Judas Priest / Musashino Forest Arena 2018 / 2CDR

Judas Priest / Musashino Forest Arena 2018 / 2CDR / Shades
Live at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza Main Arena, Chofu, Japan 29th November 2018

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Translated Text:

“FIREPOWER JAPAN TOUR” which is praised as “the best in the 21st century” everywhere. An original recording which becomes the highest masterpiece by its final performance is appearing.
The highest peak of this work is “November 29, 2018: Musashino no Mori General Sports Plaza” performance. Following the first issue of TAJIMI 2018 (Shades 992) this week, the latest PRIEST IN THE EAST releases 4 titles at the same time. First of all, let’s check the position of the show from the tour schedule.

· November 21: Zepp Sapporo
· November 23: “TAJIMI 2018”
· November 25: “OKAYAMA 2018”
· November 26: “OSAKA 2018”
· November 28: “TOKYO 2018”
· November 29: “TOKYO 2018” & 【this work】

Over, all six performances. Of this, the last Tokyo 2 performance is summarized in “TOKYO 2018 (Shades 996)”, but this work is the live album of only the last day. Of course, it is another superb audience recording completely different from “TOKYO 2018” recording master.
That sound is exquisite. This tour was a fierce battlefield where the best golfers from all over the world cut the hoes, and everything was just the one that could be the highest peak. Among them, this work shone at the top is the beauty of balance and the response of that ringing. As a matter of fact, JUDAS PRIEST is a band whose sound is not very good. The balance pushing sound is too steady with a too powerful pushing sound of the bass too strong, when Rob screams, it becomes cracked or the sound suddenly gets bigger when the drum is put on the side … …. Besides, this time the volume is quite loud and it is a band of pretty recordingist crying. Of course, the mastery of each place overcomes with each ingenuity, but this work is very skillful with this work. The above drawbacks are hardly felt, and the balance is extremely good. The baseline that tends to be boaibois is also clear until the bing and attack, and the edge of the high note is also sharp. Especially great is the response of the middle range. Even if the treble stretches, even if heavy basses roam, the density of the midrange that fills the interval is wonderful and does not sky. The work site of this work is “Musashino no Mori General Sports Plaza” which was only 10,000 people scale, but I will not feel that space. Named recording with plenty of direct feeling. “FIREPOWER TOUR” has few name recordings in the world, perhaps it may be the best masterpiece in the world rather than Japan.
Of course, it is not the best masterpiece alone with sound. The show is also the best. Of course, at any venue there is a full JUDAS PRIEST, but there is enough sense to face the big stage of the 10,000 people venue. It was the biggest show in the Japanese show, but it is the same even if it spreads throughout this Asia tour. In South Korea and Singapore, the scale is about 2,000 people (Indonesian performance is unknown), Musashino Forest was the biggest highlight performance.
And the biggest point is still encore. Glenn · Thipton, who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease and had left the tour, appeared. “Metal Gods” “Breaking the Law” “Living After Midnight” will co-star the three songs. Only Tokyo 2 show participated in only diseases whose condition is one day a day, but 10 thousand people are boiling for their appearance. From the close voice shouting Glenn’s name, far away to the roar of the distant, a sense of perspective is drawn, inviting impression because the grain of each grain is clear. And three times of glory ‘BRITISH STEEL’ stings a heavy metal show Todome. Perhaps this might be the last moment with Glenn …… 10,000 choruses who plays chantingly to shake off such feelings. While complying with it, we are the prerogative of the steel god who does not give off the leading role to dust. It is a live album that contains all of them with superb sounds.

40 years since my first visit to Japan. Glenn who was worried also joined, and the dignified “FIREPOWER JAPAN TOUR” closed the curtain. It is the masterpiece of the live album which becomes the highest peak as its final chapter. I hear that there is no one who doubts JUDAS PRIEST’s coming back to the performance performance approaching the heyday, but at that time I would like Glen to come back again. Hope for the future with 40 years drunk by steel music. The best one that both explode at once. Please please suck in the full performance of the final performance.

