JUDAS RISING

JUDAS RISING:
and so was the water on Sept.13th.
Report and Photos by Gina Planell.

September 13, 2008 at Chicago City Limits beneath a drowning rain, Judas Rising performed a show with Dark Star's newest achievement, Rival. Giving the crowd a taste of Judas Priest renditions worthy of Metal God Rob's approval. I am a die-hard Judas Priest lover from back-in-the-day and to be honest, I was very critical of seeing Judas Rising. I had the microscope out looking for flaws.
I am convinced that Rob Halford will never be imitated ideally but the vocals of Joe Martina (formerly of Damien Thorne) were as close as I have heard. I walked in during 'Grinder' and found a crowd of metal heads banging their fists and singing along with fervor and passion just as Joe executed the song. Switching into 'Beyond the Realm of Death', guided by his metal influence of Megadeth and Iron Maiden, Neven Trivic who really highlighted the evening, played in both bands, first Rival and afterwards Judas Rising. He played this remarkable guitar from the 88-89 series, Ibanez RG. Now, that was a beautiful thing! Some of his shining moments were during 'Beyond the Realm of Death'; metal domination at its finest! I was so captivated at his dexterity and smooth transitions. Mind blowing… I was quite amused with the changes and felt the heat rise as Joe invited his other guitarist, Eric Gosselin, of Fierce Atmosphere to accompany him during 'Touch of Evil' which became another one of my favorite moments during the course of the evening.

'Jawbreaker' was primo! I thought 'Bloodstone' came together well with a raw, wicked power and a clean, clear drum sound. Speaking of drums, I tried to find Scott Davidson, (Artist and Master of Rebel Radio~among other things..), and decided to look under the massive chrome monster that appeared to be more like a work of gorgeous art than a drum kit… and there he was! Blazing and cooking on the metal kegs of rhythm! I really had a great time watching him, what a showman! Greg Lobello on guitar joined in on an amazing white, pearlized flying V guitar! His licks were crystal clear and exuded a metal, torturous sound that only a flying V guitarist can administer. Flying V guitars so remind me of back in the day. But only a handful of people could control that distinctive sound that came from them. Greg added to this metal mastery of a band as he understood the vibration he was harnessing from such a beautiful guitar! Rob Wilhem added to this collaboration as only he could, with a villainous bass and outgoing metal relationship with the crowd. He exudes 'cool' in a serious, in-your-face attitude. Rob is also the bass player and founding member of Iron Cross which actually owns a serious piece of my heart (horns up).

Continuing on my metal journey with Judas Rising, I noticed Joe's intonation and GREAT vocal flexation during the song 'Devils Child'. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one who enjoyed his 'flexation' as he was joined on stage by an over-zealous female fan who caught the eye of the boys and continued to administer her own shock and rock Devils Child dance. WOW! Who was that????? Apparently, it became contagious as several rockers floated to the front of the stage and writhed with metal passion. Quite a sight…

'Green Manilishi' and 'Diamonds & Rust' were hard driving favorites. No one sat down! This was an audience interaction band, definitely!

THEN.. CAME … VICTIM OF CHANGES!!!!!!!!!!!! This was the highlight of my night, Incredible! I totally felt my insides drop. I think someone put something in my beer.

The power that was generated could have lit up the electrically challenged neighborhood that evening. 'Living after Midnight' … and boy, was I. This band was rockin'! Finishing off with 'Another Thing Comin'… I pretty much was exhausted!!! Great show! I will definitely see them again.

After talking with the band members, I realized something. I find it very enlightening that our local musicians really support each other and I think that's such an admirable thing. We all know one another from waaaaayyy back. I'm talking 25 years of friendships… Here's part of the observation; if you took everyone we knew and everyone they knew, we'd easily have a couple of thousand people in one area. I find, as a rock tribe, we are supportive of one another in our own personal music endeavors. It's rather common to find a band within a band these days. It's accepted, it's encouraged, it's awesome! Judas Rising is a lot of fun and definitely the epitome of a great group of guys having a blast onstage! Bravo, you guys! Thanks for the experience!

