Painkiller (Judas Priest song)
| "Painkiller" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Judas Priest | ||||||||||
| from the album Painkiller | ||||||||||
| Released | 1990 | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1990 | |||||||||
| Genre | Speed metal | |||||||||
| Length | 6:06 | |||||||||
| Label | Columbia | |||||||||
| Writer(s) |
Rob Halford K.K. Downing Glenn Tipton |
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| Producer(s) | Chris Tsangarides | |||||||||
| Judas Priest singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Painkiller" is the opening track on British metal band Judas Priest's 1990 album, Painkiller, and was released as the first single off the album later that year.
The first guitar solo in the song, which alternates between the keys of F# minor and C# minor, is played by Glenn Tipton. The second, also in F# minor, is played by KK Downing. The song is noted for Rob Halford's high pitched vocal style and screams throughout the song as well as Scott Travis' complex drumming. Tipton has also stated that the Painkiller solo is his favourite to play. It is also his first recorded solo to heavily feature the technique of sweep picking.
The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance during the 33rd Grammy Awards (1991), the second year the award was presented.
The song tells the story of the Painkiller, a metal angel out to save mankind from destruction.
The song was covered by death metal band Death on their 1998 album The Sound of Perseverance. All the solos were rewritten for this version.
The Brazilian power metal band Angra has covered the song too on the album Freedom Call, released in 1996. This version also appeared on the Judas Priest tribute album Legends Of Metal - A Tribute To Judas Priest Volume II.
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