(hennemusic) Judas Priest performed the 1980 track, "Rapid Fire", for the first time in 7 years during a March 21st appearance at the Download Festival in Japan.
Footage of the live performance - and a recent rehearsal of the song from "British Steel" - has surfaced online in sync with the festival, which saw the band step in as new headliners at the event following a recent cancellation by Ozzy Osbourne as he continues to recover from a series of health issues.
Topping a bill that also featured appearances by Slayer, Ghost, Anthrax, Sum 41 and more, the Japan show followed Judas Priest's sets at a pair of Download Festivals in Australia and a date in Auckland, NZ as part of their ongoing tour in support of 2018's "Firepower" album.
Judas Priest will resume the trek with a two-month spring North American run that will begin in Hollywood, FL on May 3.
"Metal maniacs - Judas Priest is roaring back to the USA for one more blast of Firepower!," says the band. "Firepower 2019 charges forth with new first time performances born out of Firepower, as well as fresh classic cuts across the decades from the Priest world metalsphere.
"Our visual stage set and light show will be scorching a unique, hot, fresh vibe - mixing in headline festivals, as well as the in-your-face venue close ups. We can't wait to reunite and reignite our maniacs..The Priest is back!" Watch the video footage here.
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