Downing originally auditioned for Judas Priest in 1971, when singer Alan Atkins fronted the band. Eventually, Downing, schoolmate Hill, and Atkins took over the group, and between 1971 and 1973, they gigged around the Midlands circuit (even touring Europe with Budgie). They worked with various musicians before settling in with drummer John Hinch and, following Atkins' departure, singer Rob Halford, whose sister was dating Hill. When Downing met Halford, he was reportedly harmonizing to Doris Day on the radio, a scene which would belie the heavy metal screaming to come. But Halford was capable of much more, possessing a voice with a wide range and an ability to powerfully project it. The band gladly took him on.

The fledging quartet kept honing their live chops and soon landed a deal with small Gull Records. At the request of their new label, they sought out a second guitar player, which in those days was uncommon. The group asked Flying Hat Band axeman Glenn Tipton to join them, and he accepted. This pairing between Downing and Tipton proved to be incredibly important in retrospect, for Tipton's highly structured, classically-inflected style of soloing contrasted very well with Downing's spontaneous, shoot-from-the-hip guitar attacks. Their classic solo trade-offs became an integral part of their sound, and they would become the most distinct metal guitar duo of all time.

In 1974, the quintet headed into the studio and quickly recorded Rocka Rolla, a blues-oriented hard rock album with some Zeppelinesque tunes (a description Hill finds curious considering "I don't think any of us is really into Zeppelin"). Many fans and critics view their debut as an oddity when compared with later works, but it had its moments - the somber ballad "Run Of The Mill," the feedback-drenched "Deep Freeze," and the snarling "Cheater," which even featured a harmonica solo from Halford. (The band thankfully ignored a request from their label to add a horn section.)

The Priest image was decidedly different in their early years, defined by satin, chiffon, and platform shoes - an appropriate 70s reflection. Halford sported long blonde hair, and K.K. routinely donned a Stetson. In 1975, such fashion was on display as they performed on British TV show "The Old Grey Whistle Test," playing songs like "Rocka Rolla" and "Dreamer Deceiver". The media was still deciding about Priest, as Tipton points out that "we could never get reviewed in London. If you came from Birmingham, you didn't exist. Which gives you a lot of determination, really." Not to mention that heavy metal throughout the 70s would be a hard sell for the mainstream, which didn't understand it initially.

An important moment in the band's early career occurred in 1975 when they played the prestigious Reading Festival. Their set included the never-released "Mother Sun". The massive crowd gave them a great opportunity for exposure, even if they were slotted with incompatible artists like Joan Armatrading. Later that year, Priest returned to the studio, this time with drummer Alan Moore, and reappeared with their first unified album, the classic Sad Wings Of Destiny. The opening track, "Victim of Changes," which was co-written by former frontman Atkins, has been equated by some to parallel the history of the band itself. On that tune, Halford's unnerving screams, Tipton and Downing's brutal riffs, and the bleak lyrics about aging set the tone for the evolving Priest style. The record traversed a wide range of terrain, moving from the menacing "Ripper" and "Genocide" to the neo-classical instrumental "Prelude" to the unexpected piano and vocal ballad "Epitaph". As on their debut, Hill proved to be a talented bassist whose melodic playing enhanced the music.

Despite the improved sales of Sad Wings over their debut and a growing live reputation, the band were just barely surviving. "Gull Records were never able to support the band," explains Tipton. "We asked for 20 pounds a week, and they couldn't pay us, so we were literally forced to break our contract with them. Our management at the time recognized the potential of the band, and they were prepared to take us on and take the consequences in court." They settled out of court. The gamble paid off as CBS signed Priest to a worldwide deal.

Judas Priest do not include their first two albums (or Gull's "Best Of" those two records) in their official discography. Gull has repeatedly licensed and repackaged the material over the years in many deceptive ways. "We believe that they're abusing the kids with those two albums, the 'Best Of,' the repackaging," asserts Tipton. "It's not fair for us to condone them, because its ripping the kids off. [On the 'Best Of'] they include bullshit interviews with our first drummer John Hinch, who couldn't even play the drums, believe you me. But it looks like new songs. We don't get royalties off it, [but] the kids think we do."

Luckily the band's fortunes were beginning to change. In 1977, they released the potent Sin After Sin, which was recorded with producer (and ex-Deep Purple bassist) Roger Glover and session drummer Simon Phillips. "Let Us Prey" was the first of many speed metal predecessors which the band would pen in the late 70s, updating metal from the slower, doomier style of bands like Black Sabbath. The sinister and frenetic "Dissident Aggressor" conjured up foreboding images of war. The menacing "Sinner" provided Downing with the forum to wail away with his trademark tremolo and feedback assaults. This gothic record also included an unusual cover of Joan Baez's "Diamonds And Rust," a song which became so popular in concert that many Priest fans no doubt thought the band authored it.

With Phillips acting only as a temporary member and unable to tour with Priest, it was time for drummer number four - Les Binks, an excellent kit player who injected a strong groove-oriented approach into their music. The quintet then journeyed to the States for the first time and began capturing people's attention on tour with REO Speedwagon and opening up for Led Zeppelin for two nights in Oakland before 65,000 spectators. They weren't a household name yet, but they were spreading the gospel of metal.

"Gospel" is an appropriate analogy. For one thing, Priest fans treat many of their songs with reverence, and indeed the many Biblical types of references which appear in many of their lyrics are intriguing. It's not that the band are religious - they've criticized such institutions in song over the years - but they have utilized various concepts of heaven and hell to bring drama to many of their songs. Be it the personification of War in "Sinner," the ascension of mankind to another plane in "Cathedral Spires," the battle between blind faith and reason on "Between The Hammer And The Anvil," or the apocalyptic vision of "Saints In Hell" from Stained Class, Priest know how to incorporate such imagery to dramatic effect. Not to mention that the group touted its recent return as their second coming.