By Jeb Wright, January 2012

Al Atkins is most famous for being the founding member of Judas Priest. By the time the band put out any albums, Atkins had been replaced by Rob Halford but he was able to stay in the business and remain working. His popularity was never big in the USA but he did have success in the more metal loving UK.

Atkins has released a new album titled Serpents Kiss with Born Again Christian guitarist Paul May. The album is a total throwback to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal days and will appeal to anyone who owns a copy of Metal for Muthas.

In the interview that follows, we discuss the project with Atkins and even let Paul weigh in a few of the songs that he composed for the project. Atkins talks about the early days of Judas Priest and having Rob Haford’s band open for them and how he turned down KK Downing as the guitar player for the band because he wasn’t, at that time, good enough. Lastly, learn how night vision saved Judas Priest bass player Ian Hill’s life.

Al:　 We met about twenty years ago before Paul became a Born Again Christian. He was playing at a local Black Country gig with a band called Arcana and I was introduced to him. I asked him to play on some demos I was recording at my studios and we just hit it off. He played guitar on my first four solo albums. We parted ways over the following years and he went into Christianity, playing and recording with various Christian artists. I formed the band Holy Rage and hit the road.

We met up one day last year. He told me he had been working on a new heavy rock/metal album and asked me to put some vocals down on it. When I heard what he had done I jumped at the chance to work with him again.

Al:　Yes, the artwork was done by the famous fantasy artist and illustrator Rodney Matthews, who has worked for so many artists from the past like Yes, Cream and Genesis to rock/ metal bands like ourselves. Paul came up with the title Serpents Kiss, which is about betrayal and commissioned Rodney to come up with the artwork. This is what Rodney had to say about it, "Money has become the God of the city of London and the shining towers, cathedrals of mammon. Serpents Kiss is my own take on the essence of betrayal, selfishness and lies."　 For more of his artwork go to RodneyMatthews.com

Al:　 No, this was Paul's baby and for the very first time I was not involved with the writing at all. Pressure off! It was such a change for me to just learn someone else’s songs and go into the studio and concentrate just on my vocals. Since I did this, I have had other offers of　the same nature from other artists.

Al: You are dead right, I agree. This is the era of music we grew up with. It has overtones of　Priest and Maiden but with a more modern edge to the guitars on tracks like “Can You Hear Me.” Classic British rock is where our roots lie and you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Al:　I'll let Paul talk to you about the songs.

Paul:　“Dream Maker” is one of my personal favorites, for various different reasons. It was the original contender for the opening track on the Serpents Kiss album with its classic hard rock feel and Al’s awesome vocals. The song actually ended up being track three.

As far as production goes, I wanted it to have all the elements of old school metal. There’s even a huge gong at the front end of the track, just after the opening guitar riffs, and also at the tail end of the track. I wanted that majestic, almost authoritative like announcement, which was in keeping with the content. Then, with the use of double kick drums and toms throughout, some grinding riffing guitars and a reverse type echo that I manually created for Al’s vocals, it all came together to create a NWOBHM type track.

Its obvious Christian content and lyrics make it somewhat of a modern day Psalm and prayer that is asking God for a dream of purpose and for deliverance from the darkest circumstances we might face.

Paul: “Fight” is just a head down, no nonsense rocker! Again, I wanted it to have a classic rock and riff element, the kind of stuff you would head bang to at the rock disco. I wanted it sound real tight, like the tightness you get with AC/DC tracks but with a Brit metal feel. I think I managed to get that and it ended up being the most commercial track, in my opinion, on the album, so much so that we decided to make it the video. It’s a track about never giving in and deciding to not take anymore and to stand in faith and not let ‘em grind you down.

Paul: “Theater of Fools” was a different ball game altogether. It’s quite a big track, clocking in just under nine minutes. It’s a very passionate song in many ways and a very emotive subject. It’s a rocker and an epic, for want of a better word, with many different elements involved. It has loads of light and dark, and the track gets bigger and bigger as the track progresses. Some might say it’s quite prog rock in some ways but I think it’s a hard rock track.

When we had put all the elements together in the studio, I did a rough mix and it made the hairs on my arm stand on end! Just the whole atmosphere of the song, coupled with a stunning vocal performance by Al, and me being able to play some old school rock guitar left us knowing it had be the closing track on the album. When we do live stuff　I’m pretty confident this will be the finishing song.

Of course then there’s the subject matter, which in retrospect was quite prophetic in nature. It’s a song about dictators, tyrants and the fall of their regimes. It was written with the Iraq situation and conclusion still fresh in the public’s heart and the media’s eye, but I just felt that there was much more to come. Sure enough, even over the past twelve months or so, we’ve seen the further demise of several tyrants and world dictatorships. It talks about the role of madness causing devastation, by those men who try to act like they are "gods" with their only eventuality being their own destruction. It’s still happening as we speak. In the middle of the song, I pose the question “Have all the heroes been honored now? Let’s not forget.” Basically, this track had to be huge to cover this kind of subject.　It’s Al's and my favorite track of the album.

Al:　 I suggested to Paul that it might be a good idea to put a cover track on the album, which might get us more radio plays and he came up with the song “Cold Gin” by Kiss, who were a big influence on Paul in his younger days. This idea has worked in the past, even with Judas Priest when they did “The Green Manalishi with the Three Pronged Crown.”

Al: Well, as I said this was Paul’s baby, so there was no real collaboration difficulties at all, but if we decide to record a follow up album then we will see because I will want to be a big part of the writing and producing of　it. If there are difficulties you will be the first to know.　