- Gina Plannell

Tribute Bands need attention too!Truly great Tribute Bands strive to be artistically correct and play with accuracy and reverence.So, we decided to spend an evening with JUDAS RISING & HEAVEN AND HELL (CHICAGO) two of the areas hottest classic metal tribute bands!
JUDAS RISING was up first and certainly looked the part with spikes, chains and a bald guy in leather.We were hoping that their sound was as authentic as they looked and we were not disappointed.After the first few notes we were hooked.Lead vocal front man Joe Martina nailed it perfectly with his uncanny ability to hit the high notes.Like Judas Priest, Judas Rising performs with interlocking dual lead guitarists.Neven Trivic and Greg Lobello both are metal masters with their guitars and provided back up and harmony too.Bass player Rob Wilhelm not only talked the talk, but walked the walk with his bass sounds.The guy pounding the drums all night was Wildman Scott Davidson (the same Scott Davidson from “Rebel Radio”).Scott’s drumming leans towards being an in-your-face/ take-no-prisoners style.We think he lost five pounds that night due to his relentless hitting on the skins.Judas Rising did a phenomenal job playing tribute to one of the all time great metal bands.These guys will make your heart pound and your ears ring, but isn’t that what it’s all about?
- wassuplocal.com

From: buzznews.org 10/08
Last Friday night my craving for classic metal got the best of me to which I headed over to Nite Caps at 5007 W. Irving Park Road, a Chicago hangout that regularly delivers the sounds of crunching guitars and cavernous bass drums.
To be honest, it wasn’t at all random as to why I ended up there that night. I went to see Judas Rising, a Judas Priest tribute band based in Chicago. As a fan of Priest growing up, I felt this was my chance to relive some past memories and enjoy the energy of a roomful of people who were there for the same reason as I.

A good-sized crowd was on hand as the band kicked into “Electric Eye”, the key track, in my opinion, on the Screaming for Vengeance album. Instantly, everyone’s attention was turned to the stage thanks to Rising’s dead on rendition of the song and their in-your-face presence. Joe Martina strolled onto the stage donned in a black leather vest, dark sunglasses, biker hat and the essential metal accessories such as a chrome-studded belt and spiked wristbands. Martina certainly looked the part of legendary frontman/singer Rob Halford, but, more impressively, he was able to carry out a convincing performance by executing the difficult vocals that come along with Judas Priest.

Judas Rising performed a collection of songs ranging from Priest’s Sad Wings of Destiny to Painkiller. Favorites include “Victim of Changes”, “Breaking the Law”, “Jawbreaker” and “Exciter”, which really allowed Martina to test his range to the thrill of the crowd. After a thorough set, Rising was summoned back to the stage by a chanting crowd in which they played “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” and finished the night off with “Hell Bent for Leather”.

Greg LoBello and Neven Trivic shared guitar duties, splitting leads and playing harmonies just as Priest’s K.K. Downing and Glen Tipton have done for the past four decades. At times the two dabbled with the famed choreography that had Tipton and Downing side by side, rocking back and forth. Rebel Radio’s Scott Davidson did a great job banging away on the drums and supplying the steady tempo, meshing nicely with bass player Rob Wilhelm.

There are tribute bands and then there are bands that, with good intentions, try to sound like their favorite artists. Judas Rising is a certified tribute band and they are a very good one. It’s not very often that one is able to see a band that may have been a part of their past – or present. Tribute bands open the door to such an opportunity. Playing often and nearby, bands like Judas Rising supply a demand for music fans of all generations. If done right – and Rising does it very well – a tribute band will present to its following a respectable window into the days of yesteryear for some to experience again, and for others to find for the first time.
To find out when Judas Rising is playing next or to sample their material via audio or video, go to myspace.com/judasrisingchicago.
- buzznews.org