各地で「21世紀で最高」と大絶賛真っ盛りの“FIREPOWER JAPAN TOUR”。その最終公演にして最高傑作となるオリジナル録音が登場です。
そんな最高峰の本作に収められているのは「2018年11月29日：武蔵野の森総合スポーツプラザ」公演。先週の第一報『TAJIMI 2018（Shades 992）』に続き、今週は最新PRIEST IN THE EASTが一挙４タイトルも同時リリース。まずは、ツアー日程からショウのポジションを確認しておきましょう。

・11月21日：Zepp Sapporo
・11月23日：『TAJIMI 2018』
・11月25日：『OKAYAMA 2018』
・11月26日：『OSAKA 2018』
・11月28日：『TOKYO 2018』
・11月29日：『TOKYO 2018』＆【本作】

以上、全６公演。このうちラストの東京２公演は『TOKYO 2018（Shades 996）』にもまとめられていますが、本作は最終日だけのライヴアルバム。もちろん、『TOKYO 2018』収録マスターとはまったくの別の極上オーディエンス録音です。
そのサウンドは絶品。今回のツアーは各地の名手が鎬を削る激戦区となったわけで、どれ１つとっても最高峰になり得るものばかり。その中で本作こそが頂点に輝いたのは、その鳴りの手応えとバランスの美しさ。実のところ、JUDAS PRIESTは出音があまり良いとは言えないバンド。低音の強すぎる塊の迫力押しサウンドで、バランスも安定せず、ロブが叫ぶと割れ気味になったり、ドラムがおかずを入れると急に音が大きくなったり……。しかも、今回はかなり音量が大きく、かなり録音家泣かせのバンドなのです。もちろん、各地の名手は各々の工夫で克服しているわけですが、本作はそれが非常に巧くいっている。上記したような欠点が殆ど感じられず、バランスが極めて良い。ボワボワになりがちなベースラインもビンビンとアタックまでクッキリしていますし、ハイノートのエッジも鋭い。特に素晴らしいのは中音域の手応え。高音が伸びても重低音が轟いても、その合間を埋める中音域の密度が素晴らしく、スカスカしない。本作の現場は、唯一１万人規模だった“武蔵野の森総合スポーツプラザ”なわけですが、その空間を感じさせない。ダイレクト感たっぷりの名録音。“FIREPOWER TOUR”は世界的にも名録音が少なく、もしかしたら日本どころか、世界の最高傑作になるかも知れません。
もちろん、サウンドだけでは最高傑作とは言えない。ショウもまた最高。もちろん、どんな会場でも全力なJUDAS PRIESTではありますが、１万人会場の大舞台に臨む気迫は十分。日本公演でも最大のショウでしたが、それは今回のアジア・ツアー全体に広げても同じ。韓国やシンガポールでも２千人前後の規模であり（インドネシア公演は不明ですが）、武蔵野の森こそが最大級のハイライト公演だったのです。
そして、最大のポイントはやはりアンコール。パーキンソン病を患ってツアーから離脱していたグレン・ティプトンが登場。「Metal Gods」「Breaking the Law」「Living After Midnight」の３曲を共演してくれるのです。体調が１日１日異なる病だけに東京２公演だけの参加になりましたが、その登場には１万人が沸きに沸く。グレンの名を叫ぶ近い声から、遠く遠くのどよめきまで、その１粒１粒が鮮明だからこそ遠近感が描かれ、感動を誘う。そして、栄光の『BRITISH STEEL』３連発が重金属ショウにトドメを刺す。もしかしたら、これがグレンとの最後の刻かも知れない……そんな想いを振り払うように唱和を重ねる１万人のコーラス隊。それを従えながら主役を微塵も譲らない我らが鋼鉄神の威光。それらすべてを極上サウンドで封じ込めたライヴアルバムなのです。

初来日から40年。心配されたグレンも参加し、堂々たる“FIREPOWER JAPAN TOUR”は幕を閉じました。その最終章にして、最高峰となるライヴアルバムの大傑作です。全盛期に迫る熱演にJUDAS PRIESTの再降臨を疑う方もいなくなったと聞きますが、そのときにはまたグレンも再び戻ってきて欲しい。鋼鉄音楽に酔った40年と、未来への希望。その両方が一気に爆発する極上１本。どうぞ、最終公演の熱演を胸いっぱいに吸い込んでください。
Disc 1 (48:21)
1. Pre-Show: War Pigs 2. Firepower Intro 3. Firepower 4. Running Wild 5. Grinder
6. Sinner 7. The Ripper 8. Lightning Strike 9. Desert Plains 10. No Surrender
11. Turbo Lover 12. The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)

Disc 2 (52:39)
1. Night Comes Down 2. Guardians 3. Rising From Ruins 4. Freewheel Burning
5. You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ 6. Hell Bent for Leather 7. Painkiller
8. Metal Gods 9. Breaking the Law 10. Living After Midnight

Rob Halford – Vocals Richie Faulkner – Guitar Andy Sneap – Guitar, Vocals Ian Hill – Bass
Scott Travis – Drums Glenn Tipton – Guitar (on Encore Tracks)

Shades 997