The last album release　before Serpents Kiss was with my old　live band, which we recorded a self titled album called Holy Rage. Guitarist Vince O'regan and I collaborated on it together with no problems.

Al: My voice has changed such a lot over the years and　has matured into a screaming growl. Journalist Tommy Udo wrote that it sounded like I smoked a pack of Capstan (strong British cigarettes) and gargled with Jack Daniels before I sang my vocal tracks. I don't know if that was a compliment or not but I think he liked it.

Al:　 The goal for this album is hopefully people will still appreciate the old school metal we have on offer and then to record another one. We will tour and we already have　some shows and a festival　has been offered to us. We will be joined by my　Holy Rage guitarist Chris Johnson but we are still looking for a bass player and drummer to complete the full　lineup.　I　have also had offers to sing on other projects like guitarist Andy Digelsomina's album Lyraka 2, which is what I call a Mopera (metal opera). I sing the part of the evil one name Semmonet and it also features　 a host of top notch vocalists like Graham Bonnet, Liz Vandall, Rob Diaz and Mark Boales to name a few.

Al: Wow, now let me think; he won't like me for this, but the first time I met KK was 1969. He came to audition for the guitarist job in the first lineup of Judas Priest but I turned him down.　

The 18 year old　guitarist we had named Johnny Perry committed suicide and we were auditioning for his replacement and in walked in KK with his trademark long blonde hair. He looked the part but when he plugged in his guitar it was just a racket, so I had to pass.

Al: The first Judas Priest lineup split after twelve months, so I went in search of　some other musicians to regroup again. I went along to some local rehearsal rooms called Holy Joe's; it was 1970. I stood outside one room listening to what sounded like a good noise, so I popped my head in and there was KK, who sounded much better than before. Ian Hill was on bass and John Ellis was on drums. I must say they looked and sounded the part with their heads shaking and their amps up full. I asked if they wanted to team up with me and “yes” was their reply.

Al: No, I have met him quite a few times over the years and I might be meeting him again soon at a party that’s being thrown. In those early years of Priest, he was in the same booking agency with us with his band called Hiroshima. They even opened up for us one night.　

When I finally left Priest,　Rob's sister was dating Ian Hill and she told him my job was up for grabs and he jumped at the chance to take my place.

Jeb: I know you have explained this a million times but for our readers’ sake… Explain how you named Judas Priest.

Al: It was 1969 and we were looking for a sinister double barrel name like Black Sabbath, which would catch people's attention. We came up with Judas Priest which was taken from a Bob Dylan album called John Wesley Harding. The song title was “The ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest.”

Al: “Mind Conception” and “Holy is the Man.”

Jeb: Did you really sign with Tony Iommi’s management company at the time?

Al: Yes, we did. It was called the International Music Agency and they had an office in Birmingham. They had some great bands on their books including The Flying Hat Band featuring Glenn Tipton on guitar.

Jeb: Do you feel Judas Priest would have made it if you had remained the lead singer?

Al: Who knows; that's a tough question. Rob is an incredible vocalist with an　incredible range and he took them to another level that I couldn't have done, but who knows which way we would have gone; maybe more AC/DC, which is not a bad thing. But with the addition of Rob and Glenn they pushed onwards and upwards to become the metal gods they are now. Well done I say!　

Al: No, but I get my royalties from songs that I wrote/co-wrote when I was with them like “Winter,” “Caviar and Meths” and “Never Satisfied” from the Rocka Rolla album and “Dreamer Deceiver” and “Victim of Changes” from Sad Wings of Destiny. Both albums went Gold, so I am happy with that.

Jeb: This is a tough one: You came SO close to being Heavy Metal royalty… how did you cope that you missed out by THAT much? There must have been some rough times.

Al:　 Not really. Judas Priest were just one of many bands I have fronted over my 40 years in the music business, but they are the main band that climbed　to the top of the tree. I wish the very best to them for all the hard work they have put into it.

I get asked all the while about those early days with them and don't mind talking about them. God, I even wrote a book on the subject.

Al: I don't really know what happened there. I have heard rumors from a damaged wrist to not being able to take time out for his new business, which is the running of his new golf course on his estate.

I didn't see them live this time around but I know Richie is doing an admiral job filling in. Another rumor is that KK will rejoin them after this Epitaph tour and they could be a six piece lineup, similar to Maiden.　

Al:　 I think the USA East Coast tour Dennis Stratton (ex-Iron Maiden) guitarist and I played on in 2006. We had a great time and played from Tampa, Florida up to New York City. I never wanted it to stop.　　 Driving through New York in a white stretch limo is something you don't do everyday. I have great memories from that tour.　

Al: My best friend Johnny Perry, the first guitarist with Judas Priest, committing suicide at 18 years of age. I almost packed the whole music business in. I carried on saying we will dedicate this band "Just for John."　

Al: Nearly getting blown up on stage. We had this roadie who was always playing tricks with the band and placing explosions on the stage. You never knew where he had put them. After the band split up, he joined Metallica and is still with them today as their sound engineer.　

Al: As I said, I will be working on the new Lyraka 2 album and also putting together another live lineup to promote the Serpents Kiss album. I would love to tour the USA again and we have a promoter out there trying to put that together, so who knows.　

Al: One that comes to mind is when we played this club in the UK around ’72 called The Copper Tops. When we finished playing a large fight started outside our changing rooms between the rockers and the skinheads. Our road crew told us to jump out the window where our tour bus was parked .We were on the ground floor so no problem, we pushed Ian out head first but he started screaming for us to stop. When we pulled him back inside he told us there was a twenty foot stairway going down to a basement　right below the window. Good job he saw it in the dark or Judas Priest would have had another bass player.