proudest ambassadors.

Accompanying Popoff’s lively text is a full color cornucopia of images, the band’s gleaming steel imagery springing to life through a myriad of photos from the stage, memorabilia shots, cover graphics and all manner of Priestly feast for the electric eye…

Note: I'll be signing the book to you from me (with one of my pithy comments, soon as I can think of a few!), so let me know if it's a present or whatever for somebody else (I’m talking to you, gals with headbanging husbands and boyfriends).

Price including shipping… Well, sorry, but as I said, the package tips over one kilogram – multiple book orders good; same postage to US up to TWO kgs! Plus the Canadian dollar has soared against the US, and I’m in Canada:

US orders: $41.00 US funds (about 16$ of which is postage).

Int'l orders (surface mail): $48.00 US funds

Int'l orders (air mail): $73.00 US funds (yes, this blows – postage is $48!)

Canadian orders: $39.00 Cdn. funds

PayPal accepted (US or Canadian funds), to martinp@inforamp.net

(or provide me with your PayPal email addie and I’ll send you a PayPal invoice)

Or send payment to (personal check in US funds is fine):

Martin Popoff

P.O. Box 65208, 358 Danforth Ave.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

M4K 2Z2

Email martinp@inforamp.net with any further questions.”