Two things you can still count on in heavy metal: One is that Judas Priest won’t waste any time on wimpy power ballads, and the other is that lead shrieker Rob Halford will wear enough black leather to outfit all of Castro Street on Halloween. The English metallurgists’ 17th album may be titled Redeemer of Souls, but there ain’t a whole lot of redemption going on in bloody ditties like “Down in Flames” and “Dragonaut.” Halford’s operatic vocals still soar quite majestically over the twin-guitar interplay of Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, although retired guitarist K.K. Downing is much missed, and the album’s production is too clean. Openers Steel Panther might have started out as an ’80s metal parody band, but now that they’re playing major metal festivals, it’s hard to tell where the joke ends.

Mon., Nov. 10, 7 p.m., 2014
(Expired: 11/10/14)

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